Tensas gazette., 1917-12-14
rod gathered his weapons again.

rod gathered his weapons again
Then the light disappeared, anG
there was darkness-and silence, and
silence, and silence!
And whatever the color of the glean
beneath the door. the thread that re-
mained upon the fixed retina of Pen
rods eye. after the actual light had
gone, was green.
Now, indeed, out of the darkness
over the frenZied boy did Chimera
peer and monster hover! The green
thread broke and twisted into shapes.
hodiless, faceless eyes came closer and
closer and closer, while animals
breathed hot upon his cheek
The silence grew tenser with noises
just about to burst forth: the dark
ness became charged with unthinkable
visions just ready to make themselves
visible: raw heads and bloody bones,
blenching phantasm and ravening
vampire, bugbear, bugaboo. mummy
and nightmare. CHASTITY thing that had
ever got into Penrod's head was issued
forth and now hung over him.
And outside the door were the bur-
glars. There were burglars rampaging
all the empty rooms and vacant halls
and passages. Burglars had opened
the door and looked at him.
Stop! Had they only looked at him?
Had one of them come in the room
when the door opened? Was he there
now?
Or was 1t the old man?
That finished Penrod.
With a shattering yell of terror he
sprang from the bed. clutching all his
armory somehow and anyhow; got the
door open, plunged blindly through the
hall and down the front stairs to the
landing, where he tripped over the
stock Of his gun and fell ull the rest Of
the way. believing OutrageOusly and
accompanied by the rifle. the camphor
bottle and the carving knife and the
AK.
1t sounded like the Eiffel tower fall
Ing downstairs.
He came to a pause in sitting pos
| ture at the foot of the newell. The
hall was brightly lighted. So were
the rooms opening from it, and out Of
| these rooms issued sounds of sudden
confusion and disturbance. His moth
er rushed to him through the near
est door,
"Penrod! What on earth"
Then through the open front door
came Margaret and four young men
who had been spending the evening
with her on the front porch.
Then, following Penrod's mother,
came three Of PenrOd's aunts. one
uncle, and eleven other alarmed ladies
and gentlemen. most Of them holding
cards in their hands.
Then through the door Of another
room came Penrod's father, three Of
Penrod's uncles, one aunt and the
eleven remaining members Of the
Thursday Evening Bridge club. the
hospitable superintendent Of which
organization had occupied most Of
Mrs. Schofield's time that evening aft
er her return, with her husband and
daughter, from dining with an elderly
relative.
Over the banister above leaned
Della Tin extreme negligeel. 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 sit
| ting quietly on the back porch. Joined
Della. Katie also wanted to know.
What on earthl
"What is the matter, Penrod?" his
mother walled.
Penrod coughed, gulped. and an
swered feebly:
"Just-playing!
"But what made you get up?" his
mother cried.
"Get up-wherew
"Out of bedl I slipped away and
looked I'm your room awhile ago and
you were sound asleep. What did you
get up and dress for and
"I was just pretending!"
pretending what?"
"Just pretending"
He answered abSently and in a pre-
occupied tone. his mind having some
what centered upon the number OF
human beings in the circle about him.
AS his mother remarked afteward.
there were more people in the house
that evening than she had entertained
for years. Including the family and
Margaret's callers there were 33. she
said.
At that she forgot to count Penrod
and Della and Katie, and katie's
cousin.
| Altogether there were 81.
"Mom-muh? Penrod began as he
rose from the floor.
you put those things away!" COM
manded his father.
"Mom-muh?"
"And then you 90 straight to bed J"
his father concluded sternly.
"Mom-muh. aren't you going to
have ice cream?'
| IMMEMCE Den HR0CC nEp01c