Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-05-27
Continued

The Child Sir Lancelot and the
Child Sir Galahad clasped hands be-
fore their child king. PenrOd was con-
scious of great uplift; in moment
he would have to throw aside his man
tie, but even so he was protected and
sheltered in the human garment of a
man. His stage fright had passed, for
the audience was but an indistinguish-
able blur of darkness beyond the daz-
Zling lights His most repulSive speech
chat in which he proclaimed himself a
''tot'O was over and done with, and
now at last the small, moist hand Of
the Child Sir Galahad lay within his
own. Craftily his brown fingers stole
from Matrices palm to the wrist. The
two boys acclaimed in concert:
eve are two chuldrun of the Tabul Round
Strewing kindness all around.
With love and good deeds striving ever
for the best.
May our littul efforts e'er be blest.
Two littul hearts we offer See,
United in love, faith. hope and char-Ow"
The conclusion of the duet was mar
red. The Child Sir Galahad suddenly
shrek of anguish, gave brief exhibit
ton of the contortionist's art. Giles
twistin' my wrist. Dern you, leggoro
The voice of Mrs. Iora Rewbush was
again heard from the wings. 1t sound
ed bloodthirsty. Penrod released his
victim, and the Child King Arthur,
somewhat disconnected, extended his
scepter md with the assistance of the
enraged prompter, said:
Sweet child friends of the Tabul Round,
In brotherly love and kindness abound;
Sir Lancelot, you have spoken well,
Sir Galahad too, as clear as bell
So now pray doff your NANTES gay,
You shall be knighted this very day."
And Penrod dotted his mantle.
simultaneously a thick and vastly
gasp came from the audience, as from
500 batherS in wholly unexpected
surf. This gasp was punctuated irreg-
ularly over the auditorium by imper-
fectly subdued screams both of dismay
and incredulOus joy and by two dismal
shriekS Altogether it was an eXtraor-
binary sound, sound never to be for
gotten by any one who heard it. 1t
was almost as unforgetable as the
sight when caused it, the word sight
being here used in its yernacular sense,
for Penrod, standing unmantled and
revealed in all the medieval and arts
tic glory of the janitorS blue overalls,
falls within its meaning.
The janitor was a heavy man, and
his overalls upon Penrod were merely
oceanic. The boy was at once swad-
died and lost within their blue CULTS
and vast saggings, and the left leg,
too hastily rolled up, had descended
with a distinctively elephantine effect,
as Margaret had observed. Certainly
the Child Sir Lancelot was at least
sight.
1t is probable that great many in
that hall must have had even then
consciousness that they were looking
on at history in the making. SUI
preme act is recognizable at sight; 1t
bears the birthmark of immortality.
But Penrod, that marvellous boy, had
begun to declaim. even with the ges-
ture of f1inging off his mantle for the
accolade:
ct first the Child Sir Lancelot du Lake.
Will volunteer to knighthood take,
And kneeling here before your throne
I vow to-
He finished his speech unheard. The
audience had recovered breath, but
had lost self control, and there ensued
something later described by partici-
pant as sort of cultured riot.
The actors in the pageant" were not
SO dumfounded by Penrod's costume
as might have been expected. A few