New-York tribune., 1915-03-21

r,s ,usv globe which spawns us is as inca
.h,e Of Aattery and as intent upon its
affair. whatever that is, as a gyro-
:. toe,s steadily whirling along its lawful
49, "A thus far seeming to hold right Of
~ Aoggedly on, with no perceptible dimi-
A. ,reed 70 mark the most gigantic human
sa0A ;, HA not pause 70 pant and reeuperate
f'e :, what seemed TO Penrod its principal
- rss accomplished, and an enormous
s1' vanishing westward over its surface,
'i,. "a The dawn Of his twelfth birthday.
a"a '.,rg that morning Penrod felt that the
V' changed from the world of yesterday.
F' ,hinr he seemed TO own more Of it; this
p 20 his dav. And il was day worth owning;
q ,,.rron,er sunshine, pouring gold through
- came from cool sky, and breeze
. sIs.ssnt!y in his hair as he leaned from
'H' ',, watch the tribe Of chattering blackbirds
= W. following their leader from the trees
- 80 70 the days work in the open country.
"s,..tbirds we're his, as the sunshine and the
= ~..rs his. for they all belonged 10 the day
~ ~ his birthday and therefore most surely
:" 80 suFused him: he was Twelve.
> t.,ber and his mother and Margaret seemed
y ',.rs,snd the difference between to-day and
.,s,v. They we're at the table when he de-
,.s .rd they gave him a greeting which of
s.srked the milestone. Habitually, his en-
81 ;,,o a room where his elders sat brought
~. - apprehension; they were prone to look
..,bc-ic expectancy, as if their thought
\ .T-t,. -.,y awfulness is he going to start
~ I'm. .tis morning they laughed; his mother
4lss,,5 r.a .uelve times, so did Margaret;
ga. ...t.- ....cd. We'll, we'll! How's the
-, his mother gave him Bible and "The
,"., Wakefield; Margaret gave him pair Of
~.uourted hair brushes, and his father gave
apocket Atlas" and a small compass.
a., ,ov. Penrod," said his mother, after break
sr- going 70 take you out in the country
=, your birthday respects to Aunt Sarah
=, Sarah Grim. Penrod's great-aunt. was his
:. living relative. She was ninety. and when
s,bosed and Penrod alighted from a car
-. her gate they found her digging with
ss in the garden
~ clad YOU brought him." she said, desisting
| = lsr labor. "Jinny's baking a cake I'm going
], g,i for his birthday party. Bring him in the
:. I've got something for him.
;, led the way 20 her sitting room," which
Dlessant smell, unlike any other smell, and
,,i,s ,be drawer Of a shining old what-nOt,
,ssrefrom a boys "slingshot," made OF a
IA stick two strips of rubber and a bit OF
au
/ hi. Amt for YOU" she said. placing it in Pen
Ig,s,rerband. "No. It would break all to pieces
s-,t time YOU tried to shoot it, because it is
-v.evs wears old. | want TO send it back to
4, ,s-ber. think it's time. You give it TO him
ne and tell him I say l believe l can
- him with il now. took it away from him
--.sve wears ago, one day after he'd killed
Us, hen with it, accidentally, and broken
! a ,i,,ber on the back porch with it-acci-
.a17. He doesn't look like person who's
t. done things of that sort, and l suppose he's
rr,sn it so we'll that he believes he never
5u, if YOU give it to him from me think
sncmber. You look like him, Penrod. He
.,yhing but handsome boy"
n, this final bit Of reminiscence-probably
ned 10 be repeated 10 Mr. Schofeld d-she dis
r.r.sd in the direction of the kitchen and re-
nd with a pitcher Of lemonade and a blue
dish sweetly freighted with fiat ginger
hes Of composition that was her own secret
a. having set this collation. before her guests,
presented Penrod with a superb, intricate and
noiern machine Of destructive capacities al
lnitless She called it pocket knife.
] suppose you'll do something horrible with
l he said. composedly. 81 hear you do that
rerything, anyhow, so you might as well do
nth this and have more fun out of it. They
ne you're the Worst Boy in Town"
4 o. Aunt Sarah" Mrs Schofeld lifted pro-
III hand
5'a'ense" said Mrs. Grim.
BIT on his birthday"
hats the time to say it. Penrod, aren't you
Worst Boy in Town.
'aTod, gazing fondly upon his knife and eat
'okies rapidly, answered as matter OF
'e, and absently, "Yesm."
! sranly" said Mrs Grim. "Once you accept
s'g about yourself as established and settled,
aL right. Nobody minds. Boys are just like
Fs really"
%Sno!" Mrs Schofeld cried involuntarily.
To- they are" returned Aunt Sarah. "Only
we not qnite so awful, because they haven't
aasd to cover themselves all over with little
II NAtH AcHiOu BiOHS NP HN -
ne as he Is now, except that whenever he
at he wants 70 do he'll tell himself and
opls little story about it to make his
iOr doing it seem nice and pretty and
Ia SchOfed looked thoughtful. aunt Sarah"
'atured, don't you really think we improve
ngst older?D
A'aning," said the old lady, chat Penrod
much chance to escape the penitentiary II
""nt! Well, we do learn to restrain our
a N some things; and there are people who
W Sant some one else to take the last cookie,
% they aren't very common. But it's all
n NE world seems to be getting on" She
u ~lmsically upon her great-nephew and
- VI course, when you watch boy and
about him, it doesn't seem TO be getting on