The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1915-08-12
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

from the brow Of Whittier to the braid
of reddish hair belonging to Victorine
Riordan. the little o toroon girl who
sat directly in front Of him. Veto
rine's back was as familiar to Penrod
as the necktie Of Oliver Wendell
Holmes. So was her gayly colored
plaid waist. He hated the waist as
he hated Victorine herself without
knowing why. Enforced companion
ship in large quantities and on an equal
basis between the sexes appears to
sterilize the affections. and schoolroon.
romances are few.
victorine's hair was thick and the
brickish glints in it were beautiful but
Penrod was very tired of 1t. tiny
knot of green ribbon finished of the
braid and kept It from unraveling. and
beneath the ribbon there was final
wisp Of hair which was Just long
enough to repose upon Penrod's desk
when Victorine leaned back in her
seat. 1t was there now. Thoughtful-
~ he took the braid between thumb
and forefinger and, without disturbing
victorine, dipped the end Of it and the
green ribbon into the inkwell of his
desk. He brought hair and ribbon
forth dripping purple ink and partially
dried them on blotter, though. mo.
ment later, when Victorine leaned for
ward. they were still able to add
few picturesque touches to the plaid
waist.
Rudolph Krauss. across the aisle
from Penrod. watched the operation
with protuberant eyes. fascinated. In
spired to imitation. he took a piece of
chalk from his pocket and wrote
"Rats" across the shoulder blades or
the boy in front of him. then looked
across appeaIingly to PenrOd for to-
kens Of cOngratulation. PenrOd yawned
Half the members of the class pass
ed out to q recitation room, the EN-
purpled Victorine among them. and
Miss Spence started the remaining half
through the ordeal Of trial by mathe-
mates. Several boys and girls were
sent to the blackboard, and Penrod,
spared for the moment, followed their
opera atoms little while with his eyes,
but not with his mind; then, sinking
deeper in his seat, Imply abandoned
the effort. His eyes remained open,
but saw nothing. The routine OF the
arithmetic lesson reached his ears In
familiar, meaningless sounds, but he
heard nothing, and yet, this time, Nc
was profoundly occupied. He had
drifted away from the painful land OF
facts, and fiOated now in new sea
Of fancy which he had just discovered.
Maturity forgets the marvellous real
ness Of boys day dreams, how color
full they glow, rosy and living, anu
how opaque the curtain closing down
between the dreamer and the actual
world. That curtain is almost sound
proof, too. and causes more throat
trouble among parents than Is sus
pected.
The nervous monotony Of the school,
room inspires a sometimes unDearaDie
longing for something astonishing 10
happen, and as every boys fundamen.
tai desire is to do something astonlsn
ing himself. so as to be the center OF
all human interest and awe. 1t was nat
ural that Penrod should discover IN
fancy the delightful secret or SELF levi
tation. He found, In this curious Sc
ries of imaginings. during the lesson
In arithmetic. that the atmosphere may
be navigated as by swimmer under
water. but with Infinitely greater ease
and with perfect comfort In breathing
In his mind he extended his arms
gracefully. at a level with his shout
ders. and delicately padded the air
with his hands, which at once causeu
him to be drawn up out Of his seat and
elevated gently to position about mid
way between the door and the ceiling,
where he came to an equilibrium and
noated; sensation not the less ex-
uuisite because Of the screams OF his
fellow pupils, appalled, by the miracle.
Miss Spence herself was amazed and
frightened, but be only smiled down
careiessly upon her when she COM
manded him to return to earth, and
then, when she climbed upon desk
to pull him down. he quietly padded
himself a little higher, leaving his toes
Just out Of her reach. Next he swan
through q few slow somersaults to
show his mastery Of the new art. and,
with the shouting of the dumfounded
scholars ringing In his ears, turned on
his side and hoated swiftly out OF the
window, Immediately rising above the
housetops, while people In the street
below him shrieked. and q trolley car
stonpod dead In wonder.