The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-08-12
w.
Evening.


Schofield approached that fence
and looked thoughtfully up at the top
of it, apparently having In mind some
purpose to climb up and sit there. De
batting this, he passed his fingers gent
ly up and down the backs Of his legs,
and hen something seemed to decide
him not to sit anywhere. He leaned
against the fence, sighed profoundly
and gazed at Duke, his wistful dog.
The sigh was reminiscent Episodes
Of simple pathos were passing before
his inward eye. About the most pain
full was the vision Of lovely Marjorie
Jones. weeping with rage as the Child
Sir Lancelot was dragged, %insatiate,
from the PROSTATE and bowling Child
Sir Galahad, after an onslaught dellv-
cred the precise instant the curtain be
gan to fall upon the demoralized "pag-
cant" And then-oh, pangs! oh, wo
man!-she slapped at the rutiian's
cheek, as he was led past her by a re
sentful %janitor, and turning, flung her
arms round the Child Sir Galahad's
neck.
"Penrod Schofeld, don't you dare
ever speak to me again as long as you
liver Maurice's little white boots and
gold tassels had done their work.
At home the late Child Sir Lancelot
was consigned to a locked clothes clos
ct pending the arrival of his father.
Mr.. Schofield came, and shortly after
there was put into practice an old
patriarchal custom. 1t is a custom
of inconceivable antiquity probably
primordial, certainly prehistoric, but
still in vogue in some remaining eta
dels Of the ancient simplicities of the
republic.
And now therefore, in the dusk,
Penrod leaned against the fence and
sighed.
His case is comparable to that Of an
adult who could nave survived q SINH
lar experience. Looking back to the
sawdust box, fancy pictures this com
parable adult q serious and inventive
writer engaged in %congenial literary
activities in a private retreat. We see
this period marked by the creation of
some of the most virile passages of a
work dealing exclusively in red cor
puscles and huge primal impulses. We
see this thoughtful man dragged from
his calm seclusion to a hOrrifying pub
licity; forced to adopt the stage and,
himself Il writer, compelled to exploit
the repulsve sentiments of an author
not only personally distasteful to him,
but whose whole method and school In
belles-lettres he despises.
We see him reduced by desperation
and modesty to stealing Il pair of over
alls. We conceive him to have ruin
ed, then, his own reputation and to
have utterly disgraced his family;
next, to have engaged In the duello and
to have been spurned by his ~ladylove,
thus lost to him according to her own
declaration) forever. Finally, we must
behold Imprisonment by the authori-
ties, the third degree and fagellation.
We conceive our man deciding that
his career had been perhaps too event.
full. Yet Penrod had condensed all Of
1t into eight hours.
1t appears that he had at least some
shadowy perception Of a recent full
ness of life, for, as he leaned against
the fence gazing upon his wistful
Duke, he sighed again and murmured
aloud:
Well, hasn't this been a day."
But In n little while a star came out,
freshly lighted. from the highest part
Of the sky, and Penrod, looking up,
noticed it casually and a little drowsi-
ly. He yawned. Then he sighed once
more, but not reminiscently. Evening
had come; the day was over.
1t was a sigh Of pure ennui.
Next day Penrod acquired a dime by
a simple and antique process which
was without doubt sometimes practic-
ed by the boys OF Babylon. When the
teacher Of his class In Sunday school
requested the weekly contribution Pen
rod. fumbling honestly (at first) in the
wrong pockets, managed to look so EN-
barrassed that the gentle lady told him
not to mind and said she was often
forgetful herself. She was so sweet
about it that, looking into the future,
PenrOd began to feel confident Cf a
small but regular income.
At the close Of the afternoon serv-
ices he did not go home, but proceed
ed to %squander the funds Just with
held from China upon an r of the
most p~ungently forbidden description.
In a drug emporium near the church
he purchased q five cent sack of candy
consisting for the most part OF the
heavily favored hoofs OF horned cat
tie, but undeniably substantial, and so
generously capable Of resisting solu-
ton that the purchaser must needs be
avariciOus beyond reason who did not
realize his moneys worth.
Equipped with this collation. Penrod
contributed his remaining nickel 10 a
picture show, countenanced upon the
seventh day by the legal but not the
moral authorities. Here, in coy dark
ness, he placidly insulted his liver
with jawbreaker upon jawbreaker
from the paper sack and In a surfeit
Of content watched the silent actors
IN the screen.
One film made a lasting impression
upon him. 1t depicted with relentless
pathOs the drunkard's progress. begin