Connecticut western news., 1915-08-26
CHAPTER XX.
Conclusion of the Quiet Aftt

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 Y chorus. They jeered, derlded,
 E scoffed and raised an uproar
 which would have had its ef- feet upon much stronger nerves than Georgie's. For time he contained his rising choler and chanted monot- onously over and over: Il could. 1 could too! 1 could! l could toor But their tumult wore upon him, and he de cided to avail himself of the recent de cision whereby a big H was rendered innocuous and unprofane. Having used the expression once. he found it comforting and substituted it for T could I could too!''
 But it relieved him only temporarily. His tormentors were unaffected by it and increased their howlings until at last Georgie lost his head altogether Badgered beyond bearing, his eyes shining with a wild light, he broke through the besieging trio, hurling little Maurice from his path with fran@ic hand.
 "Ill show your' he cried in this sud den frenzy. 'You give me a chance, and I'll prove it right noww
 That's talkin' businessr' shouted Penrod. Everybody keep still min ute-everybodyr
 He took command of the situation at once, displaying a fine capacity for or ganization and system. It needed only few minutes to set order in the place of confusion and to determine. with the full concurrence of all parties, the con ditions under which Georgie Bassett was to defend his claim by undergoing what may be perhaps intelligikly de fined as the Herman test. Georgie de- clared he could do it easily He was in state of great excitement and in no condition to think calmly or proba- ply he would not have made the at tempt at all. Certainly he was over confident.
 1t was during the discussion of the details of this enterprise that Georgie's mother a short distance down the street received a few female callers, who came by appointment to drink glass of iced tea with her and to meet the Rev. Mir. Kinoslng. MT. Kinosling was proving almost formidably inter- esting to the women and girls of his own and other focks. What favor of his fellow c1ergymen a slight precious ness of manner and pronunciation cost him was more than balanced by the visible ecstasies of ladies. They blos- somed at his touch. E. 4...
 He had just entered Mrs. Bassetts front door when the son of the house, followed by an intent and earnest com pany of four, opened the alley gate and came into the yard The uncon- scious Mrs. Bassett was about to have her first experience of a fatal coinci- dence It was her first, because she was the mother of boy so well be- haved that he had become a proverb of transcendency. Fatal coincidences were plentiful in the Schofield and Williams families and would have been familiar to Mrs. Bassett had Georgie been permitted greater intimacy with Penrod and Sam
 MT. Kinosling slipped his iced tea and looked about him approvingly. Seven ladies leaned forward, for it was to be seen that he meant to speak.
 "This cool room is relief" he said, limited gesture, which eyerybody's eyes followed, his own included. Tt is a relief and a retreat The windows open, the blinds closed-that is as it should be. It is retreat, fastness, bastion against the heats assault. For me quiet room-a quiet room and book, volume in the hand, held lightly between the fingers-a volume of poems, lines metrical and cadenced, something by sound Victorian. We have no later poets."
 "Swinburne?" suggested Miss Beam, an eager spinster. "Swinburne. Mr. Kinosling? Ah, Swinburne!"
 Not Swinburne," said MT. Kinosling chastely. No"
 That concluded all the remarks about SWinburne.
 Miss Beam retired in confusion be- hind another lady, and somehow there became diffused an impression that Miss Beam was erotic.
 '"I do not observe your manly little son." Mir. Kinosling addressed his hostess.
 He's out playing in the .yard,' Mrs. Bassett returned. "I heard his voice just now, think"
 "Everywhere l hear wonderful re- ports of him." said MT. Kinsoling. "I may say that 1 understand boys, and I feel that he is a rare. a fine, a pure, a lofty spirit. l say spirit, for spirit is the word hear spoken of him." A chorus of enthusiastic appreciation affirmed the accuracy of this proclama- tion. and Mrs. Bassett flushed with pleasure. Georgie's spiritual perfection was demonstrated by instances of it related by the visitors. His piety was | cited, and wonderful things he had said were quoted