And so he used her as they used theirs. He played her as his
only card.
"Me mudder sez I dasn' go swimmin' widout she leaves me."
"Good for you, Joe," said Townsend, "I'll see your mother next week and
fix it. _And you do just what she told you to do till then_. You've
got the right idea, Joe." And he hit Joe a good rap on the shoulder in
his friendly way . . .
CHAPTER XXXI
A PROMISE
When he had put the racing fans on the Edgemere trolley, Pee-wee, like
Jack ashore, betook himself into Bridgeboro to have his fling before
returning to the ship. The habit of sailors home from long voyages is
well known, and we need not be surprised to find him bending his steps
toward Bennett's Fresh Confectionery, where he climbed onto one of the
stools before the soda fountain.
He had just consumed a raspberry ice cream soda and was considering the
question of whether he should have another when he noticed somebody
which reminded him of the doom which awaited him on Monday morning.
This was Miss Carlton who taught in the Bridgeboro Public School. She
had just consummated the purchase of a box of candy and such were the
cordial relations between herself and Pee-wee (out of school) that she
proffered him the box for a choice of its contents.
"I don't know whether to take a chocolate one or a white one," Pee-wee
said.
"Why not take both?" she suggested.
"I guess maybe that would be safest, hey?" he said.
"And what have you been doing all week?" Miss Carlton asked.
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