The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-08-19

glomerate "O-o-o-o-h.'
AS for penrod himself, the walls
reeied with the shock. He sat with
his --outh open, Il mere lump of stupe-
action. FOR the appalling words that
he had hurled at tie teacher We're -,
ineNplicable to him a. 90 any other
who heard them.
Nothing is more treacherous han the
human mind; nothing else so loves to
play the lscariot. Even when patient
ly bullied into a semblance of order
and training 1t may prove but a base
and shifty servant. And Periods
snind was not his servant. 1t was Il
Faster, with the April winds whims,
and 1t had just played him II diabolical
trick. The very jolt with which he
came back to the schoolroom In the
midst Of his fancied flight Jared his
day dream utterly out Of him and he
sat open mouthed In horror at what
he had said.
The unanimous gasp Of was pro-
tracted. Miss Spence, however, final
ly recovered her breath. and, returning
deliberately to the platform, faced the
school. And then, for q 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 Schotield, stand up!"
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
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 Schoield!'
He gulped.
answer me at once! Why did you
speak to me like that?"
81 was He choked. unable to
continue.
Speak out!'
81 was just-thinking." he managed
to stammer.
THAT will not do" she returned
sharply. 81 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.
1t was all he knew about 1t.
Thinking what?"
"Just thinking"
Miss Spence's expression gave evil
dence that her power of self restraint
was undergoing a remarkable test.
However, after taking counsel with
herself, she commanded:
"COme here!"
He sbuffled forward, and she placed
a chair upon the platform near her
own.
"Sit there!"
Then (but not at all as IL nothing
had happened she continued the les
son in arithmetic. Spiritually the
children may have learned a lesson in
very small fractions, indeed, as they
gaZed at the fragment Of sin before
them on the stool Of p%enitence. They
all stared at him attentively, with
hard and ~passionately Interested eyes
In which there was never n trace Of
pity. 1t cannot be said with precision
that he writhed. His movement was
more q slow, continuous squirm, effect
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 "u" 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. QHe 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 nor monstrous for every at
tempt to guess 1t. 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