e sphere touched his lips, he jerked his head away,
startled.

"Whassat?"

Mrs. Schofield replied in tones honeysweet and coaxing: "It's just a
nice little pill, Penrod."

"Doe waw 'ny!" he protested, keeping his eyes shut, clinging to the
sleep from which he was being riven.

"Be a good boy, Penrod," she whispered. "Here's a glass of nice cool
water to swallow it down with. Come, dear; it's going to do you lots of
good."

And again the little pill was placed suggestively against his lips; but
his head jerked backward, and his hand struck out in blind, instinctive
self-defense.

"I'll BUST that ole pill," he muttered, still with closed eyes. "Lemme
get my han's on it an' I will!"

"Penrod!"

"PLEASE go on away, mamma!"

"I will, just as soon as you take this little pill."

"I DID!"

"No, dear."

"I did," Penrod insisted plaintively. "You made me take it just before I
went to bed."

"Oh, yes; THAT one. But, dearie," Mrs. Schofield explained, "I got to
thinking about it after I went to bed, and I decided you'd better have
another."

"I don't WANT another."

"Yes, dearie."

"Please go 'way and let me sleep."

"Not till you've taken the little pill, dear."

"Oh, GOLLY!" Groaning, he propped himself upon an elbow and allowed the
pill to pass between his lips. (He would have allowed anything whatever
to pass between them, if that passing permitted his return to slumber.)
Then, detaining the pill in his mouth, he swallowed half a glass of
water, and again was recumbent.

"G'-night, Mamma."

"Good-night, dearie. Sleep well."

"Yes'm."

After her departure Penrod drowsily enjoyed the sugar coating of the
pill; but this was indeed a brief pleasure. A bitterness that was like
a pang suddenly made itself known to his sense of taste, and he realized
that he had dallied too confidingly with the product of a manufacturing
chemist who should have been indicted for criminal economy. The
medicinal portion of the little pill struck the wall with a faint tap,
then dropped noiselessly to the floor, and, after a time, Penrod slept.

Some hours later he began to dream; he dreamed that his feet and legs
were becoming uncomfortable as a result of Sam Williams's activities
with a red-hot poker.

"You QUIT that!" he said aloud, and awoke indignantly. Again a dark,
wrappered figure hovered over the bed.

"It's only a hot-water bag, dear," Mrs. Schofield said, still labouring
under the covers with an extended a