rman, I'm done."

But so was Briggs. We couldn't help laughing at him. Editor Simpson, who
runs the _Argus_, stepped into the breach and regretted greatly that so
disgraceful an attack had been made upon a well-beloved citizen by a
woman. No man would dare make such an attack, he opined. Then Emma got
up again. The chairman called her to order, but he might as well have
rapped down the rising tide.

"I know mighty well no man 'ud dare say what I did, Lafe Simpson," she
shouted. "'Nd you're the biggest coward of 'em all. If you thought you'd
have to lose the school printing, you'd vote for the devil for
president of the school board."

Of course it was perfectly disgraceful, but what could we do? Emma was a
woman. We couldn't throw her out. We couldn't even get her to listen to
parliamentary rules. And the worst of it was, she was telling the truth.
That was something no one presumes to tell in local elections. To do it
breaks the first commandment of politics; but what do the women, bless
'em, care for our commandments?

The president of the school board at that time was Sanford Jones. He was
a large party who panned out about ninety-five per cent. solemnity and
the rest water on the brain. At this point in the proceedings he judged
it best to rise and turn the subject by telling us why woman should stay
at home. He got about two hundred words into circulation before Emma got
up. Her scandalized women friends tried to pull her down, and Pelty
Amthorne yelled "whoa," but she was in politics to stay.

"You look mighty fine standing up there, Mr. Jones," she shouted, "and
tellin' us women to go back home where we belong. But I just want to
tell this here crowd to-night that if you wasn't tighter than the bark
on a tree, your wife wouldn't have to do her own washing.

"That's why you want her to home. So you can save money."

After that a gloom fell over the meeting, and as no one else seemed to
care to speak, people began adjourning on all sides of Emma. After every
one else had gone she adjourned. There was no further attempt to hold a
caucus that year, and even now when any school faction desires to get
together and discuss things, it carefully conceals the news from Miss
Madigan.

That was just one of the many little surprises woman has handed to us
in Homeburg politics. Since they've gotten interested in school
affairs, it beats all how much influence they've got. Take Sadie
Askinson for instance. Her husband