John Fitzgerald GB 05 Great Bra (16 page)

“I didn’t consider myself any of those things,” Tom said. “I just thought I was using my great brain to outsmart other kids and adults. I didn’t know Danny, Jim-mie, and Parley had gotten a whipping for losing those things. I didn’t know that Danny could never have another baseball glove, and Jimmie could never have another baseball, and Parley could never have a-twenty-two rifle. They never mentioned it to me. I didn’t know Frankie

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thought I was trying to make a blackmailer out of him. I believed all the fellows liked me and were my friends.”

Harold shook his head. “Just because you say you didn’t know all these things is no excuse,” he said,

“I am not asking to be excused,” Tom said. “I am only asking to be allowed to make amends for some of the things I have done. I promise to return the baseball glove to Danny and the baseball to Jimmie and the air rifle to Parley. And I ask the court for leniency.”

Harold stared at Tom. “Why should the court give a confessed confidence man, swindler, crook, and blackmailer like you any leniency?” he demanded.

“Because I believe the good I have done with my great brain should be judged also,” Tom said. “I saved the fathers of most of the kids here from losing money in the Alkali Flats swindle. Danny’s father would have lost enough money to buy a hundred infielder’s gloves. Jim-mie’s mother would have lost enough money to buy a hundred baseballs. Parley’s father, enough money to buy a hundred King air rifles. And no matter how or why Jimmie and Howard got on the raft, the fact remains that I did risk my life to save theirs. And if it hadn’t been for me, the kids in this town would never have known the joy of sailing a raft on the river. The defense rests. Your Honor.”

“Leave the barn, I mean the court, now,” Harold said. “The defendant can’t be in court while his fate is being decided.”

• Tom walked out of the barn with a slump in his shoulders.

Harold looked at me. “Does the district attorney believe the defendant will reform?” he asked.

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“It wasn’t Tom’s great brain that made him a confidence man, swindler, crook, and blackmailer,” I said, “but his money-loving heart. They say for a person to re-form they must have a change of heart. And for my money, it will break Tom’s money-loving heart to give all those things back. Can’t you give him another chance?”

“I can give him a suspended sentence,” Harold said, “as soon as we decide what the sentence is to be.”

“It was my idea,” I said, “that if Tom refused to re-form none of the kids in town would play with him, or speak to him, or have anything to do with him until he does reform.”

Harold looked around the barn- “If I suspend the sentence,” he said, “how many of you kids will be Tom’s friend?”

Parley was the first to speak. “Seeing as how I’m getting my air rifle back,” he said, “I’ll be his friend.”

“Same here,” Danny said.

“Me too,” Jimmie said.

Harold peered over his glasses at the rest of the kids. “If I suspend the sentence,” he said, “it means you all have to be Tom’s friend for as long as he stays reformed. How many are in favor of a suspended sentence?^

All the kids except Howard Kay held up their hands. Then Howard slowly raised his right hand.

“Bring the defendant back,” Harold ordered.

I sent Frankie for Tom. When they entered the barn, The Great Brain was holding Frankie’s hand as if he wanted someone to hang on to. He didn’t let go as he stood before the judge.

“Tom Fitzgerald, alias The Great Brain,” Harold said, “you have been found guilty on all charges. Have you

anything to say before sentence is passed on you?”

“1 promise to reform and never use my great brain to swindle or hurt anybody again,” Tom said.

“It is the sentence of this court,” Harold said, “that no boy in Adenville will play with you or speak to you or have-anything to do with you for one year.”

I could see Tom was shocked because he staggered backwards a step.

“However,” Harold said, “due to the fact that you have promised to reform, I hereby suspend the sentence. But if you pull one crooked stunt during the year, I will revoke the suspended sentence.” Harold hit the block of wood with the wooden mallet. “This court is adjourned,” he said.

Then a sort of strange thing happened. Harold came down from the bench and shook hands with Tom. Then all the kids crowded around The Great Brain to shake hands and pat him on the back. At first I thought it was because they wanted to show they had no hard feelings. But after thinking it over, I saw there was another reason. They knew they didn’t have to worry about The Great Brain swindling them anymore.

By suppertime everybody in town knew that The Great Brain had promised to reform. Papa tried to take all the credit. He said it was his threat to send Tom to a military academy that did it. Mamma didn’t let him get away with taking all the credit. She said it was her pray-ers to St. Jude that did it. But all the kids in town knew it was the trial that had brought about The Great Brain’s reformation.

I thought for sure Mayor Whitlock would declare a town holiday, and that Papa would get out an extra of

the Adenville Weekly Gazette with a headline reading:

THE GREAT BRAIN REFORMS. But neither of these things happened. What did happen was that people con-gratulated Papa as if he was the father of a new baby. And some women who hadn’t spoken to Mamma for months now became her friends again,

I’m telling you, the way people acted you would think Tom had just paid off the debts of all th’e adults in town and reduced the school year to thirty days. Grownups and kids stopped him on the street to shake his hand. It was as if he had become a hero by promising to reform.

But I have to end this book with a confession. Remember that brilliant plea I made to the judge to give Tom another chance? I had my fingers crossed all the time I was making it. I was the only person in Adenville who had any doubts that The Great Brain was really going to reform. For my money, a fox clever enough to get into a chicken coop doesn’t stop stealing chickens just because the rooster starts crowing and the hens start cackling. If I was right, it would make me the smartest kid in town. But I hoped I was wrong, even if it made me the dumbest kid in town.