The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1915-07-15
CHAPTER I.
A Boy and His Dog.

HENROD sat morosely upon the
back fence and gazed with
envy at Duke, his wistful dog.
A bitter soul dominated the va
riOus curved and angular surfaces
known by a careless world az the face
Of PenrOd Scho6eld. Except In soil.
tude. that face was almost always
cryptic and emotionless, for Penrod
had come into his twelfth year wear
Ing an expression carefully trained to
be inscrutable. Since the world was
sure to misunderstood everything.
mere defensive instinct prompted him
to give 1t as little as possible to lay
hold upon. Nothing Is more impene-
trable than the face Of a boy who has
learned this. aud Penrod's was habitu-
ally as fathOmless as the depth Of his
hatred this morning for the literary
activities Of Mrs Lora Rewbush. an
almost universally respected fellow
citizen. u lady Of charitable and poetic
inclinatiOns and one of his own moth
er's most Intimate friends.
Mrs. Lora Rewbush had written
something which she called The
Children's Pageant Of the Table
Round" and 1t was to be performed
In public that very afternoon at the
Women's Arts and Guild hall for the
benefit Of the Colored Infants Better
ment society. And II any favor of
sweetness remained in the nature Of
Penrod Schofield after the dismal
trials Of the school week just past.
that problematic. infinftesimal rem
nant was made pungent acid by the
imminence of his destiny to form a
prominent feature Of the spectacle and
to declaim the loathsome sentiments
Of a character named upon the pro-
gram the Child Sir Lancelot
After each rehearsal he had plotted
escape. and only ten days earlier there
had been a glimmer Of light Mrs-
Lora Rewbush caught very bad cold.
and It was hoped It might develop into
pneumonia. but she recovered 80 quick
~ that not even a rehearsal OF the
Children's Pageant was postponed.
Darkness closed In. Penrod had rather
vaguely debated plans for a self mutt
lation such as would make bis ap-
pearance as the Child Sir Lancelot In.
expedient on public grounds. 1t was
n heroic and attractive thought. but
the results of some extremely sketchy
preliminary experiments caused him
to abandon It
There was no escape. and at last his
hour was hard upon him. Therefore
he brooded on the fence and gazed
with envy at his wistful Duke.
The dogs name was undescript1ve
of his person. which was obviously
the result of a singular series OF mes
alliances. He wore a grizzled mus
tache and indefinite whiskers. He
was small and shabby and looked like
an old postman. Penrod envied Duke
hacause he was sure Duke would new
or he compelled to be a ChHd slr
rance,ot He thought dog free and
unsbackIed to 60 or come as the wlnu
,,s,eth Penrod forgot the life he LED
Duke.
There was a long soliloquy upon the
eance a plaintive monologue without
vords The boys thoughts were al
,ectives. but they were expressed Dy
a running dim of pictures In his minds
eve morbidly prophetic Of the hideosi-
10. before him. Finally he spoke
s,oud with such spleen that Duke rose
from nj. launches and lifted one ear
in keen anxiety.
:, s,.n, Cir Lancelot du Lake. the cnno'
c,eptul hearted. meek ana mia.
What though I'm but nt'ui I'm.
centu, hearted. meek and oofF
All Of this except "oof' was quot.'