The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-23
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 And few minutes later he added. And I think I know the place to do 1t in.''
 Again the faithful voice of Duke was heard pleading outside the bolted door.
 PenrOd entered the schooIroom Mon day morning picturesquely leaning upon q mans cane, shortened to sup port cripple approaching the age Of twelve He arrived about twenty min utes late. limping deeply, his brave young mouth drawn with pain. and the sensation he created must have been a soIace to him, the only possible crit fcism of this entrance being that it was just shade too heroic. Perhaps for that reason 1t failed to stagger Miss Spence, woman so saturated with suspicion that she penalized Pen rod for tardiness as promptly and as coldy as if he had been mere or dinary, unmut1lated 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, cancellations which he proHacted far into the week
 unt1 Thursday evening, in fact, when 1Gr Schofeld, observing from win dow his sons pursuit Of Duke round and round the back yard, eonfscated the cane, with the promise that 1t ehould not remain idle if he saw Pen rod limpIng again. Thus, succeeding depressing Friday, another Saturday brought the necessity for new fnven- tions
 It was a scented morning in apple bl0sso16 gffh e1orE Fs About to len of the clock Penrod emerged hastily from the kitchen door His pockets bulged abnoEmaIIy, so did his cheeks. and he swallowed with difficulty. 4 threat enzng mop, w.eIded by a cooklfke agln h checkered sleeve, followed him through the doorway, and he was pre- ceded by small. hurried wistful dog with warm doughnut in his mouth. Tho kitchen door slammed petulantly,3 inclosing the sore voice of Della, where upon Penrod and Duke seated them selves upon the pleasant sWard and immediately consumed the spoiIs of their raid
 From the cross street which formed the si4s slsrsy of the SchofeIds' sE9e and the cadenced chatter of s pair of trofting horses. and Penrsd, looking up beheld the passing of fat ac- quaintanse, torpid amid the conserva- tive spsendors of rather old fashion ed viatovfa. This was Roderick Afags- worth Bttts. IT,. fellow sufferer at the Friday afternoon dancing class, but otherwise not often companion; q home sheltered lad, uttered private ly and preserved against the coarsen- ing influences of rude comradeship and miscellaneous information. Heavily over8roWn in all physical dimensions. virtuous and placid, this cIoistered nut ton was wholly uninteresting to Pen rod SchoneId Nevertheless. Roderick 1fags worth Bitts, IT,, was per sonage on account of the importance 0f the Magsworth Bitts family, and it was Penrod's destiny to increase Rod esfck's celebrity far. far beyond its present aristocratic limitations
 The Magsworth Bittsea were impor tnnt because they were impressive. There was no other reason And they were impressive becnuse they believed themselves important The adults of the family were impregnab1y formal. They dressed with reticent elegance and wore the same nose and the same express5on--an expression which indi- cated that they knew something ex- quistfe and sacred which other people could never know Other people in their presence were apt to feel myste- r1ousIy fgnobIe and to become secretly uneasy about ancestors, gloves and pronunciation. The Magsworth Bitts manner was withholding and reserved,
 
 small smiles as great favors and gfv- ing off chilling kind of prec1ousness Naturally when any citizen of the com munity did anything unconventional or improper or made a mistake or had a relative who went wrong that citizens first and worst fear was tn 0 the Mags- worth Bittses would hear of it. In fact, this painful family had for years terrorized the community, though the comTnunftyI1ha neveDarealtzed that it was terrorized and invariably spoke of the family as the most charming cir cIe in town, By common consent Mrs Roderiel dagsworth sBitts of1ci- 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 her acquaintance.
 Magsworth was the important part of the name. Mrs. Roderiek Mags- worth Bitts was a Magsworth born herself, and the Magsworfh crest deco rated not only Mrs. Magsworth Bitts' 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 nIuEtrious crest with the unfortunate and notorious Rena Afags worth. whose name had