News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-06-30

The nervous monOtony of the school
room inspires Il sometimes unbearable
longing for something astonishing to
happen. and as every boys fundamen-
tai desire is to do something astonish-
ing himself, so as to be the center of
all human interest and awe, it was nat
nral that Penrod should discover in
fancy the delightful secret of self levi
tation. He found, in this curious Sc
ries of imaginings, during the lesson
in arithmetic, that the atmosphere may
be navigated as by swimmer under
water, but with infinitely greater ease
ana with perfect comfort in breathing.
In his mind he extended his arms
gracefully, at a level with his Shout
defs, and delicately padded the air
with his hands, which at once caused
him to be drawn up out of his seat and
elevated gently to position about mid
way between the floor and the ceiling,
where he came to an equilibrium and
floated; a sensation not the less eX-
quisite because of the screams Of his
fellow pupils, appalled, by the miracle.
Miss Spence herself was amazed and
frightened, but be only smiled down
capelessly upon her when she COM
manded him to return to earth, and
then, when she climbed upon a desk
to pull him down, he quietly padded
himself little higher, leaving his toes
Just out of her reach. Next he swan
through a few slow somersaults to
show his mastery Of the new art, and,
with the shouting Of the dumfounded
scholars ringing in his ears, turned on
his side and floated swiftly out of the
window, Immediately rising above the
housetops, While people in the street
below him shrieked, and Il trolley car
stopped dead in wonder.
With almost no eXertiOn he padded
himself, many yards at a stroke, to
Me girls private school where Mario
fie Jones was pupifMarjorfe Jones
Of the amber curls and the golden
voice! Long before the Pageant of
The Table Round she had offered Pen
rod a hundred proofs that she consid-
cred him wholly undesirable and in
eligible At the Friday afternoon
dancing class she consistently melted
and led the laughter at him whenever
Professor Bartet singled him out for
ndtnonition in matters Of feet and de-
corum. And but yesterday she had
chhed him for his slavfsh lack Of
On the way to Sunday school. "Well,
| expect you must forgot l told you
heyer to speak to me again! If l was
boy I'd be too proud to come hang
Ing around people that don't speak to
me, even if l was the worst boy in
town" So she fouted him. But now
Is he fpated in through the window of
Ter classroom and swan gently along
The ceiling like an escaped toy balloon
She fell upon her knees beside her lit
tie desk and, lifting up her arms to-
ward him, cried with love and admira-
ton:
ooh, Penrodw
He negligently kicked a globe from
the high chandelier and, smiling cold
iy, foated out through the hall to the
front steps of the school, while Mario |
tie followed imploring him to grant |
her one kind look.
In the street an enormous crowd had
gathered, headed by Miss Spence and !
n brass band, and a cheer from hun
dred thousand Threats shook the very |
ground as Penrod swan overhead |!
Marjorie knelt upon the steps and |
watched adoringly while Penrod took
the drum majors baton and, perform
Ing sinuous evolutiOns above the |
crowd, led the band. Then he threw |
the baton so high that it disappeared |
from sight. But he went swiftly after |
It, a double delight, for he had not |
only the delicious sensation of rocket !
ing safely up and up into the blue sky, |
but also that of standing in the crowd |
below, watching and admiring himself |
as he dwindled to a speck, disappear
ed and then, emerging from a cloud. |
came speeding down, with the baton |
In his hand, to the level of the tree |
tops, where he beat time for the band
and the vast throng and Marjorie
Jones, who all united in the "Star
Spangled Banner" in honor of his
Rerial achievements. 1t was a great
1t was great moment, but some
thing seemed to threaten it. The face
of Miss Spence looking up from the
crowd grew too vivid-unpleasantly
vivid. She was reckoning him and
shouting: Come down, Penrod Scho-
field! Penrod Schofeld, come down
herep' He could hear her above the |
band and the singing of the multitude. |
She seemed intent on spelling every
thing. Marjorie Jones was weeping to
show how sorry she was that she had
sighted him and throwing
kisses to prove that she loved him, but
Miss Spence kept jumping between
him and Marjorie, necessarily calling
his name.
He grew more and more irritated
with her. He was the most important
person in the world and was engaged
In proving it TO Marjorie Jones and the
whole city, and yet Miss Spence SEEM
ed to feel she still had the right to or