Connecticut western news., 1915-05-06
CHAPTER l.
A Boy and His Dog.

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 envy at Duke, his wistful dog.
 A bitter soul dominated the va rlous curved and angular surfaces known by careless world as the face of Penrod Schofeld. Except in soli- tude, that face was almost always cryptic and emotionless, for Penrod had come into his twelfth year wear ing an expression carefully trained to be inscrutable. Since the world was sure to misunderstood everything. mere defensive instinct prompted him to give it as little as possible to lay hold upon. Nothing is more impene- trable than the face of a boy who has learned this, and Penrod's was habitu- ally as fathomless as the depth of his hatred this morning for the literary activities of Mrs. LOra RewbuSh, an almost universally respected fellow citizen, a lady of charitable and poetic inclinations and one of his own moth CTS most intimate friends.
 Mrs. Lora Rewbush had written something which she called '"The Children's Pageant of the Table Round" and it was to be performed in public that very afternoon at the WOmen's Arts and Guild hall for the benefit of the Colored Infants Better ment society. And if any flavor of sweetness remained in the nature of Penrod Schofield after the dismal trials of the school week just past. in int nant was made pungent acid by the imminence of his destiny to form d prominent feature of the spectacle and to declaim the loathsome sentiments of a character named upon the pro- gram the Child Sir LancelOt
 After each rehearsal he had plotted escape, and only ten days earlier there had been glimmer of light. Mrs Lora Rewbush caught q very bad cold. and it was hoped it might develop into pneumonia, but she recovered so quick ly that not even a rehearsal of the Children's Pageant was postponed. Darkness closed in. Penrod had rather vaguely debated plans for self mutt lation suck as would make his ap- pearance as the Child Sir Lancelot in- eXpedient on public grounds. It was a heroic and attractive thought. but the results of some extremely sketchy preliminary experiments caused him to abandon it.
 There was no escape. and at last his hour was hard upon him. Therefore he brooded on the fence and gaZed with envy at his wistful Duke.
 The dogs name was undescriptive of his person, which was obviously the result of a singular series of mes alliances. He wore a grizzled mus tache and indefinite whiskers. He was small and shabby and looked like an old postman. Penrod envied Duke because he was sure Duke would nev- CT be compelled to be a Child Sir Lancelot. He thought dog free and unshackled to go or come as the wind listeth. Penrod forgot the life he led Duke.
 There was long soliloquy upon the fence, a plaintive monologue without words. The boys thoughts were ad- tectives, but they were expressed by a running film of pictures in his minds , eye, morbidly prophetic of the hideosi- ties before him. Finally he spoke aloud. with such spleen that Duke rose from his launches and lifted one ear in keen anxiety.
 ''I night Sir Lancelot du Lake. the child Gentul hearted. meek and mild
 What though I'm but littul child,
 Gentul hearted, meek and Oof!
 All of this except "oof" was a quota