across the way from residence in the school district,
came down the aisle and called Jim to the smoking-room.

"Did an old fellow named Hoffman from Pottawatomie County ask you to leave
us and take his school?" he asked.

"Mr. Hofmyer," said Jim, "--yes, he did."

"Well," said Columbus, "I don't want to ask you to stand in your own
light, but I hope you won't let him toll you off there among strangers.
We're proud of you, Jim, and we don't want to lose you."

Proud of him! Sweet music to the underling's ears! Jim blushed and
stammered.

"The fact is," said Columbus, "I know that Woodruff District job hain't
big enough for you any more; but we can make it bigger. If you'll stay, I
believe we can pull off a deal to consolidate some of them districts, and
make you boss of the whole shooting match."

"I appreciate this, Clumb," said Jim, "but I don't believe you can do
it."

"Well, think of it," said Columbus. "And don't do anything till you talk
with me and a few of the rest of the boys."

"Think of it" again!

A fine home-coming it was for Jim, with the colonel waiting at the station
with a double sleigh, and the chance to ride into the snowy country in the
same seat with Jennie--a chance which was blighted by the colonel's
placing of Jennie, Bettina and Nils Hansen in the broad rear seat, and Jim
in front with himself. A fine ride, just the same, over fine roads, and
past fine farmsteads snuggled into their rectangular wrappages of trees
set out in the old pioneer days. The colonel would not allow him to get
out and walk when he could really have reached home more quickly by doing
so; no, he set the Hansens down at their door, took Jennie home, and then
drove the lightened sleigh merrily to the humble cabin of the rather
excited young schoolmaster.

"Did you make any deal with those people down in the western part of the
state?" asked the colonel. "Jennie wrote me that you've got an offer."

"No," said Jim, and he told the colonel about the proposal of Mr.
Hofmyer.

"Well," said the colonel, "in my capacity of wild-eyed reformer, I've made
up my mind that the first four miles in the trip is to make the rural
teacher's job a bigger job. It's got to be a man's size, woman's size job,
or we can't get real men and real women to stay in the work."

"I think that's a statesmanlike formulation of it," said Jim.

"Well," said the colonel, "don't turn down the Pottawatomie County job
until we have a chance to se