The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-17


 costu1ne. He began to form a not un- pleasing mental picture of his appear ance, something somewhere between the portraits of George Washington and vivid memory of Miss Julia Marlowe at a matinee of Twelfth Night
 He was additionally cheered by 8 sword which had been borrowed from a neighbor who was Knight of Pyth- ias. Finally there was mantle an old golf cape of Margaret's Fluffy polka dots of white cotton had been sewed to it generously; also it was or namented with large cross of red flannel, suggested by the picture of a crusader in newspaper advertise ment The mantle was fastened to Penrod's shoulder-that is, to the shoulder of Mrs Schofeld's ex-bodice- by means Of large safety pins. and ar- ranged to hang down behind him, touching his heels, but obscur1ng no-
 wise the glory of his facade. Then at last he was allowed to step before mirror.
 It was a full length glass and the worst immediately happened. It might have been a little less violent, perhaps. if Penrod's expectations had not been so richly and poetically idealized, but as things were the revolt was volcanic.
 Victor Hugo's account of the fight with the devi1dsh, in .'Toilers of the Sea- encourages belief that, had Hugo lived and increased in power, he might have been equal to proper recital of the half hour which followed Penrod's first sight of himself IS the Child Sir Lancelot. But Mir Wilson himself, dastard but eloquent foe of Harold Ramorez, could not have ex- pressed. with all the vile dashes at his command, the sentiments which ani- mated Penrod's bosom when the in- stantaneous and unalt lterable conviction descended upon him that he was in- tended by his loved ones to make pub lie spectacle of himself in his sisters stockings and part of an old dress of his mothers.
 To him these familiar things were not disguised at all. There seemed no possibility thatzthe whole world would not know them at 8 glance. The stock ings were worse tllan the bodice. He had been assured that these could not be recognized, but, seeing them in the mirror, he was sure that no human eye could fail at first glance to detect the difference between himself and the former purposes of these stockings. Fold wrinkle, and void shrieked their history with hundred tongues, invok- ing earthquake, eclipse. and blue ruin. The frantic youths final submission was obtained only after a painful teIe- phonic conversation between himself esnd his father, the latter having been called up and upon by the exhausted Mfrs. Scho1eld. to subjugate his off, spring by wire.
 4 1$.. haste after this to deliver Penrod into the hands of Mrs. I1ora Rewbush l Nevertheless, they found opportunity upon his not having recognized the ]. humble but servieeable paternaI gar ment now brilliant about the Lanee- lotish middle. Altogether. they felt that the costume was a success. Pen rod looked like nothing ever remotely ina agined by Sir Thomas Mallory or Alfred Tennyson-for that matter he looked like nothing ever before seen on earth-b but as Mrs. Schof1eld and Margaret took their places in the audi ence at the Women's Arts and Guild hall, the anxiety they felt concerning Penrod's eIocutionary and gesticular powers so soon to be put to public test was pleasantly tempered by their satisfaction that, owing to their ef- forts, his outward appearance would be a credit to the family.
 The Child Sir Lancelot found him self in a large anteroom behind the stagea room crowded with excited children, af1 about equally medieval and artistic. Penrod was less con- spicuous than he thought himself, but l he was so preoccupied with his own cE -%n hi +O af | the first inevitable taunting reference to his sisters stockings, that he failed to perceive there were others present 1 in much Of his own unnamed condi- 1 ion. Retiring to corner immediate 1y upon his entrance, he manag ged to unfasten the mantle at the shoulders l and, drawing it round him. pinned it ! again at his throat so that it concealed | the rest of his costume. This permit i ted temporary relief, but increased 1 his horror of the moment when, in ! pursuance of the action of the ''pag- l eant,'' the sheltering garment must be i cast aside.
 Some of the other child knights ! were also keeping their mantles close i about them- A few of the envied opu- 1 lent swung brilliant fabrics from their shoulders. atrily showing off hired spiendors from professional costum- CTS stock. while one or two were in- snltng examples of parental indul- 1 gence, particularly little Maurice Levy. the Child Sir Galahad. This shrinking person went clamorously about, mak- ing it known everywhere that the best tailor in town had been dazzled by great sum into constructing his cos tune. It consisted of blue velvet xnickerbockers, a white satin waist soat and a beautifully cut little swal- ow tailed coat with pearl buttons. The medieval and artistic triumph 1 was completed by a mantle of yellow 7eIvet and little white boots sporting yold tassels.