The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-09-16
CHAPTER XII.
The Inner Boy.

The lunch table when he arrived. and
the parade halted only at the door Of
the dining room.
"Oh, something!" shouted Mr.. Soho.
field. clasping his bilious brow with
both hands. stop that noise! Isn't
it awful enough for you to sing? Sit
down! Not with that thing on. Take
that green rope off your shoulder!
Now take that thing W of the dining
room and throw it in the ashcan,
Where did you get it?"
where did | get what, papa?' asked
Penrod meekly, %depositing the accor-
dion In the hall just outside the din
ing room door.
THAT da-that third hand concer.
tina"
Its n Gordon" said Penrod, taking
his place at the table and noticing
that both Margaret and Robert Will
liams (who happened to be a guestl
were growing red.
IL don't care what you call it," said
Mr.. Schofield irritably. II want to
know where you got it."
Penrod's eyes met Margaret's. Hers
had a strained expression. She very
slightly shook her head. Penrod sent
Mr.. Williams a grateful look and
might have beer startled If he could
have seer himself in n mirror at that
moment, for he regarded Mitchy-Mitch
with concealed but vigorous aversion.
and the resemblance would have horri-
fed him.
"A man gave 1t to me-" he answered
gently and was rewarded by the visi-
bly, regained ease Of his patrons man
ner, while Margaret leaned back in
her chair and looked at her brother
with real devotion.
81 should think he'd have been glad
to-" said MIR. Schofeld. "Who was
hep"
"Sir?" In spite Of the candy which
he had consumed in company with
Marjorie and Mitchy-Mitch Penrod had
begun to eat lobster croquettes ear
nestly.
"Who was hep
"Who do you mean, papa?"
"The man that gave you that ghast-
ly thing!'
"Yes. sir; a man gave 1t to me-"
81 say. Who was heT" shouted Mr..
Schofield.
well, was just walking alone, and
the man came up to me. 1t was right
down in front Of Colgates', where most
Of the paints rubbed off the fence
"Penrod!' The father used his most
dangerous tone.
"Sir?"
"Who was the man that gave you
the concertina"
81 don't know. ! was walking along
and
you never saw him beforeT
"No. sir. | was just walk
'That will do" said Mr.. Schofeld.
rising. 81 suppose every family has
its secret enemies and this was one of
ours. I must ask to be excused"
With that he went out GROSSLY. stop.
ping in the hall n moment before pass
ing beyond hearing. And after lunch
Penrod sought I'm vain for his accor-
dion. He ever searched the library.
where his father sat reading. though.
upon inquiry. PenrOd explained that
he was looking for a misplaced school
book. He thought he ought to study
a little every day. he said. even during
vacation time. Much pleased, Mr..
SchOfield rose and joined the search.
finding the missing work on mathe-
MATES with singular ease-which cost
him precisely the price of the book the
following September.
Penrod departed to study in the back
yard. There. after a cautious survey
Of the neighborhood, he managed to
dislodge the iron cover of the cistern
and dropped the arithmetic within. A
fine SPLASH rewarded his listening ear.
Thus assured that when he looked for
that book again no one would find il
for him, he replaced the cover and be-
took himself pensively to the highway.
~discouraging Duke from following by
repeated volleys Of stones. some i'm
aginary and others all too real.
Arrived upon the populous and fes-
tive scene Of the dog and pony show.
he first turned his attention to the
brightly decorated booths which sur
rounded the tent. The cries Of the
peanut vendors. Of the popcorn men,
Of the toy balloon sellers. the stirring
music Of the band, playing before the
performance to attract a crowd: the
shouting Of excited children and the
barking Of the dogs within the tent.
all sounded exhilaratingly In Penrod's
ears and set his blood a-tingle. New
ertheless he did not %squander his
money or fling 1t to the winds in n
grand splurge. Instead. he began cau-
tiously with the purchase Of an ex.
traordinarily large pickle. which he OBJ
tanned from an aged negress for bis
odd cent. too obvious a bargain to be
missed. At an adjacent stand he
bought a glass of raspberry lemonade
$50 alleged) and slipped 1t as he ate the