Mrs. Penniman came next, rustling in black silk and under a flowered hat that Winona secretly felt to be quite too girlish.

Mrs. Penniman walked at his side, not unconscious herself of the impressive mien of her consort.

From the Penniman pew he could glance across to a side pew and observe a line of repeated Whipple noses, upon which for some moments he was enabled to speculate forgetfully.

The judge and Mrs. Penniman walked up the shaded street, for the Sunday dinner must be prepared.

The Penniman Sunday dinner was based notably on chicken, as were all other Sunday dinners in Newbern, and his father, when he entered the house, was already beginning the gayety by pledging Mrs. Penniman in a wineglass of the Ajax Invigorator.

A man who would call Judge Penniman Old Flapdoodle and question the worth of Matthew Arnold's acquaintance was not to be long downcast at the plight of one woman.

" "And this David Cowan, his sonhe married someone from here?" "Her that was Effie Freeman and her mother was a Penniman, cousin to old Judge Penniman.

" "And this David Cowan, his sonhe married someone from here?" "Her that was Effie Freeman and her mother was a Penniman, cousin to old Judge Penniman.

The ensuing week was marked for the Cowan-Penniman household by sensational developments.

Mrs. Penniman had also been told of the probability of this great event, but, nevertheless, wept gently when Dave certified to her its irrevocable consummation.

Only Judge Penniman remained to be startled; and he, being irritated that others had enjoyed a foreknowledge guiltily withheld from him, chose to pretend that he, too, had been mysteriously enlightened.

His cordial tolerance of them quite overcame Mrs. Penniman again.

"Give Merle another bit of the steak, Mother," urged Judge Penniman.

He, Rufus Tyler Penniman, had become at least a partial Whipple.

It had occurred to him that Dave Cowan himself would be even more a Whipple than any Penniman, and would enjoy superior advantages inevitably rising from this circumstance.

He must not put it so bluntly as he had to Judge Penniman.

He drew a long breath and made a swift dash to further obscurity in the lee of the Penniman woodshed.

At last he heard Winona call him from the Penniman porch.

Back of the woodshed he sat down on the hard bare ground, his back to its wall, looking into the garden where Judge Penniman, in the intervals of his suffering, raised a few vegetables.

The advent of the following summer was marked by two events of importance; Mouser, the Penniman cat, after being repeatedly foiled throughout the winter, had gained access to the little house on a day when windows and doors were open for cleaning, stalked the immobile blue jay, and falling upon his prey had rent the choice bird limb from limb, scattering over a wide space wings, feathers, cotton, and twisted wire.

The judge swathed him with one of Mrs. Penniman's aprons, crowding folds of it inside his neckband.

On a shining, full-starred night he stood before the little house in the Penniman side yard and bade farewell to this youth.

The Downfall of Travis Penniman.

By John <pb id='380.png' /> Locke, editor: Howard R. Penniman.

Howard Penniman (A); 8Sep75; R613023. R613024.