bruce-第3章

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Dick　back　with　her；　to　where　she　came　from。　I've　got　my　opinion

of　people　who　will　take　advantage　of　a　child's　ignorance；　by

palming　off　a　horrid　female　dog　on　him；　too。　Take　her　away；　Dick。

I　won't　have　her　here　another　minute。　You　hear　me？〃



〃Please；　Ma！〃　stammered　Dick；　battling　with　his　desire　to　cry。

〃Aw；　PLEASE！　II〃



〃Your　ma's　right；　Dick；〃　chimed　in　the　washerwoman；　her　first

interested　glance　at　the　puppy　changing　to　one　of　refined　and

lofty　scorn。　〃Take　her　back。　You　don't　want　any　female　dogs

around。　No　nice　folks　do。〃



〃Why　not？〃　demanded　the　boy　in　sudden　hopeless　anger　as　he

pressed　lovingly　the　nose　Lass　thrust　so　comfortingly　into　his

hand。　〃WHY　don't　we　want　a　female　dog　around？　Folks　have　female

cats　around　them；　and　female　women。　Why　isn't　a　female　dog〃



〃That　will　do；　Dick！〃　broke　in　his　shocked　mother。　〃Take　her

away。〃



〃I　won't；〃　said　the　boy；　speaking　very　slowly；　and　with　no

excitement　at　all。



A　slap　on　the　side　of　his　head；　from　his　mother's　punitive　palm；

made　him　stagger　a　little。　Her　hand　was　upraised　for　a　second

installment　of　rebellion…quellingwhen　a　slender　little　body

flashed　through　the　air　and　landed　heavily　against　her　chest。　A

set　of　white　puppy…teeth　all　but　grazed　her　wrathful　red　face。



Lass；　who　never　before　had　known　the　impulse　to　attack；　had

jumped　to　the　rescue　of　the　beaten　youngster　whom　she　had　adopted

as　her　god。　The　woman　screeched　in　terror。　Dick　flung　an　arm

about　the　furry　whirlwind　that　was　seeking　to　avenge　his

punishment；　and　pulled　the　dog　back　to　his　side。



Mrs。　Hazen's　shriek；　and　the　obbligato　accompaniment　of　the

washerwoman；　made　an　approaching　man　quicken　his　steps　as　he

strolled　around　the　side　of　the　house。　The　newcomer　was　Dick's

father；　superintendent　of　the　local　bottling　works。　On　his　way

home　to　lunch；　he　walked　in　on　a　scene　of　hysteria。



〃Kill　her；　sir！〃　bawled　the　washerwoman；　at　sight　of　him。　〃Kill

her！　She's　a　mad　dog。　She　just　tried　to　kill　Miz'　Hazen！〃



〃She　didn't　do　anything　of　the　kind！〃　wailed　Dick。　〃She　was

pertecting　me。　Ma　hit　me；　and　Lass〃



〃Ed！〃　tearily　proclaimed　Mrs。　Hazen；　〃if　you　don't　send　for　a

policeman　to　shoot　that　filthy　beast；　I'll〃



〃Hold　on！〃　interrupted　the　man；　at　a　loss　to　catch　the　drift　of

these　appeals；　by　reason　of　their　all　being　spoken　in　a

succession　so　rapid　as　to　make　a　single　blurred　sentence。　〃Hold

on！　What's　wrong？　And　where　did　the　pup　come　from？　He's　a　looker；

all　right　a　cute　little　cuss。　What's　the　row？〃



With　the　plangently　useless　iterations　of　a　Greek　chorus；　the

tale　was　flung　at　him；　piecemeal　and　in　chunks；　and　in　a　triple

key。　When　presently　he　understood；　Hazen　looked　down　for　a　moment

at　the　puppywhich　was　making　sundry　advances　of　a　shy　but

friendly　nature　toward　him。　Then　he　looked　at　the　boy；　and　noted

Dick's　hero…effort　to　choke　back　the　onrush　of　babyish　sobs。　And

then；　with　a　roughly　tolerant　gesture；　he　silenced　the　two

raucous　women；　who　were　beginning　the　tale　over　again　for　the

third　time。



〃I　see；〃　he　said。　〃I　see。　I　see　how　it　is。　Needn't　din　it　at　me

any　more；　folks。　And　I　see　Dicky's　side　of　it；　too。　Yes；　and　I

see　the　pup's　side　of　it。　I　know　a　lot　about　dogs。　That　pup　isn't

vicious。　She　knows　she　belongs　to　Dick。　You　lammed　into　him；　and

she　took　up　and　defended　him。　That's　all　there　is　to　the　'mad…

dog'　part　of　it。〃



〃But　Ed〃　sputtered　his　wife。



〃Now；　you　let　ME　do　the　talking；　Sade！〃　he　insisted；　half…

grinning；　yet　more　than　half　grimly。　〃I'm　the　boss　here。　If　I'm

not；　then　it's　safe　to　listen　to　me　till　the　boss　gets　here。　And

we're　goin'　to　do　whatever　I　say　we　arewithout　any　back…talk　or

sulks；　either。　It's　this　way：　Your　brother　gave　the　boy　a

birthday　check。　We　promised　he　could　spend　it　any　way　he　had　a

mind　to。　He　said　he　wanted　a　dog；　didn't　he？　And　I　said；　'Go　to

it！'　didn't　I　？　Well；　he　got　the　dog。　Just　because　it　happens　to

