News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-07-21

native foreign languages, Verman the
gay, Verman the caperer, caiered nC
more, he chuckled no more lie beck
0ned no more nor tapped his chest mol
wreathed his idolatlous face in smiles
Gone, all gone, were his little articles
for attracting the general attention tC
himself. Gone was every engaging
mannerism which had endeared him te
the mercurial public He squatted
I against the wall and glowered at the
new sensation. 1t was the old story
the old, old story-of too much temper
ament. Verman was suffering from
artistic jealousy.
The second audience contained cash
paying adult, a specialized young man
whose poignant attention was very
| flattering. He. remained after the lee
ture and put few questions to Rod
dy, which were answered rather con
fusedly upon promptings from Penrod
The young man went away without
having stated the object of his interro-
cations, but it became quite plain later
in the day. This same object caused
the specialized young man to make
several brief but stimulating calls di
rectly after leaving the Schofield &
Williams Big Show, and the conse
quences thereof loitered not by the
waySide.
The Big Show was at high tide Not
only was the auditorium filed and
thpphhino. tbnI.a INN
by no means wholly juvenile, waiting
for admission to the next pufformance.
A group stood in the street examining
the poster earnestly as it glowed in
the long, slanting rays of the west
ward sun, and people 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 a crested
victoria arrived at a gallop, and
large, chastely magnificent and highly
flushed woman descended and pro-
crossed 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 stricken man in livery.
The stairs to the auditorium We're
harrow and steep. Mrs. Roderick
Magsworth Bits was of stout favor,
Ind 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 Bits, Jr.,
the only living nephew of the great
Rena Magsworth. She stuck ars'nic
in the milk of eight separate and dis
timex people to put in their coffee, and
each and all of 'em died. 3he great
ars'nic murderess, Rena Magsworth,
gentilmun and iay-deeze, and Roddy's
her only living nephew. She's a rela-
ton of all the Bits family, but he's
her one and only living nephew. Re
mem-bur, next July she's 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 filed the entry
way. And his words Gt should be re-
lated froZe upon his lips.
Before herself Mrs. Roderick Mays
worth Bits saw her sOn--her scion |
a moustache and sideburns of
blue, and perched upon box fanked (
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. 1t needed no prophet to read
he countenance of the dread appari-
open-then filled to capac-
ty with calamitous sound of grief
lot unmingled with apprehension.
Periods reason staggered under the
'risis. For a horrible moment he saw
Mrs. Roderick Magsworth Bits APP
like some fatal mountain in
avalanche. She seemed to grow larger
md redder; lightnings played about
Ter head. He had a vague conscious
less of the audience spraying out in
light of the squealings, tramplings
nd dispersals of stricken field. The
was close upon him
He stood by the open mouth of the
ay chute which went through the
DOR to the manger below. Penrod
lso went through the floor. He pro-
elled himself into the chute and shot
own, but not quite to the manger,
or Mr.. Samuel Williams had thought
llly stepped into the chute a moment
1 advance of his partner. Penrod lit
pom Sam.
Catastrophe noises resounded in the
1T; volcanoes seemed to romp upon
lie stairway.
There ensued a period when only
lrill keening marked the passing of
oderick as he was borne to the tum-
ril. Then all was silence
Sunset striking through a western
indow rouged the walls of the Scho-
eds library, where gathered a joint
lmily council and court martial of