Jerry's Charge Account

ng on

er dinner and conversed with them all the time they were doing the dinner dishes. He had a long story about how a boy had been so bad

'm a good hopper. Not a grasshopper

ad boy. What did you do that

or I wouldn't have thrown a crayon at him. I didn't mean to hit him

f he owned up so easy about throwing a crayon, it would be a cinch to get him to acknowledge that he had been insi

st then. Usually Jerry tried to keep Andy out of his room i

alone until Andy was in the bathroom, brushing his teet

n the bathroom when somebo

ry. "You listen to

you

breaking that record over

voice was slightly m

I do. 'The Stars an

ft corner of his mouth. His eyes were innocent. A bit puzzled ma

e whistling

It was like holding a small wild animal but Jerry held on. "Nobody's going to b

where I am but

you? You got it crawling in the window

ubbed off on me. That must have been it. I'm a very dirty boy. Every speck of dirt sticks

ght that skunks we

the car and Daddy said he smelled s

the foot of the stairs. "You

won't l

other, Jerry. Come on down. I'

d and ran down the hall. "Yo

el, he thought dolefully. Getting him to confess that he had

account on his mind and now there was the added weight of Mr. Bullfinch's disappointment in hi

ought Jerry, as he dressed in a hurry

rry heard the front door close. Cathy was alone in the dining room e

m. Ridiculous remarks were popular with the sixth grade ri

t's funny?

asked me to try to be pleasant to you even when you

ut

eedn't take

better-looki

s and bacon. "I'm glad your father left before he had to hear such bickering. He wou

ll be tickled to death if C

's blue eyes appealed to

ay your tears?" jib

reakfast," said their mother. "I don't know what's gotten into you two lately. Always at

the sharpest edg

gh from you,

still and tend to what he was doing. He took a large mouthful of scramble

hair. "Oh, dear, that child's not dow

rd a thump that was Andy jumping down

"Bang!" he cried, shooting his mother. "Bang! Ba

other. "Tuck your napkin under your chin. I don't want you to spill milk on your clean shirt. You

t Jerry's accusing gaze with a wide smile. Andy never remem

him to own up to what he did over

le Andy poked along alone or with one of his fellow kindergartners. But today when Andy

o be late," said Andy, whose laten

k here, Andy. I'm in a jam and you

brother's equal pleased And

nto his house and breaking the Sousa record. "He's awfully down on me now," sai

dy else must have don

he didn't b

s a bad,

't do. You wouldn't like to be blamed for breakin

row a ball hard enoug

uble. Save your own skin, that's all you care about. And I was meaning to give you something

you going t

Whatever it is, y

se, J

op

ord. It wasn't my fault. It slipped

ell had begun to give. "I'll go right to the door with you

ion and the gift of two large rubber bands, an old campaign button, and two feet or so of goo

id Jerry. He knew Andy

rry pressed it hard. He hoped Mr. Bullfinch would answer the

help you pay for the

d broken record. It's no good," said

aring a dark blue bathrobe with a red plaid collar. He l

o come so early

chool. Andy has somethi

on't," s

y, you promis

hanged

d be off. I find small boys hard to take befo

l. Or downhill either," Jerry promised Andy. "Go on,

rglar might have gotten in instead of me. And that record must have been cracked. I dropped

ding at all cross with Andy, "I must say I admire a young fellow wh

h had sounded as if he had considered getting into his house a real c

y," sai

broken it has to be paid for. I think you owe me somet

," offered Jerry, wit

ey to buy a space

Bullfinch. "How are you

his mother often remarked that it was like

I can rake real

," said Mr. Bullfinch. "And I owe you an apology, Jerry, for misjudging you. Sorry I had the wrong

that," s

rong to go into a house when nobody's home. D

Mr. Bullfinch one of his beamin

l be late for school. I'll be seeing you," Jerry to

ould be feeling relieved about getting his guilt off his chest. But Andy had not seemed at all downhearted before. "Anyway, I

t's," Jerry thought. "And when I do, Andy not only gets t

him. He slowed down. Jerry felt like being very nice to