bruce-第3节

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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　sound　asleep；

the　puppy　snuggling　deep　in　the　hollow　of　her　master's　arm；　her

furry　head　across　his　thin　chest。



It　was　in　this　pose　that　Hazen　found　them　when；　late　in　the

evening；　he　tiptoed　into　Dick's　cubby…hole　room。　He　gazed　down　at

the　slumberous　pair　for　a　space；　while　he　fought　and　conquered　an

impulse　toward　fair　play。　Then　he　stooped　to　pick　up　the　dog。



Lass；　waking　at　the　slight　creak　of　a　floorboard；　lifted　her

head。　At　sight　of　the　figure　leaning　above　her　adored　master；　the

lip　curled　back　from　her　white　teeth。　Far　down　in　her　throat　a

growl　was　born。　Then　she　recognized　the　intruder　as　the　man　who

had　petted　her　and　fed　her　that　evening。　The　growl　died　in　her

throat；　giving　place　to　a　welcoming　thump　or　two　of　her　bushy

tail。　Dick　stirred　uneasily。



Patting　the　puppy　lightly　on　her　upraised　head；　Hazen　picked　up

Lass　in　his　arms　and　tiptoed　out　of　the　room　with　her。　Mistaking

this　move　for　a　form　of　caress；　she　tried　to　lick　his　face。　The

man　winced。



Downstairs　and　out　into　the　street　Hazen　bore　his　trustful　little

burden；　halting　only　to　put　on　his　hat；　and　for　a　whispered　word

with　his　wife。　For　nearly　a　mile　he　carried　the　dog。　Lass　greatly

enjoyed　the　ride。　She　was　pleasantly　tired；　and　it　was　nice　to　be

carried　thus；　by　some　one　who　was　so　considerate　as　to　save　her

the　bother　of　walking。



At　the　edge　of　the　town；　Hazen　set　her　on　the　ground　and　at　once

began　to　walk　rapidly　away　in　the　direction　of　home。　He　had　gone

perhaps　fifty　yards　when　Lass　was　gamboling　merrily　around　his

feet。　A　kick　sent　the　dismayed　and　agonized　puppy　flying　through

the　air　like　a　whimpering　catapult；　and　landed　her　against　a　bank

with　every　atom　of　breath　knocked　out　of　her。　Before　she　had

fairly　struck　ground；before　she　could　look　about　her；Hazen

had　doubled　around　a　corner　and　had　vanished。



At　a　run；　he　made　for　home；　glad　the　unpleasant　job　was　over。　At

the　door　his　wife　met　him。



〃Well；〃　she　demanded；　〃did　you　drown　her　in　the　canal；　the　way

you　said？〃



〃No；〃　he　confessed　sheepishly；　〃I　didn't　exactly　drown　her。　You

see；　she　nestled　down　into　my　arms　so　cozy　and　trusting…like；

that　Iwell；　I　fixed　it　so　she'll　never　show　up　around　here

again。　Trust　me　to　do　a　job　thoroughly；　if　I　do　it　at　all。　I〃



A　dramatic　gesture　from　Mrs。　Hazen's　stubby　forefinger

interrupted　him。　He　followed　the　finger's　angry　point。　Close　at

his　side　stood　Lass；　wagging　her　tail　and　staring　expectantly　up

at　him。



With　her　keen　power　of　scent；　it　had　been　no　exploit　at　all　to

track　the　man　over　a　mile　of　unfamiliar　ground。　Already　she　had

forgiven　the　kick　or　had　put　it　down　to　accident　on　his　part。　And

at　the　end　of　her　eager　chase；　she　was　eager　for　a　word　of

greeting。



〃I'll　be〃　gurgled　Hazen；　blinking　stupidly。



〃I　guess　you　will　be；〃　conceded　his　wife。　〃If　that's　the

'thorough'　way　you　do　your　jobs　at　the　factory〃



〃Say；〃　he　mumbled