Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-08-03

u shall always believe in mustard plas-
ters-mustard pIasters and hot wa
ter bags"
and lemon drops, and peanuts, and
jaw breakers, and sardines, and rasp-
berry lemonade, and pickles, and pop
corn, and ice cream, and cider, and
sausage-there was sausage In his
pocket, and mamma says his jacket Is
ruined-and cinnamon drops, and waf-
fes, and he ate four or five lobster GRO
quettes at lunch-and papa said, Who
gave you that dollar? Only he didn't
say who. He said something hOrri-
BILE, Bob! And Penrod thought he was
going to die, and he said you gave 1t
to him, and, oh, 1t was just pitiful to
hear the poor child, Bob, because he
thought he was dying, you see, and he
blamed you for the whole thing. He
said II you'd only let him alone and
not given 1t to him he'd have grown
up to be a good man, and now he
couldn't! never heard anything 80
heaftrending. He was 80 weak he
could hardly whisper, but he kept try
ing to talk, telling US over and over 1t
was all your fault"
In the darkness Mr.. Williams facial
expression could not be seen, but his
voice sounded hopeful.
"Is he-is he still In great deal OF
painT'
"They say the crisis is past" said
Margaret, "but the doctors still up
there. He said 1t was the acutest case
of indigestion he had ever treated IN
the whole course Of his professional
practice" -.
"Of course I didn't know what he'd
do with the dollar" said Robert.
She did not reply.
He began plaintlvely, Margaret you
DON'T
"I've never seen papa and mamma
80 upset about anything" she said
rather primly.
"You mean they're upset about meY'
1--WE are all very much upset" re
turned Margaret, more starch In hei
tone as she remembered not only Pen.
rods sufferings, but a duty she had
vowed herself to perform.
Margaret! You DON'T
Robert" she said firmly and, also
with a rhetorical complexity which
breeds suspicion of rehearsal; "Rob
ert, for the present can only look at
1t in one way-when you gave that
money to Penrod you put into the
hands of an unthinking little child
weapon which might be, and, indeed,
was, the means of his undoing. Boys
are not respon"-
"But yon saw me give him the dol
lar, and you didn't
"Robertr' she checked him with In
creasing severity. 81 am only WON
an and not accustomed to thinking ev-
erything out on the spur Of the mo-
ment. But cannot change my mind
NOT now, at least"
"And you think I'd better not come
in tonightT
Tonight" she gasped. mot for
weeks! Papa would
"But Margaret" he urged plaintively,
chow can you blame me for
IT have not used the word blame
she interrupted. "But I must insist
that for your carelessness toto wreak
such havoc-cannot fail toto lessen
my confidence in your powers Of judg-
ment. I cannot change my convictions
in this matter-not tonight-and can
not remain here another instant. The
poor child may need me. Robert, good
night"
With chill dignity she withdrew, en-
tered the house and returned to the
sick room, leaving the young man In
outer darkness to brood upon his
crime-and upon Penrod.
That sincere invalid became conva'
lescent upon the third day, and week
elapsed. then, before he found an op-
portunlty to leave the house unaccom-
panied-save by Duke. But at last he
set forth and approached the Jones
neighborhood in high spirits, pleasant
" conscious Of bis pallor, hollow
cheeks and other perquisites Of Illness
provocative Of interest.
One thought troubled him a little be-
cause 1t gave him sense of inferiority
to a rival. He believed. against his
will. that Maurice Levy could have
successfully eaten chocolate creams,