Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-29
Ever Written Of Real Boy and His Escapades

the wings, prompting frritably, and the
Child Sir Lancelot repeated:
do my share though but-though but tot.
pray you knight Sir Lancelot!
This also met the royal favor and
Penrod was hidden to join Sir Galahad
at the throne. AS he crossed the stage,
Mrs. Schofield whispered to Margaret:
That boy! He's unpinned his mantle
and fixed it to cover his whole cos
tune. After we worked SO hard to
make 1t becoming
Never mind; he'll have to take the
cape off in a minute" returned Mar
garet She leaned forward suddenly,
What is that thing hanging about his
left ankle?" she whispered uneasily.
How queer He must have got
tangled in something"
'Where?" asked Mrs. Schofeld, in
alarm.
His left foot. 1t makes him stumble
Don't you see? 1t looks-it looks like
an elephants foot"
The Child Sir Lancelot and the Child
Sir Galahad clasped hands before their
Child King. Penrod was conscious of a
great uplift: in a moment he would
have to throw aside his mantle. but
even SO he was protected and sheltered
in the human garment of a man. His
stage fright had passed, for the audi
ence was but an indistin guishable blur
of darkness beyond the dazzling lights
His most repulsive speech Chat in
which he proclaimed himself 'tot')
was over and done with: and now at
last the small, moist hand of the Child
Sir Galahad lay within his own. Graf
tily his brown fingers stole from Maui
rices palm to the wrist. The two boys
acclaimed in concert:
We two childrun of the Tabul Round
Strewing kindness all around
With love and good deeds striving ever for the
best,
Me- rt+
Two lftful hearts offer. See
United in love, faith hope and char-Ow.
The conclusion of the duet was mar
red. The Child Sir Galahad suddenly
stiffened, and, uttering an irrepressible
Shrek of anguish. gave a brief exhibit
ton of the contortionist's art. c'He's
twistin' my wrist Dern you. leggo.')
The voice of Mrs. Lora Rewbush was
again heard from the wings: it sound =
ed bloodthirsty. Penrod released his
victim. and the Child King Arthur.
somewhat disconnected, extended his
scepter. and, with the assistance of the
enraged prompter, said:
Sweet chld-friends of the Tabul Round,
In brotherly love and kindness abound.
Sir Lanceot, you have spoken well.
Sir Galahad. too, clear bell.
SO pray doff your nantes gay.
You shall be knighted this very day.
And Penrod dotted his mantle.
simultaneously. a thick and vastly
gasp came from the audience, as from
500 bathers in a wholly unexpected surf
This gasp was punctuated irregularly
over the auditorium. by imperfectly
subdued screams both of dismay and
incredulous JOY. and by two dismal
shieks. Altogether it was an extraor-
binary sound, a sound never to be for
gotten by any one who heard 1t. 1t
was almost unforgettable as the
sight which caused it; the word sight
being here used in its vernacular sense.
for Penrod. standing unmantled and re-
vealed in all the medieval and artistic
glory of the janitor's blue overalls, falls
within it's meaning.
The janitor was a heavy man. and
his overalls, upon Penrod, were merely
oceanic. The boy was at once swaddled
and lost within their blue CULTS and
vast saggings; and the left leg, too
hastily rolled UP. had descended with
a distinctively elephantine effect, as
Margaret had observed. Certainly, the
Child Sir Lancelot was at least a sight.
1t is probable that a great many in
that hall must have had, even then. a
consciousness that they were looking