The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-09-23
CHAPTER XIV.
VI

E-NAN llIl.i., LOT cuTOu IT'D
self, life had taken on new
meaning, new richness" He
had become Il fighting man
III conversation 1T least. do YOU want
to know how | DO when they try to
slip up on me from behind?" he asked
leila And he enacted for her I'M
appreCiatiye eye a scene of tiStic ma.
neuverS wherein he held IN imaginary
antagonist helpless in II net of strata
gems.
Frequently, when he was alone, he
would outwit and pummcl this same
enemy, and, after n cunning feint,
land Il dolorous stroke fun upon Il face
of air. There. | guess youll know
better next time. That's the way we
do up nj the Third"
Sometimes I'm solitary pantomime he
encountered more than one opponent
at n time. for numbers were apt to
come upon him trcacherously. especial.
ly nj n little after his rising hour.
when he might be caught at n disad-
vantage-perhaps standing on one leg
TO incase the other in bis knickcr-
bockers. Like lightning he would
hurl the trapping garment from him,
and. ducking and pivoting, deal great
sweeping blows among the circle of
sneaking devils. THAT was how he
broke the clock In his bedroom.) And
while these battles were occupying his
attention, II was a waste of voice to
: coll hin, tn hrnnl,fnyt th,,,b 20 AZ.
mother, losing patience, came to his
room. she would find him seated on
the bed pulling at a stocking We'll.
amt | coming ms fast as ] cam"
At the table and about the house
generally he was bumptious. loud with
fatuOus misinformation and assumed
a domineering tone, which neither
satire nor reproOf seemed able to re,
duce. but II was among his. own in
Inmates that his new superiority was
most outrageous. He twisted the
fingers and squeezed the necks Of all
the boys Of the Deighborhood. meeting
their indignation with n hoarse and
rasping laugh he had acquired after
short practice In the stable. where he
jeered and tainted the lawnmOwer,
the garden scythe and the wheelbarrow
quite out OF cOuntenance
Likewise he Dragged to the other
boys by the hour. Rupe Collins being
the chief subject OF encomium-next
to Penrod himself. That's the way
we do up mt the Third" became staple
explanation of violence, for Penrod,
like Tartarin. was plastic in the hands
Of his own imagination. and at times
convinced himself that he really was
one OF those dark and murderOus
spirits exclusively Of whom 1.-THE
Third" was composed-accOrding to
Rupe Collins.
Then, when Penrod had exhausted
himself repeating to nausea accounts
Of the prowess OF himself and his
great friend. he would turn to two
other subjects for vainglory. These
were his father and Duke.
Mothers must accept the fact that be.
tween babyhood and manhood their
sons do not boast Of them. The boy.
with boys. Is a Choctaw, and either
the influence or the protection Of WON.
en- Is shameful. your mother won't
let you" is n insult. But, My father
wont let me-" Is a dignifed eXplana
ton and cannot be hooted. A boy is
ruined among his fellows II he talks
much OF his mother or sisters. and he
must recognize 1t as his duty to offer
at least the appearance Of persecution
to all things ranked as female. such as
cats and every species of fowl. But
he must champion his father and his
dog. and. ever ready to pit either
against any challenger, must picture
both as ravening for battle and abso
lutely unconquerable.
Penrod. of course. had always talked
by the code. but. under the new stimu-
lus. Duke was represented virtually
as a cross between Bob. Son Of Battle.
and South American vampire. and this
in spite Of the fact that Duke himself
often sat close by. a living lie. with
the hope OF peace In his heart. AS for
Periods father. that gladiator was
painted as Of sentiments and dimen
sions suitable to a superdemon com
posed OF equal parts OF Goliath. Jack
Johnson and the Emperor Nero. '
Even Periods walk was affected
He adopted a gait which was a kind
OF haunting swagger. and when he
passed other children on the street he
practiced the habit Of feinting n blow:
then as the victim lodged he rasped
out the triumphant horse laugh which
he gradually mastered to horrible per
fection. He did this to Marjorie Jones
Aye. this was their next meeting. and
such Is Eros. young What was even