rm. "You mustn't hunch yourself up
that way, Penrod. Put your feet down on it."

And, as he continued to hunch himself, she moved the bag in the
direction of his withdrawal.

"Ow, murder!" he exclaimed convulsively. "What you tryin' to do? Scald
me to death?"

"Penrod--"

"My goodness, Mamma," he wailed; "can't you let me sleep a MINUTE?"

"It's very bad for you to let your feet get cold, dear."

"They WEREN'T cold. I don't want any ole hot-wat--"

"Penrod," she said firmly, "you must put your feet against the bag. It
isn't too hot."

"Oh, isn't it?" he retorted. "I don't s'pose you'd care if I burned
my feet right off! Mamma, won't you please, pul-LEEZE let me get some
sleep?"

"Not till you--"

She was interrupted by a groan that seemed to come from an abyss.

"All right, I'll do it! Let 'em burn, then!" Thus spake the desperate
Penrod; and Mrs. Schofield was able to ascertain that one heel had been
placed in light contact with the bag.

"No; both feet, Penrod."

With a tragic shiver he obeyed.

"THAT'S right, dear! Now, keep them that way. It's good for you.
Good-night."

"G'-night!"

The door closed softly behind her, and the body of Penrod, from the hips
upward, rose invisibly in the complete darkness of the bedchamber.
A moment later the hot-water bag reached the floor in as noiseless a
manner as that previously adopted by the remains of the little pill,
and Penrod once more bespread his soul with poppies. This time he slept
until the breakfast-bell rang.

He was late to school, and at once found himself in difficulties.
Government demanded an explanation of the tardiness; but Penrod made no
reply of any kind. Taciturnity is seldom more strikingly out of place
than under such circumstances, and the penalties imposed took account
not only of Penrod's tardiness but of his supposititious defiance of
authority in declining to speak. The truth was that Penrod did not know
why he was tardy, and, with mind still lethargic, found it impossible
to think of an excuse his continuing silence being due merely to the
persistence of his efforts to invent one. Thus were his meek searchings
misinterpreted, and the unloved hours of improvement in science and the
arts made odious.

"They'll SEE!" he whispered sorely to himself, as he bent low over his
desk, a little later. Some day he would "show 'em". The picture in his
mind was of a vast, vague assembly of people headed by Miss Spence
and the superior pup