fty times," he informed her passionately ere she
spoke, "I cannot make no such changes. If your partner comes you have to
dance with him. You are going to drive me crazy, sure! What is it? What
now? What you want?"

The damsel curtsied again and handed him the following communication,
addressed to herself:

"Dear madam Please excuse me from dancing the cotilon with you
this afternoon as I have fell off the barn

"Sincerly yours

"PENROD SCHOFIELD."

CHAPTER XV THE TWO FAMILIES

Penrod entered the schoolroom, Monday picturesquely leaning upon a man's
cane shortened to support a cripple approaching the age of twelve. He
arrived about twenty minutes late, limping deeply, his brave young mouth
drawn with pain, and the sensation he created must have been a solace to
him; the only possible criticism of this entrance being that it was just
a shade too heroic. Perhaps for that reason it failed to stagger Miss
Spence, a woman so saturated with suspicion that she penalized Penrod
for tardiness as promptly and as coldly as if he had been a mere,
ordinary, unmutilated boy. Nor would she entertain any discussion of the
justice of her ruling. It seemed, almost, that she feared to argue with
him.

However, the distinction of cane and limp remained to him, consolations
which he protracted far into the week--until Thursday evening, in fact,
when Mr. Schofield, observing from a window his son's pursuit of Duke
round and round the backyard, confiscated the cane, with the promise
that it should not remain idle if he saw Penrod limping again. Thus,
succeeding a depressing Friday, another Saturday brought the necessity
for new inventions.

It was a scented morning in apple-blossom time. At about ten of the
clock Penrod emerged hastily from the kitchen door. His pockets bulged
abnormally; so did his checks, and he swallowed with difficulty. A
threatening mop, wielded by a cooklike arm in a checkered sleeve,
followed him through the doorway, and he was preceded by a small,
hurried, wistful dog with a warm doughnut in his mouth. The kitchen door
slammed petulantly, enclosing the sore voice of Della, whereupon Penrod
and Duke seated themselves upon the pleasant sward and immediately
consumed the spoils of their raid.

From the cross-street which formed the side boundary of the Schofields'
ample yard came a jingle of harness and the cadenced clatter of a pair
of trotting horses, and Penrod, looking up, beheld the passing of a
f