River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-12-27
By BOOTH HARRINGTON
Copyright, 1917, Wheeler Syndicate. Inc)

Inevitably, George did come poKlng
around. How was he to refrain when
daily, up and down the neighborhood,
The brothers strutted with mystic and
important airs, when they whispered
together and uttered words of strange
Import in his presence? Thus did they
defeat their own object. They desired
to keep George at a distance, yet they
could not refrain from posing before
him. They wished to impress upon
him the fact that he was an outsider,
and they but succeeded in rOusing his
desire to be an insider, a desire which
soon became a determination. For
few we're the days until he not only
knew of the shack but had actually
paid it q visit. That was upon a
morning when the other boys were in
school, George having found himself
Indisposed until about ten o'clock,
when he was able to take nOuriSh-
ment and subsequently to interest him
self in this rather private errand. He
climbed the Williams alley fence, and
having made modest investigation of
the exterior of the shack, which was
turbed anything except his own peace
of mind. His curiosity, merely piqued
before, now became ravenOuS and pain
full It was not allayed by the mystic
manners Of the members or by the I'M
necessary emphasis they laid upon
their cOldness toward himself; and
when q committee informed him dark
~ that there were "secret orders" to
prevent his coming within "a hundred
and sixteen feet"-such was Penrod's
arbitrary language-Of the Williams
yard, Gin any direction" George could
bear 1t no longer, but entered his own
house, and, in burning words, laid the
case before a woman higher up. Here
the responsibility for things is directly
traceable to grown people. Within
that hour Mrs. Bassett sat in Mrs.
Williams library to address her host
ess upon the subject of Georges griev-
Rnce.
"Of course, it isn't Sans fault" she
said, concluding her Interpretation of
the affair. "GeOrgie likes Sam, and
didn't blame him at all. No; we both
felt that Sam would always be pO-
lite, nice boy-GeOrgie used those very
words-but Penrod seems to have
very bad influence George felt that
Sam would want him to come and play
In the shack if Penrod didn't make
Sam do everything he wants. What
hurt George most is that it's Sans
shack, and he felt for another boy to
come and tell him that he mustn't even
go near it-well, of course, it was very
trying. And he's very much hurt with
little Maurice Levy, too. He said that
he was sure that even PenrOd would
be glad to have him for member of
their little club if it weren't for Maui
rice-and 1 think he spoke of ROddy
Bits, too"
The fact that the two remaining
members were colored was omitted
from this diScourse-which leads to
the deduction that George had not
mentioned it.
"Georgie said all the other boys
liked him very much" Mrs. Bassett
continued, "and that he felt it his duty
to join the club, because most of them
were so anxious to have him, and he is
sure he would have a good influence
over them. He really did speak of it
in quite a touching way, Mrs. Will
liams. OF course, we mothers mustn't
brag of our sons too much but George
really isn't like other boys. He is so
sensitive, you can't think how this lit
tie affair has hurt him, and felt that
it might even make him i'll. You see,
/ had to respect his reason for want
Ing to join the club. And if / am his
mother"-she gave deprecating little
Taught must say that it seems noble
to want to join not really for his own
sake but for the good he felt his in
fluence would have over the other
boys. Don't you think so, Mrs. Will
liams?"
Mrs. Williams said that she did, in
deed. And the result of this interview
was another. which took place be-
tween Sam and his father that eve
ming, for Mrs. Williams after talking
to Sam herself. felt that the matter
needed q man to deal with it. The
man did it man-fashion.
you either invite George Bassett
said the man, "or the shack comes
down."
But"
"Take your choice. I'm not going
to have neighborhood quarrels over
such"
But, papa
That's enough! You said yourself
you haven't anything against Georgte.
''I said"
you said you didn't like him, but
you couldn't tell why. You couldn't
state a single instance of bad behav-
Tor against him. You couldn't men
ton anything he ever did which wasn't
what q gentleman should have done.
It's no use, | tell you. Either you in
wife George to play in the shack as
much as he likes next Saturday, or the
shack comes down."
fFRIIt paDa-0