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 ^E-UBBABYOA
 
 FIVE LITTLE 
 PEPPERS MIDWAY 
 
 A SEQUEL TO 
 
 Five Little Peppers and How They Grew 
 
 BY 
 
 MARGARET SIDNEY 
 
 Author of " Our Town," " The Golden West," 
 " What the Seven Did," and others 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY W. L. TAYLOR 
 
 LOTHROP PUBLISHING UOMPANY 
 
 BOSTON
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1890 and 1893 
 D. LOTHROP COMPANY. 
 
 All rights reserved.
 
 PZ 
 
 1 
 
 TO 
 MY LITTLE MARGARET 
 
 WHO IS PHRONSIE PEPPER TO ALL 
 
 WHO KNOW HER 
 THIS BOOK IS LOVINGLY INSCRIBED 
 
 661673
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 PHRONSIE'S PIE g 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON .... 33 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE REHEARSAL 50 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 WELCOME HOME ! 69 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 AFTER THE PLAY 95 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE . . . . Il6 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 OLD TIMES AGAIN 136 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS 159 
 
 3
 
 4 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A SUDDEN BLOW 178 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE PARTY SEPARATES . . . . . 197 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 POOR POLLY! 215 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 NEW WORK FOR POLLY 236 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 A PIECE OF NEWS 26l 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 MAMSIE'S WEDDING 280 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN . . 303 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 319 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 PHRONSIE IS FOUND 338 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN .... 359 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN 378
 
 CONTENTS. 5 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 THE SECRET 4O 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN .... 416 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 JOEL 436 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 OF MANY THINGS 460 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 AWAY 484
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGB. 
 
 The making of the Pie. . . . Frontis. 
 
 " It must be very, very full of plums, you know." 13 
 
 She put up her eyeglass ..... 23 
 
 " Make 'em real big live ones, do ! " . . . 45 
 
 Princess Clotilde 53 
 
 "Look, Phronsie, here goes in my head." . . 67 
 
 " O, Felicie ! I don't want that dress." . . 8t 
 
 " Come, Phronsie ! Come, boys !" . . . 71 
 
 Joel was chatting away to a pretty little creature 104 
 
 " O, Polly ! how funny you look sitting there ! " . 1 1 1 
 
 " Well. I declare ! " cried a voice above them . 123 
 
 ,"Good-by," sang out Joel 134 
 
 The little brown house . . . . . 139 
 
 " We kept it in the old cupboard," cried Joel . 1 59 
 
 The ride in Deacon Brown's wagon . . . 169 
 
 Polly was standing over her . . . . 173 
 
 " How restful it all is here." . . . . 184 
 
 Polly led her mercifully within 189 
 
 Mrs. Whitney ran to the old-fashioned looking-glass 204 
 
 Polly stood quite still 212 
 
 " O, dear ! I don't know what will happen." . 222 
 7
 
 8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 She went softly to the sick room . . . 227 
 
 " O, Jasper ! could you get me a copy of Town 
 
 Talk?" 241 
 
 " O, Grandpapa ! don't make me tell ! " . . 257 
 
 " Come in ! " called Mr. King .... 264 
 
 "Every thing is going, on finely, Polly." . . 287 
 
 Polly turned a cold shoulder to him . . . 295 
 
 " We're going to let her be happy." . . . 302 
 
 " What are you doing, Phronsie?" . . . 305 
 
 " I'll go," said Phronsie, with a long sigh . . 317 
 
 " Please don't bite me." . . . . . 323 
 
 " O, Candace ! " exclaimed Polly, seizing the doll 331 
 
 Her yellow hair floated from the pallid little face 347 
 
 " Now you put your arms down, so." . . . 356 
 
 " Ain't he a beauty, though ! " . . . . 361 
 
 " Did you tell Polly ? " cried Jasper . . . 373 
 " And so you wanted me, did you, dear ? " cried 
 
 Mr. King 389 
 
 The uninvited guest 397 
 
 He was tearing off the rings .... 403* 
 
 " I really believe I can dance." .... 413 
 
 " Don't touch me ! " said Polly .... 426 
 
 " Now, then, tell mother all about it." . . 435 
 
 " I'd rather chop wood." 452 
 
 " Thomas, don't shoot it's Van !" . . . 455 
 
 " O, Joey \ and mother was cross to you." . . 463 
 
 " He said he was going to run off to sea." . . 474 
 
 With both arms full 492 
 
 " May God bless Phronsie ! " . . . 507
 
 FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS 
 MIDWAY. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PHRONSIE'S PIE. 
 
 JEFFERSON," said Phronsie, with a grave 
 uplifting of her eyebrows, "I think I will 
 go down into the kitchen and bake a pie ; a very 
 little pie, Jefferson." 
 
 " Bless you, Miss," replied the cook, showing 
 his white teeth in glee, "it is the making of the 
 kitchen when you come into it." 
 
 " Yes, Jefferson," said Phronsie slowly, " I 
 think I will go down and make one. It must 
 be very, very full of plums, you know," looking 
 up at him anxiously, "for Polly dearly loves 
 plums." 
 
 " It shall be that plummy," said Jefferson 
 9
 
 10 PHRONSIE S PIE. 
 
 convincingly, " that you'd think you never saw 
 such a one for richness. O, my! what a pie 
 that shall be!" exclaimed the cook, shutting up 
 one eye to look through the other in a spasm of 
 delight at an imaginary pie ; " so it's for Miss 
 Mary, is it ?" 
 
 "Yes," said Phronsie, "it is. O, Jefferson! 
 I'm so glad you like to have me make one;" 
 she clasped her hands in silent rapture, and sat 
 down on the lowest stair to think it over a bit, 
 Jefferson looking at her, forgetful that the under 
 cook was fuming in the deserted domains over 
 his delay to return. At last he said, bowing 
 respectfully, " If you please, Miss, it's about 
 time to begin. Such a pie ain't done without a 
 deal of care, and we'd best have it a-baking as 
 soon as may be." 
 
 "Yes," said Phronsie, getting -off from her 
 stair, and surrendering her hand to his big 
 black palm, " we ought to go right this very 
 minute. But I must get my apron on ; " she 
 stopped and looked down at her red dress.
 
 PHRONSIE S PIE. II 
 
 " Oh ! you can take one of my aprons," said 
 the cook, " they're as fine, and big, and white, 
 and I'll just put you in one of 'em and tie you 
 up as snug; you'll come out as clean and sweet 
 when we're through, as you are now, Miss." 
 
 " Tie me up ? " laughed Phrorisie in glee. 
 "Oh! how nice, Jefferson. Do you know I 
 love you very much, Jefferson, you're so very 
 good to me ? " 
 
 The big fellow drew a long breath. " No, 
 Miss, I'm big and black, and just fit to stay 
 down-stairs," he managed to say. 
 
 "But I love you better because you are black, 
 Jefferson," insisted Phronsie, "a great deal bet 
 ter. You are not like everybody else, but you 
 are just yourself," clinging to his hand. 
 
 "Well, Miss, I ain't just fit for a lily to touch 
 and that's the truth," looking down at his palm 
 that the small white hand grasped closely. "It's 
 clean, Miss," he added with pardonable pride, 
 "but it's awful black." 
 
 '' 1 like it better black, Jefferson," said Phron-
 
 12 PHRONSIES PIE. 
 
 sie again, " really and truly I do, because then it's 
 your very, very own ; " in a tone that thrilled him 
 much as if a queen had knighted him on the spot. 
 
 This important declaration over, the two set 
 forth on their way toward the kitchen, Phronsie 
 clinging to his hand, and chatting merrily over 
 the particular pie in prospect, with varied re- 
 marks on pies in general, that by and by would 
 be ventured upon if this present one were a 
 success and very soon tied up in one of the 
 cook's whitest aprons she was seated with due 
 solemnity at the end of the baking table, the 
 proper utensils and materials in delightful con- 
 fusion before her, and the lower order of kitchen 
 satellites revolving around her, and Jefferson 
 the lesser sphere. 
 
 "Now all go back to your work," said that 
 functionary when he considered the staring and 
 muttered admiration had been indulged in long 
 enough, " and leave us." 
 
 " I want you," said his assistant, touching his 
 elbow.
 
 UST BE VERY, VERY FULL OF PLUMS, YOU KNOW.
 
 PHRONSIF.'S PIE. 15 
 
 " Clear out," said Jefferson angrily, his face 
 turned quite from Phronsie. 
 
 But she caught the tone and immediately laid 
 Jown the bit of dough she was moulding. 
 
 " Do go," she begged, " and come back 
 quickly," smiling up into his face. "See, I'm 
 going to pat and pat and pat, oh ! ever so much 
 before you come back." 
 
 So Jefferson ordered off the under cook, the 
 scullery boy 'went back to cleaning the knives, 
 Susan, the parlor maid who was going through 
 the kitchen with her dustpan and broom, hurried 
 off with a backward glance or two, and Phronsie 
 was left quite alone to hum her way along in 
 her blissful culinary attempt. 
 
 " Bless me ! " exclaimed a voice close to her 
 small ear, as she was attempting for the fifth 
 time to roll out the paste quite as thin as she 
 had seen Jefferson do, " what is this ? Bless 
 my soul ! it's Phronsie ! " 
 
 Phronsie set down the heavy rolling-pin and 
 turned in her chair with a gleeful laugh.
 
