第10章

“Now，justoncemore，Maria，“hewassaying。“Tellittousjustoncemore。“Maria’svoicecameupthestairwayinamonotone。MarcusandMcTeaguecaughtaphrasefromtimetotime。

“Thereweremorethanahundredpieces，andeveryoneofthemgold——justthatpunch-bowlwasworthafortune-thick，fat，redgold。“

“Getontotothat，willyou？“observedMarcus。“Theoldskinhasgotherstartedontheplate。Ain’ttheyapairforyou？“

“Anditranglikebells，didn’tit？“promptedZerkow。

“Sweeter’nchurchbells，andclearer。“

“Ah，sweeter’nbells。Wasn’tthatpunch-bowlawfulheavy？“

“Allyoucoulddotoliftit。“

“Iknow。Oh，Iknow，“answeredZerkow，clawingathislips。

“Wherediditallgoto？Wherediditgo？“

Mariashookherhead。

“It’sgone，anyhow。“

“Ah，gone，gone！Thinkofit！Thepunch-bowlgone，andtheengravedladle，andtheplatesandgoblets。Whatasightitmusthavebeenallheapedtogether！“

“Itwasawonderfulsight。“

“Yes，wonderful；itmusthavebeen。“

Onthelowerstepsofthatcheapflat，theMexicanwomanandthered-hairedPolishJewmusedlongoverthatvanished，half-mythicalgoldplate。

MarcusandthedentistspentWashington’sBirthdayacrossthebay。ThejourneyoverwasonelongagonytoMcTeague。

Heshookwithaformless，uncertaindread；adozentimeshewouldhaveturnedbackhadnotMarcusbeenwithhim。Thestolidgiantwasasnervousasaschoolboy。HefanciedthathiscalluponMissSieppewasanoutrageousaffront。Shewouldfreezehimwithastare；hewouldbeshownthedoor，wouldbeejected，disgraced。

AstheygotoffthelocaltrainatBStreetstationtheysuddenlycollidedwiththewholetribeofSieppes——themother，father，threechildren，andTrina——equippedforoneoftheireternalpicnics。TheyweretogotoSchuetzenPark，withinwalkingdistanceofthestation。Theyweregroupedaboutfourlunchbaskets。Oneofthechildren，alittleboy，heldablackgreyhoundbyaropearounditsneck。Trinaworeablueclothskirt，astripedshirtwaist，andawhitesailor；aboutherroundwaistwasabeltofimitationalligatorskin。

AtonceMrs。SieppebegantotalktoMarcus。Hehadwrittenoftheircoming，butthepicnichadbeendecideduponafterthearrivalofhisletter。Mrs。Sieppeexplainedthistohim。Shewasanimmenseoldladywithapinkfaceandwonderfulhair，absolutelywhite。TheSieppeswereaGerman-Swissfamily。

“Wegotoderpark，SchuetzenPark，mitalledemchildern，alittleeggs-kursion，ehnotsoh？Webreathederfreshesair，acelubration，apignicbeiderseashoreon。Ach，dotwullbesohgay，ah？“

“Youbetitwill。It’llbeoutasight，“criedMarcus，enthusiasticinaninstant。“Thisism’friendDoctorMcTeagueIwroteyouabout，Mrs。Sieppe。“

“Ach，derdoktor，“criedMrs。Sieppe。

McTeaguewaspresented，shakinghandsgravelyasMarcusshoulderedhimfromonetotheother。

Mr。Sieppewasalittlemanofamilitaryaspect，fullofimportance，takinghimselfveryseriously。Hewasamemberofarifleteam。OverhisshoulderwasslungaSpringfieldrifle，whilehisbreastwasdecoratedbyfivebronzemedals。

Trinawasdelighted。McTeaguewasdumfounded。Sheappearedpositivelygladtoseehim。

“Howdoyoudo，DoctorMcTeague，“shesaid，smilingathimandshakinghishand。“It’snicetoseeyouagain。Look，seehowfinemyfillingis。“Sheliftedacornerofherlipandshowedhimtheclumsygoldbridge。

Meanwhile，Mr。Sieppetoiledandperspired。Uponhimdevolvedtheresponsibilityoftheexcursion。Heseemedtoconsideritamatterofvastimportance，averitableexpedition。

“Owgooste！“heshoutedtothelittleboywiththeblackgreyhound，“youwillderhoundundbasketnumberthreecarry。Dertervins，“headded，callingtothetwosmallestboys，whoweredressedexactlyalike，“willreleefoneunuddermitdercamp-stuhlundbasketnumberfour。Datiscomprehend，hay？Whenwemakederstart，youchildernwillinderadvancemarch。Datisyourorders。Butwedonotstart，“heexclaimed，excitedly；“weremain。AchGott，Selina，whodoesnotarrive。“

