Page:Arthur Stringer-The Loom of Destiny.djvu/100

The Loom of Destiny "Youse? Well, w'y don't youse bring us some out, now and den?" "Why, I—I never thought of that! Besides, my mamma does n't let me eat things, you know."

"Oh, dat's nuthin'; w'y don't youse pinch some?" Snapsie queried, in the most matter-of-fact manner.

Why did n't he pinch some? Why did n't he, indeed? It seemed strange that he had never thought of that before. Other boys ate chocolate. Even Snapsie had it as often as he liked. Why should n't he pinch some? Snapsie, upon inquiry, stated that it was great fun to pinch stuff.

Russell Wentworth Russell found that the thought of his unjust treatment was a wonderful salve to his rebellious conscience. To his unelastic little code of fitting things, the idea of stealing was nauseatingly new. But he was never let have anything he wanted. Why should n't he eat stuff between meals, the same as other boys? Why was he made such a baby of, and treated like a girl? He succeeded in making himself quite miserable, 88