Connecticut western news., 1915-07-01

in the day. This same object caused the spectacled young man to make several brief but stimulating calls di- rectly after leaving the Schofield x Williams Big Show, and the conSc- Gucnccs thereof loitered not by the waySile.
 The Big Show was at high tide. Not only was the auditorium filed and thrObbing: there was an immense line, by no means wholly juvenile. waiting for admission to the next puiformanCe. A group stood in the street examining the poster earnestly as it glowed i'll the long. slunting rays of the west ward sun, and peOp,e in automobiles and other vehicles had halted wheel in the street to read the message so piquantly given to the world. These were the conditions when crested victoria arrived at q glllop, and large. chastely magnificent and highly flushed woman descended and pro- gressed across the yard with an air of violence.
 At sight of her the adults of the waiting line hastily disappeared. and most of the pauSing vehicles moved in stantly on their way. She was follow ed by a stricken man in livery.
 The stairs to the auditorium were narrow and steep. Mrs. Ioderick Magsworth Bitts was of a stout favor. and the voice of Penrod was audible during the ascent.
 "Re-mem-bur. gentilmun and lay deeze, each and all are now gazing upon Roderick Magsworth Bitts. Jr.. the only living nephew of the great Rena Magsworth. She stuck ars'nic in the milk of eight separate and dis tinck people to put in their coffee. and each and all of 'em died. The great ars'nic murderess. Rena Magsworth. gentilmun and lay-deeZe. and Roddy's her only living nephew. Shes reia- tion of all the BittS family. but he's her one and only living nephew. Re mem-bur. next July shes gOin' to be hung. and each and all you now see before yOu"-
 Penrod paused abruptly. seeing some thing before himself-the august and awful presence which filled the entry
 
 ] late0 fro2e upon his lips. | Before herself Mrs. ROderick Mags- worth Bitts saw her son--her scion- wearing Il moustache and sideburns of 1 blue, and perChed upon a box 1aIked l by Sherman and Verman, the Michi- [ gan rats, the Indian dog Duke, Her man. and the dog part alligator.
 Roddy also saw something before himself. It needed no prophet to read ! the countenance of the dread appari- l tion in the cntryway. His mouth open ed-remained open-then filled to capac- ] ity with calamitous sound of grief not unmingIcd with apprehension. i Penrod's reason staggered under the crisis. For d horrible moment he saw i Mrs. Roderick Magsworth Bitts ap- i preaching like some fatal mountain in | avalanche. She seemed to grow larger and redder; lightnings played about her head. He had a vague conscious i ness of the audience spraying out in flight, of the squealings. tramplings and dispersals of a stricken field. The J mountain was close upon him
 He stood by the open mouth of the l hay chute which went through the floor to the manager below. Penrod also went through the floor. He pro- pelled himself into the chute and shot down, but not quite to the manager, for Mir. Samuel Williams had thought fully stepped into the chute q moment in advance of his partner. Penrod lit upon Sam.
 Catastrophe noises resounded in the i loft; volcanoes seemed to romp upon the stairway.
 There ensued a period when only shrill keening marked the passing of Roderick as he was borne to the tum- bril-. Then all was silence.
 Sunset striking through a western window rouged the walls of the Scho- fields library, where gathered a joint family council and court martial of four-Mrs. Schofield. Mr. Schofeld and Mir. and Mrs. Williams, parents of Samuel of that ilk. MT. Williams read aloud a conspicuous passage from the last edition of the evening paper:
 Prominent people here believed close relations of woman sentenced to hang. Angry denial by Mrs. k. Mags- worth Bitts. Relationship admitted by yOInger member of family His state ment confirmed by boy friends "Don't"' said Mrs. Williams, ad- dressing her husband vehemently. We've all read it a dozen times. We've got plenty of trouble on our hands without hearing that again."
 Singularly enough. Mrs. Williams did not lcc,k troubled; she looked as if she were trying to look troubled. Mrs. Schofield wore a similar expression. So did MT. Schofield. So did Mir. Will Hams.
 What did she say when she called you up?" Mrs. Schofeld inquired breath lessly of Mrs. Williams.