Penrod

ed theory was that Penrod had been arrested. How breathtaking, then, the sensation when, at the beginning of the second hour, he strolled-in with inimitable carelessnes

ounding when Miss Spence-looking up from her desk-greeted him with a pleasant little nod. Even af

st TALKED

t his own family dinner-table the following evening. Aunt Clara had been out rather

lded her napkin, addressing Mrs. Schofield. Penrod abruptly set d

d Mrs. Schofield. "Sh

ou-" She paused. "Do people thin

her sister. "What

e corner just before I got to the house, a few minutes ago, and after we'd said howdy-do to each other, she kept

very queer, Clara. She knew

, bu

r so many years, I think it

voice-and I got really embarrassed-and then finally she said, in a

!" exclaim

returned somewhat a

urse she's heard about the outbreak of measles in Dayton, sinc

aggerated way," suggested Marg

, she said something even queerer, and then put

m the table. A spirit of prophecy was upon him: he knew that someone w

Mr. Schofield inquired, thus immediat

king about the table, "she said, 'I know th

may it be considered complimentary to Penrod, that this speech of Miss Spence's should

shook his he

a goner," he wen

eird ideas!"

in my life!" Mrs. Schofield ex

ry w

e by a significant movement of the head, and, by another, conveyed an admonition to drop the subject until later. Miss Spence was Penrod's teacher: it was better, f

and sat down to read his evening paper in what appeared to be an uninhabited apartment known to its own world as t

rod?" the parent as

aid Penro

n squatting under the piano, near an open

you doin

M

der the

grave sweetness, "I was just

he piano; and Penrod silently drew from beneath his jacket (where he had slipped it simultaneously with th

l forgot-until a sudden, violently irritated slam-bang of the front door startled the

ma?" asked her husband

d the lady, "I don't know what IS

ean Pe

o stare at him. "Henry Passloe Schofield, you've go

what ha

-thank Heaven she and Margaret and little Clara have gone to tea at Cousin C

t Penrod's bei

thinking and thinking about it

t that he had suddenly remembered his son's presence would be lacking in accuracy, for the h

s the

triding to the open windo

m Clara-and I'll never hold up my head

s of

e a little unbalanced it was my duty to know it, as Penrod's mother and she his teacher; so I thoug

el

she told me-she told me! Oh, I'v

d she te

. "Henry," she said solemnly, "bear this in mind: whatever you do to Penrod, it must be

was the closed door of the storeroom in the stable, and just

ing, and if that didn't get it, to "speak." Duke was facing the closed do

and from this descended-hurled by an unse

ics, and turned large portions of him a dull blue. Allowing only a moment to perplexity, and deciding, after a single and

dow-sill, whence he could keep in view

a," he said. "I think I can

e added, "And I think I k

of Duke was heard, pleadi