Bildungsromans; Boys -- Fiction; Humorous stories; Middle West -- Fiction
“One-two-three; one-two-three--glide! One-two-three;
one-two-three--glide! One-two-th--Ha! Mister Penrod Schofield, you lose
the step. Your left foot! No, no! This is the left! See--like me! Now
again! One-two-three; one-two-three--glide! Better! Much better! Again!
One-two-three; one-two-three--gl--Stop! Mr. Penrod Schofield, this
dancing class is provided by the kind parents of the pupilses as much
to learn the mannerss of good societies as to dance. You think you shall
ever see a gentleman in good societies to tickle his partner in the
dance till she say Ouch? Never! I assure you it is not done. Again! Now
then! Piano, please! One-two-three; one-two-three--glide! Mr. Penrod
Schofield, your right foot--your right foot! No, no! Stop!”
The merry-go-round came to a standstill.
“Mr. Penrod Schofield and partner”--Professor Bartet wiped his
brow--“will you kindly observe me? One-two-three--glide! So! Now
then--no; you will please keep your places, ladies and gentlemen. Mr.
Penrod Schofield, I would puttickly like your attention, this is for
you!”
“Pickin' on me again!” murmured the smouldering Penrod to his small,
unsympathetic partner. “Can't let me alone a minute!”
“Mister Georgie Bassett, please step to the centre,” said the professor.
Mr. Bassett complied with modest alacrity.
“Teacher's pet!” whispered Penrod hoarsely. He had nothing but contempt
for Georgie Bassett. The parents, guardians, aunts, uncles, cousins,
governesses, housemaids, cooks, chauffeurs and coachmen, appertaining to
the members of the dancing class, all dwelt in the same part of town and
shared certain communal theories; and among the most firmly established
was that which maintained Georgie Bassett to be the Best Boy in Town.
Contrariwise, the unfortunate Penrod, largely because of his recent
dazzling but disastrous attempts to control forces far beyond him,
had been given a clear title as the Worst Boy in Town. (Population,
135,000.) To precisely what degree his reputation was the product of
his own energies cannot be calculated. It was Marjorie Jones who first
applied the description, in its definite simplicity, the day after the
“pageant,” and, possibly, her frequent and effusive repetitions of it,
even upon wholly irrelevant occasions, had something to do with its
prompt and quite perfect acceptance by the community.
“Miss Rennsdale will please do me the fafer to be Mr. Georgie Bassett's
partner for one moment,” said Professor Bartet. “Mr. Penrod Schofield
will please give his attention. Miss Rennsdale and Mister Bassett,
obliche me, if you please. Others please watch. Piano, please! Now
then!”
Miss Rennsdale, aged eight--the youngest lady in the class--and Mr.
Georgie Bassett one-two-three--glided with consummate technique for the
better education of Penrod Schofield. It is possible that amber-curled,
beautiful Marjorie felt that she, rather than Miss Rennsdale, might have
been selected as the example of perfection--or perhaps her remark was
only woman.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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