 1 6 PHRONSIE'S PIE. 
 
 " Dear, dear Grandpapa ! " she cried, clasping 
 her floury hands, "oh ! I'm so glad you've come 
 to see me make a pie all by myself. It's for 
 Polly, and it's to be full of plums ; Jefferson let 
 me make it." 
 
 "Jefferson? And where is he, pray?" cried 
 Mr. King irately. " Pretty fellow, to bring you 
 down to these apartments, and then go off and 
 forget you. Jefferson ! " he called sharply, 
 " here, where are you ? " 
 
 " O, Grandpapa!" exclaimed Phronsie in dire 
 distress, " I sent him ; Jefferson didn't want to 
 go, Grandpapa dear, really and truly, he went 
 because I asked him." 
 
 "If you please, sir," began Jefferson, hurrying 
 up, "I only stepped off a bit to the cellar. 
 Bassett sent down a lot of turnips, they ain't 
 first-rate, and " 
 
 " All right," said Mr. King, cutting him short 
 with a wave of his hand, "if Miss Phronsie 
 sent you off, it's all right ; I don't want to hear 
 any more elaborate explanations."
 
 PHRONSIE'S PIE. 17 
 
 " Little Miss hasn't been alone but a few 
 minutes," said Jefferson in a worried way. 
 
 " And see," said Phronsie, turning back to 
 her efforts, while one hand grasped the old 
 gentleman's palm, " I've almost got it to look 
 like Jefferson's. Almost, haven't I ? " she asked, 
 regarding it anxiously. 
 
 "It will be the most beautiful pie," cried Mr. 
 King, a hearty enthusiasm succeeding his irri- 
 tability, " that ever was baked. I wish you'd 
 make me one sometime, Phronsie." 
 
 " Do you ? " she cried in a tremor of delight, 
 " and will you really have it on the table, and 
 cut it with Aunt Whitney's big silver knife ?" 
 
 " That I will," declared Mr. King solemnly. 
 
 " Then some day I'll come down here again, 
 Jefferson," cried Phronsie in a transport, "and 
 bake one for my dear Grandpapa. That is, if 
 this one is good. Oh ! you do suppose it will be 
 good, don't you ? " appealingly at him. 
 
 "It shall," said Jefferson stoutly, and seiz- 
 ing the rolling-pin with extreme determination.
 
 i8 PHRONSIE'S PIE. 
 
 " You want a bit more butter worked in, here," 
 a dab with skillful ringers, and a little manipula- 
 tion with the flour, a roll now and then most 
 deftly, and the paste was laid out before Phron- 
 sie. "Now, Miss, you can put it in the dish." 
 
 " But it isn't my pie," said Phronsie, and, big 
 girl as she felt herself to be, she sat back in her 
 chair, her lower lip quivering. 
 
 " Not your pie ? " repeated the cook, bringing 
 himself up straight to gaze at her. 
 
 " No," said Phronsie, shaking her yellow head 
 gravely, " it isn't my pie now, Jefferson. You 
 put in the things, and rolled it." 
 
 " Leave your fingers off from it, can't you ? " 
 cried Mr. King sharply. " Goodness ! this pie 
 isn't to have a professional touch about it. Get 
 some more flour and stuff, whatever it is you 
 make a pie of, and let her begin again. There, 
 I'll sit down and watch you ; then there'll be 
 some chance of having things straight." So he 
 drew up a chair to the side of the table, first 
 calling off Pete the scullery boy from his knives
 
 PHRONSIES PIE. 19 
 
 *o corne and wipe it off for him, and Mrs. Tucker 
 who was in kitchen dialect "Tucker," to see 
 that the boy did his work well. 
 
 "La, bless you, sir," said Tucker, bestowing 
 a final polish with her apron, " 'twas like satin 
 before, sir not a wisp of dust." 
 
 " I don't want any observations from you," 
 said the old gentleman, depositing himself in 
 the chair. " There, you can go back to your 
 work, Mrs. Tucker, and you too, Pete. Now 
 I'll see that this pie is to your liking, Phronsie." 
 
 But Phronsie still sat back in her chair, 
 thoughtfully surveying Jefferson. 
 
 " Grandpapa," she said at last slowly, " I 
 think I'd rather have the first pie, I really 
 would, Grandpapa, may I ? " She brought her 
 yellow head forward by a sudden movement, 
 and looked deep into his keen eyes. 
 
 " Bless my soul ! rather have the first pie ? " 
 repeated the old gentleman in astonishment, 
 " why, I thought you wanted to make one all 
 yourself."
 
 20 PHRONSIE S PIE. 
 
 " I think I'd rather do part of it," said Phron- 
 sie with great deliberateness, " then Polly'll like 
 it, and eat it, and I'll do yours, Grandpapa dear, 
 just as Jefferson fixed mine, all alone. Please 
 let me." She held him fast with her eyes, and 
 waited for his answer. 
 
 " So you shall ! " cried Mr. King in great sat- 
 isfaction, "make mine all alone. This one 
 would better go as it is. Put away the flour 
 and things, Jefferson ; Miss Phronsie don't want 
 them." 
 
 Phronsie gave a relieved little sigh. "And, 
 Jefferson, if you hadn't showed me how, I 
 couldn't ever in all this world make Grand- 
 papa's. Now give me the little plate, do." 
 
 "Here 'tis, Miss," said the cook, all his tremor 
 over the blunder he had made, disappearing, 
 since, after all, things were quite satisfactory. 
 And the little plate forthcoming, Phronsie 
 tucked away the paste lovingly in its depths, 
 and began the important work of concocting the 
 mixture with which the pie was to be filled, Mr.
 
 PHRONSIE S PIE. 21 
 
 King sitting by with the gravity of a statue, 
 even to the deliberate placing of each plum. 
 
 "Where's Phronsie ? " called a voice above 
 in one of the upper halls. 
 
 "Oh! she's coming, Polly is!" cried Phron- 
 sie, deserting a plum thrust in endwise in the 
 middle of the pie, to throw her little sticky 
 ringers around Jefferson's neck ; " oh ! do take off 
 my apron; and let me go. She'll see my pie ! " 
 
 " Stop ! " cried Mr. King, getting up some- 
 what stiffly to his feet, " I'll take off the apron 
 myself. There, Phronsie, there you are. Whew ! 
 how hot you keep your kitchen, Jefferson," and 
 he wiped his face. 
 
 " Now we'll run," said Phronsie softly, " and 
 not make a single bit of noise, Grandpapa dear, 
 and, Jefferson, please put on my top to the pie. 
 and don't let it burn, and I'll come down very, 
 very soon again, and bake one all alone by my- 
 self for Grandpapa." 
 
 The old gentleman kept up very well with the 
 soft patter of her feet till they reached the foot
 
 22 PHRONSIE S PIE. 
 
 of the staircase. " There, there, child," he said, 
 " there's not the least need of hurry now." 
 
 " But she will come down," said Phronsie, in 
 gentle haste pulling at his hand, " then if she 
 should see it, Grandpapa ! " 
 
 "To be sure; that would indeed be dreadful," 
 said Mr. King, getting over the stairs very cred- 
 itably. " There, here we are now. Whew ! it's 
 terribly warm in this house ! " 
 
 But there was no danger from Polly ; she was 
 at this very instant, not being able to find 
 Phronsie, hurrying off toward the library in 
 search of Mrs. Whitney. 
 
 "We want to do the very loveliest thing!" 
 she cried, rushing in, her cheeks aflame. " Oh ! 
 pray excuse me ; " she stopped short, blushing 
 scarlet. 
 
 " Don't feel badly, Polly dear," said Mrs. 
 Whitney, over in the dim light where the divan 
 was drawn up in the east window, and she held 
 out her hand and smiled ; the other lady whose 
 tete-a-tete was thus summarily disturbed was
 
 SHE PUT UP HER EYEGLAS
 
 PHRONSIES PIE. 25 
 
 elderly and very tall and angular. She put up her 
 eyeglass at the intrusion and murmured " Ah ? " 
 
 "This is Polly Pepper," said Mrs. Whitney, 
 as Polly, feeling unusually awkward and shy, 
 stumbled across the library to get within the 
 kind arms awaiting her. 
 
 " One of the children that your kindness re- 
 ceived in this house ? " said the tall lady, making 
 good use of the eyeglass. The color mounted 
 steadily on Polly's already rosy cheek, at the 
 scrutiny now going on with the greatest freedom. 
 
 "One of the dear children who make this 
 house a sunny place for us all," said Mrs. Whit- 
 ney distinctly. 
 
 " Ah ? I see. You are extremely good to 
 put it in that way." A low, well-bred laugh 
 followed this speech. Its sound irritated the 
 young girl's ear unspeakably, and the brown 
 eyes flashed, and though there was really no 
 occasion to feel what was not addressed to her, 
 Polly was quite sure she utterly disliked the 
 lady before her.
 
 26 PHRONSIE'S PIE. 
 
 " My dear Mrs. Chatterton," said Mrs. Whit- 
 ney in the gentlest of accents, " you do not 
 comprehend ; it is not possible for you to under- 
 stand how very happy we all are here. The house 
 is quite another place, I assure you, from the 
 abode you saw last before you went abroad." 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton gave another low, unpleasant 
 laugh, and this time shrugged her shoulders. 
 
