penrod-第12部分

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had　ejected　upon　the　back　porch　a　great　quantity　of　bottles　and

other　paraphernalia　of　medicine；　left　over　from　illnesses　in　the

family　during　a　period　of　several　years。　　This　debris　Della；　the

cook；　had　collected　in　a　large　market　basket；　adding　to　it　some

bottles　of　flavouring　extracts　that　had　proved　unpopular　in　the

household；　also；　old　catsup　bottles；　a　jar　or　two　of　preserves

gone　bad；　various　rejected　dental　liquidsand　other　things。　　And

she　carried　the　basket　out　to　the　storeroom　in　the　stable。



Penrod　was　at　first　unaware　of　what　lay　before　him。　Chin　on

palms；　he　sat　upon　the　iron　rim　of　a　former　aquarium　and　stared

morbidly　through　the　open　door　at　the　checkered　departing　back　of

Della。　　It　was　another　who　saw　treasure　in　the　basket　she　had

left。



Mr。　Samuel　Williams；　aged　eleven；　and　congenial　to　Penrod　in

years；　sex；　and　disposition；　appeared　in　the　doorway；　shaking

into　foam　a　black　liquid　within　a　pint　bottle；　stoppered　by　a

thumb。



〃Yay；　Penrod！〃　the　visitor　gave　greeting。



〃Yay；〃　said　Penrod　with　slight　enthusiasm。　　〃What　you　got？〃



〃Lickrish　water。〃



〃Drinkin's！〃　demanded　Penrod　promptly。　　This　is　equivalent　to

the　cry　of　〃Biters〃　when　an　apple　is　shown；　and　establishes

unquestionable　title。



〃Down　to　there！〃　stipulated　Sam；　removing　his　thumb　to　affix

it　firmly　as　a　mark　upon　the　side　of　the　bottle　a　check　upon

gormandizing　that　remained　carefully　in　place　while　Penrod　drank。



This　rite　concluded；　the　visitor's　eye　fell　upon　the　basket

deposited　by　Della。　　He　emitted　tokens　of　pleasure。



〃Looky！　　Looky！　　Looky　there！　　That　ain't　any　good　pile　o'

