Taciturnity is seldom more strikingly
out of place than under such circumstances, and the penalties
imposed took account not only of Penrod's tardiness but of his
supposititious defiance of authority in declining to speak. The
truth was that Penrod did not know why he was tardy, and, with
mind still lethargic, found it impossible to think of an excuse
his continuing silence being due merely to the persistence of his
efforts to invent one. Thus were his meek searchings
misinterpreted, and the unloved hours of improvement in science
and the arts made odious.
"They'll SEE!" he whispered sorely to himself, as he bent low
over his desk, a little later. Some day he would "show 'em". The
picture in his mind was of a vast, vague assembly of people
headed by Miss Spence and the superior pupils who were never
tardy, and these multitudes, representing persecution and
government in general, were all cringing before a Penrod
Schofield who rode a grim black horse up and down their miserable
ranks, and gave curt orders.
"Make 'em step back there!" he commanded his myrmidons savagely.
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