 " Polly dear," said Mrs. Whitney with a smile, 
 " say good-morning to Mrs. Chatterton, and 
 then run away. I will hear your wonderful plan 
 by and by. I shall be glad to, child," she was 
 guilty of whispering in the small ear. 
 
 "Good-morning, Mrs. Chatterton," said Polly 
 slowly, the brown eyes looking steadily into the 
 travelled and somewhat seamed countenance 
 before her. 
 
 "Good-morning," and Polly found herself 
 once more across the floor, and safely out in the 
 hall, the door closed between them. 
 
 "Who is she?" she cried in an indignant 
 spasm to Jasper, who ran up, and she lifted her
 
 PHRONSIE'S PIE. 27 
 
 eyes brimming over with something quite new 
 to him. He stopped aghast. 
 
 "Who?" he cried. " O, Polly! what has 
 happened ? " 
 
 " Mrs. Chatterton. And she looked at me 
 oh! I can't tell you how she looked; as if I 
 were a bug, or a hateful worm beneath her," 
 cried Polly, quite as much aghast at herself. 
 "It makes me feel horridly, Jasper you can't 
 think." 
 
 ' "Oh! that old" He stopped, pulling him- 
 self up with quite an effort. " Has she come 
 back what brought her, pray tell, so soon ? " 
 
 " I don't know, I am sure," said Polly, laugh- 
 ing at his face. " I was only in the room a 
 moment, I think, but it seemed an age with that 
 eyeglass, and that hateful little laugh." 
 
 " Oh ! she always sticks up that thing in her 
 eye," said Jasper coolly, "and she's everlast- 
 ingly ventilating that laugh on everybody. She 
 thinks it high-bred and elegant, but it makes 
 people want to kill her for it." He looked and
 
 28 PHRONSIE'S PIE. 
 
 spoke annoyed. " To think you fell into her 
 clutches!" he added. 
 
 " Well, who is she ? " cried Polly, smoothing 
 down her ruffled feathers, when she saw the 
 effect of her news on him. " I should dearly 
 love to know." 
 
 "Cousin Algernon's wife," said Jasper briefly. 
 
 " And who is she ? " cried Polly, again experi- 
 encing a shock that this dreadful person was a 
 relative to whom due respect must be shown. 
 
 " Oh ! a cousin of father's," said Jasper. 
 " He was nice, but he's dead." 
 
 " Oh ! " said Polly. 
 
 " She's been abroad for a good half-dozen 
 years, and why she don't stay there when every- 
 body supposed she was 'going to, astonishes 
 me," said Jasper, after a moment. " Well, it 
 will not be for long, I presume, that we shall 
 have the honor; she'll be easily tired of America, 
 and take herself off again." 
 
 " She doesn't stay in this house, does she, 
 Jasper ? " cried Polly in a tone of horror.
 
 PHRONSIES PIE. 29 
 
 " No ; that is, unless she chooses to, then we 
 can't turn her off. She's a relative, you know." 
 "Hasn't she any home?" asked Polly, "or 
 any children ? " 
 
 " Home ? Yes, an estate down in Bedford 
 County Dunraven Lodge; but it's all shut 
 up, and in the hands of agents who have been 
 trying for the half-dozen years she was abroad, 
 to sell it for her. She may have come back to 
 settle down there again, there's no telling what 
 she will do. In the meantime, I fancy she'll 
 make her headquarters here," he said gloomily. 
 "O, Jasper!" exclaimed Polly, seizing his 
 arm, feeling that here was need of comfort in- 
 deed, "how very dreadful ! Don't you suppose 
 something will happen to take her away ? " 
 
 " I don't see what can," said Jasper, prolong- 
 ing the gloom to feel the comfort it brought. 
 " You see she has nobody who wants her, to 
 step in and relieve us. She has two nephews, 
 but oh ! you ought to see them fight together! " 
 " Fight ? " repeated Polly aghast.
 
 30 PHRONSIE'S PIE. 
 
 " Yes ; you can't dignify their skirmishes by 
 any other name," said Jasper, in disgust. "So 
 you see our chances for keeping her as long as 
 she condescends to stay, are really very good." 
 Polly clung to his arm in speechless dismay. 
 Meanwhile conversation fast and brisk was 
 going on between the two shut up in the library. 
 "It is greatly to your discredit, Marian," said 
 Mrs. Chatterton in a high, cold voice, " that 
 you didn't stop all this nonsense on your father's 
 part, before the thing got to such a pass as to 
 install them in this house." 
 
 " On the contrary," said Mrs. Whitney with a 
 little laugh, " I did everything I could to further 
 the plan that father wisely made." 
 
 " Wisely ! " cried Mrs. Chatterton in scorn. 
 " O, you silly child ! don't you see what it will 
 all tend to ? " 
 
 " I see that it has made us all very happy for 
 five years," said Mrs. Whitney, preserving her 
 composure, " so I presume the future doesn't 
 hold much to dread on that score."
 
 PHRONSIES PIE. 31 
 
 " The future is all you have to dread," de- 
 clared Mrs. Chatterton harshly. " The present 
 may be well enough ; though I should think 
 existence with that low, underbred family here, 
 would be a " 
 
 " You may pause just where you are, Mrs. 
 Chatterton," said Marian, still with the gentlest 
 of accents, but with a determination that made 
 the other look down at her in astonishment, 
 " not another word shall you utter in that strain, 
 nor will I listen to it." And with fine temper 
 undisturbed in her blue eyes, she regarded her 
 relative. 
 
 " Dear me, Marian ! I begin to notice your 
 age more now. You shouldn't fly into such rages ; 
 they wear on one fearfully ; and especially for a 
 stranger too, and against your own people 
 how can you ? " 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton drew out a vinaigrette, then 
 a fan from a silken bag, with clasps that she 
 was always glad to reflect were heirlooms. 
 " It's trying, I must confess," she declared,
 
 32 PHRONSIE'S PIE. 
 
 alternately applying the invigorating salts and 
 waving the combination of gauze and sandal 
 wood, "to come home to such a reception. 
 But," and a heavy sigh, " I must bear it." 
 
 "You ought to see father,". cried Mrs. Whit- 
 ney, rising. " I must go at once and tell him of 
 your arrival." 
 
 " Oh ! I don't know as I care about seeing 
 Cousin Horatio yet," said Mrs. Chatterton care- 
 lessly. " He will probably fall into one of his 
 rages, and my nerves have been upset quite 
 enough by you. I think I'll go directly to my 
 apartments." She rose also. 
 
 " Father must at once be informed of your 
 arrival," repeated Marian quietly. " I'll send 
 him in to see you." 
 
 "And I shall go to my apartments," declared 
 Mrs. Chatterton determinedly. 
 
 " Hoity-toity ! " exclaimed Mr. King's voice, 
 and in he came, with Phronsie, fresh from the 
 kitchen, clinging to his hand.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 
 
 PHRONSIE dropped one small hand by 
 her side, and stood quite still regarding 
 the visitor. 
 
 " Oh ! my goodness me," ejaculated Mrs. 
 Chatterton, startled out of her elegance, and not 
 pausing to adjust the glass, but using her two 
 good eyes to the best advantage. 
 
 " Hoity-toity ! So you are back again ! " ex- 
 claimed Mr. King by way of welcome. " Well, 
 and if I may ask, what brought you now, 
 Eunice ? " 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton gathered herself up and 
 smiled in a superior way. 
 
 " Never mind my reasons, Cousin Horatio. 
 What a fine child you have there ; " now the 
 33
 
 34 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 
 
 glass came into play ; " pray tell me all about 
 her." 
 
 " You have well said," observed Mr. King, 
 seating himself with the utmost deliberateness, 
 and drawing Phronsie to her accustomed place 
 on his knee, where she nestled, regardless of his 
 immaculate linen and fine waistcoat, " Phronsie 
 Pepper is indeed a fine child ; a very fine child, 
 Madam." 
 
 " Oh my, and oh my ! " cried Mrs. Chatterton, 
 holding up her hands, " to think that you can so 
 demean yourself ; why, she's actually mussing 
 your shirt-front with her dirty little hands ! " 
 
 " Phronsie Pepper's hands are never dirty, 
 Madam," said the old gentleman gravely. " Sit 
 still, child," as Phronsie in a state of alarm, 
 struggled to slip down from his lap, thrusting 
 the two members thus referred to, well out be- 
 fore her. 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton burst into a loud laugh. "To 
 think I have come to see Horatio King in such 
 a state ! Jasper Horatio King ! " she repeated
 
 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 35 
 
 scornfully. " I heard about it through the Bas- 
 combs letters, but I wouldn't believe it till I 
 used my eyes. It's positively dreadful ! " 
 
 Mr. King put back his head and laughed also ; 
 so heartily, that Phronsie ceased to struggle, 
 and turned to regard him in silent astonish- 
 ment ; and Mrs. Whitney, charmed that the rage 
 usually produced by conversation with Cousin 
 Algernon's wife was not forthcoming, began to 
 laugh too, so that the amusement of the tall lady 
 was quenched in the general hilarity. 
 
 " What you can find in my words to cause 
 such an unseemly outburst, I cannot see," she 
 cried in a passion. 
 
