And the victim distinctly heard another say, as the big car rolled
away: "It's a shame to tease him; he's just too cute for anything. I
could just kiss him. But it was so excruciatingly funny."


CHAPTER XVI

A REVELATION

"What are you laughing at?" Pee-Wee demanded to know, as soon as he
had regained his poise and dignity. "You're as bad as they are."

"I couldn't help laughing," Pepsy said remorsefully, "'specially
when you fell down. You said you were going to handle them."

"That could happen to the smartest man," Pee-Wee said in scornful
reproval; "that could happen to--to--to Julius Caesar."

"He's dead, you ask Miss Bellison," said Pepsy timidly.

"That shows how much you know," said Pee-Wee scornfully as he
brushed off his clothing.

"Can't something be a kind of a thing that could happen to somebody
who's dead if he was very smart, only if he wasn't dead. We got a dollar
and ten cents from them, didn't we?"

"Yes, but--did you--did you--handle them?" Pepsy asked fearfully.

"There are different ways of handling people," Pee-Wee said; "you