News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-08-25

scraped the floor refiectively with The
side Of his shoe, Finally, still with
out either having made any effort al
conversation. they went ont into the
yard and stood. continuing their 81
lence.
WELL" said Sam at last, Il guess
it's time ] better be gettin' home. Sc
long, Penrod."
80 long, Sam" said Penrod feebly.
With solemn gaze he watched his
! friend out Of sight. Then he went
slowly into the house and after an in.
terval occupied in unique manner ap-
peared in the library holding pair OF
brilliantly cleaning shoes in his hand
Mr.. Schofield, reading the evening
paper, glanced frowningly over it at
his offspring.
Look, papa" said Penrod; 81 found
your shoes where you'd taken 'em off
in your room to put on your slippers,
and they were all dusty. SO l took
'em out on the back porch and gave
'em a good backing. They shine up
fine, don't they!'
"Wel1. I'll be d-dud-dummed!" said
the startled Mr.. Schofield.
Penrod was zigzagging back to nor
NAL.
The midsummer sun was singing hot
outside the little barber shop next to
the corner drug store, and Penrod, un-
dergoing toilet preliminary to his
very slowly approaching twelfth birth
day, was adhesive enough to retain
upon his face much hair as it fell from
the shears.
There is a mystery here. The ton
serial processes are not unagreeable to
manhood-in truth, they are soothing
but the hairs detached from a boys
head get into his eyes, his ears, his
nose, his mouth and down his neck,
and he does everywhere itch excrutiat-
ingly. Wherefore he blinks, winks.
weeps. witches, condenses his counte-
nance and sduirms, and perchance the
BARRIERS scissors clip more than intend
ed-belike an outlying flange of ear.
"Um-muh-oww said Penrod, this
thing having happened.
'D' l touch y up little?" inquired
the barbar, smiling falsely.
"Ooh-uh"' The boy in the chair Of
fered inarticulate protest, as the
wound wSs rubbed with alum.
'"That don't hurt" said the barber.
"You will get it, though, if you don't
sit stiller," he continued, nipping in the
kud any attempt on the part of his pa
tient to think that he already had cit"
"Pfuffw said Penrod. meaning no dis
respect, but endeavoring to dislodge
temporary mustache from his lip.
! you ought to see how still that lit
tie George Bassett SITS" the barber
went on reprovingly. 81 hear every
body says he's the best boy in town."
."Pfuff! Phirr!' There was a touch
of intentional contempt in this.
81 haven't heard nobody around the
heighborhood maxim no such remarks"
added the barber, "about nobody Of
the name of Penrod Schofeld."
"Well," said Penrod, clearing his
mouth after struggle, "who wants
penn to? Ouchv'
81 hear they call Georgia Bassett the
little gentleman" ventured the bar
Der provocatively, meeting with in
slant success.
"They better not call me that" re-
turned Penrod truculently. "Td like
to hear anybody try. Just once, that's
all! / bet they'd never try 1t ag-
Ouchw
"Why? What'd you do to emp
''It's all right what I'd do! l bet
they wouldn't want to call me that
ngain long as they livedv
"Whatd you do if it was a little
girl? You wouldn't hit her, would
you?"
"Well, I'd Ouchw
"You wouldn't hit a little girl, would
you" the barber persisted, gathering
into his powerful fingers a mop of hair
from the top of Periods head and |
pulling that suffering head into an I'M
natural position. Doesn't the Bible |
say it amt never right to- hit the weak
seXT"
COW! Say, look outr'
$50 you'd go and punch a pore, weak,
little girl, would your said the barber
'eprovingly.
''Well, who said I'd hit her" de-
1n1 floO oh at