 " I'm under the impression that you led off 
 the amusement yourself," said Mr. King, wiping 
 his eyes. " Phronsie, it's all very funny, isn't 
 it ? " looking down into the little wondering face. 
 
 " Is it really funny ? " asked Phronsie. " Does 
 the lady like it ? " 
 
 " Not particularly, I suspect," said Mr. King 
 carelessly.
 
 36 COUSIN EUNICE CHAT1 ERTON. 
 
 " And that you can talk with that chit, ignor- 
 ing me, your cousin's wife, is insufferable." 
 Mrs. Chatterton now arose speedily from the 
 divan, and shook out a flounce or two with 
 great venom, " I had intended to make you 
 a visit. Now it is quite impossible." 
 
 " As you like," said the old gentleman, also 
 rising, and placing Phronsie on her feet, observ- 
 ing ostentatious care to keep her hand. " My 
 house is open to you, Eunice," with a wave 
 of his disengaged hand in old-time hospitality, 
 " but of course you must suit yourself." 
 
 " It's rather hard upon a person of sensibility, 
 to come home after a six years' absence," said 
 Cousin Eunice with a pathetic sniff, and once 
 more seeking her vinaigrette in the depths of 
 the silken bag, " to meet only coldness and 
 derision. In fact, it is very hard." 
 
 " No doubt, no doubt," said the old gentleman 
 hastily, " I can imagine such a case, but it has 
 nothing to do with you. Now, if you are going 
 to stay, Eunice, say so at once, and proceed to
 
 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 37 
 
 your room. If not, why you must go, and under- 
 stand it is no one's fault but your own." 
 
 He drew himself up, and looked long and 
 hard into the thin pale face before him. 
 Phronsie pulled at his hand. 
 
 " I want to ask the lady to stay, Grandpapa 
 dear." 
 
 " She doesn't need urging," said old Mr. King 
 quite distinctly, and not moving a muscle. 
 
 " But, Grandpapa dear, she isn't glad about 
 something." 
 
 " No more am I." 
 
 " Grandpapa," cried Phronsie, moving off a bit, 
 though not deserting his hand, and standing on 
 her tiptoes, " I want her to stay, to see me. 
 Perhaps she hasn't any little girls." 
 
 " To see you ? " cried Mr. King irately. " Say 
 no more, child, say no more. She's been abus- 
 ing you right and left, like a pickpocket." 
 
 " What is a pickpocket ? " asked Phronsie, 
 getting down from her tiptoes. 
 
 " Oh ! a scoundrel who puts his hands into
 
 38 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 
 
 pockets ; picks out what doesn't belong to him, 
 in fact." 
 
 Phronsie stood quite still, and shook her head 
 gravely at the tall figure. " That was not nice," 
 she said soberly. 
 
 " Now do you want her to stay ? " cried the 
 old gentleman. 
 
 " Insufferable !" repeated Mrs. Chatterton be- 
 tween her teeth, " to mix me up with that chit ! " 
 
 " Yes, I do," said Phronsie decidedly, " I do, 
 Grandpapa. Now I know she hasn't any little 
 girls if she had little girls, she wouldn't say 
 such very unnice things ; I want the poor lady 
 to stay with me." 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton turned and went abruptly off 
 to the door ; hesitated, and looked back. 
 
 " I see your household is in a very chaotic 
 state, Cousin Horatio. Still I will remain a few 
 days," with extreme condescension, " on con- 
 dition that these Peppers are not thrust upon 
 my attention." 
 
 " I make no conditions," said the old gentle-
 
 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 39 
 
 man coolly. " If you stay, you must accept my 
 household as you find it." 
 
 " Come, Marian," said Mrs. Chatterton, hold- 
 ing out her hand to Mrs. Whitney. " You may 
 help me up to my apartments if you like. I am 
 quite unstrung by all this," and she swept out 
 without a backward glance. 
 
 " Has she gone ? " cried Jasper, hurrying in 
 with Polly running after. " It's ' stay,' isn't it, 
 father ? " as he saw the old gentleman's face. 
 
 " Yes," said Mr. King grimly, " it is ' stay ' 
 indeed, Jasper." 
 
 " Well, now then, you've a piece of work on 
 your hands about the biggest you ever did yet, 
 Polly Pepper ! " cried Jasper, " to make things 
 comfortable in this house. I shall be just as 
 cross as can be imagined, to begin with." 
 
 " You cross ! " cried Polly. 
 
 " Cross as a bear ; Marian will fight against 
 the prevailing ill wind, but it will finally blow 
 her down to a state of depression where her 
 best friend wouldn't recognize her, and "
 
 40 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 
 
 " You don't mention me, my boy," said Mr. 
 King dryly. 
 
 Jasper looked into his father's eyes, and they 
 both laughed. 
 
 " And if you, Polly Pepper, don't keep things 
 bright, why, we shall all go to the dogs," said 
 the old gentleman, sobering down. " So mind 
 you do, and we'll try to bear Cousin Algernon's 
 relict." 
 
 "I will," said Polly stoutly, though " relict " 
 sounded very dreadful to begin with. 
 
 " Give us your hand, then," said Jasper's 
 father, putting out his palm. " There ! " releas- 
 ing it, " now I'm much more comfortable about 
 matters." 
 
 " And give me your hand, Polly," cried Jasper, 
 his own brown hand flying to meet hers. 
 " There ! and now I'm comfortable too ! So 
 it's a compact, and a sure one ! " 
 
 " And I want to give my hand," cried Phronsie, 
 very much aggrieved. " Here, Jasper." 
 
 " Bless my soul, so you must ! " cried old Mr.
 
 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 4! 
 
 King ; " to think we didn't ask you first. There 
 and there ! " 
 
 " And, Phronsie darling," cried Polly in a 
 rapture, " you must promise with me, after you 
 have with the others. I couldn't ever get along 
 in all this world without that." 
 
 So the ceremony of sealing the compact hav- 
 ing been observed with great gravity, Phronsie 
 drew a long breath, and now felt that the " poor 
 lady " might come down at any time to find all 
 things prepared for her. 
 
 " Now tell our plan," cried Jasper to Polly, 
 " and put this disagreeable business out of our 
 heads. It's a fine one," he added to his father. 
 
 " Of course it is," cried the old gentleman. 
 
 " Well, you know Joel and Davie and Van 
 and Percy are coming home from school next 
 week for the Christmas holidays," began Polly, 
 trying to still the wild beating of her heart. 
 
 " Bless me ! so they are," said Mr. King. 
 " How time flies, to be sure ! Well, go on, 
 Polly."
 
 42 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 
 
 " And we ought to do something to celebrate," 
 said Polly, " at least don't you think so ? '' she 
 asked anxiously, looking up in his face. 
 
 " To be sure I do," cried the old gentleman 
 heartily. " Well, what would you do, Polly 
 child, to show the youngsters we're proud of 
 them, and glad to get them back hey ? " 
 
 "We want to get up a little play," said Polly, 
 " Jasper and I, and act it." 
 
 " And have music," cried Jasper. " Polly 
 shall play on the piano. The boys will be so 
 delighted to see how she has improved." 
 
 "And Jasper shall play too," cried Polly 
 eagerly. " O, Jasper ! will you play that con- 
 certo, the one you played when Mary Gibbs was 
 here at tea last week ? Do, Jasper, do." 
 
 " That nearly floored me," said Jasper. 
 
 " No ; you said it was Mary's watching you 
 like a lynx you know you did," said Polly, 
 laughing merrily. 
 
 " Never mind," said the old gentleman. 
 "What next, Polly? The play is all right."
 
 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 43 
 
 " I should think it was," cried Jasper. " It's 
 the Three Dragons, and the Princess Clotilde." 
 
 "Oh! my goodness," ejaculated Mr. King, 
 " what a play for Christmas Eve ! " 
 
 " Well, you'll say it's a splendid hit ! " cried 
 Jasper, " when you see it from the private box 
 we are going to give you." 
 
 " So you are intending to honor me, are you ? " 
 cried his father, vastly pleased to find himself as 
 ever, the central figure in their plans. " Well, 
 well, I dare say it will all be as fine as can be to 
 welcome these young scapegraces home. What 
 next, Polly ? " 
 
 " It must be kept a perfect surprise," cried 
 Polly, clasping her hands while the color flew 
 over her face. " No one must even whisper it 
 to each other, the day before Christmas when 
 the boys get here, for Joel is so very dreadful 
 whenever there is a secret." 
 
 " His capacity certainly is good," said Mr. 
 King dryly. " We will all be very careful." 
 " And Phronsie is to be Princess Clotilde,"
 
 44 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 
 
 cried Jasper, seizing her suddenly, to prance 
 around the room, just like old times. 
 
 " O, Jasper ! I'm eight years old," she cried, 
 struggling to free herself. 
 
 " Nonsense ! What of it you are the baby 
 of this household." But he set her on her feet 
 nevertheless, one hand still patting the soft 
 yellow waves over her brow. " Go on, Polly, 
 do, and lay the whole magnificence before 
 father. He will be quite overcome." 
 
 "That would be disastrous," said Mr. King ; 
 " better save your effects till the grand affair 
 comes off." 
 
 "Jasper is to be one of the dragons," an- 
 nounced Polly, quite in her element, " that is, 
 the head dragon ; Ben is to be another, and 
 we haven't quite decided whether to ask Archy 
 Hurd or Clare to take the third one." 
 
