field. The mountain was close upon him----

He stood by the open mouth of the hay-chute which went through the floor
to the manger below. Penrod also went through the floor. He propelled
himself into the chute and shot down, but not quite to the manger, for
Mr. Samuel Williams had thoughtfully stepped into the chute a moment in
advance of his partner. Penrod lit upon Sam.

Catastrophic noises resounded in the loft; volcanoes seemed to romp upon
the stairway.

There ensued a period when only a shrill keening marked the passing of
Roderick as he was borne to the tumbril. Then all was silence.


. . . Sunset, striking through a western window, rouged the walls of
the Schofields' library, where gathered a joint family council and
court martial of four--Mrs. Schofield, Mr. Schofield, and Mr. and Mrs.
Williams, parents of Samuel of that ilk. Mr. Williams read aloud a
conspicuous passage from the last edition of the evening paper:

"Prominent people here believed close relations of woman sentenced to
hang. Angry denial by Mrs. R. Magsworth Bitts. Relationship admitted by
younger member of family. His statement confirmed by boy-friends----"

"Don't!" said Mrs. Williams, addressing her husband vehemently. "We've
all read it a dozen times. We've got plenty of trouble on our hands
without hearing THAT again!"

Singularly enough, Mrs. Williams did not look troubled; she looked as