His mother, his sister Margaret, and their grownup friends had finished
their tea and were approaching from the house. Other parents and
guardians were with them, coming for their children; and there were
carriages and automobiles waiting in the street. But the "Slingo Slide"
went on, regardless.
The group of grown-up people hesitated and came to a halt, gazing at the
pavilion.
"What are they doing?" gasped Mrs. Williams, blushing deeply. "What is
it? What IS it?"
"WHAT IS IT?" Mrs. Gelbraith echoed in a frightened whisper. "WHAT----"
"They're Tangoing!" cried Margaret Schofield. "Or Bunny Hugging or
Grizzly Bearing, or----"
"They're only Turkey Trotting," said Robert Williams.
With fearful outcries the mothers, aunts, and sisters rushed upon the
pavilion.
"Of course it was dreadful," said Mrs. Schofield, an hour later,
rendering her lord an account of the day, "but it was every bit the
fault of that one extraordinary child. And of all the quiet, demur
little things--that is, I mean, when she first came. We all spoke of how
exquisite she seemed--so well trained, so finished! Eleven years old! I
never saw anything like her in my life!"
"I suppose it's the New Child," her husband grunted.
"And to think of her saying there ought to have been champagne in the
lemonade!"
"Probably she'd forgotten to bring her pocket flask," he suggested
musingly.
"But aren't you proud of Penrod?" cried Penrod's mother.
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