They had, in truth, virtually stolen him, and they had stolen
food for him. The waning light through the small window above
them warned Penrod that his inroads upon the vegetables in his
own cellar must soon be discovered. Della, that Nemesis, would
seek them in order to prepare them for dinner, and she would find
them not. But she would recall his excursion to the cellar, for
she had seen him when he came up; and also the truth would be
known concerning the loaf of bread. Altogether, Penrod felt that
his case was worse than Sam's--until Sam offered a suggestion
that roused such horrible possibilities concerning the principal
item of their offense that all thought of the smaller indictments
disappeared.
"Listen, Penrod," Sam quavered: "What--what if that--what if
that ole horse maybe b'longed to a--policeman!" Sam's imagination
was not of the comforting kind. "What'd they--do to us, Penrod,
if it turned out he was some policeman's horse?"
Penrod was able only to shake his head. He did not reply in
words; but both boys thenceforth considered it almost inevitable
that Whitey had belonged to a policeman, and, in their sense of
so ultimate a disaster, they ceased for a time to brood upon
what their parents would probably do to them.
Pages:
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141