Henry and Beezus (9 page)

There, thought Henry, that ought to make them forget the prize. Now if he could just get out of here before anyone mentioned it again.

“Here's your free sample.” The man handed Henry a can of Woofies. “You earned it.”

“Hey, Beautiful, how did it taste?” asked Scooter.

Leave it to old Scooter, thought Henry. Now he had probably eaten the dog food for nothing.

“Scooter McCarthy, you stop teasing Henry,” said Beezus. “You're just jealous, because you didn't win something like Henry did.”

“Sure, you're jealous,” said Henry, but he didn't sound as if he meant it.

“Joke,” said Scooter.

“Henry, aren't you thrilled?” Beezus's eyes were shining.

Henry looked at her. Was she crazy or something?

“I wish I'd won fifty dollars' worth of work at the Colossal Beauty Shoppe,” she said enviously.

Well, what do you know! She really means it, thought Henry. These things were different with girls. Why couldn't Beezus's ticket have been pulled out of the barrel instead of his?

“Henry, I have a dollar and five cents at home,” said Beezus. “Will you sell me a wave coupon? I know waves cost more, but that's all I have.”

Until then Henry had not really thought what he was going to do with the coupons. He supposed he would have thrown them away if there had been a trash can handy. Maybe he should just give Beezus the wave coupon. Still, she was a sensible girl, and she had offered to buy it. A dollar and five cents would certainly come in handy, since he had spent all his money at the bicycle auction.

“Sure, I'll sell it to you,” said Henry, delighted with her offer.

“Thank you, Henry,” said Beezus gratefully. “Now I can have my hair waved for the parade. I'm sure Mother won't mind just once for something special.”

Then Henry saw his parents and Scooter's mother looking over the heads of the children.

“Come along, Henry and Beezus. We're leaving now,” said Mr. Huggins. “Henry, you and your mother will have to get together about those coupons.”

“Yes, Henry,” said Mrs. Huggins, “I need a permanent. I'll give you the ten dollars and get it at the Colossal Beauty Shoppe. That would help your bike fund, wouldn't it?”

“Gee, Mom, would you?” Henry suddenly felt cheerful. Things weren't so bad after all.

Then Mrs. McCarthy said, “I don't need a permanent right now, but I will in a month or so. I'll give you ten dollars for the other permanent coupon.” She opened her purse and took out a bill.

“Jeepers….” Henry was so pleased he couldn't think of anything to say.

“Hey, Mom,” protested Scooter.

“What's the matter, Scooter?” asked his mother. “Don't you want me to help Henry?”

“Well…uh,” said Scooter, “sure I do.”

Hey, this is all right, thought Henry. Twenty-one dollars and five cents, just like that. And grown-ups didn't even think about teasing him. If only he could think of a way to sell the rest of the coupons.

Just then his mother said, “As soon as we get home, I'll phone your grandmother. I'm sure she'll be glad to buy some of your coupons.”

“And what about his Aunt Doris?” suggested Mr. Huggins.

“Yes, and I can phone some of the girls in my bridge club,” added Mrs. Huggins. She always called the ladies in her bridge club girls.

Henry could scarcely believe his luck. He didn't even have to think of a way to sell his coupons. And only a few minutes ago he had been wishing he hadn't won them. Why, he might have thrown his riches away if Beezus hadn't offered to buy a wave coupon.

“I wish I'd won those coupons,” said Robert. “You're sure lucky.”

“I sure am,” agreed Henry. Funny, nobody thought about teasing him now.

“Come on,” said Mr. Huggins. “We don't want Beezus's mother to think we've lost her.”

“There goes the boy who ate dog food,” Henry heard someone whisper as he left the market.

On the way home Mr. Huggins said to Henry, “Your bike fund is growing faster than you expected, isn't it, Beautiful?”

“Aw, Dad, cut it out.” Henry pounded his father with his fist.

Everyone Mrs. Huggins spoke to agreed to buy some of Henry's beauty-shop coupons. By Saturday afternoon all the items were spoken for except one. No one wanted false eyelashes.

“Jeepers, Mom,” said Henry, “that's almost fifty dollars in my bike fund, and my bike costs fifty-nine dollars and ninety-five cents. I'm almost there!”

“Have you picked out a bicycle already?” asked Mr. Huggins.

“I sure have, Dad. It's a beaut.”

Mr. Huggins smiled. “In that case I think we can manage the ten dollars.”

“Boy, oh boy! Mom, how soon do you think we can collect the money for the coupons?” Henry didn't see how he could wait another day. He was so close to that bicycle he could almost feel the handle grips in his hands and see the shiny new spokes twinkle as the wheels turned.

His father said, “How would you like me to lend you the money until next week?”

“Would you, Dad?” asked Henry eagerly. “It's a lot of money.”

Mr. Huggins rumpled Henry's hair.

“Come on. Get your Daniel Boone hat and I'll take you down to the shop in the car. You can ride home on your new bike.”

All Henry could say was, “Boy, oh boy!” as he ran into his room and snatched his genuine coonskin cap. Then he and his father and Ribsy drove to the Rose City Bike and Trike Shop.

Henry went straight to the bicycle with the racy red frame and the built-in headlight. “I'll take this one,” he said.

“You're sure that's the right one?” asked his father.

“Yes, that's the one.” Of course Henry was sure. Hadn't he gone out of his way to look at the bike at every possible chance for the last two weeks? Henry kept his hand on the bike until his father had written a check and the man had given him a receipt and a guarantee.

“It's all yours now,” said his father.

“Gee….” Henry shoved up the parking stand and wheeled his bike out of the shop. His very own bicycle! He ran his fingers over the shiny frame and felt the leather on the seat. He turned on the built-in headlight and sounded the horn. Then he unsnapped his snap-on raccoon tail and fastened it to the handlebars. It was perfect.

Henry beamed at his father. “So long, Dad. See you at home.” He threw his leg over the bike and rode off without wobbling once. Ribsy loped along beside him, and his father smiled and waved.

Henry turned down Klickitat Street so he could pass Scooter's house. When he saw Scooter sitting on his front steps folding
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s, he sounded his horn. He had waited a long time for this moment. “Hi, Scoot,” he said casually, as he pedaled by with his spokes twinkling in the sunshine and his raccoon tail fluttering in the breeze.