Part 16 (1/2)

But just then a kid came around the corner of the house. He was just an ordinary-looking kid, though it didn't seem like he was enjoying himself very much. He sat down alongside the stone dog and propped his head up in his hands and stared at the ground.

”L-lonesome,” says Mark, sympathetic-like.

”Let's go in and play with him,” says I.

”Sure,” says Mark, sarcastic, ”and s-spill the whole mess of beans. What would the Knight With the Black Gauntlets do if he saw us playin' with that Duke, eh? He wouldn't suspect any thin', would he?”

”Let's git him over here, then,” says I.

”Charm him over l-like a snake does a bird,” says Mark.

But the Duke saved us trouble by getting up and walking over toward the hedge and then following the hedge around toward us. When he was right opposite us Mark whistled low and cautious. The Duke stopped and looked.

”We're r-right here behind the hedge,” says Mark. ”Don't act like you was t-t-talkin' to anybody. Come and sit down with your back ag'in' that l-little mountain-ash tree.”

The boy did like Mark said, acting sort of surprised, but not frightened a bit. I guess he had pretty good nerve, because I figger I'd be some scared to have a voice I couldn't see, and wasn't expecting, and didn't know anything about, go ordering me around.

”Be you Rock?” asked Mark.

”Yes. Who are you?”

”I'm Mark Tidd, and Binney Jenks is with me. We came out to talk to you.”

”You better not let Jethro see you,” says Rock. ”What do you want of me?”

”First,” says Mark, ”we want to git acquainted. And when we're acquainted and you git so you can trust us, then we want to see if there hain't s-somethin' we can do to help you.”

”I don't know that I need any help,” says Rock, stiff-like.

”If you don't,” says Mark, ”you're the f-first feller I ever see that didn't. For instance, Rock, wouldn't you l-like to be helped to know what you're here at Wigglesworth's for? Eh? Don't suppose that's been worryin' you any. From what you say Jethro don't want f-folks talkin' to you. Wouldn't you like to know why? Do you know the Man With the Black Gloves? And did you know him and Jethro met on Center Line Bridge l-last night and t-talked you over? Why d'you s'pose they did that?”

”Where do you come in?” says Rock.

”Well,” says Mark, ”there's a number of r-reasons for my comin' in.

First, I'm in the newspaper b-business, and I want the news. Second, I kind of like m-monkeyin' around with mysteries. It's got to be a habit with me.”

”Hum!” says Rock, and sat quiet a spell, sort of thinking it over.

Pretty soon he says: ”Well, it can't do any harm if it doesn't do any good. I”-his voice sort of wabbled for a second and I hoped he wasn't going to blubber-”I've been mighty lonesome-almost always.”

”That's p-perty rotten, hain't it?” says Mark.

”You'd think so,” says Rock, ”if you hadn't ever had any folks at all that you knew about, and had lived with folks that kept you just because somebody paid your board, and had been sent off to schools where the fellows thought you were queer because you didn't know anything about yourself and never made friends with you.”

”I'll b-bet I would,” says Mark in a way he has when he's sorry for anybody. Somehow he manages to make you feel some better right off. ”And we-there's f-four of us-would like to be friends with you if you'll let us. Honest. And we'd l-like to help you out. We ain't just s-stickin'

our noses into your business out of curiosity.”

”I wish I could get a look at you,” says Rock, sort of dubious.

Mark chuckled and nudged me. You could see he liked Rock saying that, and afterward he said to me that right there he made up his mind the strange boy was all right. ”He ain't anybody's fool,” says he, ”and if you go trustin' anybody before you get a good l-look into his eyes, why, then you'll run a fine chance of bein' a fool.”