The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1915-08-26
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK)

Penrod entered the schoolroom Mon
day morning picturesquely leaning
upon mans cane, shortened to sup
port a cripple approaching the age Of
twelve. He arrived about twenty min
utes late. limping deeply. his brave
young mouth drawn with pain, and the
sensation he created must have been
a solace to him, the only possible crit
icism of this entrance being that it
was just shade too heroic. Perhaps
for that refson 1t failed to stagger
Miss Spence, woman so saturated
with suspici1N that she penalized Pen.
rod for hardness as promptly and as
coldly as If he had been a mere, or
binary. unmutilated boy. Nor would
she entertain any discussion of the
Justice Of her ruling. 1t seemed almost
that she feared to argue with him.
However. the distinction Of cane and
limp remained TO him, consultations
which he protracted far into the week
until Thursday evening, in fact. when
Mr. Schofield. observing from a win.
dow his sons pursuit of Duke round
and round the back yard. confiscatei
the cane. with the promise that ii
should not remain idle If he saw Pen.
rod limping again. Thus. succeeding
a depressing Friday. another Saturday
brought the necessity for new inven-
tons.
1t was a scented morning In apple
blossom time. At about ten of the
clock Penrod emerged hastily from
the kitchen door. His pockets bulged
abnormally, so did his cheeks. and he
swallowed with difficulty. A threat
enlng mop. welded by cooklike arm
in checkered sleeve. followed him
through the doorway. and he was pre-
coded by a small, hurried. wistful dog
with a warm doughnut in his mouth.
The kitchen door slammed petulantly
incloslng the sore voice Of Della, where
upon Penrod and Duke seated them
selves upon the pleasant sward and
Immediately consumed the spoils of
their raid
From the cross street which formed
the side boundary of the Schofields'
ample yard came a jingle Of harness
and the cadenced clatter of pair of
trotting horses. and Penrod. looking
up. beheld the passing of a fat ac-
anaintance, torpid amid the conserva-
rive splpndorS of rather old fashion
ed victoria This was Roderick Mays
worth Bits. IT., fellow sufferer
at the Friday afternoon dancing class,
hut otherwise not often companion;
home sheltered lad. tutored private
~ aud preserved against the coarsen-
Ing influences of rude comradeship and
miscellaneous information. Heavily
oyergrown In all physical dimensions
virtuous and placid. this clustered NUT
ton was who'll! uninteresting to Pen
rod Schoieid Nevertheless. Roderick
Nnrsworth Bits. .lr.. was per
sonace on account of the Importance
Of the Magsworth Bits family. and Ii
was Penrod's destiny to increase Rod
erick's celebrity far. far beyond Its
presept arlstocratic limitations.
The Magsworth Rittses were imn"r
tant because they were Impressive
There was no other reason. AND the.
were impressive because they believed
themselves important. The adults OF
the family were impregnably formal
They dressed with reticent elegance
and wore the same nose and the same
exnression-an expression which 1ndl
Gated that they knew something eN
,r,site and sacred which other people
could never know. Other people IL
tbair presence were apt to feel mystic
r,ously icnoble and to become secretly
uneasy about ancestors, gloves ant
accommodation. The Magsworth Bitt'
manner was Withholding and reserved
though sometimes gracious, granting
small smiles as great favors and CIV
ing off a chilling kind of preciousness
Naturally when any citizen OF the com
munity did anything unconventional o.
,mnroper or made mistake or mao
rolative who went wrong that citizen
erst and worst fear was that the Mays
worth Bittses would hear OF 1t. Ii
fact this painful family had for year
,errorized the community, though Uni
community had never realized that
wos terrorized and invariably spoke o
the family as the most charming CIT
o,a In town" BY common conseh
Mrs Roderick Magsworth Bits etnei