Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-08-17
.H,x,r cackled Herman to verman

"Hiyir' cackled Herman to verman
as they came. "See at ole boy runF
"Who-ee!' Verman shouted In &C
stasy.
"Nev' did see boy run 30 fas'r' Bier
man continued, tossing the scythe Into
the wheelbarrow. II bet be home IN
bed by diss time"
Verman roared with delight, appear
Ing to be wholly unconscious that the
lids Of his right eye were swollen shut
and that his attire. not too fnical be-
| fore the struggle. now entitled him To
unouestioned rank as a sansculotte
Herman was a similar ruin and gave
as little heed to bis condition
Penrod looked daSedly from Herman
70 yerman and back again. So dc
Sam Williams.
Herman" said Penrod in a veal
voice, "you wouldn't honest OF cut hi
gizzard out, would your"
"Who? Me2 I don't know. HI
mighty mean ole boyw Herman shool
his head gravely and then, observing
that Yerman was again convulsed Will
unctuous merdment Joined laughtel
with his brother. "Sho! l guess I VI
dess talkin' whens said at Reckor
he thought I meant 1t I'm de way he
tuck an run Hiyi! Reckon he
thought ole Herman bad man. No, sub
uz dess talkin,' cause new would
cut nobody. ain tryin' git in no jail
no, suhr'
Penrod looked at the scythe; he look
ed at Herman; he looked at the lawI
mower, and he looked at Verman
Then he looked out in the yard at the
rake. So did Sam Williams.
Come on, verman," said Herman
1--WE ain got at stove wood suppe'
yit"
Giggling reminiscently, the brothers
disappeared, leaving silence behind
them in the carriage house. FSnfoe
and Sam retired slowly into the shad
owy interior, each glancing. now anc
then, with a preoccupied air, at the
open, empty doorway where the iate
afternoon sunshine was growing rud
DIV. At intervals one or the othel
scraped the floor reflectively with the
side Of his shoe. Finally, still with
out either having made any enort al
conversation, they went out into tht
yard and stood, continuing their 81
lence.
WELL" said Sam at last, II guess
it's time 1 better be getth' home. *
long. Penrod."
$50 long, SAM" said Penrod feebiy.
With solemn gaze he watched hii
friend out Of sight Then he Wen'
slowly into the house and after an In
teryal occupied iii unique manner ap
peared in the library holding a pair Of
brilliantly cleaning shoes in his hand
Mr.. Schofeid. reading the evening
paper, glanced frowningly over 1t a
his offspring.
Look, papa," said Penrod; II found
your shoes where you'd taken 'em on
in your room to put on your slippers
and they were all dusty. So l tool
'em out on the back porch and gave
'em a good blacking. They shine W
fine, don't theyr' :,
"Well, I'll be d-dud-dummed" sale
the startled Mr.. Schofeld.
Penrod was zigzagging back to nor
NAL.
The midsummer sun was stinging ho'
outside the little barber shop next u
the corner drug store, and Penrod' nm
dergoing a toilet preliminary to hi
very slowly approaching twelfth birth
day, was adhesive enough to retair
upon his face much hair as 1t fell IRON
the shears.
There is a mystery here. The ton
sorial processes are not unagreeable Il
manhood-in truth, they are soothing
but the hairs detached from a boys
head get into his eyes, his ears. hii
nose, his mouth and down his neck
and he does everywhere itch e1crutiat
ingly. Wherefore he blinks. winks
weeps, twitches, condenses his counte
nance and squirms. and perchance tn
BARRIERS scissors clip more than intend
ed-belike an outlying Hange Of ear.
"Um-muh-owr' said Penrod. thi
thing having happened.
"D' I touch y up littler inquired
the barbar, smiling falsely.
"Ooh-uhr' The boy in the chair OF
fered inarticulate protest. as tn
wound was rubbed with alum.
THAT don't hurt" said the barber
"You will get 1t. though, II you don
sit stiller," he continued. nipping In tn
bud any attempt on the part Of his pa
tient to think that he already had 1T
"Pfuffw said Penrod, meaning no dis
respect, but endeavodng to dislodge
temporary mustache from his lip.
"You ought to see how still that III
tie George Bassett sits," the barbe
went on reprovingly. II hear every
body says he's the best boy In town"
"Pfuff! Phirrr' There was a toucl
Of intentional contempt in this.
81 haven't heard nobody around tn
neighborhood maxim no such remarks,
added the barber, "about nobody o
the name Of Penrod Schofeld."
"Well," said Penrod. clearing nj
mouth after a struggle, who want
fem to? Ouchr'
'T hear they call George Bassett tn
little gentleman" ventured the bal
Der provocatively, meeting with m
slant success.
"They better not call me that" re
turned Penrod truculently. 'Td hk
to hear anybody try. Just once, that
all! I bet they'd never try It as-
Ouchr'
"Whyi What'd you do to 'emr'
'lt's all right what I'd dol be
they wouldn't want to call me tha
again long as they nvedT'
"What'd you do If 1t was a httl
girli You wouldn't hit her, woul
your
"Well, I'd OUGHT"
"You wouldn't hit little girl, woul
your the barber persisted, gatherin
into his powerful fingers mop Of hal
from the top Of Penrod's head an
pulling that suffering head into an III
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