be　a　she；　that's　no　reason　why　he　oughtn't　to　be　allowed　to　keep

it。　And　he　can。　That　goes。〃



〃Oh；　Dad！〃　squealed　Dick　in　grateful　heroworship。　〃You're　a

brick！　I'm　not　ever　going　to　forget　this；　so　long　as　I　live。　Say；

watch　her　shake　hands；　Dad！　I've　taught　her；　already；　to〃



〃Ed　Hazen！〃　loudly　protested　his　wife。　〃Of　all　the　softies！　You

haven't　backbone　enough　for　a　prune。　And　if　my　orders　to　my　own

son　are　going　to　be〃



〃That'll　be　all；　Sade！〃　interposed　the　man　stifflyadding：　〃By

the　way；　I　got　a　queer　piece　of　news　to　tell　you。　Come　into　the

kitchen　a　minute。〃



Grumbling；　rebellious；　scowling；yet　unable　to　resist　the　lure

of　a　〃queer　piece　of　news；〃　Mrs。　Hazen　followed　her　husband

indoors；　leaving　Dick　and　his　pet　to　gambol　deliriously　around

the　clothes…festooned　yard　in　celebration　of　their　victory。



〃Listen　here；　old　girl！〃　began　Hazen　the　moment　the　kitchen　door

was　shut　behind　them。　〃Use　some　sense；　can't　you？　I　gave　you　the

wink；　and　you　wouldn't　catch　on。　So　I　had　to　make　the　grandstand

play。　I'm　no　more　stuck　on　having　a　measly　she…dog　around　here

than　you　are。　And　we're　not　going　to　have　her；　either。　But〃



〃Then　why　did　you　say　you　were　going　to？　Why　did　you　make　a　fool

of　me　before　Irene　and　everything？〃　she　demanded；　wrathful　yet

bewildered。



〃It's　the　boy's　birthday；　isn't　it？〃　urged　Hazen。　〃And　I'd

promised　him；　hadn't　I？　And；　last　time　he　had　one　of　those

'turns；'　didn't　Doc　Colfax　say　we　mustn't　let　him　fret　and　worry

any　more'n　we　could　help？　Well；　if　he　had　to　take　that　dog　back

to…day；　it'd　have　broke　his　heart。　He'd　have　felt　like　we　were

his　enemies；　and　he'd　never　have　felt　the　same　to　us　again。　And

it　might　have　hurt　his　health　toothe　shock　and　all。　So〃



〃But　I　tell　you；〃　she　persisted；　〃I　won't　have　a　dirty　little

female〃



〃We　aren't　going　to；〃　he　assured　her。　〃Keep　your　hair　on；　till

I've　finished。　Tonight；　after　Dick's　asleep；　I'm　going　to　get　rid

of　her。　He'll　wake　up　in　the　morning　and　find　she's　gone；　and　the

door'll　be　open。　He'll　think　she's　run　away。　He'll　go　looking　for

her；　and　he'll　keep　on　hoping　to　find　her。　So　that'll　ease　the

shock；　you　see；　by　letting　him　down　bit　by　bit；　instead　of

snatching　his　pet　away　from　him　violent…like。　And　he　won't　hold

it　up　against　US；　either；　as　he　would　the　other　way。　I　can　offer

a　reward　for　her；　too。〃



There　was　a　long　and　thought…crammed　pause。　The　woman　plunged

deep　into　the　silences　as　her　fat　brain　wrought　over　the

suggestion。　Then



〃Maybe　you　HAVE　got　just　a　few　grains　of　sense；　after　all；　Ed；〃

grudgingly　vouchsafed　Mrs。　Hazen。　〃It　isn't　a　bad　idea。　Only

he'll　grieve　a　lot　for　her。〃



〃He'll　be　hoping；　though；〃　said　her　husband。　〃He'll　be　hoping　all

the　while。　That　always　takes　the　razor…edge　off　of　grieving。

Leave　it　to　me。〃



That　was　the　happiest　day　Dick　Hazen　had　ever　known。　And　it　was

the　first　actively　happy　day　in　all　Lass's　five　months　of　life。



Boy　and　dog　spent　hours　in　a　ramble　through　the　woods。　They　began

Lass's　educationwhich　was　planned　to　include　more　intricate

tricks　than　a　performing　elephant　and　a　troupe　of　circus　dogs

could　hope　to　learn　in　a　lifetime。　They　became　sworn　chums。　Dick

talked　to　Lass　as　if　she　were　human。　She　amazed　the　enraptured

boy　by　her　cleverness　and　spirits。　His　initiation　to　the　dog…

masters'　guild　was　joyous　and　complete。



It　was　a　tired　and　ravenous　pair　of　friends　who　scampered　home　at

dinner…time　that　evening。　The　pallor　was　gone　from　Dick's　face。

His　cheeks　were　glowing；　and　his　eyes　shone。　He　ate　greedily。　His

parents　looked　covertly　at　each　other。　And　the　self…complacency

lines　around　Hazen's　mouth　blurred。



Boy　and　dog　went　to　bed　early；　being　blissfully　sleepy　and　full

of　foodalso　because　another　and　longer　woodland　ramble　was

scheduled　for　the　morrow。



Timidly　Dick　asked　leave　to　have　Lass　sleep　on　the　foot　of　his

cot…bed。　After　a　second　telegraphing　of　glances；　his　parents

consented。　Half　an　hour　later　the　playmates　were　sou