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Pee-Wee Harris (Version 2)

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<h2 id='chXXXII' class='c008'>CHAPTER XXXII</h2></div> <div class='nf-center-c0'> <div class='nf-center c009'> <div>THE CLEW</div> </div></div> Pee-wee never knew until now how much he cared about his little companion of the summer and how little he cared about their roadside enterprise except so far as she was concerned in it. All morning the almost continuous procession passed along the road reviewed by a gaping assemblage on the platform in front of the post office. Many motorists who read the enticing promises along the way paused for refreshment only to find the little rustic shelter bare and deserted. But they were not the only ones to be disappointed. Upon the front porch of Doctor Killem’s house there sat in a wheel chair the queerest little figure ever seen outside of a soup advertisement. He was of the kewpie type, all head and eyes, and he had a kind of ridiculous air of stern authority about him as he sat all bundled up in blankets soberly reviewing the passing cars. So odd and gnomelike was he that he might have stepped out of the pages of “Alice in Wonderland.” He would have made a good radiator ornament on an automobile. This, you will know, was little Whitie Bungel, who seemed not at all disconcerted at being elsewhere than in his own home. He had been moved about so much without any exertion on his own part that he was quite at home anywhere. Though Pee-wee had spoken in high hope to Pepsy about their unexpected and glowing prospects, he was haunted by thoughts of the terrible thing which was to happen on the morrow. Pepsy was to be taken away, back to the big brick building which she hated, just as the planks of the old bridge had foretold. Pee-wee’s loyalty was so staunch that he did not even consider the things his aunt had said. He was going to save Pepsy from that place and make her the sharer of the fortune that was within their grasp. He made this resolve with the same generous impulse as that which had caused him to put two hundred and fifty dollars within the reach of Mr. Bungel who had boxed his ears. “I’m lucky,” he said to himself as he trudged down to the post office; “I’ll fix things all right. I’ll show them; I don’t care, I’ll show them. They won’t take her back to that place, not while I’m around.” He did not know how he was going to prevent this but he had unbounded faith in his capacity to fix things and in his good luck. So, as he trudged along, stepping out of the way of many cars, he came to the home of Doctor Killem. “Hello, soldier,” piped up a little thin voice upon the porch. “I’m not a soldier,” said Pee-wee. “My father can arrest people,” said the little gnome, looking straight ahead of him. “That doesn’t prove I’m a soldier,” said Pee-wee. “You’ve got a uniform,” said the gnome. “I’m not afraid of soldiers. My father’s got a lot of money, he’s got two hundred and fifty dollars and I’m not going to get dead.” “Where’s your father?” Pee-wee asked. “He’s up the road and he’s going to catch people and put them in jail.” “Is he?” “Why do you say ‘Is he?’ I didn’t go to the hospital last night. Do you want to know why?” He asked questions as if they were riddles. “Yes, why?” Pee-wee asked, half interested. “Because the bridge burned down. Do you like bridges?” “It isn’t a question of whether a person likes them or not,” Pee-wee said, preoccupied with his own sorrow and worry, yet amused in spite of himself at this queer little fellow. “Yes it is,” said Whitie Bungel. “All right then, it is,” said Pee-wee. “Why did you say it wasn’t?” “Oh, I don’t know, I guess I was thinking of something else.” “What were you thinking of?” “Oh, I don’t know—nothing.” “Why did you say you were?” “You didn’t tell me about why you didn’t go to the hospital last night.” “I can see things that other folks can’t see,” Whitie announced. “You’re like Licorice Stick,” said Pee-wee. “He’s black,” Whitie said. “I know he is.” “Then how am I like him? I’m white. My name is Whitie.” Pee-wee felt like a prisoner at the bar of justice with this little personage swathed in blankets, staring down at him. His wrappings covered his neck and all that could be seen of him was his face, perfectly motionless. Finally he said as if he were pronouncing sentence. “Doctor Killem took me in his auto. We had to turn around and come back when we came to the bridge burning down. He’s going to take me another way. I saw a man getting dead.” “Where?” Pee-wee asked, his interest somewhat aroused. “Will you give me that tin thing if I tell you?” “That isn’t a tin thing, it’s a compass, it tells you which way to go.” “Can it talk?” “No, it can’t talk.” “Then how can it tell you?” “It points its finger.” “You’re crazy.” “All right,” Pee-wee laughed in spite of himself. “You tell me about the man getting dead and I’ll give you the tin thing.” “He was lying down in the bushes and wriggling.” “Where? Near the bridge?” Pee-wee asked. “Doctor Killem didn’t see him and he laughed at me. He said I was seeing things. Can you wriggle? I looked back out of the window and saw him.” “Did you tell your father about it?” Pee-wee asked, hardly knowing what to think of this information. “My mother made him give her the two hundred and fifty dollars so I wouldn’t get dead. Do you know what I’m going to be when I grow up?” “No; what?” “A giant.” “Well, you’d better hurry up about it.” “Do you know where my father got that two hundred and fifty dollars?” “Where?” “It was a prize for catching thieves. You can’t catch thieves.” “I know it,” Pee-wee said. “Are you going to be a thief when you grow up?” “No, I guess not,” said Pee-wee. “You can have three guesses.” “All right, I guess not three times. Now, tell me if you told your father about seeing that man getting dead.” “Yes, and he said I’m always seeing things; everybody says that. Maybe I’ll get dead when it rains.” “Don’t you believe it,” Pee-wee said; “Licorice Stick’s been telling you that. Didn’t you say you were going to be a giant first?” “You’re not a giant.” Alas, Pee-wee knew this only too well. He knew too that it would be quite impossible to get anything in the way of a connected narrative out of this stern little autocrat. Whether he had actually been “seeing things” or had only seen something in his queer little inner life, who should say? Evidently no one took him very seriously. And this fact did not seem to trouble him at all. Removing the compass cord from about his neck, Pee-wee advanced to proffer his second gift to the Bungel family. Little did that stiff, serious little figure know that the much-needed money which Mrs. Bungel had been wise enough to take from her husband, had come from the same source. Pee-wee searched in vain for any sign of hands in those enveloping blankets. There were no hands, there seemed to be no body even; just two eyes looking straight ahead as if their owner were not going to assist at all in the transfer of the little gift. So Pee-wee laid the compass on the porch rail. “There you are,” he said; “that needle always points to the north.” The two severe eyes stared down at the compass on the rail but their owner made no attempt to reach it as Pee-wee started off. If Pee-wee had not been so worried and preoccupied he would have thought that he had never seen anything so absurdly amusing in all his life. “Come back and say good-by,” the little voice commanded. Pee-wee returned and stood in the exact spot where he had stood before and said, “Good-by.” Although the little pale face did not turn the fraction of an inch, the staring eyes followed Pee-wee as he went along the road. <div class='chapter'> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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