Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1915-09-23
CHAPTER xx
The Imitator.

~ ~ 0AAOA ~
self, "life had taken on new
l meaning, new richness" He
had become a fighting man
IN conversation at least. .Do You want
to know how l do when they try to
slip up on me from behindY' he asked
Della And be enacted for her UNI
a~ppreciattye eye a Gene OF Rstic ma
neuvers wherein he held an imaginary
antagonist helpless In a net OF strata
gems.
Frequently, when he was alone, he
would outwit and pummel this same
enemy, and, after a cunning feint,
land q dolorous stroke full upon a face
of air. "Therel I guess you'll know
better next time. That's the way we
do up at the Third!
Sometimes In solitary pantomime he
encountered o than one opponent
at a time, for numbers were apt to
come upon him treacherously, especial
" at a little after his rising hour,
when he might be caught at a disad-
neutrality-suspicious. standing on one leg
to incase the other In his knicker-
bockers. Like lightning he would
hurl the trapping garment from him,
and, ducking and pivoting, deal great
sweeping blows among the circle of
sneaktng devils. Chat was how he
broke the clock In his bedroom) And
while these battles were occupying his
attention, 1t was a waste Of voice to
call him to breakfast though If his
mother, losing patience, came to hts
room, she would find him seated on
the bed pulling at a stocking. We'll,
amt I coming as fast as I canT'
At the table and about the house
generally he was bumptious, loud with
fatuous misinformation and assumed
a domineering tone, which neither
satire nor reproof seemed able to re-
duce, but It was among his own In
Inmates that his new superiority was
most outrageous. He twisted the
fingers and squeezed the necks OF all
the boys OF the neighborhood, meeting
their indignation with q hoarse and
|rasping laugh he had acquired after
short practice In the stable, where he
,jeered and taunted the lawnmower,
the garden scythe and the Wheelbarrow
quite out Of countenance.
Likewise he Dragged TO the other
boys by the hour, Rupe Collins being
the chief subject of encomium-next
to Penrod himself. That's the way
we do up at the Third" became staple
explanation of violence, for Penrod,
like Tartarin, was plastic in the hands
Of his W imagination, and at times
convinced himself that he really was
one Of those dark and murderous
spirits exclusively Of whom 'the
Third" vas composed-accordtng to
Rupe Collins.
Then, when Penrod had exhausted
himself repeating to nausea accounts
Of the prowess Of himself and his
great friend, he would turn to two
other subjects for vainglory. These
were his father and Duke
Mothers must accept the fact that be-
tween babyhood and manhood their
sons do not boast of them. The boy,
with boys, Is a Choctaw, and either
the influence or. the protection Of wom-
en- Is shameful. your mother won't
let you" is IN insult But, my father
won't let me- Is a dignifled explana-
ton and cannot be hooted. a boy Is
ruined among his fellows IL he talks
much Of his mother or sisters, and he
must recognize it as his duty to offer
at least the appearance of persecution
to all things ranked as female, such as
cats and every species Of fowl. But
he must champion his father and his
dog, and, ever ready to pit either
against any challenger, must picture
both as ravening for battle and abso-
Slutely unconquerable.
Penrod, Of course, had always talked
by the code, but, under the new stimu-
Ius, Duke was represented virtually
as a cross between Bob, Son Of Battle,
and South American vampire. and this
In spite Of the fact that Duke himself
often sat close by, a living lie, with
the hope Of peace in his heart. AS for
Penrod's father, that gladiator was
painted is Of sentiments and dimen-
sions suitable to q superdemon com
posed of equal parts Of Goliath, Jack
johnson and the Emperor Nero.
Even Penrod's walk was affected
He adopted a gait which was a kind
Of taunting swagger. and when he
passed other children on the street he
practiced the habit Of feinting a blow;
then as the Victim lodged he rasped
out the triumphant horse laugh which
be gradually mastered to horrible per-
lection. He did this to Marjorie Jones.
Ave, this was their next meeting, and
such IS Eros, young. What was eFen
worse. In Marjorie's opinion, he went
his way without explanation and
left her standing on the corner talking
about It long after he vas out Of hear
Within Ave days from his first d
counter With Rupe Collins. Penrod
had hopnrr1a Juhnarpbin Ha nUor al.