 " Clare has the most ' go ' in him," said 
 Jasper critically. 
 
 " Then I think we'll decide now to ask him," 
 said Polly, " don't you, Jasper ? "
 
 ' MAKE 'EM REAL BIG LIVE ONES, DO ,
 
 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 47 
 
 " A dragon without ' go ' in him would be most 
 undesirable, I should fancy. Well, what next do 
 you propose to do, Polly ? " asked Mr. King. 
 
 " Now that we know that you will "allow us to 
 have it," cried Polly in a rapture, " why, we can 
 think up splendid things. We've only the play 
 written so far, sir." 
 
 " Polly wrote the most," said Jasper. 
 
 " O no, Jasper ! I only put in the bits," said 
 Polly. " He planned it every single bit, 
 Jasper did." 
 
 " Well, she thought up the dragons, and the 
 cave, and " 
 
 " Oh ! that was easy enough," said Polly, guilty 
 of interrupting, " because you see something 
 has to carry off the Princess Clotilde." 
 
 "O, now! you are not going to frighten my 
 little girl," cried Mr. King. " I protest against 
 the whole thing if you do," and he put out his 
 hand. " Come, Phronsie," when, as of old, she 
 hurried to his side obediently. 
 
 " Oh ! we are going to show her the boys, and
 
 48 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 
 
 how we dress them up just like dragons," cried 
 Polly, " and while they are prancing around and 
 slashing their tails at rehearsal, I'm going to 
 keep saying, ' that's nothing but Jasper and 
 Ben and Clare, you know, Phronsie,' till I get 
 her accustomed to them. You won't be fright- 
 ened, will you, pet, at those dear, sweet old 
 dragons ? " she ended and getting on her knees, 
 she looked imploringly into Phronsie's blue eyes. 
 
 " N-no," said Phronsie, slowly, " not if they 
 are really Jasper and Ben and Clare." 
 
 " They really will be," cried Polly, enchanted 
 at her success, " Jasper and Ben and Clare ; 
 and they will give you a ride, and show you a 
 cave, oh ! and perfect quantities of things ; you 
 can't think how many ! " 
 
 Phronsie clapped her hands and laughed 
 aloud in glee. 
 
 " Oh ! I don't care if they are real true dragons, 
 Polly, I don't," she cried, dreadfully excited. 
 " Make 'em real big live ones, do ; do make 
 them big, and let me ride on their backs."
 
 COUSIN EUNICE CHATTERTON. 49 
 
 " These will be just as real," said Polly com- 
 fortingly, " that is, they'll act real, only there 
 will be boys inside of them. Oh! we'll have 
 them nice, dear, don't you fear." 
 
 " But I'd really rather have true ones," sighed 
 Phronsie.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE REHEARSAL. 
 
 NOW, Phronsie," said Polly, on her knees 
 before the Princess who was slowly 
 evolving into "a thing of beauty," "do hold 
 still just a minute, dear. There," as she thrust 
 in another pin, then turned her head critically 
 to view her work, "I do hope that is right." 
 
 Phronsie sighed. " May I just stretch a wee 
 little bit, Polly," she asked timidly, "before 
 you pin it up ? Just a very little bit ? " 
 
 "To be sure you may," said Polly, looking 
 into the flushed little face ; " I'll tell you, you 
 may walk over to the window and back, once ; 
 that'll rest you and give me a chance to see 
 what is the matter with that back drapery." 
 
 So Phronsie, well pleased, gathered up the 
 5
 
 THE REHEARSAL. 51 
 
 embryo robe of the Princess and moved off, a 
 bewildering tangle of silver spangles and float- 
 ing lace, drawn over the skirt of one of Mrs. 
 Whitney's white satin gowns. 
 
 "There ought to be a dash of royal purple 
 somewhere," said Polly, sitting on the floor to 
 see her go, and resting her tired hands on her 
 knees. " Now where shall I get it, and where 
 shall I put it when I do have it ? " She wrinkled 
 up her eyebrows a moment, lost in thought over 
 the momentous problem. "Oh! I know," and 
 she sprang up exultingly. " Phronsie, won't 
 this be perfectly lovely ? we can take that piece 
 of tissue paper Auntie gave you, and I can cut 
 out little knots and sashes. It is so soft, that 
 in the gaslight they will look like silk. How 
 fine ! " 
 
 " Can't I be a Princess unless you sew up 
 that purple paper ? " asked Phronsie, pausing 
 suddenly to look over her shoulder in dismay at 
 Polly. 
 
 "Why, yes, you can be, of course," said Polly,
 
 52 THE REHEARSAL. 
 
 " but you can't be as good a one as if you had 
 a dash of royal purple about you. What's a bit 
 of tissue paper to the glory of being a Princess ? " 
 she cried, with sparkling eyes. " Dear me, I 
 wish I could be one." 
 
 " Well, you may have it, Polly," said Phronsie 
 with a sigh, "and then afterwards I'll rip it all 
 off and smooth it out, and it will be almost 
 as good as new." 
 
 " I think there won't be much left of it when 
 the play is over," cried Polly with a laugh; 
 " why, the dragons are going to carry you off to 
 their cave, you know, and you a.re to be rescued 
 by the knight, just think, Phronsie ! You can't 
 expect to have such perfectly delightful times, 
 and come out with a quantity of tissue paper all 
 safe. Something has to be sacrificed to royalty, 
 child." 
 
 Phronsie sighed again. But as Polly approved 
 of royalty so highly, she immediately lent her- 
 self to the anticipations of the pleasure before 
 her, smothering all lesser considerations.
 
 THE REHEARSAL. 
 
 53 
 
 " When you get your little silver cap on with 
 one of Auntie's diamond rings sewed in it, why, 
 you'll be too magnificent for anything," said 
 
 PRINCESS CLOTILDE. 
 
 Polly, now pulling and patting with fresh enthu- 
 siasm, since the " purple dash " was forthcoming. 
 " Princesses don't wear silver caps with dia- 
 mond rings sewed in them," observed Phronsie 
 wisely.
 
 54 
 
 THE REHEARSAL. 
 
 " Of course not ; they have diamonds by the 
 bushel, and don't need to sew rings in their caps 
 to make them sparkle," said Polly, plaiting and 
 pinning rapidly, " but in dressing up for a play, 
 we have to take a poetic license. There, turn 
 just one bit to the right, Phronsie dear." 
 
 " What's poetic license ? " demanded Phronsie, 
 wrenching her imagination off from the bushel 
 of diamonds to seize practical information. 
 
 " Oh ! when a man writes verses and says 
 things that aren't so," said Polly, her mind on 
 the many details before her. 
 
 "But he ought not to," cried Phronsie, with 
 wide eyes, " say things that are not so. I thought 
 poets were always very good, Polly." 
 
 " Oh ! well, people let him," said Polly, care- 
 lessly, " because he puts it into poetry. It would 
 never do in prose ; that would be quite shocking." 
 
 " Oh ! " said Phronsie, finding the conversation 
 some alleviation to the fitting-on process. 
 
 " Now this left side," said Polly, twisting her 
 head to obtain a good view of the point in ques-
 
 THE REHEARSAL. 55 
 
 tion, " is just right ; I couldn't do it any better 
 if I were to try a thousand times. Why won't 
 this other one behave, and fall into a pretty 
 curve, I wonder ? " 
 
 Phronsie yawned softly as the brown eyes 
 were safely behind her. 
 
 " I shall gather it up anyway, so," and Polly 
 crushed the refractory folds recklessly in one 
 hand ; "that's the way Mary Gibbs' hat trimmings 
 look, and I'm sure they're a complete success. 
 Oh! that's lovely," cried Polly, at the effect. 
 " Now that's the treatment the whole drapery 
 needs," she added in the tone of an art connois- 
 seur. " Oh ! " 
 
 A rushing noise announced the approach of 
 two or three boys, together with the barking of 
 Prince, as they all ran down the wide hall. 
 
 " O, dear, dear ! " exclaimed Polly, hurriedly 
 pulling and pinning, "there come the boys to 
 rehearse. It can't be four o'clock," as the door 
 opened and three members of the cast entered. 
 
 "It's quarter-past four," said Jasper, laughing
 
 56 THE REHEARSAL. 
 
 and pulling out his watch ; " we gave you an 
 extra fifteen minutes, as you had such a lot to 
 do. Dear me ! but you are fine, Phronsie. I make 
 my obeisance to Princess Clotilde ! " and he 
 bowed low to the little silver and white figure, 
 as did the other two boys, and then drew off to 
 witness the final touches. 
 
 " It's a most dreadful thing," cried Polly, 
 pushing back the brown waves from her brow, 
 as she also fell off to their point of view, " to 
 get up a princess. I had no idea it was such a 
 piece of work." 
 
 " You have scored an immense success," said 
 Jasper enthusiastically. " O, Phronsie ! you 
 will make the hit of the season." 
 
 " You'll think it is even much nicer when it 
 is done," said Polly, vastly relieved that Jasper 
 had given such a kind verdict. " It's to have a 
 dash of royal purple on that right side, and in 
 one of the shoulder knots, and to catch up her 
 train." 
 
 "That will be very pretty, I don't doubt,"
 
 THE REHEARSAL. 57 
 
 said Jasper, trying to resolve himself into the 
 cold critic, " but it seems to me it is almost per- 
 fect now, Polly." 
 
