Part 7 (1/2)
”But when a person's mind is affected ... there's no telling--” he heard Mrs. McInness saying.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”LOOK HOW HE LEFT ME!”]
After a moment came the barber's ba.s.s rumble again: ”That'd be rulable if he'd been in the chair, or even in the shop waitin', but--”
This gave Sube another idea. ”When my father drove me out of the house,”
he said modestly, ”I did my best to satisfy him. I ran as fast as I could to the nearest barber shop--that's Bill Grayson's. Maybe it ain't exactly the nearest, but it's the quickest because I don't have to turn any corners--you know I always come to your shop if I can. Well, I got to Bill Grayson's just before six o'clock. I got in the chair and Bill started on me with the clippers; but the minute the whistles blew, he fired me right out of the chair and wouldn't finish the job! Why! Jus'
look here!” he cried dramatically, s.n.a.t.c.hing off his cap. ”Look how he left me! I don't dare go home like this!”
The barber and his wife were astounded.
”Bill Grayson done that to you!” exclaimed Mr. McInness.
”Yes, sir, he did,” replied Sube virtuously.
Mrs. McInness turned quickly to her husband. ”There!” she challenged.
”He was in the chair at six o'clock and his hair was partly cut! You said that would be rulable yourself!”
”But he wasn't in _my_ chair, or even in _my_ shop! There's somethin'
doggone' funny about this. Just as like as not Bill Grayson has fixed a frame-up on me to get me in bad with the union. I ain't goin' to take no chances--”
”Joe McInness!” his wife bristled defiantly, ”_you_ may belong to the union, but _I_ don't!--Give me the key to that shop! I'm going to finish clipping that boy's hair!”
Sube was a little late for supper, but he came in with a broad smile--broad though rather forced--and a neatly s.h.i.+ngled head.
”Hey, everybody look at me!” he called cheerfully. ”I've got the first s.h.i.+ngle of the season, and I paid for it with my own money, too! And, mama, can I go to prayer meeting with Giz Tobin to-night? I'm all dressed for it.”
Mrs. Cane had gladly given her consent when Cathead threw a bomb into the happy home circle.
”Sube wasn't at school this afternoon,” he announced.
”What's that?” demanded Mr. Cane glaring at Sube. ”Do you mean to say that after all I said to you--?”
Sube had begun to shrivel under his father's relentless gaze when Cathead interjected:
”But there _wasn't_ any school in _his_ room! So many of the kids went to Mag Macdougall's funeral that Miss Wheeler had to dismiss the room, didn't she, Sube?”
Sube huskily admitted that she did, while Cathead bemoaned the misfortune of his being in another room, and Mr. Cane showed signs of being relieved, although he was at the same time annoyed at Cathead's forwardness
CHAPTER VI
REIMBURs.e.m.e.nT
There was something of a sensation at the breakfast table next morning when sube appeared with his best clothes on, and without waiting for interrogation modestly explained that his school suit had been incapacitated by his futile attempt to do the household a real service.
He had arisen early and quietly taken the rake to the attic for the purpose of dragging the rainwater tank for the remains of an alleged dead cat.
He had not succeeded in locating the body, but had unfortunately lost his balance and fallen into the tank, from which he had escaped with his life only after a terrific struggle (although the tank was not over three feet deep), and he called Cathead to witness that he had carefully examined Exhibit A and found it to be a thoroughly saturated and badly polluted suit of school clothes.