stuffoh；　no！〃



〃What　for？〃



〃Drug　store！〃　shouted　Sam。　　〃We'll　be　partners〃



〃Or　else；〃　Penrod　suggested；　〃I'll　run　the　drug　store　and　you

be　a　customer〃



〃No！　　Partners！〃　insisted　Sam　with　such　conviction　that　his

host　yielded；　and　within　ten　minutes　the　drug　store　was　doing　a

heavy　business　with　imaginary　patrons。　　Improvising　counters　with

boards　and　boxes；　and　setting　forth　a　very　druggish…looking　stock

from　the　basket；　each　of　the　partners　found　occupation　to　his

tastePenrod　as　salesman　and　Sam　as　prescription　clerk。



〃Here　you　are；　madam！〃　said　Penrod　briskly；　offering　a

vial　of　Sam's　mixing　to　an　invisible　matron。　　〃This　will　cure

your　husband　in　a　few　minutes。　　Here's　the　camphor；　mister。　　Call

again！　　Fifty　cents'　worth　of　pills？　　Yes；　madam。　　There　you　are！

Hurry　up　with　that　dose　for　the　nigger　lady；　Bill！〃



〃I'll　'tend　to　it　soon's　I　get　time；　Jim；〃　replied　the

prescription　clerk。　　〃I'm　busy　fixin'　the　smallpox　medicine　for

the　sick　policeman　downtown。〃



Penrod　stopped　sales　to　watch　this　operation。　　Sam　had　found

an　empty　pint　bottle　and；　with　the　pursed　lips　and　measuring　eye

of　a　great　chemist；　was　engaged　in　filling　it　from　other　bottles。



First；　he　poured　into　it　some　of　the　syrup　from　the　condemned

preserves；　and　a　quantity　of　extinct　hair　oil；　next　the　remaining

contents　of　a　dozen　small　vials　cryptically　labelled　with

physicians'　prescriptions；　then　some　remnants　of　catsup　and

essence　of　beef　and　what　was　left　in　several　bottles　of

mouthwash；　after　that　a　quantity　of　rejected　flavouring　extract

topping　off　by　shaking　into　the　mouth　of　the　bottle　various

powders　from　small　pink　papers；　relics　of　Mr。　Schofield's

influenza　of　the　preceding　winter。



Sam　examined　the　combination　with　concern；　appearing

unsatisfied。　　〃We　got　to　make　that　smallpox　medicine　good　and

strong！〃　he　remarked；　and；　his　artistic　sense　growing　more

powerful　than　his　appetite；　he　poured　about　a　quarter　of　the

licorice　water　into　the　smallpox　medicine。



〃What　you　doin'？〃　protested　Penrod。　　〃What　you

want　to　waste　that　lickrish　water　for？　　We　ought　to　keep　it　to

drink　when　we're　tired。〃



〃I　guess　I　got　a　right　to　use　my　own　lickrish　water　any　way　I

want　to；〃　replied　the　prescription　clerk。　　〃I　tell　you；　you　can't

get　smallpox　medicine　too　strong。　　Look　at　her　now！〃　　He　held　the

bottle　up　admiringly。　　〃She's　as　black　as　lickrish。　　I　bet　you

she's　strong　all　right！〃



〃I　wonder　how　she　tastes？〃　said　Penrod　thoughtfully。



〃Don't　smell　so　awful　much；〃　observed　Sam；　sniffing　the

bottle〃a　good　deal；　though！〃



〃I　wonder　if　it'd　make　us　sick　to　drink　it？〃　said　Penrod。



Sam　looked　at　the　bottle　thoughtfully；　then　his　eye；

wandering；　fell　upon　Duke；　placidly　curled　up　near　the　door；　and

lighted　with　the　advent　of　an　idea　new　to　him；　but　old；　old　in

the　worldolder　than　Egypt！



〃Let's　give　Duke　some！〃　he　cried。



That　was　the　spark。　　They　acted　immediately；　and　a　minute

later　Duke；　released　from　custody　with　a　competent　potion　of　the

smallpox　medicine　inside　him；　settled　conclusively　their　doubts

concerning　its　effect。　　The　patient　animal；　accustomed　to　expect

the　worst　at　all　times；　walked　out　of　the　door；　shaking　his　head

with　an　air　of　considerable　annoyance；　opening　and　closing　his

mouth　with　singular　energyand　so　repeatedly　that　they　began　to

count　the　number　of　times　he　did　it。　　Sam　thought　it　was

thirty…nine　times；　but　Penrod　had　counted　forty…one　before　other

and　more　striking　symptoms　appeared。



All　things　come　from　Mother　Earth　and　must　returnDuke

restored　much　at　this　time。　　Afterward；　he　ate　heartily　of　grass；

and　then；　over　his　shoulder；　he　bent　upon　his　master　one

inscrutable　look　and　departed　feebly　to　the　front　yard。



The　two　boys　had　watched　the　process　with　warm　interest。　　〃I

told　you　she　was　strong！〃　said　Mr。　Williams　proudly。



〃Yes；　sirshe　is！〃　Penrod　was　generous　enough　to　admit。　　〃I

expect　she's　strong　enough〃　　He　paused　in　thought；　and　added：



〃We　haven't　got　a　horse　any　more。〃



〃I　bet　you　she'd　fix　him　if　you　had！〃　said　Sam。　　And　it　may