 " Oh ! thank you so much," she cried, with 
 blooming cheeks. " How do you like it, Clare 
 and Bensie ? " 
 
 " I can't tell," said Ben, slowly regarding the 
 Princess on all sides ; " it's so transforming." 
 
 " It's tiptop ! " cried Clare. " It out-prin- 
 cesses any princess I've ever imagined." 
 
 " Well, it's a perfect relief," said Polly, " to 
 have you boys come in. I've been working so 
 over it that I was ready to say it was horrid. 
 It's too bad, isn't it, that Dick can't be here to- 
 day to rehearse his part ? " 
 
 "To be sure," exclaimed Jasper, looking 
 around, "where is the Princess' page ?" 
 
 " He's gone to the dentist's," said Polly, 
 making a wry face. " Auntie had to make the 
 appointment for this afternoon, and we couldn't 
 
 put off the rehearsal ; Clare can't come any 
 
 
 other time, you know."
 
 58 THE REHEARSAL. 
 
 Phronsie turned an anxious face to the win- 
 dow. " I hope he's not being hurt very much," 
 she said slowly. 
 
 " I don't believe he is," Polly made haste to 
 answer most cheerfully, "it was only one tooth, 
 you know, Phronsie, to be filled. Auntie says 
 Dr. Porter told her the rest are all right." 
 
 But a cloud rested on the Princess' face. 
 " One tooth is something," she said. 
 
 " Just think how nice it will be when it is all 
 over, and Dick comes scampering in," cried 
 Jasper, with great hilarity. 
 
 " Do climb up on the sofa, Phronsie," urged 
 Polly, looking into the pale little face, " you 
 must sit down and rest a bit, you're so tired." 
 
 " I will read the prologue while she rests," 
 said Jasper. 
 
 " So you can," said Polly. " Take care, 
 child," in alarm, " you mustn't curl up in the 
 corner like that; princesses don't ever do so." 
 
 " Don't they ? " said Phronsie, flying off from 
 the lovely corner, to straighten out again into
 
 THE REHEARSAL. 59 
 
 the dignity required ; " not when they are little 
 girlsi Polly ? " 
 
 " No, indeed," said Polly, with a rescuing 
 hand among the silver spangles and lace ; " they 
 must never forget that they are princesses, 
 Phronsie. There, now, you're all right." 
 
 " Oh ! " said Phronsie, sitting quite stiffly, 
 glad if she could not be comfortable, she could 
 be a princess. 
 
 " Gentle ladies and brave sirs," began Jasper 
 in a loud impressive tone, from the temporary 
 stage, the large rug in front of the crackling 
 hearth fire. 
 
 Clare burst into a laugh. " See here now," 
 cried Jasper, brandishing his text at him, " if 
 you embarrass me like that, you may leave, you 
 old dragon ! " 
 
 " You ought to see your face," cried Clare. 
 "Jap, you are anything but a hit." 
 
 " You'll be yet," declared Jasper with a pre- 
 tended growl, and another flourish of the man- 
 uscript.
 
 60 THE REHEARSAL, 
 
 " Go on, do," implored Polly, " I think it is 
 lovely. Clare, you really ought to be ashamed," 
 and she shook her brown head severely at him. 
 
 "If I don't quench such melodrama in the 
 outset," said Clare, " he'll ruin us all. Fair 
 ladies and brave sirs," mimicking to perfection 
 Jasper's tones. 
 
 " Thank you for a hint," cried Jasper, pulling 
 out his pencil. " I didn't say ' fair ' ; that's 
 better than 'gentle.' I wish critics would always 
 be so useful as to give one good idea. Heigho ! 
 here goes again : 
 
 Fair ladies and brave sirs,. 
 
 The player's art is to amuse, 
 
 Instruct, or to confuse 
 
 By too much good advice, 
 
 But poorly given : 
 
 That no one follows, because, forsooth, 
 
 'Tis thrown at him, neck and heels. 
 
 The drama, pure and simple, is forgot 
 
 In tugging in the moral 
 
 " I thought you were going to alter ' tugging 
 in ' to something more elegant," said Polly.
 
 THE REHEARSAL. 6l 
 
 " Lugging in," suggested Clare, with another 
 laugh. 
 
 " Morals are always tugged in by the head 
 and shoulders" said Jasper. "Why not say 
 so ? " 
 
 " We should have pretty much the whole 
 anatomy of the human form divine, if you had 
 your way," cried Clare. " Listen ! 
 
 " ' Because, forsooth, 'tis thrown at him, neck 
 and heels ' and ' Tugging in the moral, head 
 and shoulders.' Now just add 'by the pricking 
 of my thumbs,' etc., and you have them all." 
 
 Jasper joined as well as Polly and Ben at the 
 prologue's expense, but Phronsie sat erect wink- 
 ing hard, her royal hands folded quite still in 
 her lap. 
 
 " You're bound for a newspaper office, my 
 boy," said Jasper at length. " How you will 
 cut into the coming poet, and maul the fledgeling 
 of the prose writer ! Well, I stand corrected. 
 
 The drama pure and simple, 
 
 Is forgot, in straining at the moral.
 
 62 THE REHEARSAL. 
 
 " Ps that any better ? " (To the audience.) 
 "Yes, I think it is," said Polly, "but I do 
 
 believe it's time to talk more elegantly, Jasper. 
 
 It is due to the people in the private boxes, you 
 
 know." 
 
 " Oh ! the boxes are to have things all right 
 
 before the play is over ; never you fear, Polly," 
 
 said Jasper. 
 
 A poor presentment, 
 
 You will say we give ; 
 
 But cry you mercy, Sirs, and 
 
 " I don't like ' cry you mercy,' " announced 
 Ben slowly, "because it don't seem to mean 
 anything." 
 
 " Oh ! don't cut that out," exclaimed Polly, 
 clasping her hands and rushing up to Ben. 
 " That's my pet phrase ; you mustn't touch that, 
 Bensie." 
 
 " But it don't mean anything," reiterated Ben 
 m a puzzled way. 
 
 "Who cares?" cried Jasper defiantly. "A 
 great many expressions that haven't the least
 
 THE REHEARSAL. 63 
 
 significance, are put in a thing of this sort. 
 Padding, you know, my dear sir." , 
 
 " Oh ! " said Ben literally, " I didn't know 
 as you needed padding. All right, if it is 
 necessary." 
 
 " It's antique and perfectly lovely, and just like 
 Shakespeare," cried Polly, viewing Ben in alarm. 
 
 " Oh ! let the Bard of Avon have one* say in 
 this production," cried Clare. "Go on, do, with 
 your ' cry you mercy.' What's next, Jap ? " 
 
 " Are you willing, Ben ? " asked Jasper, with 
 a glance at Polly. 
 
 "Ye-es," said Ben, also gazing at the rosy 
 face and anxious eyes, " it can go as padding, 
 I suppose." 
 
 " Oh ! I am so glad," exclaimed Polly in 
 glee, and dancing around the room. " And you 
 won't be sorry, I know, Bensie ; the audience 
 will applaud that very thing, I'm almost sure," 
 which made Jasper sternly resolve something 
 on the spot. 
 
 '' Well, I shall never be through at this rate,"
 
 64 THE REHEARSAL. 
 
 he said, whirling over the manuscript to find his 
 place. " Oh ! here I am : 
 
 But cry you mercy, Sirs and ladies fair, 
 We aim but to be dragons, 
 Not mortals posing for effect. 
 We have a princess, to be sure 
 
 " I should think we have," interrupted Clare 
 with a glance over at the sofa. " Goodness me, 
 she's fast asleep." 
 
 " Poor little thing, she is tired to death," 
 cried Polly remorsefully, while they all rushed 
 over to the heap of lace and spangles, blissfully 
 oblivious of " prologues." 
 
 "Do let her sleep through this piece of 
 stupidity," said Jasper, bundling up another 
 satin skirt that Mrs. Whitney had loaned for 
 Polly to make a choice from. " There," put- 
 ting it under the yellow head, "we'll call her 
 when the dragons come on." 
 
 " Take care," cried Polly, with intercepting 
 hand, "that's Auntie's lovely satin gown." 
 
 " Beg pardon," said Jasper, relinquishing it
 
 THE REHEARSAL. 65 
 
 speedily. " Here's the sofa pillow, after all," 
 dragging it from its temporary retirement under 
 the theatrical de'bris. " Now let's get back to 
 work; time is going fast." In a lowered 
 voice : 
 
 We have a princess, to be sure, 
 
 A sweet and gracious Clotilde, 
 
 And a knight who does her homage ; 
 
 But the rest of us 
 
 Are fishy, scaly, 
 
 Horny, and altogether horrid, 
 
 And of very low degree 
 
 Who scarce know why we are upon the boards, 
 
 Except for your amusement, 
 
 So prithee, 
 
 " Hold ! " cried Clare, " what stuff." 
 " Give me an inch of time," cried Jasper, hurry- 
 ing on, " and I'll end the misery : 
 
 So prithee, be amused ; 
 
 We're undone, if you are not, 
 
 And all our labor lost. 
 
 Pray laugh, and shake your sides, 
 
 And say ' 'tis good ;
 
 66 THE REHEARSAL. 
 
 I' faith, 'tis very good.' 
 
