Rewards and Fairies - Penn State University

Rewards and Fairies
up their lights, and made ‘em spit blood, and threw ‘em into ‘Then Doctor Break said something about adventurers who
sweats. Terrible things they said. You never heard such a noise. could not earn an honest living in their own country creeping
I took advantage of it to cough.
into decent houses and taking advantage of gentlemen’s con-
‘Rene and Jerry were standing with their backs to the pigfidence to enrich themselves by base intrigues.
sty. Jerry fumbled in his big flap pockets and fished up a pair ‘Rene dropped his absurd trumpet and made one of his best
of pistols. You ought to have seen the men give back when he bows. I knew he was angry from the way he rolled his “r’s.”
cocked his. He passed one to Rene.
‘“Ver-r-ry good,” said he. “For that I shall have much plea-
‘“Wait! Wait!” said Rene. “I will explain to the doctor if he sure to kill you now and here. Monsieur Gamm,” —another
permits.” He waved a trumpet at him, and the men at the bow to Jerry— “you will please lend him your pistol, or he
gate shouted, “Don’t touch it, Doctor! Don’t lay a hand to shall have mine. I give you my word I know not which is
the thing.”
best; and if he will choose a second from his friends over
‘“Come, come!” said Rene. “You are not so big fool as you there” —another bow to our drunken yokels at the gate—
pretend. No?”
“we will commence.”
‘Doctor Break backed toward the gate, watching Jerry’s pis- ‘“That’s fair enough,” said Jerry. “Tom Dunch, you owe it
tol, and Rene followed him with his trumpet, like a nurse to the Doctor to be his second. Place your man.” ‘“No,” said
trying to amuse a child, and put the ridiculous thing to his Tom. “No mixin’ in gentry’s quarrels for me.” And he shook
ear to show how it was used, and talked of la Gloire, and his head and went out, and the others followed him.
l’Humanite, and la Science, while Doctor Break watched jerry’s ‘“Hold on,” said Jerry. “You’ve forgot what you set out to
pistol and swore. I nearly laughed aloud.
do up at the alehouse just now. You was goin’ to search me
‘“Now listen! Now listen!” said Rene. “This will be mon- for witch-marks; you was goin’ to duck me in the pond; you
eys in your pockets, my dear confrere. You will become rich.” was goin’ to drag all my bits o’ sticks out o’ my little cottage
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