Booth Tarkington

“ Thus it befell that the Mears family sat churched in judgment upon the child of the Eliot family, and the Eliot family, likewise churched, sat in judgment upon the child of the Mears family.
In such a fashion and of no hotter beginnings, the troubles between innumerable Capulets and Montagues have begun in many a Verona; and the Romeo of the Mears family marked with a sinking heart how the color of annoyance ran high in his Juliet's cheek before him—though in truth she was neither a Juliet nor his. She had already told him that people could never escape from a likeness to their families ”

“ Muriel's father and Renfrew's father appeared to be uncomfortable; Robert, held in hand by his mother, looked murderous—while Mrs. Mears and Mrs. Eliot were equally of a high color. Words of import had been exchanged; there was that unmistakable effervescence in the air.
Daisy, keeping near her mother for protection, hopped with excitement, and her gestures were spectacular. “He did try to hit me, Mamma!” she shouted. “Right as we were comin' out o' church! He did!”
To deny this charge, Master Eliot showed no concern—on the contrary: “Yes, an' I will, too!” he promised the whole world loudly. ”

“ And lifting his straw hat without looking at her, he turned into the cross-street, disappearing at once from her sight.
She faced him. “Do you think it's very dignified for two grown people to be bickering over these absurd squabbles?”
Muriel's state of mind was at first one of overpowering surprise. For Renfrew had been a lover like a doormat; and she was accustomed to look for about that much self-assertion from him.
“Well!” she murmured. “Indeed? So!”
She walked on, but went slowly, so that a few moments later her family overtook her and she joined them. ”

“ She jeered loudly. “It's because you're afraid o' Laurence! Laurence is littler than you, an' you're afraid of him!"
“Poor ole fatty Robert!” it said. “He likes it. He likes it better'n candy. He eats it every day.”
Few have been worse taunted in sanctuary, and Robert felt that he could not bear more of this, that if the whispering continued, he must act and act with violence, let the consequent disaster be what it might
“Ole, dirty, horrable ole automobile grease!” the goading whisper said. “From automobiles' insides. He eats it. That's why he's so fat.” ”

“ But hers was not the only vociferation audible: adults were stirring. From an open window on the ground floor of one of the opposing houses a young man leaped, shouting, “Stop that!” and hurrying toward the combat; and from the front door of the other house, a pretty and agitated lady came running and calling loudly. She seized upon Robert, who was unwilling to be detached from Laurence; and Renfrew seized upon Laurence and Daisy, who were unwilling to be detached from Robert. ”

“ In fact, Daisy and her two companions, in order to subdue themselves as requested, had fallen back upon that pacific contest of wits known to them as, “Button—button who's-got-the-button?” They played at it resignedly for fifteen minutes; but it was not man's work, and Master Coy, after frequently expressing his repulsion, declined to proceed.
“Well, we might as well play it as anything else,” Daisy said.
“Well, I wont play ole Button any more,” he returned frankly. “It makes me sick. Three can't play it any good, and that's all there is.” ”

“ Go home, Daisy, this instant! Do you hear me?”
Still clamorous, she went, and Laurence went with her, very truculent. They rejoined the more prudent Elsie and then resumed the discussion of Robert's character.
RENFREW, without more ado, turned to follow them, but the agitated lady addressed him sharply. “Renfrew Mears!”
“Yes?”
“Will you come into the yard a moment, please? I shall only keep you for an instant.” Then, turning to her brother, she said sternly: “Shame! Go straight into the house!” And as Robert morosely obeyed, she followed him through the gate, and Renfrew went with her. ”

“ Robert was still going on, as people say, about his troubles; and a similar dwelling upon the same theme appeared to come from across the street, where walked the greater part of the Mears family. Shrill pipings from Daisy could be heard at intervals in that quarter.
“You just ever let me ketch her outside her yard!” Robert was insisting doggedly to his parents. “You'll see whether I will or not!”
“No,” his mother said. “You mustn't talk like that. You must never speak of striking a little girl.” ”

“ You don't even know yourself, and a man at your age ought to know himself through and through; and he ought to know other people through and through, too—especially the people closest about him in everyday life. ”

“ Mrs. Mears said in a vehement whisper to Daisy.
But Daisy pointed at Robert. “He scared me,” she said. “He did it on purpose!”
“Hush!” her mother said imperatively.
“Well, he did!” Daisy whimpered, but Mrs. Mears closed both the episode and Daisy's mouth, temporarily, with a gloved hand.
Those of the congregation, in front, who had turned to look and disapprove, resumed their former positions, and among these were Muriel Eliot and her father and mother. They had observed nothing untoward on the part of their fat relative; for his demonstration had been little more than instantaneous ”

“ THE picture of Robert making this historic turn was now a clear one in Muriel's mind; and since it was in her mind, she mistook it to be obviously in her memory. So she spoke with perfect conviction, would confidently have taken her oath upon it. “That's why it does seem so unspeakably petty of you to try to be inventing things to put the blame on my poor little brother! Oh, I mean it! Unspeakably petty!”
Renfrew was meek; he was worshipful, and he did get up thinking of her, and think of her pretty nearly all day. and go to bed thinking of her ”

“ Elsie suggested. “We could easy enough get four. Le's get Robert Eliot to come over He's awful fat an' everything, but it'd be more fun playin' Button with four. Le's see if he's home.”
BUT at the mention of Robert, Daisy had assumed the look of a prim person deeply shocked. “Oh, no,” she said “We can't have him.”
“Why not?”
“Because,” Daisy replied, simply and conclusively, “he's bad.”
At this both Elsie and Laurence looked gravely interested. “When was he?” Laurence asked.
“I guess you wouldn't ask when, if you went to our church!” Daisy exclaimed importantly. ”

“ Rising, she went languidly and gracefully into the house, and hurrying to her own room upstairs, disposed herself upon a couch with a book, which she did not read. Discovering that she was not reading it, she tossed it aside so carelessly that it struck the wall ”