"Thompson, Jim - Criminal, The" - читать интересную книгу автора (Thompson Jim)

"All right," she said finally, her voice so low I could hardly hear it. "I'll be very happy to talk to you now. I have a feeling that, in view of your opinion of me, there isn't a great deal to be said, but--"
"Go on," I said. "What's Bob supposed to have done now?"
"It's more what he hasn't done, Mrs. Talbert. He's done almost no work since the term started. He's failing in every one of his subjects."
"Why, I--well, why do you let him?" I said. "He's a smart boy. Why don't you see that he studies?"
"Mrs. Talbert," she said, "the teachers in this school have an average class load of sixty students, approximately twice the number they should have. We can't spend all our time with one pupil or even a very large part of our time."
"Well, goodness," I said. "No one asked you to. You don't have to, if you know your business. Why, when I was in school, there was only one teacher for six grades and she--"
"No doubt," she said. "I'm sure she was much more efficient than we teachers are now. To get back to the present, however, Robert is failing in his work and we don't seem to be able to help him. We wondered whether there wasn't something you and Mr. Talbert could do."
"Well, I don't know," I said. "We'll certainly do anything we can, I'll give Bob a good talking to, and--"
"He seems to be very preoccupied and moody. Is there-- uh--a situation at home which might tend to disturb him?"
"Why, of course, there isn't!" I said. "If there's anything wrong anywhere, it's right here at school. And if you ask me, you don't have to look very far to see what it is."
She pressed her lips together. "Mrs. Talbert," she said. "I'm only trying to help--"
"Well, don't trouble yourself," I said. "We don't need any advice about how to run our family. What else is Bob supposed to have done?"
"He's supposed," she said, "to attend school five days a week. Five days, Mrs. Talbert. Not two or three."
"Well," I said, "he does, doesn't he? I mean, I know he's been sick a lot, but--"
"He has been sick, then, Mrs. Talbert?" There was a mean, funny little grin on her face. "You did write the excuses he brought us?"
"Why--well, naturally," I said. "When he's sick and has to stay at home, I write an excuse."
"I see," she said, that little grin getting meaner and tighter. "Well, why don't we do this, Mrs. Talbert? Why don't you and I and Bob all get together and see if we can't talk this thing out?"
I said that suited me just fine, the sooner the better. "Of course, I wouldn't think of asking you to miss your lunch, Miss Brundage. But--"
"I've already missed it," she said, "I'm afraid it's too late to eat now. So if you'd like to telephone home, and summon Robert from his sickbed, perhaps we can talk a few minutes before my afternoon classes start."
I didn't understand what she meant for a moment. It simply hadn't occurred to me that Bob hadn't gone to school, and the way she'd led me on, tricking me into making a fool of myself, well, I felt like choking her.
"Well?" she said. "Would you like to do that, Mrs. Talbert?"
"No," I said, and believe me if looks could have kified, that young woman would have been dead. "No, I would not like to do that, Miss Brundage. But there's something I would like to do. I'd like to know why we have to pay big taxes without getting anything for it but some snotty young girl to insult us. I'd like to know why we can't get teachers who think about something besides powdering their noses and putting every nickel they make on their backs and--"
"Mrs. Talbert," she said. "_Mrs. Talbert!_"
"Well, what?" I said. "You don't need to yell at me!"
"I'm a teacher, Mrs. Talbert, not a prison warden. I can't compel Robert to study and I can't keep him from playing truant. But I can--and I will, if you persist in your present attitude--I can and will see that action is taken by the proper authorities."
"Well, well," I said. "Now, let me tell you something Miss High-and-mighty. My husband and I--"
"There are compulsory attendance laws in this state, Mrs. Talbert. A parent who willfully allows a child to remain out of school is subject to heavy penalties."
"And wouldn't you love that!" I said.
"Yes," she nodded slowly. "I believe I would."
She turned and walked away, then, and it was a good thing for her that she did! I started after her, but then I thought, oh, well, what's the use? Anyone like that, it's a waste of breath to talk to 'em.
I left the school and walked back to the shopping center. I tried on a few pair of shoes and two coats and several hats, and got a book from the lending library. Then, I went into the drug store and ordered some pie and a cup of coffee. I wasn't at all hungry really, even though I hadn't had hardly a bite to eat all day. But the lady sitting next to me, she was having an olive-nut triple-deck with cream cheese and it looked so good, I decided to have one, too. And somehow this lady and I got to talking--she was telling me about a perfectly marvelous diet she'd been on--and we had some more coffee and a chocolate sundae apiece, and the first thing we knew, it was almost three o'clock.
I started home, getting some milk and bread from the grocery first. I was almost there when, lo and behold, who should pop up in front of me suddenly but Mr. Bob Talbert. We saw each other at the same time, and did that young man look sheepish! Then, he put on a grin and tried to act like he was just getting home from school.
"Hi, Mom," he said. "Let me carry that stuff for you."
"Oh, I wouldn't think of it," I said. "After all, you've been studying all day, bending over your books until you're all worn out. You--oh, Bob, how could you? Aren't you ever going to straighten up and behave like a boy should?"
"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I won't do it any more, Mom."
"Well, I should hope not!" I said. "Where on earth did you go anyway? Where have you been?"
"Out to the golf links. I was going to caddy--g-get some money to buy Dad a present."
I looked at him. Honestly, you know! Sometimes you'd think that boy didn't have a brain in his head. "Buy him a present?" I said. "What in the world for? It's not his birthday or anything."
"I just wanted to," he muttered. "I don't know why."
"Well, you certainly put me in a pretty pickle," I said. "I went up to see your teacher, and naturally I supposed you were there--what in the world would I be supposed to suppose?--and she and I started going around and around and--"
"Aw, Mom," he said. "For gosh sake, what'd you do that for? She's--Miss Brundage's the only one up there that's got any sense or ever acts half-way decent and you have to--"
"Well, for pity's sake!" I said. "You make a fool out of me with your hooky-playing, and then it's my fault. I'm in the wrong!"
"Well, gosh," he said. "Gee whiz, Mom!"
I told him he'd _better_ gosh and gee-whiz. And he'd better start studying and stop playing truant or he'd wish he had. "The idea, just wandering off wherever you please and whenever you please! Did you make any money?"
"Huh-uh." He shook his head without looking at me. "Too many other caddies around. Not enough people playing."
"Well, that's nice, isn't it?" I said, "You lay out of school all day and walk eight or ten miles, just as if shoe leather didn't cost anything, and you don't have a nickel to show for it. That's certainly smart, that is!"
"Well, all right!" he said. "All _right!_ I said I wouldn't do it any more, didn't I?"
"You just bet you won't," I said. "Now hush up that yelling before Mrs. Eddleman hears you. Hush up and act like you've got some sense for a change."
Fay was out in front of her house, of course. When was she ever any other place? She said, "Hi, Martha, Bob. Did you see Josie at school today, Bob?"
"Huh?" Bob stared at her like a big goop, like he wanted her to know he'd been playing hooky. "What'd you say, Miz Eddleman?"