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 Jim. Jennie seized a moment’s opportunity to say, “You did beautifully, Jim; everybody says so.”
“I failed!” said. Jim. “You know I failed. I couldn’t remember my speech. I can’t stay here feasting. I want to get out in the snow.”
“You made the best address of the meeting; and you did it because you forgot your speech,” insisted Jennie.