News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-07-07

ed her husband, laying aside his paper
''Henry Passloe Schoheld,' return
ed the lady, 81 don't know what Is tx
De done with that boy; do not"
"You mean Penrod?"
"Who else could / mean?' She sal
up, exasperated, to stare at him
Henry Passloe Schofield, you've got
! to take this matter in your hnnds. It's
beyond mel
"Well, what has he"-
! Last night l got to thinking" she
began rapidly, "about what Clara told
] us-thank heaven she and Margaret
and little Clara have gone to tea at
Cousin Charlottesville they'll be home
soon-about what she said about Miss
Spence
you mean about Periods being a
comfort?"
Eyes, and / kept thinking and think
ing and thinking about it till l couldn't
stand it any
"By Georgew shouted Mr.. SchOfield
srartlingly, STOPPING to look under the
piano. A statement that he had sud
denly remembered his sons presence
would be lacking in accuracy, for the
highly sensitized Penrod was, in fact
no longer present. No more was Duke,
his faithful dog.
whats the matterW
Nothing" he returned, striding to
the open window and looking out.
go on"
"Ohr' she moaned. st must be kept
from Clara. And I'll never hold up my
head again if John Fairy ever hears
of it,
Hears of what?'
well, just couldn't stand it, l got
so curious. And 1 thought, Of course,
I if Miss Spence had become a little
unbalanced it was my duty to know
it as Periods mother and she his
teacher. So l thought 1 would just
call on her at her apartment after
school and have chat and see. And
did. and-oh"-
"WellY
1--WE just come. from there, and she
told me-she told me! Oh, I've never
known anything like this!"
What did she tell your
Mrs. Schofeld, making great eff
fort, managed to assume a temporary
appearance of calm. Henry" she
said solemnly, bear this in mind,
whatever you do to Penrod it must be
done in some place when Clara won't
hear it. But the first thing to do is to
find him.
Within view of the window from
which Mr. Schofield was gazing was
the closed door of the storeroom in the
stable, and just outside this door Duke
was performing a most engaging trick
His young master had taught Duke
to "sit up and beg" when he wanted
anything, and if that didn't get it to
speak" Duke was facing the closed
door and sitting up and begging, and
now he also spoken a loud, clear
bark.
There was an open transom over the
door, and from this Observation-Disclosures
by an unseen agency-a can half filled
with old paint.
1t caught the small besieger of the
door on his thoroughly surprised right
ear, encouraged him to some remarka-
BILE acrobatics and turned large por-
lions Of him a dull blue. Allowing
only moment to perplexity and decid-
ing after a single and evidently unap-
petizing experiment not to cleanse him
self of paint, the loyal animal resumed
his quaint, upright posture.
Mr.. Schofield seated himself on the
window sill, whence he could keep in
view that pathetic picture of unrequit-
ed love.
go ON with your story, mamma" he
said. II think 1 can find Penrod when
we want him."
And a few minutes later he added,
"And think l know the place to dc
it in
Again the faithful voice of Duke was
heard pleading outside the bolted door.
Penrod entered the schoolroom Mon !
day morning picturesquely leaning |
upon mans cane, shortened to sup
port cripple approaching the age of |
twelve. He arrived about twenty min !
utes late, limping deeply, his brave |
young mouth drawn with pain, and the |
he created must have been !
a solace to him, the only possible crit !
icism of this entrance being thpt it |
was just a shade too heroic. Perhaps |
for that reason it failed to stagger
Miss Spence, a woman so saturated /
with suspicion that she penalzed Pen
rod for hardness as promptly and as
coldly las If he had been mere, or
binary, unmutilated boy. Nor would
she entertain any discussion of the
Justice of her ruling. 1t seemed almost
that she feared to argue with him.
However the distinction of cane and
limp remained to him, consultations
which he protracted far into the week
until Thursday evening, in fact, when
Mr.. Schofield, observing from a win
low his sons pursuit of Duke round
md round the back yard, confiscated
he cane, with the promise that it
should not remain idle if he saw Pen
'od limping again. Thus, succeeding
depressing Friday, another Saturday
brought the necessity for new inven-