Oxford Democrat., 1915-07-13


He took his left ankle In his right
hand and regarded 1t helplessly.
"That won't do, Penrod Schofeld,"
she repeated severely. III that Is all
the excuse you have to offer I shall re-
port your case this instant!'
And she rose with fatal intent.
| But Penrod was one Of those whom
the precipice inspires. We'll, I have
got an excuse"
/ "welI"-she paused impatiently-
"what Is itf"
He had not an idea, but he felt one
coming and replied automatically in a
plaintive tone:
II guess anybody that had been
/ through what had to go through last
night would think they had an e1-
cuse."
Miss Spence resumed her seat.
though with the air of being ready to
leap from it instantly.
what has last night to do with your
insolence to me this morning?"
"Well, I guess you'd see," he re-
turned, emphasizing the plaintive note.
III you knew what know"
"Now. Penrod." she said, in kinder
voice, II have q high regard for your
mother and father, and 1t would hurt
me to distress them, but you must ei-
ther tell me what was the matter with
you or I'll have to take you to Mrs.
Houston"
"Well, amt I going tor he cried,
spurred by the dread name. "It's be-
cause l didn't sleep last night"
"Were you iuT The question was
put with some dryness.
He felt the dryness. Nom; l
wasn't"
'"Then II some one In your family
was 80 Ill that even you were kept
up all night, how does 1t happen they
let you come to school this morning?"
TT wasn't Illness" he returned,
shaking his head mournfully. 1T was
lots worse'n anybody's being sick. It
vast was-well, 1t was jest awful"
what wasis He marked with anxi-
sty the incredulity in her tone.
1T was about Aunt Clara" he said.
"Your Aunt Clarar she repeated.
do you mean your mothers sister.
who married Mr.. FAIRY Of Dayton,
ILL.,"
"Yes-Uncle John," returned Penrod
sorrowfully. "The trouble was about
him"
Miss Spence frowned a frown which
he rightly interpreted as one Of contin-
ued suspicion. "She and were In
school together" she said. II used to
know her very well, and I've always
heard her married life was entirely
happy. I don't'-
Eyes, 1t was" he interrupted, until
last year when Uncle John took to
running with travelling men,
"WhatT
"Yes'm." He nodded solemnly. THAT
was what started It At first he was
a good, kind husband, but these trav-
cling men would coax him into ga
loon on his way from work, and they
got him to drinking beer and then ales,
wines, liquors, and cigars"@
"Penrod!~
~Ma'amr'
"I'm not inQuirtng into your Aunt
Clara's private affairs. I'm asking you
Il you have anything to say which
would palliate"-
That's what I'm ryin' to tell you
about, Miss Spence" he pleaded, II
you'd Jest only let me. When Aunt
Clara and her little baby daughter got
to our house last night
"You say Mrs. FAIRY Is visiting your
motherY"
"Yes'm-not just visiting-you see,
she had to come. Well, Of course, Ut
tie baby Clara, she was so bruised up
and mauled. where he'd been hittin'
her with his cane
"You mean that your uncle had done
such q thing as thatr' exclaimed Miss
Spence, suddenly disarmed by this
scandal
"Yes'm. And mamma and Margaret
had to sit up all night nursin' little
CLARA. And Aunt Clara was in such a
state SOMEBODY had to keep talkin' to
her. and there wasn't anybody but me
to do 1t. So u
"But where was your fatherr' she
cried.
.Ma'amf"
/
where was your father while"-
"Oh, papa~ Penrod paused, reflect
ed, then frightened. "Why, he was
down at the train waitin' to see II
Uncle John would try to follow 'em
and make 'em come home SOS he could
persecute 'em some more. I wanted
to do that, but they said II he did
come I mightn't be strong enough to
hold him, and"- The brave lad paus-
ed again modestiy. Miss Spence's ex.
preston was encouraging. Her eyes
were wide with astonishment and
there may have been in them also the
mingled beginnings Of admiration and
self reproach. Penrod, warming to his
work, felt safer every moment.
~And So" he continued, ri had to
sit up with Aunt Clara. She had some
pretty big bruises, too, and I had to-
"But why didn't they send for doc
torT However, this question was
only q flicker Of dying incredulity.
'+Oh, they didn't want any doctorw
exclaimed the inspired realist prompt
n. 'They don't want anybody to hear
about II, because Uncle John might Ne
form-and then where'd he be II every
body knew he'd been drunkard and
whipped his wife and baby daughter
"Ohw said Miss Spence
'You see, he used to be upright a.
snybody," he went on eIpianattTe,y.
1T all begun
Began. Penrod."
"Yes'm. It all commenced from the
frst day he let those travelling men
coax him into the saloon" Penrod
narrated the downfall Of his Uncle
John ut length. In detail he was moth
ing short Of plethoric, and incident
| followed incident, sketched with such
| vividness, such abundance Of color and
such verisimilitude to . drunkard's
| life as drunkard's life should be, that
Il NFt.. coo-oo ,>ooeoooad tho rafhoP