Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-06-24
CHAPTER x.
Retiring From the Show Business


- HENCE followed Sam and.Pen-
rod, spellbound, gazed upon
Roderick Magsworth Bits, Jr.
So did Herman and Verman.
Roddy's staggering lie had changed
the face of things utterly No one
questioned it; no one realized that it
was much too good to be true.
"Roddy," said Penrod in a voice
tremulous with hope, "Roddy, will you
join our show"
Roddy joined.
Even he could see that the offer i'm
piled his being starred as the para
mount attraction Of a new order Of
things. 1t was obvious that he had
swelled out suddenly, in the estimation
of the other boys, to that Importance
which he had been taught to believe
his native gift and natural right. The
sensation was pleasant He had often
been treated with effusion by grownup
callers and by acquaintance of his
mother and sisters. He had heard Ia
dies speak of him as 'charming" and
had sometimes shown him Difference,
but until this moment 10 boy had ever
allowed him for one moment to pre-
sumo even to equality. Now, in trice
he was not only admitted to comrade-
ship, but patiently valued as something
rare and sacred, to be acclaimed and
pedestaled. In fact, the very first
thing that Schofield & Williams did
was to find a box for him to stand
upon.
The miSgivingS reused in Roderick'S
bosom by the subsequent activities of
the firm were not bothersome enough
to make him forego his prominence as
Exhibit A. He was not a quick
minded" boy, and it was long and
much happened before he thoroughly
comprehended the causes of his new
celebrity. He had a shadowy feeling
that if the affair came to be heard Of
at home it might not be liked, but, in
toXicated by the glamour and hustle
which surround a public character, he
made no protest On the contrary, he
entered whole heartedly into the prep
arations for the new show. Assuming,
with Sans assistance, blue mustache
and 'sideburns," he helped in the
painting Of new poster, which, sup
planting the old one on the wall Of the
stable facing the cross street, screamed
bloody murder at the passers in that
rather populous thOroughfare:
SCHoFiELD & WILLIAMS
NEW BIG SHOW
RoDERiCK MAGSWoRTH BITS JR
ONLY LIVING NEPHEW
OF
RENA MAGSWORTH
THE FAMOS
MUDERESS GOING To BE HUNG
NEXT JULY killed EIGHT PEG
PIE
PUT ARSiNECK in THEIR MILK
ALSO
SHERMAN HERMAN AND VERMAN
THE MICHIGAN RATS DOG PART
ALLIGATOR DUKE THE GENUINE
Indian DOG ADMISSION / CENT OR
20 PINS SAME AS BEFORE Do Not
Miss This CHANSE TO SEE ROD
ERiCK
ONLY LIVING NEPHEW OF RENA
MAGSWORTH THE GREAT FAMOS
MUDERESS
GOING To BE
HUNG
MegaphoneS were constructed out of
heavy wrapping paper, and Penrod,
Sam and Herman set out in different
directions, delivering vocally the in
fiammatory proclamation Of the poster
to a large section of the residential
quarter and leaving Roderick Mays
worth Bits, Jr., with Verman in the
loft, shielded from all deadhead eyes,
Upon the return Of the heralds the
Schofield & Williams military band
played deafeningly, and an awakened
public once more thronged to fill the
Golfers of the firm.
Prosperity smiled again. The very
first audience after the acquisition Of
Roderick was larger than the largest