Selina，itappeared，wasanieceofMrs。Sieppe’s。Theywereonthepointofstartingwithouther，whenshesuddenlyarrived，verymuchoutofbreath。Shewasaslender，unhealthylookinggirl，whooverworkedherselfgivinglessonsinhand-paintingattwenty-fivecentsanhour。

McTeaguewaspresented。Theyallbegantotalkatonce，fillingthelittlestation-housewithaconfusionoftongues。

“Attention！“criedMr。Sieppe，hisgold-headedcaneinonehand，hisSpringfieldintheother。“Attention！Wedepart。“Thefourlittleboysmovedoffahead；thegreyhoundsuddenlybegantobark，andtugathisleash。Theotherspickeduptheirbundles。

“Vorwarts！“shoutedMr。Sieppe，wavinghisrifleandassumingtheattitudeofalieutenantofinfantryleadingacharge。Thepartysetoffdowntherailroadtrack。

Mrs。Sieppewalkedwithherhusband，whoconstantlylefthersidetoshoutanorderupanddowntheline。MarcusfollowedwithSelina。McTeaguefoundhimselfwithTrinaattheendoftheprocession。

“Wegooffonthesepicnicsalmosteveryweek，“saidTrina，bywayofabeginning，“andalmosteveryholiday，too。Itisacustom。“

“Yes，yes，acustom，“answeredMcTeague，nodding；“acustom——that’stheword。“

“Don’tyouthinkpicnicsarefinefun，DoctorMcTeague？“shecontinued。“Youtakeyourlunch；youleavethedirtycityallday；youraceaboutintheopenair，andwhenlunchtimecomes，oh，aren’tyouhungry？Andthewoodsandthegrasssmellsofine！“

“Idon’know，MissSieppe，“heanswered，keepinghiseyesfixedonthegroundbetweentherails。“Ineverwentonapicnic。“

“Neverwentonapicnic？“shecried，astonished。“Oh，you’llseewhatfunwe’llhave。Inthemorningfatherandthechildrendigclamsinthemudbytheshore，an’webakethem，and——oh，there’sthousandsofthingstodo。“

“OnceIwentsailingonthebay，“saidMcTeague。“Itwasinatugboat；wefishedofftheheads。Icaughtthreecodfishes。“

“I’mafraidtogooutonthebay，“answeredTrina，shakingherhead，“sailboatstipoversoeasy。Acousinofmine，Selina’sbrother，wasdrownedoneDecorationDay。Theyneverfoundhisbody。Canyouswim，DoctorMcTeague？“

“Iusedtoatthemine。“

“Atthemine？Oh，yes，Iremember，Marcustoldmeyouwereamineronce。“

“Iwasacar-boy；allthecar-boysusedtoswiminthereservoirbytheditcheveryThursdayevening。Oneofthemwasbitbyarattlesnakeoncewhilehewasdressing。HewasaFrenchman，namedAndrew。Heswelledupandbegantotwitch。“

“Oh，howIhatesnakes！They’resocrawlyandgraceful——

but，justthesame，Iliketowatchthem。Youknowthatdrugstoreoverintownthathasashowcasefullofliveones？“

“Wekilledtherattlerwithacartwhip。“

“Howfardoyouthinkyoucouldswim？Didyouevertry？

D’youthinkyoucouldswimamile？“

“Amile？Idon’tknow。Inevertried。IguessIcould。“

“Icanswimalittle。SometimesweallgoouttotheCrystalBaths。“

“TheCrystalBaths，huh？Canyouswimacrossthetank？“

“Oh，Icanswimallrightaslongaspapaholdsmychinup。

Soonashetakeshishandaway，downIgo。Don’tyouhatetogetwaterinyourears？“

“Bathing’sgoodforyou。“

“Ifthewater’stoowarm，itisn’t。Itweakensyou。“

Mr。Sieppecamerunningdownthetracks，wavinghiscane。

“Tooneside，“heshouted，motioningthemoffthetrack；

“derdraingomes。“AlocalpassengertrainwasjustpassingBStreetstation，somequarterofamilebehindthem。

Thepartystoodtoonesidetoletitpass。Marcusputanickelandtwocrossedpinsupontherail，andwavedhishattothepassengersasthetrainroaredpast。Thechildrenshoutedshrilly。Whenthetrainwasgone，theyallrushedtoseethenickelandthecrossedpins。Thenickelhadbeenjoltedoff，butthepinshadbeenflattenedoutsothattheyboreafaintresemblancetoopenedscissors。Agreatcontentionaroseamongthechildrenforthepossessionofthese“scissors。“Mr。Sieppewasobligedtointervene。Hereflectedgravely。Itwasamatteroftremendousmoment。

Thewholepartyhalted，awaitinghisdecision。