e is,
Mr. Smythe will please set me right."

She paused for Mr. Smythe's reply.

"There is nothing which expressly gives that privilege," said Mr. Smythe,
"but the right to the benefit of skilled advisers is a universal one. It
can not be questioned. And in opening this case for my clients, I desire
to call your honor's attention--"

"You may advise your clients all you please," said Jennie, "but I'm not
going to waste time in listening to speeches, or having a lot of lawyers
examine witnesses."

"I protest," said Mr. Smythe.

"Well, you may file your protest in writing," said Jennie. "I'm going to
talk this matter over with these old friends and neighbors of mine. I
don't want you dipping into it, I say!"

Jennie's voice was rising toward the scream-line, and Mr. Smythe
recognized the hand of fate. One may argue with a cantankerous judge, but
the woman, who like necessity, knows no law, and who is smothering in a
flood of perplexities, is beyond reason. Moreover, Jennie dimly saw that
what she was doing had the approval of the crowd, and it solved the
problem of procedure.

There was a little wrangling, and a little protest from Con Bonner, but
Jennie ruled with a rod of iron, and adhered to her ruling. When the
hearing was resumed after the noon recess, the crowd was larger than ever,
but the proceedings consisted mainly in a conference of the principals
grouped about Jennie at the big lawyers' table. They were talking about
the methods adopted by Jim in his conduct of the Woodruff school--just
talking. The only new thing was the presence of a couple of newspaper men,
who had queried Chicago papers on the story, and been given orders for a
certain number of words on the case of the farm-hand schoolmaster on trial
before his old sweetheart for certain weird things he had done in the home
school in which they had once been classmates. The fact that the old
school-sweetheart had kicked a lawyer out of the case was not overlooked
by the gentlemen of the fourth estate. It helped to make it a "good
story."

By the time at which gathering darkness made it necessary for the bailiff
to light the lamps, the parties had agreed on the facts. Jim admitted most
of the allegations. He had practically ignored the text-books. He had
burned the district fuel and worn out the district furniture early and
late, and on Saturdays. He had introduced domestic economy and manual
training, to some extent, by sending the boys to the w