burst of applause,
and people went forward to congratulate the greenhorn who had really made
good.

Jennie felt like throwing her arms about his neck and weeping out her joy
at his escape, and his restoration to her. Her eyes told him something of
this; for there was a look in them which reminded him of fifteen years
ago. Bettina Hansen was proud of him, and Con Bonner shook his hand and
said that he agreed with him. Neither Bettina nor Con had noticed the
capsizing of the boat or saw the form of Jim as it went drifting toward
the cataract. But Jim knew how near he had been to disaster, and knew that
Jennie knew. For she had seen him turn pale when he came on the platform
to make his address at the farmers' meeting at Ames, had seen him begin
the speech he had committed to memory, had observed how unable he was to
remember it, had noted his confusion as he tried to find his manuscript,
and then his place of beginning in it--and when his confusion had
seemingly quite overcome him, had seen him begin talking to his audience
just as he had talked to the political meeting that time when he had so
deeply offended her, and had observed how he won first their respect, then
their attention, then apparently their convictions.

To Jennie's agitated mind Jim had barely escaped being drowned in the
ocean of his own unreadiness and confusion under trying conditions. And
she was right. Jim had never felt more the upstart uneducated farm-hand
than when he was introduced to that audience by Professor Withers, nor
more completely disgraced than when he concluded his remarks. Even the
applause was to him a kindly effort on the part of the audience to comfort
him in his failure. His only solace was the look in Jennie's eyes.

"Young man," said an old farmer who wore thick glasses and looked like a
Dutch burgomaster, "I want to have a little talk with you."

"This is Mr. Hofmyer of Pottawatomie County," said the dean of the
college.

"I'm glad to meet you," said Jim. "I can talk to you now."

"No," said Jennie. "I know Mr. Hofmyer will excuse you until after dinner.
We have a little party for Mr. Irwin, and we shall be late if we don't
hurry."

"Where can I see you after supper?" asked Mr. Hofmyer.

Easy it was to satisfy Mr. Hofmyer; and Jim was carried off to a dinner
given by County Superintendent Jennie to Jim, the dean, Professor Withers,
and one or two others--and a wonderfully select and distinguished company
it seemed to J