Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-06-03

5000
his mouth open, mere lump Of stupe-
faction. For the appalling words that
he had hurled at the teacher were as
inexplicable to him as to any other
who heard them.
Nothing is more treacherous than the
human mind; nothing else so loves to
play the Iscariot. Even when patient
~ pulled into a semblance of order
and training it may prove but base
and shifty servant. And Penrod's
| mind was not his servant 1t was a
master, with the April winds whims,
and it had just played him a diabolicai
trick. The very jolt with which he
came back to the schoolroom in the
midst of his fancied fight Jared his
day dream utterly out of him and he
sat open mouthed in horror at what
he had said.
The unanimous gasp Of awe was pro-
tracted. Miss Spence, however, final
ly recovered her breath, and, returning
deliberately to the platform, faced the
school. "And then, for a little WHILE
as pathetic stories sometimes recount,
Everything was very still" 1t was so
still, in fact, that Periods newborn
notoriety could almost be heard grow
ing. This grisly silence was at last
broken by the teacher
'Penrod Schofeld, stand upr'
The miserable child obeyed.
What did you mean by speaking
to me in that way?"
He hung his head, raked the floor
with the side of his shoe, swayed,
swallowed, looked suddenly at his
hands with the air Of never having
seen them before, then clasped them
behind him. The school shivered in
| ecstatic horror, every fascinated eye
upon him, yet there was not soul in
the room but was profoundly grateful
to him for the sensation-including the
offended teacher herself Unhappily,
all this gratitude was unconscious and
altogether different from the kind
which results in testimonials and low
ing cups. On the contrary!
"Penrod Schofeldv'
He gulped.
answer me at once! Why did you
speak to me like that?"
II was"- He choked, unable to
continue.
"Speak out"
81 was just-thinking," he managed
to stammer.
'That will not do" she returned
sharply. II wish to know Immediate
ly why you spoke as you did"
The stricken Penrod answered help
lessly:
because I was just thinking"
Upon the very rack he could have
offered no ampler truthful explanation.
It was all he knew about it.
inning what?''
"Just thinking"
Miss Spence's expression gave evil
dence that her power Of self restraint
was undergoing remarkable test.
However, after taking counsel with
herself, she commanded:
"Come herew
He shuff1ed forward, and she placed
chair upon the platform near her
own.
"Sit therev'
Then (but not at all as if nothing
had happeneO she continued the les
son in arithmetic. Spiritually the
children may have learned lesson in
very small fractions, indeed, as they
gazed at the fragment Of sin before
them on the stool of penitence. They
all stared at him attentively, with
hard and passionately interested eyes
in which there was never one trace Of
pity. 1t cannot be said with precision
that he writhed. His movement was
ed with a CHASTITY assumption of Ian
guild Indifference, while his gaze, in
the effort to escape the marble hearted
glare of his schOolmates, affixed itself
with apparent permanence to the
waistcoat button of James Russell
Lowell just above the gu" in "Rus-
SELL
Glasses came and classes went, grill
ing him with eyes. Newcomers re-
ceived the story Of the crime in dark
ling whispers, and the outcast sat
and squirmed and squirmed and
squirmed. Gle did one or two things
with his spine which a professional
contortionist would have observed
with real interest) And all this while
of freezing suspense was but the
criminals detention awaiting trial. A
known punishment may be anticipated
with some measure Of equanimity-at
least, the prisoner may prepare him
self to undergo it-but the unknown
looms more monstrous for every at
tempt to guess it. Penrod's crime was
unique. There were no rules to aid
him in estimating the vengeance to fall
upon him for it What seemed most
probable was that he would be expel-
led from the school in the presence
of his family, the mayor and council
and whipped afterward by his father
upon the state house steps, with the
entire city as audience by invitation
Of the authorities.
| Noon came The rows of children