Connecticut western news., 1915-06-17

in the newspapers. lie Knew
 almost as much about Rena Magsworth as her jurymen did, though they sat in q courtroom 200 miles away, and he had it in mind-so frank he was-to ask Roderick MagswOrth Bitts, Jr, if the murderess happened to be a relative.
 The present encounter, being merely one of apathetic greeting, did not af- ford the opportunity. Penrod took off his cap, and Roderick, seated between his mother and one of his grOwnup sisters, nodded sluggishly, but neither Mrs. Magsworth Bitts nor her daugh- ter acknowledged the salutatiOn of the boy in the yard. They disapproved of him as q person of little consequence, and that little bad. Snubbed, PenrOd thoughtfully restored his cap to his head. A boy can be cut as effectually as man, and this one was chilled to a low temperature. He wondered if they despised him because they had seen a last fragment of dOughnut in his hand; then he thought that per haps it was Duke who had diSgraced him. Duke was certainly no fashion able looking dog.
 The resilient spirits of youth. how ever, presently revived, and, discover ing a spider upon one knee and bee tie simultaneously upon the other, Pen rod forgot Mrs. Roderick Magsworth Bitts in the course of some expert ments infringing upon the domain of Dr. Carrel. Penrod's efforts. with the aid of pin, to effect transference of living organism were unsuccessful, but he convinced himself forever that a spider cannot walk with a beetles legs. Della then enhanced geological interest by depositing upon the back porch a large rat trap from the cellar, the prison of four live rats awaiting execution.
 Penrod at once took possession, retir ing to the empty stable, where he in- stalled the rats in small wooden box with sheet of broken window glass, held down by a brickbat, over the top. Thus the symptoms of their agitation when the box was shaken or hammer ed upon could be studied at leisure. Altogether this Saturday was starting splendidly.
 After time the students attention was withdrawn from his specimens by a peculiar smell, which, being follow ed up by a system of selective sniffing, proved to be an emnation leaking into the stable from the alley. He opened the back door.
 Across the alley was a cottage which a thrifty neighbOr had built on the rear line of his lot and rented to ne- groes. and the fact that negro family was now in process of moving in" was manifested by the presence of a thin mule and a ramshackle wagon, the latter laden with the semblance of a stove and a few other unpretentious household articles.
 A very small darky boy stood near the mule. In his hand was rusty chain. and at the end of the chain the sclighted Penrod perceived the source If the special smell he was tracing-a large raccoOn. Duke, who had shown not the slightest interest in the rats, set up a frantic barking and simulated a ravening assault upon the strange animal. It was only a bit of acting, | however, for Duke was an old dog ] had suffered much and desired no un- necessary sorrow, wherefore he con fined his demonstrations to alartfms 1 and excursions and presently sat down at a distance and expressed himself lS l intermittent threatenings in a quaver- | ing falsetto.
 What's that coon's name?" asked Penrod, intending no discourtesy.
 "Aim gommo mame," said the small darky.
 "What?"
 Aim gommo mame."
 "What?"
 The small darky looked annoyed.
 Aim gommo name, I hell you," he said impatiently.
 Penrod conceived that insult was in tended.
 What's the matter of you?' he de handed, advancing. You get fresh with me and TIP
 "Hyuh, white boy!' A colored youth of Penrod's own age appeared in the doorway of the cottage. "You let 'at ' brothuh mine alone. He ain do noth. in to you.''
 "Well, why can't he answer?'
 "He cant. He can't talk no better'n what he was talllin' He tongue tie"
 "Ohr' said Penrod, mollified; then, obeying an impulse so universally aroused in the human breast under like circumstances that it has become quip, he turned to the afflicted one.
 Yak some more" he begged eagerly.