Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-22

visible; raw head and bloody bones
blenching phantasm and ravening YAM
nightmare poised impending. Every
CHASTITY. sashly thing that had ever got
Into Penrod's head was issued forth and
now hung over him.
And outside the door were the burg1arA
There were burglars rampasinR all
the empty rooms and vacant halls and
passages Burglars had opened the door
and looked at him.
Stop! Had they only looked In at him:
Had one OF them come In the room when
the door opened Was he there now7
Or was It the old man,
That finished Penrod.
With shattsrtng yell o: terror he
sprang from the bed. ciutchinR all his
arTnory somehow and anyhow; got the
door open. plunged biindly through the
hall and down the front stairs to tho
landing. who're he trpped over tho stock
way, believing outrageously and accom-
panied by the rife. the carnphor bottle.
the carving knife and the ak
1t sounded like the Eiffel tower falling
down stairs.
He came to a pause in . sitting posture
at the foot OF the newell. The hall was
brightly lighted. So were the rooms open
ing from II, and out OF these rooms
issued sounds OF sudden confusion and
disturbance. His mother rushed to him
'Penrodl What on EARTH
Then through the open front door
came Margaret and four young mon
who had been spending Inc evening
with her on the front porch.
Then. following Penrods mother.
came three OF Penrod's aunts, one
uncle and eleven other alarmed ladies
cards in their hands
Then through the door of another
room came Periods father. three Of
Penrod's uncies. one aunt and the
eleven remaining members OF the
Thursday Evening Bridge Club. the
hospitahle euperintendence of which
organization had occupied most of Mrs
Schoheld's time that evening after her
return. with her husband and daugh-
ter. from dining with an elderly rela-
tive.
Over the banisters above leaned
Della Gin extreme negliRe). and Della
likewise demanded to know, What on
earth! Then, by means OF the back
hall and the back stairs. Katie and an
alleged cousin. who had been sitting
quietly on the back porch. Joined
Della. Katie also wanted to know.
What on EARTH
What is the matter. Penrodr" his
mother walled.
Penrod coughed. gulped ana an
S"tIth ittDly-
"Just-playing"
Playing what?" shouted his father.
Just playing"
But what made you get upT' his
mother cried.
Get up-where7"
'Out Of bedi 1 slipped away and
looked in your room awhile ago and
you were sound asleep. What did you
get up and dress for. and
II was just pretending"
Pretending WHAT"
Just pretending
He answered absently and in . pre-
occupied tone. his mind having some
what conferred upon the number Of
human beings in the circle about him.
AS his mother remarked afterward,
there were more people in the house
that evening than she had entertained
for years. Including the family and
Margaret's callers, there were thirty
three, she said.
At that she forgot to count Penrod
and Della and Katie and Katie's cousin
Altogether. there were thirty-seven.
Monmouth" Psnrod began As he
rose from the floor
You put those things away" conn
manded his father.
''Mom-muh?'
And then you 60 straight to bet!-
his father concluded. sternly.
"Mom-muh. aren't you going to have
ice cream?'
Copyright 1914 by the wheeIer svn6sc,t. r,c