Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-07-13
pENROD.
CONTINUED from page ~

Miss Spence, a woman 30 saturated
with suspicion that she penallzed Pen
rod for hardness as promptly and as
coldly as II he had been a mere, or
binary, unmutilated boy. Nor would
she entertain any discussion Of the
justice Of her ruling. It seemed almost
that she feared to argue with him.
However, the distinction OF cane and
limp remained to him, consultations
which he protracted far into the week
until Thursday evening, In fact when
Mr.. Schofeld. observing from a win
dow his sons pursuit Of Duke round
and round the back yard, confscated
the cane, with the promise that 1t
should not remain idle II he saw Pen
rod limping again. Thus, succeeding
a depressing Friday, another Saturday
brought the necessity for new inven-
lions.
1t was q scented morning in apple
blossom time. At about ten OF the
clock Penrod emerged hastily from
the kitchen door. His pockets bulged
abnormally, 80 did his cheeks. and he
swallowed with difficulty. A threat
ening mop, welded by cooklike arm
In a checkered sleeve. followed him
through the doorway, and he was pre-
coded by small, hurried, wistful dog
with a warm doughnut in his mouth.
The kitchen door slammed petulantly,
incloslng the sore voice Of Della, where
upon Penrod and Duke seated them
selves upon the pleasant sward and
Immediately consumed the spells OF
their raid.
From the cross street which formed
the side boundary Of the schofelds'
ample yard came a Jingle OF harness
and the cadenced clatter OF a pair OF
trotting horses, and Penrod, looking
up, beheld the passing Of q fat &C.
quaintance, torpid amid the conserva-
i've splendors Of a rather old fashion
ed victoria. This was Roderick Mags-
worth Bits, Jr., fellow sufferer
at the Friday afternoon dancing class,
but otherwise not often companion;
q home sheltered lad, tutored private
" and preserved against the coarsen-
ing influences Of rude comradeship and
miscellaneous information. Heavily
overgrown in all physical dimensions,
virtuous and placid. this clustered NUT
Ton was wholly uninteresting to Pen
rod SchoHeid. Nevertheless. Roderick
Magsworth Bits, Jr., was per
sonage on account Of the importance
OF the Magsworth Bits family, and 1t
was Penrod's destiny to increase Rod
erick's celebrity far, far beyond Its
present aristocratic limitations.
The Magsworth Bittses were tmpor'
tant because they were impressive.
There was no other reason. And they
were impressive because they believed
themselves important. The adults OF
the family were impregnably formal.
They dressed with redcent elegance
and wore the same nose and the same
expression-an expression which indi-
Gated that they knew something ex-
ouisIte and sacred which other people
could never know. Other people In
their presence were apt to feel mystic
riously ignoble and to become secretly
uneasy about ancestors, gloves and
pronunciation. The MagswOrth Bits
manner was Withholding and reserved,
| though sometimes gracious, granting
small smiles as great favors and CIV
ing of a chilling kind Of preciousness.
Naturally when any citizen Of the com
munity did anything unconventional OF
improper or made a mistake or had q
relative who went wrong that citizens
first and worst fear was that the Mays
worth Bittses would hear Of 1t. In
fact, this painful family had for years
terrorized the community, though the
community had never realized that II
was terrorized and invariably spoke of
the family as the most charming cir,
Gle In town" BY common consent
Mrs. Roderick Magsworth Bits ofici
ated as the supreme model as well as
critic in chief of morals and deport,
ment for all the unlucky people pros
porous enough to be elevated to hei
acquaintance.
Magsworth was the important part
of the name. Mrs. Roderick Mays
worth Bits was Magsworth born
herself, and the Magsworth crest deco
rated not only Mrs. Magsworth Bits
note paper, but was on the china. on
the table linen. on the chimney pieces
on the opaque glass Of the front door
on the victoria and on the harness
though omitted from the garden hose
and the lawn mower.
Naturally no sensible person dream
ed Of connecting that illustrious crest
with the unfortunate and notorious
Rena Magsworth. whose name had
grown week by week into larger and
larger type upon the front pages OF
newspapers owing to the gradually IN
creasing public and official belief that
she had poisoned a family Of eight
However, the statement that no sensi
BILE person could have connected the
Magsworth Bits family with the ar
senical Rena takes no account OF Pen