Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-07-19
CHAPTER TX
Where Eli Caesar Led.

Several weeks had passed, and the
pink sweater had not been worn It
was sometimes looked at, reposing In
a paper wrapper in the cleanest apple
Monday morning with high hope,
Saturday night with black despair.
Once Lettie had picked her way gin
gerly through five days Of behavior
that might have been recorded with
a gold pen on pearly page-and
then, presto! Humanity! Imps
Cataclysml Once her impetuous feet
had trod the narrow way up to and
including Saturday noon. The goal
was in sight. Miss Lettie staged
war-dance in premature celebration,
caught her ragged sleeve in the handle
OF a saucepan on the stove, dragged
it over the edge, deluged the kitchen
with precious soup stock, soaking In
delibly into the rough board floor.
Lettie's contrition was always im-
mediate and sincere, but it lacked that
element of projection which might
! have fastened into the future and in
sured better things. Nevertheless, it
was a difficult problem to discipline
her. She had an unfailing perception
of right and wrong, and knew at any
moment which side of the fence she
was on. She never denied; she never
ran away; she never excused. On the
contrary, she stood by in the thfckest
deed. and rent the atmosphere with
shrill confession: II done it; done it."
1t was the purest futility to cali her
attention to the fact that she had
sinned; Lettie forestalled such action
by her lightning metamorphosis into
the sinner who repenteth and is
therefore entitled to the rejoicing Of
the beholder. But to sit down and
rejoice over a little girl who has just
wrecked half of your kitchen, obvi-
ously carries with it implications
which cannot be sponsored; and in
consequence Mrs. Penfeld was often
merely a silent and puzzled spectator,
standing by while Lettie put herself
through the stages of revulsion, an
athena, and self-inf1icted penance.
Never did Mrs. Penfield devise pun
ishments half so drastic as those which
were suggested by Lettie, who de-
lighted in methods Of self-faggela-
ton that should translate the frenzy
of wrong doing into a frenzy of tor
ture.
Opposed to all rules was Mrs. Pen
! fields attitude of neutrality, as of a
! detached onlooker. you're too easy"
said Mrs. Wopple. you'll be sorry
when it's too late" declared Mrs. Cat
terbox. But Mrs. Penfield only
smiled at them gently, with far
away look in her eyes which they re-
sented, because it showed that their
carefully pointed criticism had failed
of its aim.
"Id punish her If she'd me
chance" she admitted, "but when she
does it herself, 1 can't-'thout heap
ing 1t up double Besides, if a fell
ler's conscience has stirred up fight
in his own soul, anybody that takes
a hand from the outside is only put
ting himself on record as meddIer."
So the fight was Lettie's, and thus
far the victory had lowered in sus-
pension, occasionally glimpsed, but
elusive and inclined to fly high.
Ironically enough, the greatest OBJ
stacle in her path of virtue was Mr..
Wopple. He acted as a reagent,
drawing out and precipitating all the
worst in her nature.
By curious instinct, they were
both conscious of fundamental an
tagonism, complicated on Mr.. Wopple's
side by the irresistible desire to
start something. Turned loose in
menagerie, he would have entertained
himself by thrusting stick between
the bars Of cages, that he might gloat
over the torture of animals deprived
of the power to give him the retalla-
ton he deserved. He was naturally
batter of beasts; and in Lettie he
found most satisfactory subject for
his ingenuity.
ST hate him. declared Lettie,
stamping her foot. 81 hate him."
She eased her armful of driftwood
down on the accumulation in the COR
ner and Strengthened up with a jerk,
her black eyes flashing.
Mrs. Penfeld, sailing the stew for
lunch, smiled at her composedly.
'That's one thing you got to get over,
Lettie."