penrod-第9部分

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I'm　asking　you　if　you　have　anything　to　say　which　would

palliate〃



〃That's　what　I'm　tryin'　to　TELL　you　about；　Miss　Spence；〃

he　pleaded；〃if　you'd　jest　only　let　me。　　When　Aunt　Clara　and　her

little　baby　daughter　got　to　our　house　last　night〃



〃You　say　Mrs。　Farry　is　visiting　your　mother？〃



〃Yes'mnot　just　visitingyou　see；　she　HAD　to　come。　

Well　of　course；　little　baby　Clara；　she　was　so　bruised　up　and

mauled；　where　he'd　been　hittin'　her　with　his　cane〃



〃You　mean　that　your　uncle　had　done　such　a　thing　as　THAT！〃

exclaimed　Miss　Spence；　suddenly　disarmed　by　this　scandal。



〃Yes'm；　and　mamma　and　Margaret　had　to　sit　up　all　night

nursin'　little　Claraand　AUNT　Clara　was　in　such　a　state　

SOMEBODY　had　to　keep　talkin'　to　HER；　and　there　wasn't

anybody　but　me　to　do　it；　so　I〃



〃But　where　was　your　father？〃　she　cried。



〃Ma'am？〃



〃Where　was　your　father　while〃



〃Ohpapa？〃　　Penrod　paused；　reflected；　then　brightened。　

〃Why；　he　was　down　at　the　train；　waitin'　to　see　if　Uncle　John

would　try　to　follow　'em　and　make　'em　come　home　so's　he　could

persecute　'em　some　more。　　I　wanted　to　do　that；　but　they　said　if

he　did　come　I　mightn't　be　strong　enough　to　hold　him　and〃　

The　brave　lad　paused　again；　modestly。　　Miss　Spence's　expression

was　encouraging。　　Her　eyes　were　wide　with　astonishment；　and　there

may　have　been　in　them；　also；　the　mingled　beginnings　of　admiration

and　self…reproach。　　Penrod；　warming　to　his　work；　felt　safer　every

moment。



〃And　so；〃　he　continued；　〃I　had　to　sit　up　with　Aunt　Clara。　

She　had　some　pretty　big　bruises；　too；　and　I　had　to〃



〃But　why　didn't　they　send　for　a　doctor？〃　　However；　this

question　was　only　a　flicker　of　dying　incredulity。



〃Oh；　they　didn't　want　any　DOCTOR；〃　exclaimed　the　inspired

realist　promptly。　　〃They　don't　want　anybody　to　HEAR　about　it

because　Uncle　John　might　reformand　then　where'd　he　be　if

everybody　knew　he'd　been　a　drunkard　and　whipped　his　wife　and　baby

daughter？〃



〃Oh！〃　said　Miss　Spence。



〃You　see；　he　used　to　be　upright　as　anybody；〃　he　went　on

explanatively。　　〃It　all　begun〃



〃Began；　Penrod。〃



〃Yes'm。　　It　all　commenced　from　the　first　day　he　let　those

travelling　men　coax　him　into　the　saloon。〃　　Penrod　narrated　the

downfall　of　his　Uncle　John　at　length。　　In　detail　he　was　nothing

short　of　plethoric；　and　incident　followed　incident；　sketched　with

such　vividness；　such　abundance　of　colour；　and　such　verisimilitude

to　a　drunkard's　life　as　a　drunkard's　life　should　be；　that　had

Miss　Spence　possessed　the　rather　chilling　attributes　of　William

J。　Burns　himself；　the　last　trace　of　skepticism　must　have　vanished

from　her　mind。　　Besides；　there　are　two　things　that　will　be

believed　of　any　man　whatsoever；　and　one　of　them　is　that　he　has

taken　to　drink。　　And　in　every　sense　it　was　a　moving　picture

which；　with　simple　but　eloquent　words；　the　virtuous　Penrod　set

before　his　teacher。



His　eloquence　increased　with　what　it　fed　on；　and　as　with　the

eloquence　so　with　self…reproach　in　the　gentle　bosom　of　the

teacher。　　She　cleared　her　throat　with　difficulty　once　or　twice；

during　his　description　of　his　ministering　night　with　Aunt　Clara。　

〃And　I　said　to　her；　‘Why；　Aunt　Clara；　what's　the　use　of　takin'　on

so　about　it？'　　And　I　said；　‘Now；　Aunt　Clara；　all　the　crying　in

the　world　can't　make　things　any　better。'　　And　then　she'd　just

keep　catchin'　hold　of　me；　and　sob　and　kind　of　holler；　and　I'd

say；　‘DON'T　cry；　Aunt　ClaraPLEASE　don't　cry。〃'



