His mother had already given him a small leather
pocketbook with a nickel in it, as a souvenir of her journey.
Evidently she had brought another gift as well, delaying its
presentation until now. "I've got something for you!" These were
auspicious words.
"What is it, Mamma?" he asked, and, as she smiled tenderly upon
him, his gayety increased. "Yay!" he shouted. "Mamma, is it that
reg'lar carpenter's tool chest I told you about?"
"No," she said. "But I'll show you, Penrod. Come on, dear."
He followed her with alacrity to the dining-room, and the bright
anticipation in his eyes grew more brilliant--until she opened
the door of the china-closet, simultaneously with that action
announcing cheerily:
"It's something that's going to do you lots of good, Penrod."
He was instantly chilled, for experience had taught him that when
predictions of this character were made, nothing pleasant need be
expected. Two seconds later his last hope departed as she turned
from the closet and he beheld in her hands a quart bottle
containing what appeared to be a section of grassy swamp immersed
in a cloudy brown liquor.
Pages:
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159