News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-06-09
Scarcely had the vile words left his lips

Scarcely had the vile words left his lips
when
"Penrodv'
1t was his mothers voice calling
! from the back porch.
simultaneously the noon whistles be-
gan to blow far and near, and the ro-
mancer in the sawdust box, summon
ed prosaically from steep mountain
passes above the clouds, paused with
stubby pencil halfway from lip to
knee. His eyes were shining, there
was rapt sweetness in his gaze. As
he wrote his burden had grown light
err, thoughts of Mrs. LOra Rewbush had
almost left him, and in particular as he
recounted even by the chaste DASH
the annoyed expressions of Mr.. VII
son, the wounded detective, and the
silken moustached mule driver, he had
felt mysteriously relieved concerning
the Child Sir Lancelot. Altogether he
looked n better and a brighter boy.
'Pen-rod,"
The rapt look faded slowly. He
sighed, but moved not
"Penrod! We're having lunch early
just on your account, so you'll have
plenty of time to be dressed for the
pageant. Hurry"
There was silence in Periods aerie.
"Pen-rodr
Mrs. Schotield's voice sounded near
er, indicating a threatened approach.
Penrod bestirred himself. He blew out
the lantern and shouted plaintively:
well, amt l coming fast's / camp
"Do hurry" returned the voice, with
drawing, and the kitchen door could
be heard to close
Replacing his manuscript and pencil
in the cigar box, he carefully buried
the box in the sawdust, put the Ian
tern and oil can back in the soap box,
adjusted the elevator for the recep-
ton of Duke, and in no uncertain tone
invited the devoted animal to enter.
Duke stretched himself amiably, af-
fecting not to hear and when this pre-
tense became so obvious that even Il
dog could keep it up no longer sat
down in a corner, facing it, his back to
his master and his head perpendicular,
nose upward. supported by the con-
vergence of the two walls. This from
a dog is the last word, the comble
of the immutable. Penrod command
ed, stormed, tried gentleness, persuad-
ed with honeyed words and pictured
rewards. Dukes eyes looked back
ward; otherwise he moved not. Time
elapsed. Penrod stopped to flattery,
finally to insmcere caresses; then, los
ing patience, spouted sudden threats.
"Penrod, come down from that box
this Instant"
"Ma'amT'
Are you up in that sawdust box
again?" AS Mrs. Schofield had just
heard her sons voice issue from the
box and also us she knew he was there
anyhow, her question must have been
put for oratorical purposes only. 'Be-
cause if you are" she continued
I'm going to ask your papa |
not to let you play there any
Penrod's forehead, his eyes, the tops |
of his ears and most of his hair be- |
NetAht NASlbAt W htA at lit ApH Va
box. 81 amt 'playingr" he said in
well, what are you doingT"
Just coming down." he replied in a
grieved but patient tone.
''Then why don't you Gomez
81 got Duke here. l got to get him
down, haven't L? You don't suppose
want to leave a poor dog in here to
starve, do your"
well, hand him down over the side
30 me. Let me-
an get him down all right" said
Penrod. II got him up here and l
guess can get him down"
"Well then. do it"
81 will If you'll let me alone. If you'll
20 on back to the house I promise to
be there inside Of two minutes.
Honest" v