Then；　under　the　influence　of　some　fragmentary　survivals　of

the　respectable　portion　of　his　Sunday　adventures；　his　theme

became　more　exalted；　and；　only　partially　misquoting　a　phrase　from

a　psalm；　he　related　how　he　had　made　it　of　comfort　to　Aunt　Clara；

and　how　he　had　besought　her　to　seek　Higher　guidance　in　her

trouble。



The　surprising　thing　about　a　structure　such　as　Penrod　was

erecting　is　that　the　taller　it　becomes　the　more　ornamentation　it

will　stand。　　Gifted　boys　have　this　faculty　of　building

magnificence　upon　cobwebsand　Penrod　was　gifted。　　Under　the

spell　of　his　really　great　performance；　Miss　Spence　gazed　more　and

more　sweetly　upon　the　prodigy　of　spiritual　beauty　and　goodness

before　her；　until　at　last；　when　Penrod　came　to　the　explanation　of

his　〃just　thinking；〃　she　was　forced　to　turn　her　head　away。



〃You　mean；　dear；〃　she　said　gently；　〃that　you　were　all　worn

out　and　hardly　knew　what　you　were　saying？〃



〃Yes'm。〃



〃And　you　were　thinking　about　all　those　dreadful　things　so

hard　that　you　forgot　where　you　were？〃



〃I　was　thinking；〃　he　said　simply；　〃how　to　save　Uncle　John。〃



And　the　end　of　it　for　this　mighty　boy　was　that　the　teacher

kissed　him！







CHAPTER　XI

FIDELITY　OF　A　LITTLE　DOG



The　returning　students；　that　afternoon；　observed　that　Penrod's

desk　was　vacantand　nothing　could　have　been　more　impressive　than

that　sinister　mere　emptiness。　　The　accepted　theory　was　that

Penrod　had　been　arrested。　　How　breathtaking；　then；　the　sensation

when；　at　the　beginning　of　the　second　hour；　he　strolledin　with

inimitable　carelessness　and；　rubbing　his　eyes；　somewhat

noticeably　in　the　manner　of　one　who　has　snatched　an　hour　of　much

needed　sleep；　took　his　place　as　if　nothing　in　particular　had

happened。　　This；　at　first　supposed　to　be　a　superhuman　exhibition

of　sheer　audacity；　became　but　the　more　dumfounding　when

Miss　Spencelooking　up　from　her　deskgreeted　him　with　a

pleasant　little　nod。　　Even　after　school；　Penrod　gave　numerous

maddened　investigators　no　relief。　　All　he　would　consent　to　say

was：



〃Oh；　I　just　TALKED　to　her。〃



A　mystification　not　entirely　unconnected　with　the　one　thus

produced　was　manifested　at　his　own　family。　dinner…table　the

following　evening。　　Aunt　Clara　had　been　out　rather　late；　and　came

to　the　table　after　the　rest　were　seated。　　She　wore　a　puzzled

expression。



〃Do　you　ever　see　Mary　Spence　nowadays？〃　she　inquired；　as　she

unfolded　her　napkin；　addressing　Mrs。　Schofield。　　Penrod　abruptly

set　down　his　soup…spoon　and　gazed　at　his　aunt　with　flattering

attention。



〃Yes；　sometimes；〃　said　Mrs。　Schofield。　　〃She's　Penrod's

teacher。〃



〃Is　she？〃　said　Mrs。　Farry。　　〃Do　you〃　　She　paused。　　〃Do

people　think　her　a　littlequeer；　these　days？〃



〃Why；　no；〃　returned　her　sister。　　〃What　makes　you　say　that？〃



〃She　has　acquired　a　very　odd　manner；〃　said　Mrs。　Farry

decidedly。　　〃At　least；　she　seemed　odd　to　ME。　　I　met　her　at

the　corner　just　before　I　got　to　the　house；　a　few　minutes　ago；　and

after　we'd　said　howdy…do　to　each　other；　she　kept　hold　of　my　hand

and　looked　as　though　she　was　going　to　cry。　　She　seemed　to　be

trying　to　say　something；　and　choking〃



〃But　I　don't　think　that's　so　very　queer；　Clara。　　She　knew　you

