penrod-第36部分

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〃What　for？〃　he　inquired；　helplessly。



〃You　be　quiet！〃



〃But　what'd　_I_　do；　Marjorie？　　_I_　haven't　done　anything

to　you；〃　he　pleaded。　　〃I　haven't　even　seen　you；　all　aftern〃



〃You　be　quiet！〃　she　cried；　tears　filling　her　eyes。　　〃Keep

still！　　You　ugly　boy！　　Shut　up！〃



She　slapped　him。



He　should　have　understood　from　this　how　much　she　cared　for

him。　　But　he　rubbed　his　cheek　and　declared　ruefully：



〃I'll　never　speak　to　you　again！〃



〃You　will；　too！〃　she　sobbed；　passionately。



〃I　will　not！〃



He　turned　to　leave　her；　but　paused。



His　mother；　his　sister　Margaret；　and　their　grownup　friends

had　finished　their　tea　and　were　approaching　from　the　house。　

Other　parents　and　guardians　were　with　them；　coming　for　their

children；　and　there　were　carriages　and　automobiles　waiting　in　the

street。　　But　the　〃Slingo　Slide〃　went　on；　regardless。



The　group　of　grown…up　people　hesitated　and　came　to　a　halt；

gazing　at　the　pavilion。



〃What　are　they　doing？〃　gasped　Mrs。　Williams；

blushing　deeply。　　〃What　is　it？　　What　IS　it？〃



〃WHAT　IS　IT？〃　Mrs。　Gelbraith　echoed　in　a　frightened

whisper。　　〃WHAT〃



〃They're　Tangoing！〃　cried　Margaret　Schofield。　　〃Or　Bunny

Hugging　or　Grizzly　Bearing；　or〃



〃They're　only　Turkey　Trotting；〃　said　Robert　Williams。



With　fearful　outcries　the　mothers；　aunts；　and　sisters　rushed

upon　the　pavilion。



〃Of　course　it　was　dreadful；〃　said　Mrs。　Schofield；　an　hour

later；　rendering　her　lord　an　account　of　the　day；　〃but　it　was

every　bit　the　fault　of　that　one　extraordinary　child。　　And　of　all

the　quiet；　demur　little　thingsthat　is；　I　mean；　when　she　first

came。　　We　all　spoke　of　how　exquisite　she　seemedso　well　trained；

so　finished！　　Eleven　years　old！　　I　never　saw　anything　like　her　in

my　life！〃



〃I　suppose　it's　the　New　Child；〃　her　husband　grunted。



〃And　to　think　of　her　saying　there　ought　to　have　been

champagne　in　the　lemonade！〃



〃Probably　she'd　forgotten　to　bring　her　pocket　flask；〃　he

suggested　musingly。



〃But　aren't　you　proud　of　Penrod？〃　cried　Penrod's　mother。　　〃It

was　just　as　I　told　you：　he　was　standing　clear　outside　the

pavilion〃



〃I　never　thought　to　see　the　day！　　And　Penrod　was　the　only　boy

not　doing　it；　the　only　one　to　refuse？　　ALL　the　others

were〃



〃Every　one！〃　she　returned　triumphantly。　　〃Even　Georgie

Bassett！〃



〃Well；〃　said　Mr。　Schofield；　patting　her　on　the　shoulder。　　〃I

guess　we　can　hold　up　our　heads　at　last。〃

　

　



