Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-06-24

or the morning. Master Bits, the only
exhibit placed upon box. was super
curio. All eyes fastened upon him and
remained, hungrily feasting, through
out Periods luminous grafton.
But the glory of one light must ever
be the dimming of another. We dwell
in vale of seeSaWS, and cobwebS spin
fastest upon laurel. Verman, the tat
tooed wild boy, speaking only in his
native foreign languages, Verman the
gay, Verman the caperer, capered no
more, he chuckled no more, he beck
oned no more nor tapped his chest nor
wreathed his idolatrous face in smiles.
Gone, all gone, were his little articles
for attracting the general attention to
himself. Gone was every engaging
mannerism which had endeared him to
the mercurial public. He squatted
against the wall and glowered at the
new sensation. 1t was the old story
the old, old story-Of too much temper
ament. Verman was suffering from
artistic jealousy.
The second audience contained cash
paying adult, specialized young man
whose poignant attention was very
fiattering. He remained after the lee
ture and put a few questions to Rod
dy. which were answered rather con-
fusedly upon prOmptings from Penrod.
The young man went away without
having stated the object Of his interro-
cations, but it became quite plain later
ia the day. This same object caused
the specialized young man to make
several brief but stimulating calls di-
rectly after leaving the Schoield &
Williams Big Show, and the conse-
quences thereof loitered not by the
wayside.
The Big Show was at high tide. Not
only was the auditorium filed and
throbbing; there was an immense line,
by no means wholly juvenile, waiting
for admission to the next performance.
A group stood in the street examining
the poster earnestly as it glowed in
the long, slanting rays Of the west
ward sun, and people in automobiles
and other vehicles had halted wheel in
the street to read the message so
piquantly given to the world. These
were the conditions when crested
victoria arrived at gallop, and a
large, chastely magnificent and highly
flushed woman descended and pro-
crossed across the yard with an air of
violence.
At sight of her the adults of the
waiting line hastily disappeared, and
most of the pausing vehicles moved in
stantly on their way. She was follow
ed by a stricken man in livery.
The stairs to the auditorium were
narrow and steep. Mrs. Aeoderick
Magsworth Bits was of stout favor,
and the voice of Penrod was audible
during the ascent.
"Re-mem-bur, gentilmun and lay
deeze, each and all are now gazing
upon Roderick Magsworth Bits, Jr.,
the only living nephew Of the great
Rena Magsworth. She stuck ars'nic
in the milk of eight separate and dis
timex people to put in their coffee, and
each and all of 'em died. The great
ars'nic murderess, Rena Magsworth,
gentilmun and lay-deeze, and Roddy's
her only living nephew. She's rela-
ton Of all the Bits family, but he's
her one and only living nephew. Re-
mem-bur, next July she's goin' to be
hung, and each and all you now see
before YOU
Penrod paused abruptly, seeing some
thing before himself-the august and
awful presence which filed the entry
lated froZe upon his lips.
Before herself Mrs. Roderick Mays
worth Bits saw her sOn-her scion
wearing moustache and sideburns Of
blue, and perched upon box flanked
by Sherman and Verman, the Michi-
gan rats, the Indian dog Duke, Her.
man, and the dog part alligator.
Roddy also saw something before
himself. 1t needed no prophet to read
the countenance Of the dread appari
ton in the entryway. His mouth open
ed-remained open-then filed to capac-
ity with a calamitous sound of grief
not unmingled with apprehension.
Periods reason staggered under the
crisis. For a horrible moment he saw
Mrs. Roderick Magsworth Bits ap-
preaching like some fatal mountain in
avalanche. She seemed to grow larger
and redder; lightnings played about
her head. He had a vague conscious
ness of the audience spraying out in
fight, of the squealings, tramplings
and dispersals Of stricken field. The
mountain was close upon him
He stood by the open mouth Of the
hay chute which went through the
floor to the manger below. Penrod
also went through the floor. He pro-
PEELED himself into the chute and shot
down, but not quite to the manger,
for Mr.. Samuel Williams had thought
fully stepped into the chute a moment
in advance of his partner. Penrod lit
upon Sam.
Catastrophe noises resounded in the
loft. volcanoes seemed TO rOmD UPON