 And we shall say 
 
 ' Your intellects do you credit.' 
 
 And so we bid you a fond adieu, 
 
 And haste away to unshackle the dragons, 
 
 Who even now do roar without. 
 
 Clare threw himself into the part of the 
 dragons, and forgetful of Phronsie, gave a loud 
 roar. Polly clapped her hands and tossed an 
 imaginary bouquet as Jasper bowed himself off. 
 
 " Hush ! " said Ben, " you'll wake up Phron- 
 sie," but it was too late ; there she sat rubbing 
 her eyes in astonishment. 
 
 " Oh ! you darling," cried Polly, running over 
 to her, to clasp her in her arms, " I'm so sorry I 
 tired you all out, Phronsie dear, do forgive me." 
 
 "I'm not tired," said Phronsie, with dewy eyes. 
 " Has Jasper got through reading ? What was 
 it all about, Polly ? " 
 
 " Indeed and I have finished," he cried with a 
 yawn and throwing the manuscript on the table, 
 " and I don't know in the least what it is all 
 about, Phronsie."
 
 THE REHEARSAL. 
 
 "Just a lot of dreadful words," said Clare, over 
 in the corner, pulling at a heap of costumes or? 
 the floor. " Never mind ; the horrible spell is 
 
 "LOOK, PHRONS1E, HERE GOES IN MY HEAD." 
 
 broken ; come on, you fellows, and tumble into 
 your dragon skins ! " 
 
 With that the chief dragon deserted Phronsie, 
 and presently there resounded the rattle of the
 
 68 THE REHEARSAL. 
 
 scales, the clanking of chains, and the dragging 
 about of the rest of their paraphernalia. 
 
 " Now, Phronsie," said Jasper, coming back, 
 half-vvithin his dragon skin, and gesticulating, 
 " you see that it's only I in this thing. Look, 
 dear ! here goes in my head," and he pulled on 
 the scaly covering, observing great care to smile 
 reassuringly the last thing before his countenance 
 was obscured. 
 
 Phronsie screamed with delight and clapped 
 her hands. " O, Jasper ! let me have one on, 
 do, Jasper ! I'd much rather be a dragon than 
 a princess. Really and truly I would, Jasper." 
 
 " I don't agree with you," said Jasper, in a 
 muffled voice. " Phew ! this is no end stuffy, 
 fellows. I can't stand it long." 
 
 " I'm all coming to pieces," said Ben, turning 
 around to regard his back where the scales 
 yawned fearfully. 
 
 " I'll run and ask Mamsie to come and sew 
 you up," cried Polly, flying off. " She said she 
 would help, if we wanted her."
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 WELCOME HOME ! 
 
 MARIAN," said old Mr. King, putting his 
 head in at the door of her little writ- 
 ing-room, " can't you get her comfortably out of 
 the way this morning ? I want your services 
 without interruption." 
 
 " She's going down to Pinaud's," said Mrs. 
 Whitney, looking up from the note she was 
 writing. 
 
 " Capital ! when she once gets there, she'll 
 stay the morning," declared Mr. King, greatly- 
 pleased. " Now, then, after she's cleverly off, 
 you may come to me." 
 
 " I will, father," said Marian, going back with 
 a smile to her correspondence. 
 
 Half an hour later Thomas, with the aid of 
 69
 
 70 WELCOME HOME ! 
 
 the horses and the shopping coupd having car- 
 ried off Mrs. Chatterton, Mrs. Whitney pushed 
 aside her notes, and ran down to her father's 
 study. 
 
 She found him in his velvet morning-gown 
 seated before his table, busy with a good-sized 
 list of names that was rapidly growing longer 
 under his pen. 
 
 " Oh ! I forgot," he said, looking up ; "I 
 intended to tell you to bring some of your 
 cards and envelopes. I want some invitations 
 written." 
 
 " Are you going to give a dinner ? " asked 
 Marian, looking over his shoulder. " O, no ! I 
 see by the length of your list it's an evening 
 affair, or a musicale." 
 
 " You run along, daughter," said the old gentle- 
 man, " and get what I tell you. This is my affair ; 
 it's a musicale and something else combined. I 
 don't just know myself." And he laughed at 
 the sight of her face. 
 
 "If father is only pleased, I don't care what
 
 WELCOME HOME! 71 
 
 it is," said Mrs. Whitney to herself, hurrying 
 over the stairs and back again, never once 
 thinking of Polly's and Jasper's surprise for 
 the boys. 
 
 "You see, Marian," said Mr. King as she 
 sat down by the table and laid the cards and 
 envelopes in front of him, " that I'm going to 
 help out that affair that Jasper and Polly are 
 getting up." 
 
 " O, father! how good of you!" exclaimed 
 Mrs. Whitney in a delighted tone, which im- 
 mensely pleased the old gentleman, to begin 
 with. 
 
 " They've been working very hard, those two, 
 at their studies this autumn. I've seen them," 
 cried Mr. King, with a shrewd air, "and I'm 
 going now to give them a little pleasure." 
 
 Marian said nothing, but let him have the 
 comfort of doing all the talking, which he now 
 enjoyed to his heart's content. 
 
 " Whether the other chaps have done well, I 
 don't know. Davie may have kept at it, but
 
 72 WELCOME HOME! 
 
 I suspect the rest of the boys haven't killed 
 themselves with hard study. But they shall 
 have a good home-coming, at any rate." 
 
 Mrs. Whitney smiled, and he proceeded : 
 
 " Now I'm going to send out these invitations " 
 he pushed the list toward her " I shall have 
 the drawing-room and music-room floors covered, 
 and all extra seats arranged, give Turner carte 
 blanche as to flowers, if he can't furnish enough 
 out of our own conservatories and the evening 
 will end with a handsome ' spread/ as Jasper calls 
 it. In short, I shall recognize their attempt to 
 make it pleasant for the boys' holiday, by help- 
 ing them out on the affair all I can." The old 
 gentleman now leaned back in his big chair and 
 studied his daughter's face. 
 
 " And you'll never regret it, father," she cried, 
 with an enthusiasm that satisfied him, " for these 
 young people will all repay you a thousand-fold, 
 I do believe, in the time to come," 
 
 "Don't I know it?" cried Mr. King, getting 
 out of his chair hastily to pace the floor. " Good-
 
 WELCOME HOME ! 73 
 
 ness me ! they repay me already. They're fine 
 young things, every one of them Whitneys, 
 Peppers and my boy as fine as they are 
 made. And whoever says they're not, don't 
 know a good piece of work when it's before his 
 eyes. Bless me ! " pulling out his handkerchief 
 to mop his face violently, " I don't want to see 
 any finer." 
 
 " I hope I shall have a sight of Jasper's and 
 Polly's faces when you tell them what you intend 
 to do," said Mrs. Whitney ; " where are your 
 cards, father ? " 
 
 "Tell them ? I sha'n't tell them at all," cried 
 the old gentleman ; " I'm going to have a sur- 
 prise, too. No one must know it but you and 
 Mrs. Pepper." 
 
 " Oh ! " said Mrs. Whitney. " It was very 
 stupid in me not to understand that. It will 
 be all right, father ; Mrs. Pepper and I will 
 keep our secret, you needn't fear." 
 
 " If you can only keep her out of the way," 
 exclaimed Mr. King, pointing irascibly in the
 
 74 WELCOME HOME! 
 
 direction of Mrs. Chatteron's apartments, " all 
 will be well. But I doubt if you can ; her 
 meddlesome ears and tongue will be at work as 
 usual," he added in extreme vexation. 
 
 " Here comes Jasper," exclaimed Mrs. Whit- 
 ney, which had the satisfactory result of bring- 
 ing her father out of his irritation, into a flut- 
 ter over the concealment of the party prepa- 
 rations. 
 
 " Jasper," cried Polly that evening, as they 
 ran into the music-room to play a duet, "we're 
 all right about everything now, as your father 
 says we may invite the girls and your friends." 
 
 " And he said when I asked him if we ought 
 not to have cake and coffee, ' I'll attend to that,' " 
 said Jasper, " so everything is all straight as far 
 as I can see, Polly." 
 
 " The private boxes trouble me, I must con- 
 fess," said Polly, drumming absently on the 
 keys, while Jasper spread the sheet of music 
 on the rack. " You know there must be two ; 
 one for dear Mr. King, and one for the boys as
 
 WELCOME HOME! 75 
 
 guests of honor. Now how shall we manage 
 them ? " 
 
 She took her hand off suddenly from the keys 
 and folded it over its fellow on her knee, to 
 study his face anxiously. 
 
 " It's pretty hard to get them up, that's a 
 fact," said Jasper truthfully, " but then, you 
 know, Polly, we've always found that when a 
 thing had to be done, it was done. You know 
 the little brown house taught us that." 
 
 " So it did," said Polly, brightening up. " Dear 
 little old brown house, how could I ever forget it ! 
 Well, I suppose," with a sigh, " it will come to us 
 as an inspiration when it's time to fix them." 
 
 " I suppose so too," said Mrs. Pepper, passing 
 the door, as usual with her mending basket, " and 
 when two people start to play a duet, I think they 
 much better put their minds on that, and not 
 waste precious time on all sorts of questions 
 that will take care of themselves when the time 
 comes." 
 
