Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-07-15
CHAPTER XIV.
The Imitator.

|" self, life had taken on new
H meaning, new richness" He
had become fighting man
in conversation at least do you want
to know how l do when they try to
slip up on me from behind?" he asked
Della. And he enacted for her I'M
appreciative eye scene Of fstic ma
neuvers wherein he held an imaginary
antagonist helpless in a net Of strata
gems.
frequently, when he was alone, he
would outwit and pummel this same
enemy, and, after a cunning feint,
land dolorous stroke full upon face
Of air. THERE I guess you'll know
better next time. That's the way we
do up at the Thirdw
Sometimes in solitary pantomime he
encountered more than one opponent
at time, for numbers were apt to
come upon him treacherously, especial
~ at q little after his rising hour,
when he might be caught at disad-
vantage-perhaps standing on one leg
to incase the other in his knicker-
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. Chat was how he
broke the clock in his bedroom.) And
while these battles were occupying his
attention, 1t was a waste Of voice to
call him to breakfast, though II his
mother, losing patience, came to his
room, she would find him seated on
the bed pulling at stocking. well.
amt coming as fast as can"
At the table and about the house
generally he was bumptious, loud with
fatuous misinformation and assumed
domineering tone, which neither
satire nor reproof seemed able to re-
duce, but 1t 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 neighborhood. meeting
their Indignation with 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 at 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 wom-
en- is shameful. "Your mother won't
let you," is an insult. But, my father
won't let me-" is a dignified explana-
ton and cannot be hooted. A boy is
ruined among his fellows If he talks
much of his mother or sisters, and he
must recognize it 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, 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 Penrod's 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 blow;
then as the victim lodged he rasped
out the triumphant horse laugh which
he gradually mastered to horrible per-
lection. He did this to Marjorie Jones.
Aye, this was their next meeting, and
such is Eros, young. What was even
worse, in Marjorie's opinion. he went
on his way without explanation and
left her standing on the corner talking
about it long after be was out Of hear
ing.
Within five days from his first en-
counter with Rupe Collins, Penrod
had become unbearable. He even al
most alienated Sam Williams, who for
time submitted to finger twisting and