| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 1 | 85 | 170 | 254 | 339 |
|
"
No--no--I reckon it wouldn't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's
awful particular about this fence--right here on the street, you know
-but if it was the back fence I wouldn't mind and SHE wouldn't. Yes,
-
she's awful particular about this fence; it's got to be done very
careful; I reckon there ain't one boy in a thousand, maybe two
thousand, that can do it the way it's got to be done."
"No--is that so? Oh come, now--lemme just try. Only just a little--I'd
let YOU, if you was me, Tom."
"Ben, I'd like to, honest injun; but Aunt Polly--well, Jim wanted to
do it, but she wouldn't let him; Sid wanted to do it, and she wouldn't
let Sid. Now don't you see how I'm fixed? If you was to tackle this
fence and anything was to happen to it--"
"
Oh, shucks, I'll be just as careful. Now lemme try. Say--I'll give
you the core of my apple."
"
Well, here--No, Ben, now don't. I'm afeard--"
I'll give you ALL of it!"
"
Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but alacrity in his
heart. And while the late steamer Big Missouri worked and sweated in
the sun, the retired artist sat on a barrel in the shade close by,
dangled his legs, munched his apple, and planned the slaughter of more
2
3
Page
Quick Jump
|