bruce(布鲁斯)-第3节
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birthday； and everything。 Please let me keep her。 II love her better than
'most anything there is。 Can't I please keep her？ Please！〃
〃You heard what I said；〃 returned his mother curtly。
The washerwoman； who one day a week lightened Mrs。 Hazen's
household labors； waddled into view from behind the billows of wind…
swirled clothes。 She was an excellent person； and was built for endurance
rather than for speed。 At sight of Lass she paused in real interest。
〃My！〃 she exclaimed with flattering approval。 〃So you got your dog；
did you？ You didn't waste no time。 And he's sure a handsome little critter。
Whatcher goin' to call him？〃
〃It's not a him； Irene；〃 contradicted Mrs。 Hazen； with another modest
lowering of her strong voice。 〃It's a HER。 And I'm sending 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
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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
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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 are
without 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
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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 enrapture