be　that　this　was　no　idle　boast。



The　pharmaceutical　game　was　not　resumed；　the　experiment　upon

Duke　had　made　the　drug　store　commonplace　and　stimulated　the

appetite　for　stronger　meat。　　Lounging　in　the　doorway；　the　near…

vivisectionists　sipped　licorice　water　alternately　and　conversed。



〃I　bet　some　of　our　smallpox　medicine　would　fix　ole　P'fessor

Bartet　all　right！〃　quoth　Penrod。　　〃I　wish　he'd　come　along　and　ask

us　for　some。〃



〃We　could　tell　him　it　was　lickrish　water；〃　added　Sam；　liking

the　idea。　　〃The　two　bottles　look　almost　the　same。〃



〃Then　we　wouldn't　have　to　go　to　his　ole　cotillon　this

afternoon；〃　Penrod　sighed。　　〃There　wouldn't　be　any！〃



〃Who's　your　partner；　Pen？〃



〃Who's　yours？〃



〃Who's　yours？　　I　just　ast　you。〃



〃Oh；　she's　all　right！〃　　And　Penrod　smiled　boastfully。



〃I　bet　you　wanted　to　dance　with　Marjorie！〃　said　his　friend。



〃Me？　　I　wouldn't　dance　with　that　girl　if　she　begged　me　to！　　I

wouldn't　dance　with　her　to　save　her　from　drowning！　　I　wouldn't

da〃



〃Oh；　noyou　wouldn't！〃　interrupted　Mr。　Williams　skeptically。



Penrod　changed　his　tone　and　became　persuasive。



〃Looky　here；　Sam；〃　he　said　confidentially。　　〃I've　got　'a

mighty　nice　partner；　but　my　mother　don't　like　her　mother；　and　so

I've　been　thinking　I　better　not　dance　with　her。　　I'll　tell　you

what　I'll　do；　I've　got　a　mighty　good　sling　in　the　house；　and　I'll

give　it　to　you　if　you'll　change　partners。〃



〃You　want　to　change　and　you　don't　even　know　who　mine　is！〃

said　Sam；　and　he　made　the　simple　though　precocious　deduction：　

〃Yours　must　be　a　lala！　　Well；　I　invited　Mabel　Rorebeck；　and　she

wouldn't　let　me　change　if　I　wanted　to。　　Mabel　Rorebeck'd　rather

dance　with　me；〃　he　continued　serenely；　〃than　anybody；　and　she

said　she　was　awful　afraid　you'd　ast　her。　　But　I　ain't　goin'

to　dance　with　Mabel　after　all；　because　this　morning　she　sent　me　a

note　about　her　uncle　died　last　nightand　P'fessor　Bartet'll　have

to　find　me　a　partner　after　I　get　there。　　Anyway　I　bet　you　haven't

got　any　slingand　I　bet　your　partner's　Baby　Rennsdale！〃



〃What　if　she　is？〃　said　Penrod。　　〃She's　good　enough　for

ME！〃　This　speech　held　not　so　much　modesty　in　solution　as

intended　praise　of　the　lady。　　Taken　literally；　however；　it　was　an

understatement　of　the　facts　and　wholly　insincere。



〃Yay！〃　jeered　Mr。　Williams；　upon　whom　his　friend's　hypocrisy

was　quite　wasted。　　〃How　can　your　mother　not　like　her　mother？　

Baby　Rennsdale　hasn't　got　any　mother！　　You　and　her'll　be　a

sight！〃



That　was　Penrod's　own　conviction；　and　with　this　corroboration

of　it　he　grew　so　spiritless　that　he　could　offer　no　retort。　　He

slid　to　a　despondent　sitting　posture　upon　the　door　sill　and　gazed

wretchedly　upon　the　ground；　while　his　companion　went　to　replenish

the　licorice　water　at　the　hydrantenfeebling　the　potency　of　the

liquor　no　doubt；　but　making　up　for　that　in　quantity。



〃Your　mother　goin'　with　you　to　the　cotillon？〃　asked　Sam　when

he　returned。



〃No。　　She's　goin'　to　meet　me　there。　　She's　goin'　somewhere

first。〃



〃So's　mine；〃　said　Sam。　　〃I'll　come　by　for　you。〃



〃All　right。〃



〃I　better　go　before　long。　　Noon　whistles　been　blowin'。〃



〃All　right；〃　Penrod　repeated　dully。



Sam　turned　to　go；　but　paused。　　A　new　straw　hat　was

peregrinating　along　the　fence　near　the　two　boys。　　This　hat

belonged　to　someone　passing　upon　the　sidewalk　of　the　cross…

street；　and　the　someone　was　Maurice　Levy。　　Even　as　they　stared；

he　halted　and　regarded　them　over　the　fence　with　two　small；　dark

eyes。



Fate　had　brought　about　this　moment　and　this　confrontation。







CHAPTER　XIV

MAURICE　LEVY'S　CONSTITUTION



〃Lo；　Sam！〃　said　Maurice　cautiously。　　〃What　you　doin'？〃



Penrod　at　that　instant　had　a　singular　experiencean

intellectual　shock　like　a　flash　of　fire　in　the　brain。　　Sitting　in

darkness；　a　great　light　flooded　him　with　wild　brilliance。　　He

gasped！



〃What　you　doin'？〃　repeated　Mr。　Levy。



Penrod　sprang　to　his　feet；　seized　the　licorice　bottle；　shook

it　with　stoppering　thumb；　and　took　a　long　drink　with　histrionic

unction。



〃What　you　doin'？〃　asked　Maurice　for　the　　third　time；　Sam

Williams　not　having　decided　upon　a　reply。