Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-05-20


bair in colonial times"
1T doesn't seem right to me-exact-
IT," objected Mrs. Schofield gently.
"Sir LanceIot must have been ever so
long before colonial times"
"That doesn't NATTER" Margaret re-
assured her. "Nobody'll know the
difference, Mrs. Lora Rewbush least of
all. l don't think she knows a thing
about it, though, of course, she does
write splendidly and the words OF the
pageant are just beautiful. Stand
still. Penrodr' CThe author of ''Har-
old Ramorez" had moved convulsively.)
Besides. powdered hairs always be-
coming. Look at him. You'd hardly
know it was Penrodr'
The price and admiration with which
she pronounced this undeniable truth
might have been thought tactless. but
Penrod, not analytical. found his spir-
it's somewhat elevated. No mirror
was in his range of vision. and. though
he had submitted to cursory measure
ments Of his person week earlier. he
had no previous acquaintance with the
costume. He began to form a not un-
pleasing mental picture of his appear
ance. something somewhere between
the portraits of George Washington
and vivid memory OF Miss Julia
Marlowe at matinee Of Twelfth
Night
He was additionally cheered by a
sword which had been borrowed from
a neighbor who was Knight Of Pyth-
las. Finally there was mantle. an
old golf cape Of Margaret's. Fluffy
polka dots of white cotton had been
sewed to it generously; also it was or
namented with large cross Of red
flannel, suggested by the picture OF
crusader in a newspaper advertise
ment. The mantle was fastened to
Penrod's shoulder-that is. to the
shoulder of Mrs. Schofeld's ex-bodice-
by means of large safety pins and ar
ranged to hang down behind him.
touching his heels. but Obscuring no.
wise the glory Of his facade. Then at
last he was allowed to step before
mirror.
Il
worst Immediately happened. 1t might
have been a little less violent. perhaps.
if Periods expectations had not been
so richly and POLITICALLY idealized, but
as things were the revolt was volcanic.
Victor Hugo's account Of the fight
with the devilfish, in "Toilers OF the
Sea- encourages a belief that. had
Hugo lived and increased in power, he
might have been equal to proper
recital Of the half hour which followed
Periods first sight of himself as the
Child Sir Lancelot. But Mr.. Wilson
himself, bastard but eloquent foe Of
Harold Ramorez, could not have ex-
pressed, with all the vile dashes at his
command, the sentiments which ami
mated Periods bosom when the in
descended upon him that he was in
tended by his loved ones to make pub
lie spectacle of himself in his sisters
stockings and part of an old dress Of
his mothers.
To him these. familiar things were
not disguised at all. There seemed no
possibility that the whole world would
not know them at glance. The stock
ings were worse than the bodice. He
had been assured that these could not
be recognized, but. seeing them in the
mirror. he was sure that no human
eye could fail at first glance to detect
the difference between himself and the
former purposes of these stockings.
Fold. wrinkle. and void shrieked their
history with a hundred tongues. invok-
ing earthquake. eclipse and blue ruin.
The frantic youths final submission
was obtained only after painful tele-
phonic conversation between himself
and his father. the latter having been
called up and upon by the exhausted
Mrs. Schofield. to subjugate his off,
spring by wire.
The two ladies made all possible
haste after this to deliver Penrod into
the hands of Mrs. Lora RewbuSh
Nevertheless. they found opportunity
to exchange earnest congratulations
upon his not having recognized the
humble but serviceable paternal gar
ment now brilliant about the Lance
lotish middle. Altogether. they felt
that the costume was a success. Pen
rod looked like nothing ever remotely
imagined by Sir Thomas Mallory or
Alfred Tennyson-for that matter he
looked like nothing ever before seen
on earth-hut as Mrs. Schofield and
Margaret took their places in the audi
ence at the Women's Arts and Guild
hall. the anxiety they felt concerning
Periods elocutionary and geSticuiar
powers so soon to be put to public
test was pleasantly tempered by their
satisfaction that. owing to their. eff
forts. his outward appearance would
be credit to the family.
The Child Sir Lancelot found him
self in large anteroom behind the
stage-a room crowded with excited
children, all about equally medieva,
and artistic. Penrod was less con
spicuous than he thought himself. blr
he was so preoccupied with his own
shame steeling his nerves to meet