"
Penrod moved uneasily in his chair; he was conscious that he was her
topic but unable to make out whether or not her observations were
complimentary; he inclined to think they were not. Mrs. Crim settled the
question for him.
"I suppose Penrod is regarded as the neighbourhood curse?"
"Oh, no," cried Mrs. Schofield. "He----"
"I dare say the neighbours are right," continued the old lady placidly.
"He's had to repeat the history of the race and go through all the
stages from the primordial to barbarism. You don't expect boys to be
civilized, do you?"
"Well, I----"
"You might as well expect eggs to crow. No; you've got to take boys as
they are, and learn to know them as they are."
"Naturally, Aunt Sarah," said Mrs. Schofield, "I KNOW Penrod."
Aunt Sarah laughed heartily. "Do you think his father knows him, too?"
"Of course, men are different," Mrs. Schofield returned, apologetically.
"But a mother knows----"
"Penrod," said Aunt Sarah, solemnly, "does your father understand you?"
"Ma'am?"
"About as much as he'd understand Sitting Bull!" she laughed.
"And I'll tell you what your mother thinks you are, Penrod. Her real
belief is that you're a novice in a convent."
"Ma'am?"
"Aunt Sarah!"
"I know she thinks that, because whenever you don't behave like a novice
she's disappointed in you. And your father really believes that you're
a decorous, well-trained young business man, and whenever you don't
live up to that standard you get on his nerves and he thinks you need a
walloping.
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