Connecticut western news., 1915-06-03

The miserable child Cbeycd.
 What did you mean by speaking
 to me in that way" He hung his head. rakcd the floor
 with the side of his shoe, swayed, swallowed, looked suddenly at bis ] hands with the air of never having seen them before, then clasped them
 behind him. The school shivered ill
 ecstatic horror. every fascinated eye 1 upon him, yet there was not soul in the room but was profoundly grateful to him for the ensation-including the 1 offended teacher herself. Unhappily. all this gratitude Was unconscious and altogether different from the kind i which results ill testimonials and low ing cups. On the contrary.
 "Penrod Schofieldr' 1 He gulped.
 Answer me at once! Why did you speak to me like that?'
 T was''- He choked, unable to continue.
 Speak out"'
 "I was just-thinking," he managed to stammer.
 "That will not do," she returned sharply. T wish to know immediate ly why you spoke as you did, The stricken Penrod answered help lessly:
 Because I was just thinking" Upon the very rack he could have offered no ampler truthful explanation. It was al he knew about it.
 Thinking what?'
 "Just thinking"
 Miss SDence's expression gave cvi- dence that her power of self restraint was undergoing a remarkable test. However, after taking counsel with herself, she commanded: Come hcre"
 He shuffled forward, and she placed a chair upon the platform near her own.
 "Sit therer'
 Then Out not at all as if nothing had happened she continued the les son in arithmetic. Spiritually the children may have learned lesson in very small fractions, indeed, as they gaZed at the fragment of sin before them on the stool of penitence. They all stared at him attentively, with hard and passionately interested eyes in which there was never one trace of pity. It cannot be said with precision that he writhed. His movement was more a slow, continuous squirm, effect ed with a ghastly assumption of lam guid indifference. while his gaze, i'll the effort to escape the marble hearted glare of his schoolmates, affixed itself with apparent permanence to the waistcoat button of James Russell Lowell just above the 'u" in "Rus- sell"
 Glasses came and classes went. grill ing him with eyes. Newcofners re- ceived the story of the crime in dark ling whispers, and the outcast sgt and squirmed and squirmed and squirmed. Gle did one or two things with his spine which a professional contortiOnist would have observed with real interest," And all this while of freezing suspense was but the criminals detention awaiting trial. X known punishment may be anticipated with some measure of equanimity-at least, the prisoner may prepare him | self to undergo it-but the unknown looms more mOnstrous for every at tempt to guess it. Penrod's crime was unique. There were no rules to aid him in estimating the vengeance to fall upon him for it. What seemed most probable was that he would be expeI- | lo6 ;,, of his family, the mayor and council and whipped afterward by his father upon the state house steps, with the entire city as audience by invitation of the authorities.
 Noon came. The rows of children filed out, every head turning for last unpleasingly speculative look at the outlaw. Then Miss Spence closed the door into the cloakroom and that into the big hall and came and sat at her desk, near PenrOd. The tramping of Neet outside. the shrill calls and shout ! hg and the changing voices of the older boys ceased to be heard-and 1 there was silence Penrod. still affect 1 ing to be occupied with Lowell, was conscious that Miss Spence looked at him intently.
 "Penrod," she said gravely. "what excuse have you to offer before I re- port your case to the principal?" The word "principal' struck him to the vitals. Grand inquisitor, grand khan, sultan, emperor, czar, Caesar Augustus-these are comparable. He stopped squirming instantly and sat rigid.