in　school；　didn't　she？〃



〃Yes；　but〃



〃And　she　hadn't　seen　you　for　so　many　years；　I　think　it's

perfectly　natural　she〃



〃Wait！　　She　stood　there　squeezing　my　hand；　and　struggling　to

get　her　voiceand　I　got　really　embarrassedand　then　finally　she

said；　in　a　kind　of　tearful　whisper；　‘Be　of　good　cheerthis　trial

will　pass！'〃



〃How　queer！〃　exclaimed　Margaret。



Penrod　sighed；　and　returned　somewhat　absently　to　his　soup。



〃Well；　I　don't　know；〃　said　Mrs。　Schofield　thoughtfully。　　〃Of

course　she's　heard　about　the　outbreak　of　measles　in　Dayton；　since

they　had　to　close　the　schools；　and　she　knows　you　live　there〃



〃But　doesn't　it　seem　a　VERY　exaggerated　way；〃　suggested

Margaret；　〃to　talk　about　measles？〃



〃Wait！〃　begged　Aunt　Clara。　　〃After　she　said　that；　she　said

something　even　queerer；　and　then　put　her　handkerchief　to　her　eyes

and　hurried　away。〃



Penrod　laid　down　his　spoon　again　and　moved　his　chair　slightly

back　from　the　table。　　A　spirit　of　prophecy　was　upon　him：　he　knew

that　someone　was　going　to　ask　a　question　which　he　felt　might

better　remain　unspoken。



〃What　WAS　the　other　thing　she　said？〃　Mr。　Schofield

inquired；　thus　immediately　fulfilling　his　son's　premonition。



〃She　said；〃　returned　Mrs。　Farry　slowly；　looking　about　the

table；　〃she　said；　‘I　know　that　Penrod　is　a　great；　great　comfort

to　you！'〃



There　was　a　general　exclamation　of　surprise。　　It　was　a

singular　thing；　and　in　no　manner　may　it　be　considered

complimentary　to　Penrod；　that　this　speech　of　Miss　Spence's　should

have　immediately　confirmed　Mrs。　Farry's　doubts　about　her　in　the

minds　of　all　his　family。



Mr。　Schofield　shook　his　head　pityingly。



〃I'm　afraid　she's　a　goner；〃　he　went　so　far　as　to　say。



〃Of　all　the　weird　ideas！〃　cried　Margaret。



〃I　never　heard　anything　like　it　in　my　life！〃　Mrs。　Schofield

exclaimed。　　〃Was　that　　ALL　she　said？〃



〃Every　word！〃



Penrod　again　resumed　attention　to　his　soup。　　His　mother

looked　at　him　curiously；　and　then；　struck　by　a　sudden　thought；

gathered　the　glances　of　the　adults　of　the　table　by　a　significant

movement　of　the　head；　and；　by　another；　conveyed　an　admonition　to

drop　the　subject　until　later。　　Miss　Spence　was　Penrod's　teacher：

it　was　better；　for　many　reasons；　not　to　discuss　the　subject　of

her　queerness　before　him。　　This　was　Mrs。　Schofield's　thought　at

the　time。　　Later　she　had　another；　and　it　kept　her　awake。



The　next　afternoon；　Mr。　Schofield；　returning　at　five　o'clock

from　the　cares　of　the　day；　found　the　house　deserted；　and　sat　down

to　read　his　evening　paper　in　what　appeared　to　be　an　uninhabited

apartment　known　to　its　own　world　as　the　〃drawing…room。〃　　A

sneeze；　unexpected　both　to　him　and　the　owner；　informed　him　of　the

presence　of　another　person。



〃Where　are　you；　Penrod？〃　the　parent　asked；　looking　about。



〃Here；〃　said　Penrod　meekly。



Stooping；　Mr。　Schofield　discovered　his　son　squatting　under

the　piano；　near　an　open　windowhis　wistful　Duke　lying　beside

him。



〃What　are　you　doing　there？〃



〃Me？〃



〃Why　under　the　piano？〃



〃Well；〃　the　boy　returned；　with　grave　sweetness；　〃I　was　just

kind　of　sitting　herethinking。〃



〃All　right。〃　Mr。　Schofield；　rather　touched；　returned　to　the

digestion　of　a　murder；　his　back　once　more　to