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a girl of the limberlost-第26部分
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the door。
〃Your father is sick and needs help;〃 he said。
〃You stay here; and I will send a man to see him。〃
〃If you just let him 'lone; he'll sleep it off;〃
volunteered Billy。 〃He's that way all the time;
but he wakes up and gets us something to eat after awhile。
Only waitin' twists you up inside pretty bad。〃
The boy wore no air of complaint。 He was merely
stating facts。
Wesley Sinton looked intently at Billy。 〃Are you
twisted up inside now?〃 he asked。
Billy laid a grimy hand on the region of his stomach and
the filthy little waist sank close to the backbone。
〃Bet yer life; boss;〃 he said cheerfully。
〃How long have you been twisted?〃 asked Sinton。
Billy appealed to the others。 〃When was it we had the
stuff on the bridge?〃
〃Yesterday morning;〃 said the girl。
〃Is that all gone?〃 asked Sinton。
〃She went and told us to take it home;〃 said Billy ruefully;
〃and 'cos she said to; we took it。 Pa had come back;
he was drinking some more; and he ate a lot of it
almost the whole thing; and it made him sick as a dog; and
he went and wasted all of it。 Then he got drunk some
more; and now he's asleep again。 We didn't get hardly none。〃
〃You children sit on the steps until the man comes;〃
said Sinton。 〃I'll send you some things to eat with him。
What's your name; sonny?〃
〃Billy;〃 said the boy。
〃Well; Billy; I guess you better come with me。 I'll take
care of him;〃 Sinton promised the others。 He reached a
hand to Billy。
〃I ain't no baby; I'm a boy!〃 said Billy; as he shuffled
along beside Sinton; taking a kick at every movable object
without regard to his battered toes。
Once they passed a Great Dane dog lolling after its master;
and Billy ascended Sinton as if he were a tree; and
clung to him with trembling hot hands。
〃I ain't afraid of that dog;〃 scoffed Billy; as he was
again placed on the walk; 〃but onc't he took me for a rat
or somepin' and his teeth cut into my back。 If I'd a done
right; I'd a took the law on him。〃
Sinton looked down into the indignant little face。 The child
was bright enough; he had a good head; but oh; such a body!
〃I 'bout got enough of dogs;〃 said Billy。 〃I used to
like 'em; but I'm getting pretty tired。 You ought to seen
the lickin' Jimmy and Belle and me give our dog when we
caught him; for taking a little bird she gave us。 We waited
'till he was asleep 'nen laid a board on him and all of us
jumped on it to onc't。 You could a heard him yell a mile。
Belle said mebbe we could squeeze the bird out of him。
But; squeeze nothing! He was holler as us; and that bird
was lost long 'fore it got to his stummick。 It was ist a
little one; anyway。 Belle said it wouldn't 'a' made a bite
apiece for three of us nohow; and the dog got one good swaller。
We didn't get much of the meat; either。 Pa took most
of that。 Seems like pas and dogs gets everything。〃
Billy laughed dolefully。 Involuntarily Wesley Sinton
reached his hand。 They were coming into the business part
of Onabasha and the streets were crowded。 Billy understood
it to mean that he might lose his companion and took a grip。
That little hot hand clinging tight to his; the sore feet
recklessly scouring the walk; the hungry child panting for
breath as he tried to keep even; the brave soul jesting in
the face of hard luck; caught Sinton in a tender; empty spot。
〃Say; son;〃 he said。 〃How would you like to be
washed clean; and have all the supper your skin could
hold; and sleep in a good bed?〃
〃Aw; gee!〃 said Billy。 〃I ain't dead yet! Them things
is in heaven! Poor folks can't have them。 Pa said so。〃
〃Well; you can have them if you want to go with me and
get them;〃 promised Sinton。
〃Honest?〃
〃Yes; honest。〃
〃Crost yer heart?〃
〃Yes;〃 said Sinton。
〃Kin I take some to Jimmy and Belle?〃
〃If you'll come with me and be my boy; I'll see that they
have plenty。〃
〃What will pa say?〃
〃Your pa is in that kind of sleep now where he won't
wake up; Billy;〃 said Sinton。 〃I am pretty sure the law
will give you to me; if you want to come。〃
〃When people don't ever wake up they're dead;〃
announced Billy。 〃Is my pa dead?〃
〃Yes; he is;〃 answered Sinton。
〃And you'll take care of Jimmy and Belle; too?〃
〃I can't adopt all three of you;〃 said Sinton。 〃I'll take
you; and see that they are well provided for。 Will you come?〃
〃Yep; I'll come;〃 said Billy。 〃Let's eat; first thing we do。〃
〃All right;〃 agreed Sinton。 〃Come into this restaurant。〃
He lifted Billy to the lunch counter and ordered the clerk
to give him as many glasses of milk as he wanted; and a biscuit。
〃I think there's going to be fried chicken when we get home;
Billy;〃 he said; 〃so you just take the edge off now; and fill
up later。〃
While Billy lunched Sinton called up the different departments
and notified the proper authorities ending with the Women's
Relief Association。 He sent a basket of food to Belle and Jimmy;
bought Billy a pair of trousers; and a shirt; and went to
bring Elnora。
〃Why; Uncle Wesley!〃 cried the girl。 〃Where did you
find Billy?〃
〃I've adopted him for the time being; if not longer;〃
replied Wesley Sinton。
〃Where did you get him?〃
〃Well; young woman;〃 said Wesley Sinton; 〃Mr。 Brownlee
told me the history of your lunch box。 It didn't
seem so funny to me as it does to the rest of them; so I
went to look up the father of Billy's family; and make him
take care of them; or allow the law to do it for him。
It will have to be the law。〃
〃He's deader than anything!〃 broke in Billy。 〃He can't
ever take all the meat any more。〃
〃Billy!〃 gasped Elnora。
〃Never you mind!〃 said Sinton。 〃A child doesn't say
such things about a father who loved and raised him right。
When it happens; the father alone is to blame。 You won't
hear Billy talk like that about me when I cross over。〃
〃You don't mean you are going to take him to keep!〃
〃I'll soon need help;〃 said Wesley。 〃Billy will come
in just about right ten years from now; and if I raise him
I'll have him the way I want him。〃
〃But Aunt Margaret doesn't like boys;〃 objected Elnora。
〃Well; she likes me; and I used to be a boy。 Anyway; as
I remember she has had her way about everything at our
house ever since we were married。 I am going to please
myself about Billy。 Hasn't she always done just as she
chose so far as you know? Honest; Elnora!〃
〃Honest!〃 replied Elnora。 〃You are beautiful to all of
us; Uncle Wesley; but Aunt Margaret won't like Billy。
She won't want him in her home。〃
〃In our home;〃 corrected Wesley。
〃What makes you want him?〃 marvelled Elnora。
〃God only knows;〃 said Sinton。 〃Billy ain't so beautiful;
and he ain't so smart; I guess it's because he's so human。
My heart goes out to him。〃
〃So did mine;〃 said Elnora。 〃I love hi
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