Part 34 (1/2)
”Uh--uh--over to Stu--Stucky Richards'.”
”All right. You went over to Stucky's after lunch. Then what did you do?” Mr. Cane was going about it as he usually approached an unwilling witness.
”Pu--pu--played.”
”You played! All right. What did you play?”
”Tu--Tu--Ten Knights in a Bu--Bu--Bar-room.”
”What's that!” gasped Mr. Cane.
”I tu--tu--told you once!”
”All right--all right--how did you play it?” asked the frantic parent.
”It tu--takes too lu--lu--long to tell--”
A serious spasm prevented any further questioning for some moments. Then Mr. Cane tried again.
”What part did you take in this game?”
”It wu--wu--wasn't a game!”
”Well, what was it?”
”It was a mu--mu--mellerdrammer!”
Sube's father was becoming desperate. He had tried kindness without effect. Something must be done before it was too late. Perhaps intimidation would get something out of the boy.
”Sube,” he began sternly, ”I may as well tell you that you have been poisoned by something you have put into your stomach! If you will only tell me what it is perhaps I can save your life! If not, there's no telling _what_ may happen! Now, what have you been eating this afternoon?”
[Ill.u.s.tration]
But Sube was in the state where he would not thank anybody for saving his life. His response was listless.
”Nu--nu--nuthin'.”
At this moment Mrs. Cane, who with Annie had been in constant attendance at the bedside of Cathead, whose malady seemed to be much more active than Sube's, came into the room.
”What did you do with the ten-pound sack of sugar Annie says you carried off?” she asked desperately.
It was necessary to repeat the question several times before she succeeded in obtaining a reply.
”Pu--pu--put it in the su--su--cider,” Sube finally confessed.
”Cider!” cried Mr. Cane exultantly. ”Have you been drinking _cider_?”