"If you were hungry, you know perfectly
well all you had to do was to--"
"But I wasn't hungry; I--"
"You can explain later," Mrs. Schofield said. "You'll have all
afternoon."
Penrod's heart grew cold.
"I CAN'T stay in," he protested. "I've asked Sam Williams to come
over."
"I'll telephone Mrs. Williams."
"Mamma!" Penrod's voice became agonized. "I HAD to give that
bread to a--to a poor ole man. He was starving and so were his
children and his wife. They were all just STARVING--and they
couldn't wait while I took time to come and ask you, Mamma. I got
to GO outdoors this afternoon. I GOT to! Sam's--"
She relented.
In the carriage-house, half an hour later, Penrod gave an
account of the episode.
"Where'd we been, I'd just like to know," he concluded, "if I
hadn't got out here this afternoon?"
"Well, I guess I could managed him all right," Sam said. "I was
in the passageway, a minute ago, takin' a look at him. He's
standin' up again. I expect he wants more to eat."
"Well, we got to fix about that," said Penrod. "But what I
mean--if I'd had to stay in the house, where would we been about
the most important thing in the whole biz'nuss?"
"What you talkin' about?"
"Well, why can't you wait till I tell you?" Penrod's tone had
become peevish.
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