CHAPTER　XXXI

OVER　THE　FENCE



Penrod　was　out　in　the　yard；　staring　at　the　empty　marquee。　　The

sun　was　on　the　horizon　line；　so　far　behind　the　back　fence；　and　a

western　window　of　the　house　blazed　in　gold　unbearable　to　the　eye：

his　day　was　nearly　over。　　He　sighed；　and　took　from　the　inside

pocket　of　his　new　jacket　the　〃sling…shot〃　aunt　Sarah　Crim　had

given　him　that　morning。



He　snapped　the　rubbers　absently。　　They　held　fast；　and　his

next　impulse　was　entirely　irresistible。　　He　found　a　shapely

stone；　fitted　it　to　the　leather；　and　drew　back　the　ancient

catapult　for　a　shot。　　A　　sparrow　hopped　upon　a

branch　between　him　and　the　house；　and　he　aimed　at　the　sparrow；

but　the　reflection　from　the　dazzling　window　struck　in　his　eyes　as

he　loosed　the　leather。



He　missed　the　sparrow；　but　not　the　window。　　There　was　a　loud

crash；　and　to　his　horror　he　caught　a　glimpse　of　his　father；

stricken　in　mid…shaving；　ducking　a　shower　of　broken　glass；

glittering　razor　flourishing　wildly。　　Words　crashed　with　the

glass；　stentorian　words；　fragmentary　but　collossal。



Penrod　stood　petrified；　a　broken　sling　in　his　hand。　　He　could

hear　his　parent's　booming　descent　of　the　back　stairs；　instant　and

furious；　and　then；　red…hot　above　white　lather；　Mr。　Schofield

burst　out　of　the　kitchen　door　and　hurtled　forth　upon　his　son。



〃What　do　you　mean？〃　he　demanded；　shaking　Penrod　by　the

shoulder。　　〃Ten　minutes　ago；　for　the　very　first　time　in　our

lives；　your　mother　and　I　were　saying　we　were　proud　of　you；　and

here　you　go　and　throw　a　rock　at　me　through　the　window　when　I'm

shaving　for　dinner！〃



〃I　didn't！〃　Penrod　quavered。　　〃I　was　shooting　at　a　sparrow；

and　the　sun　got　in　his　eyes；　and　the　sling　broke〃



〃What　sling？〃



〃This'n。〃



〃Where'd　you　get　that　devilish　thing？　　Don't　you　know　I've

forbidden　you　a　thousand　times〃



〃It　ain't　mine；〃　said　Penrod。　　〃It's　yours。〃



〃What？〃



〃Yes；　sir；〃　said　the　boy　meekly。　　〃Aunt　Sarah　Crim　gave　it　to

me　this　morning　and　told　me　to　give　it　back　to　you。　　She　said　she

took　it　away　from　you　thirty…five　years　ago。　　You　killed　her　hen；

she　said。　　She　told　me　some　more　to　tell　you；　but　I've

forgotten。〃



〃Oh！〃　said　Mr。　Schofield。



He　took　the　broken　sling　in　his　hand；　looked　at　it　long　and

thoughtfullyand　he　looked　longer；　and　quite　as　thoughtfully；　at

Penrod。　　Then　he　turned　away；　and　walked　toward　the　house。



〃I'm　sorry；　papa；〃　said　Penrod。



Mr。　Schofield　coughed；　and；　as　he　reached　the　door；　called

back；　but　without　turning　his　head。



〃Never　mind；　little　boy。　　A　broken　window　isn't　much　harm。〃



When　he　had　gone　in；　Penrod　wandered　down　the　yard　to　the

back　fence；　climbed　upon　it；　and　sat　in　reverie　there。



A　slight　figure　appeared；　likewise　upon　a　fence；　beyond　two

neighbouring　yards。



〃Yay；　Penrod！〃　called　comrade　Sam　Williams。



〃Yay！〃　returned　Penrod；　mechanically。



〃I　caught　Billy　Blue　Hill！〃　shouted　Sam；　describing

retribution　in　a　manner　perfectly　clear　to　his　friend。　　〃You　were

mighty　lucky　to　get　out　of　it。〃



〃I　know　that！〃



〃You　wouldn't　of；　if　it　hadn't　been　for　Marjorie。〃



〃Well；　don't　I　know　that？〃　Penrod　shouted；　with　heat。



〃Well；　so　long！〃　called　Sam；　dropping　from　his　fence；　and　the

friendly　voice　came　then；　more　faintly；　〃Many　happy　returns　of

the　day；　Penrod！〃



And　now；　a　plaintive　little　whine　sounded　from　below　Penrod's

feet；　and；　looking　down；　he　saw　that　Duke；　his　wistful；　old；

scraggly　dog　sat　in　the　grass；　gazing　seekingly　up　at　him。



The　last　shaft　of　sunshine　of　that　day　fell　graciously　and

like　a　blessing　upon　the　boy　sitting　on　the　fence。　　Years

afterward；　a　quiet　sunset　would　recall　to　him　sometimes　the

gentle　evening　of　his　twelfth　birthday；　and　bring　him　the　picture

of　his　boy　self；　sitting　in　rosy　light　upon　the　fence；　gazing

pensively　down　upon　his　wistful；　scraggly；　little　old　dog；　Duke。　

But　something　else；　surpassing；　he　would　remember　of　that　hour；

for；　in　the　side　street；　close　by；　a　pink　skirt　flickered　from

behind　a　shade　tree　to　the　shelter　of　the　fence；　there　was　a

gleam　of　amber　curls；　and　Penrod　started；　as　something　like　a

tiny　white　wing　fluttered　by　his　head；　and　there　came　to　his　ears

the　sound　of　a　light　laugh　and　of　light　footsteps　departing；　the

laughter　tremulous；　the　footsteps　fleet。



In　the　grass；　between　Duke's　forepaws；　there　lay　a　white

note；　folded　in　the　shape　of　a　cocked　hat；　and　the　sun　sent　forth

a　final　amazing　glory　as　Penrod　opened　it　and　read：

　

〃Your　my　bow。〃









　

　

End