The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-09-09
CHAPTER X.
Retiring From the Show Buciness.


So did Herman and yerman.
Roddy's staggering lie had changed
the face Of things utterly. No one
questioned it; no one realized that 1t
was much too good to be true.
"Roddy," said penrod in q voice
tremulous with hope, "Roddy, will you
join our show?"
Roddy Joined.
Even he could see hat the offer i'm
piled his being starred as the para
mount attraction Of q new order of
things. 1t was obvious that he had
swelled out suddenly, In the estimation
Of the other boys, to that Importance
which he had been taught to believe
his native gift and natural right. The
sensation was pleasant. He had often
been treated with effusion by grownup
callers and by acquaintances Of his
mother and sisters. He had heard la
dies speak Of him as Charming and
that delightful child" and little girls
had sometimes shown him Difference.
but until this moment no boy had yer
allowed him for one moment to pre-
sumo even to equality. Now, In a trice
he was not only admitted to comrade-
ship, but patiently valued as something
rare and sacred, to be acclaimed and
pedestaled. In fact, the very first
thing that Schofield & Williams did
was to find a box for him to stand
upon.
The misgivinss reused In Roderick's
bosom by the subsequent activities of
the firm were no bothersome enough
to make him forego his prominence as
Exhibit A. He was not q quick
minded" boy, and it was long and
much happened before he thoroughly
comprehended the causes Of his new
celebrity. He had a shadowy feeling
that If the affair came to be heard of
at home It might not be liked, but, in
toxicated by the glamour and hustle
which surround "a public character, he
made no protest. On the contrary, he
entered whole heartedly into the prep
arations for the new show. Assuming,
with Sans assistance, a blue mustache
and "sideburns," he helped in the
painting Of a new poster, which, sup
planting the old one on the wall Of the
stable facing the cross street, screamed
bloody murder at the passers in that
rather populous thoroughfare:
SCHoFiELD & WILLIAMS
NEW BIG SHOW
RoDERiCK MAGSWoRTu BITS JR
ONLY LIVING NEPHEW
OF
RENA MAGSWORTH
THE FAMOS
MUDERESS GOING To BE HUNG
NEXT JULY killed EIGHT PEG
PIE
PUT ARSiNECK IN THEIR MILK
ALSO
SHERMAN HERMAN AND VERMAN
THE MICHIGAN RATS DOG PART
ALLIGATOR DUKE THE GENUINE
Indian DOG ADMISSION 1 CENT OR
20 PINS SAME AS BEFORE Do Not
MISS THIS CHANSE TO SEE ROD
ERiCK
ONLY LIVING NEPHEW OF RENA
MAGSWORTH THE GREAT FAMOS
GOING To BE
HUNG
Megaphones were constructed out Of
heavy wrapping paper, and Penrod,
Sam and Herman set out in different
directions, delivering vocally the in
lammatory proclamation Of the poster
to a large section Of the residential
quarter and leaving Roderick Mays
worth Bits, Jr., with Verman in the
loft. shielded from all deadhead eyes.
Upon the return Of the heralds the
Schofield & Williams military band
played deafeningly, and an awakened
public onc more thronged to I'LL the
Golfers Of the firm.
Prosperity smiled again. The very
first audience after the acquisition of
Roderick was larger than the largest
Of the morning. Master Bits, the only
exhibit placed upon a box, was a super
curfo. All eyes fastened upon him and
remained, hungrily feasting, through
out Penrod's luminous grafton.
But the glory of one light must ever
be the dimming Of another. We dwell
In a vale Of seesaws, and cobwebs spin
fastest upon laurel. Verman, the tat
tooed wild boy, speaking only In lis
native foreign languages, Verman the
gay, Verman the caperer, capered no
more, he chuckled no more. he beck
Sned no more nor tapped his chest nor
wreathed his idolatrOus face in smiles.
Gone, all gone, were his little articles
| for attracting the general attention to
himself. Gone was every engaging
mannerIsm which had endeared him to
the mercurial public. He sQuatted
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 a cash