“Too bad,” said Brent.
I just looked at Brent and laughed. All the while he looked very sober and innocent.
I said, “You didn’t do a thing but help Hervey out.”
“You mean he helped Hervey in,” Warde Hollister said.
“I? What do you mean?” Brent asked us.
“You had a conspiracy to circumvent my apple sauce,” the kid screamed; “I know. You can’t fool me. You just deliberately on purpose stopped me from eating so Hervey Willetts could fall in the water, and you want us to think that you’re very innocent with your heavy tracks, but anyway I bet my appetite is just as heavy, and I could have prevented him from falling in the lake only you stopped me.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Brent said, very surprised and innocent. Gee whiz, he and Hervey Willetts are some pair. They’ve got Bartlett pears beaten twenty ways.
“You don’t mean to tell me I’d aid and abet anybody in breaking a rule, do you?” Brent said.
“Oh, positively, absolutely not,” I said. “Say not so. It just happened thusly as it were by an unforeseen accident that was planned out. You’re one good fellow, Brent, you’re always helping somebody.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Brent said.