The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-03-08

Margaret jumped. Good gracious!
What In the world"
II want my sna-a-kei left 1t in
a bottle on your"
"Oh" Margaret laughed relieved
''There was bottle on my dressing
table, and noticed your name pasted
on it; but don't think there was any
thing inside except water"
Penrod jumped up and down. "What
did you do with it?' he roared.
~ gave 1t to Katie, and told her to
ask you if you wanted 1t, and If you
didn't"
Penrod left an overturned chair to
blaze his trail. He burst into the
kitchen, and Katie was there, bending
over the sink.
Where's my shaker"
"Oh. Lordi" walled Katie, clutching
at her heart.
"What'd you do with my SNEAKER
"What did / what?'
'Tn a bottle" he beloved. MAR
garet gave you my bottle with my
sna-a-ake in 1t! / want my snakew
"There wasn't any snake in It," said
Katie. "There wasn't nothin' in it.
Miss Marg'rut says the bottle had your
name on it, and / should ask you did
you want 1t, and showed 1t to Della
and she says she wants 1t to put
some strip In it, and wouldn't let her
have 1t till asked you, and you come
In, and I started to ask you what fer
you wanted 1t, and you says Cat fur
to make kitten britches WITH and
went on upstairs. and So"
"Where is It" shouted Penrod
hoarsely; and even in this agony of
suspense marked that the clock stood
at 20 minutes of II. "What did you
do with my shaker"
az never saw no snake. Do you
think I'd "a touched it IL there'd "a
been any sn--"
"Where's my bother demanded the
frenzied boy.
Here" said Katie, disengaging the
empty bottle from the towel with
which she was drying 1t. "You didn't
seem to care enough about it to answer
me, and I poured the water out, so
Della could use 1t. There wasn't
| nothing in it at all-cXcept hair that
must "a fell in it somehow, and went
down the sink when / poured the wa
| ter out"
Penrod ran amuck.
With a maniacal yell he struck the
bottle from her hand and fled toward
the front part of the house. In the
| library he encountered young cat
which had recently been adopted by
his mother for "good luck" having fol-
lowed her on the street. A really in
| telligent cat would have fled from Pen
rods path at highest speed, but this
| one came running to him, hopefully. 1t
proved to be the most important mis-
take Of the young cats life.
To one maddened with outrage and
injustice, and suffering with the agony
of having just had his hearts idol
poured down the kitchen sink, the
sight of another persons pet--safe,
pampered, and wearing q pink ribbon
was merely Grazing. With a glad
cry, Penrod plunged to meet the adj
vance of the young cat, who turned too
late, but precisely in time to leave his
extended tail in the feverish clutch Of
the maddened boy.
Once, twice, thrice, Penrod swung
that electrified cat in great circle,
with the radius Of a full arm and half
a tail. The cat swept the air, Shrek
ing inconceivably with horror, and at
the top of Its third orbit went so
high, and so heartily, 1t brought down
glass globe from the chandelier.
Startled EXPLANATIONS came from the
parlor, and, following them, the pro-
jectors thereof: Margaret, Mr.. Ethel
bert Magsworth Bits and Mr.. Robert
Williams. They reached the library
In time to see the young cat become
aviator, and, released from a hurtling
hand, mount upward and upward upon
invisible currents till 1t disappeared
through the upper section Of win
dow, which was .down from the top"
Crimson, Infatuated, Penrod turned
upon his dumfounded sister.
'You ruined my snake" he bleated.
''You watch what do to your old gold
fishp
He darted out Of her OBTAINING fin
gers, and though she pursued, and
Robert Williams pursued, and Ethel
bert Magsworth Bits pursued, he had
seized upon the bowl Of gold fish and