She laughed again, wholeheartedly. "Poor Uncle John! He won't even allow
grape juice or ginger ale in his house. They came because they were
afraid little Clara might catch the measles. She's very delicate, and
there's such an epidemic of measles among the children over in Dayton
the schools had to be closed. Uncle John got so worried that last night
he dreamed about it; and this morning he couldn't stand it any longer
and packed them off over here, though he thinks its wicked to travel
on Sunday. And Aunt Clara was worried when she got here because they'd
forgotten to check her trunk and it will have to be sent by express. Now
what in the name of the common sense put it into your head that Uncle
John had taken to----"

"Oh, nothing." He turned lifelessly away and went downstairs, a new-born
hope dying in his bosom. Life seems so needlessly dull sometimes.



CHAPTER VIII SCHOOL

Next morning, when he had once more resumed the dreadful burden of
education, it seemed infinitely duller. And yet what pleasanter sight
is there than a schoolroom well filled with children of those sprouting
years just before the 'teens? The casual visitor, gazing from the
teacher's platform upon these busy little heads, needs only a blunted
memory to experience the most agreeable and exhilarating sensations.
Still, for the greater part, the children are unconscious of the
happiness of their condition; for nothing is more pathetically true than
that we "never know when we are well off." The boys in a public school
are less aware of their happy state than are the girls; and of all the
boys in his room, probably Penrod himself had the least appreciation of