OCEAN
1,9
"And this is Stevie, the younger one.
Kleine,
say hello to Mr. Strauss."
"There's no need, Sol. The youngster and I have met," Mr.
Strauss said insinuatingly. "Ain't we, sonny?"
Stephen looked blank.
"Have you, Max? Where was that?"
"In the shower room,
this
afternoon. I must say, Sol, the boy
has got a most peculiar habit."
"Peculiar, Max?" Daddy asked defensively. "What do you
mean?"
"Come, Sol," Mr. Strauss suggested, taking hold of Daddy's
arm. "Walk me to the stairs a minute."
"Boys, you stay here and play, but don't go in
'til
I come back.
And
'no roughhouse."
"Okay, Dad," Roggie said, wrapping his arm around his brother
protectively, "I'll take care of him."
When the grown-ups were out of earshot, Stephen whispered,
"Roggie, what exactly does peculiar mean?"
"Peculiar! Well now, let's see.... Peculiar. That means kind
of ... oh, you know ... kind of-I think I could tell you better
by saying it in a sentence. Let's see now: 'the old lady ... the old lady
was very, very peculiar.' You understand?"
"Not exactly."
"Wait a minute. I'll think up another one. 'Ickes
18
a most
peculiar name' "
"Who's Ickes?"
"What's the matter with you? Don't you know
anything?"
Suddenly, startled by the breaking of a very large wave,
Stephen exclaimed, "Gosh! Did you see that one? Let's go down
and see what it's brought us."
"That's all you think the ocean's there for-don't you, Stevie?
-to bring
you
presents." Stephen raced down to the tide line and
waited impatiently for the leisurely surf to recede from the shore
and reveal its store of treasures. "You heard what Daddy said:
you 'can't go in 'til he comes back."
"I'm not going in," Stephen answered, ankle-deep in water.
"I'm just looking," he explained, feeling the wave's ebb tow at
his
heels, eroding the sand under his feet-his feet sinking deeper and
deeper into the softness as he watched the stampede of stones and
