The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1915-05-29

tWistin my wrist! 0efh you, le496!
The voice Of Mr. Lnra ReWtbohM as
again heard from tho wings. Il sound
ed bloodthirsty. Penrod released his
Victim, and the Child King Arthur,
somewhat disconnected, extended his
scepter and, with the assistance Of the
enraged promptar, said: :.,.. =
Sweet child friends OF the Tabul Round,
In brotherly love and kindness abound;
Sir Lancelot, you have spoken well.
Sir Galahad, too, as clear as bell.
30 now pray don your mantles gay,
You shall be kIiighted this very day."
And Penrod dohed his mantle.
simultaneously a thick and vastly
gasp came from the audience, as from
500 bathers in q wholly unexpected
surf. This gasp was punctuated irreg-
ularly over the auditorium by imper-
fectly subdued screams both Of dismay
and incredulous joy and by two dismal
shrteks. Altogether it was an extraor-
binary sound, sound never to be for
gotten by any one who heard it. It
was almost as unforgetable ds the
sight when caused it, the word sight
being here used in its vernacular sense,
tor Penrod, standing unmantled and
revealed In all the medieval and artis-
tic glory Of the janitor's blue overalls,
falls within it's meaning.
The janitor was a heavy man, and
his overalls upon Penrod were merely
oceanic. The boy was at once swad-
died and lost within their blue CULTS
and vast. sa&gings, and the left leg,
too hastily rolled up, had descended
with a. distinctively elephantine effect,
as Margaret had observed. Certainly
the Child Sir Lancelot was at least a
sight.
It is probable that great many in
that hall raust have had even then a
consciousness that they were looking
on at history in the making. A su-
preme act is recognizable at sight; It
bears the birthmark Of Immortality.
But Penrod, that marvellous boy, had
begun to ,declaim, even with the ges-
ture Of f1tnging of his mantle for the
accolade:
II first. the Child Sir Lancelot du Lake.
Will volunteer to knighthood take,
And knAeling here before your throne
I vow to-
He finished his speech unheard The
audience had recovered breath, but
had lost self control, and there ensued
something later described by a partici-
pant as a sort Of cultured riot.
The actors In the pageant" were not
SO du11lfounded by Periods costume
as mis9ht have been expected. A few
precocd ous geniuses perceived that the
overalAs were the Child Lancelot's own
comment on maternal intentions, and
these were profoundly impressed.
They regarded him with the grisly
admiration of young and ambitious
criminals for jail mate about to be
distinguished by hanging. But most
OF the children simply took it to be the
case "a little strange, but startling)
that Penrod's mother had dressed him
like that-which is. pathetic. They
tried to go on with the pageant"
They made a brief, manful effort.
But the irrepressible outbursts from
the audience bew1ldered them. Every
time Sir Lancelot du Lake the. Child
opened his mouth the great, shadowy
house fell into an uproar and the chill
dren into confusion. Strong women
and brave girls In the audience went
out into the lobby, shrieking and cling
ing to one another. Others remained,
rocking in their seats, helpless and
spent. The neighborhood Of Mrs. Scho-
field and Margaret became tactfully a
desert. Friends of the author went
behind the scenes and encountered a
hitherto unknown phase Of Mrs. Lora
Rewbush. They said afterward that
she hardly seemed to know what she
was doing. She begged to be left alone
somewhere with Penrod Schodeld, for
just little while.
They led her away.