 " You are right, Mrs. Pepper," cried Jasper
 
 76 WELCOME HOME! 
 
 with a laugh, and seating himself before the 
 piano. " Come, Polly ! " 
 
 " Mamsie is always right, isn't she, Jasper ? " 
 cried Polly with pride, putting her hands down 
 for the first chords. 
 
 " Indeed she is," responded the boy heartily. 
 " Here now, Polly, remember, you slipped up a 
 bit on that first bar. Now." 
 
 The twenty-first of December came all too 
 soon for Polly and Jasper, whose school duties 
 had engrossed them till two days before, but 
 after hard work getting up the stage proper- 
 ties, and the many rehearsals, everything was 
 at last pronounced ready, the drawing-room 
 and music-room locked, the keys given to Mrs. 
 Whitney who promised faithfully to see that 
 no one peeped in who should not, and Polly 
 hurried into her hat and jacket, to go to the 
 station with Jasper to meet the boys. 
 
 Thomas drove furiously, as they were a bit 
 late, and they arrived only a minute before the 
 train puffed in.
 
 WELCOME HOME ! 77 
 
 " Here they are ! " cried Polly, and " Here 
 they are ! " cried Jasper, together, in great 
 excitement, on the platform. 
 
 " Halloo, Polly ! " cried Joel, prancing out of 
 the car first, and " How d'ye do, Polly ? " as 
 they all hurried after. " Halloo, Jasper ! " 
 
 " O, Polly ! it's good to see you ! " This from 
 Davie, not ashamed to set a kiss on her red 
 lips. 
 
 Van and Percy looked as if they wanted to, 
 but contented themselves with wringing her hand 
 nearly off, while Joel declared he would look 
 after the luggage. 
 
 " No, I will," cried Van, dropping Polly's 
 hand. 
 
 " You forget," said Percy quietly, " I hold the 
 checks, "I'll attend to it myself." He unclosed 
 his brown traveling glove, and Van, at sight of 
 them, turned back. 
 
 "Go along, do, then," he cried ; " I don't want 
 to, I'm sure, I'd much rather stay with Polly. 
 How d'ye do, Thomas ? " he called carelessly
 
 78 WELCOME HOME ! 
 
 to the coachman on his box who was continually 
 touching his hat and indulging in broad smiles 
 of content. 
 
 Polly was tiptoeing in very delight, holding 
 Davie's hand closely while her eyes roved from 
 one to the other of the boys, and her tongue ran 
 fast indeed. A group of girls, who had also come 
 down to the station to meet friends, stopped a 
 bit as they came laughing and chatting by. 
 
 " How d'ye, boys ? " they said carelessly to 
 the three home-comers. " O, Polly ! won't it 
 be entrancing to-night ? " cried one of them, 
 seizing her arm as she spoke. 
 
 " Hush ! " said Polly, as she tried to stop her. 
 
 " May I bring Elsie Fay ? she's come on the 
 train to stay over Christmas with her aunt. 
 May I, Polly ? " begged another girl eagerly. 
 
 " Yes, yes," said Polly in a paroxysm of fear 
 lest Joel, who was crowding up between them, 
 should catch a word; "do be still," she whis- 
 pered. " Bring anybody, only stop, Alexia." 
 
 " He won't hear," said Alexia carelessly ;
 
 WELCOME HOME! 79 
 
 " that boy don't mind our talking ; his head's 
 full of skating and coasting." 
 
 "You're going to have something to-night 
 that you don't want me to know about," de- 
 clared Joel, his chubby face set defiantly, and 
 crowding closer; "so there ; now I'm going to 
 find out what it is." 
 
 " If we don't want you to know, you ought 
 not to try to find out, Joel Pepper," cried 
 Alexia. "And you sha'n't, either." 
 
 " There, now you see," cried Polly, unable to 
 keep still, while her face grew red too. " O, 
 dear ! what shall we do ? " 
 
 "You are you are," cried Joel, capering up 
 and down the platform, his black eyes shining 
 with delight. " Now I know for certain, and 
 it's at our house, too, for you asked Polly if you 
 might bring some other girl, Elsie somebody 
 or other, so ! Oh ! I'll soon know." 
 
 "Joel," exclaimed Jasper suddenly, clapping 
 him on the shoulder, "I'm going round to the 
 gymnasium ; want to go with me ? "
 
 80 WELCOME HOME! 
 
 Joel stopped his capering at once, this new 
 idea thrusting out the old one. 
 
 " Don't I, though ! " he cried, with a nod at 
 Polly and her friends. "But I'll find out when 
 I do get home," the nod declared plainly. 
 
 But Jasper also nodded. His said, " He won't 
 get home till late; depend on me." And then 
 "Come on, Jo," he cried; "I'm going to walk," 
 and they were off. 
 
 Alexia pinched Polly's gray woollen jacket 
 sleeve convulsively. " What an escape," she 
 breathed. 
 
 " Here comes Percy," cried Polly nervously, 
 and she broke away from her and the other 
 giris, and ran to meet him, the two boys fol- 
 lowing. 
 
 " Where's Jasper ? " asked Percy, rendered 
 quite important in air and step, from his en- 
 counter with the baggage officials. 
 
 " Oh ! he isn't going home with us," said Polly. 
 " Come, do let us get in," and she scampered off 
 to the carriage and climbed within.
 
 ' O, FELICIE 1 I DON'T WANT THAT DRESS.'
 
 WELCOME HOME ! 83 
 
 " That's funny," said Percy, jumping in after. 
 
 Van opened his lips to tell where Jasper had 
 gone, but remembering Percy's delight in such 
 an expedition, he closed them quickly, and added 
 himself to the company in the carriage. Davie 
 followed, and closed the door quickly. 
 
 " Stop ! where's Joel ? " asked Percy. "Thomas, 
 we've forgotten Joe," rapping on the glass to the 
 coachman. 
 
 " No, we haven't ; he isn't going to drive," 
 said Polly. 
 
 " Oh ! " and Percy, thinking that Joel had 
 stolen a march on them on his good strong 
 legs, now cried lustily, " Go on, Thomas ; get 
 ahead as fast as you can," and presently he was 
 lost in the babel of laughter and chatter going 
 on in the coach. 
 
 " I've a piece of news," presently cried Van 
 in a lull. " Davie's bringing home a prize; first 
 in classics, you know." 
 
 " O, Davie ! " screamed Polly, and she leaned 
 over to throw her arms around him ; " Manisie
 
 84 WELCOME HOME ! 
 
 will be so glad. Davie, you can't think how glad 
 she'll be ! " 
 
 Davie's brown cheek glowed. " It isn't much," 
 he said simply, " there were so many prizes given 
 out." 
 
 " Well, you've taken one," cried Polly, saying 
 the blissful words over and over. " How per- 
 fectly elegant ! " 
 
 Van drummed on the carriage window dis- 
 contentedly. " I could have taken one if I'd 
 had the mind to." 
 
 " Hoh-oh ! " shouted Percy over in his corner. 
 " Well, you didn't have the mind ; that's what 
 was wanting." 
 
 "You keep still," cried Van, flaming up, and 
 whirling away from his window. " You didn't 
 take any, either. Polly, his head was under 
 water all the time, unless some of the boys 
 tugged him along every day. We hardly got 
 him home at all." 
 
 " No such thing," contradicted Percy flatly, 
 his face growing red. " Polly, he tells perfectly
 
 WELCOME HOME! 85 
 
 awful yarns. You mustn't believe him, Polly. 
 You won't, will you ? " He leaned over appeal- 
 ingly toward her. 
 
 " Oh ! don't, don't," cried Polly quite dismayed, 
 " talk so to each other." 
 
 "Well, he's so hateful," cried Van, "and the 
 airs he gives himself ! I can't stand them, 
 Polly, you know " 
 
 " And he's just as mean," cried Percy vin- 
 dictively. " Oh ! you can't think, Polly. Here 
 we are," as Thomas gave a grand flourish through 
 the stone gateway, and up to the steps. 
 " I'll help you out," and he sprang out first. 
 
 " No, I will," declared Van, opening the door 
 on the other side, jumping out and running 
 around the carriage. " Here, Polly, take my 
 hand, do." 
 
 " No, I got here first," said Percy eagerly, 
 his brown glove extended quite beyond Van's 
 hand. 
 
 " I don't want any o*ne to help me, who speaks 
 so to his brother," said Polly in a low voice, and
 
 86 WELCOME HOME ! 
 
 with her most superb air stepping down alone, 
 she ran up the steps to leave them staring in 
 each other's faces. 
 
 Here everybody came hurrying out to the 
 porch, and they were soon drawn into the warm 
 loving welcome awaiting them. 
 
 " O, Felicie ! I don't want that dress," said 
 Polly as she ran into her room after dinner, to 
 Mrs. Whitney's French maid, " I'm going to 
 wear my brown cashmere." 
 
 " O, Mademoiselle ! " remonstrated Fdlicie, 
 adjusting the ruffle in the neck of the white 
 nun's veiling over her arm. 
 
 "O, no, Polly! I wouldn't," began Mrs. 
 Pepper, coming in, " the white one is better 
 for to-night." 
 
 " Mamsie ! " cried Poll)', breaking away from 
 the mirror where she was pulling into place the 
 bright brown waves over her forehead, " how 
 lovely ! you've put on your black silk ; and your 
 hair is just beautiful ! " 
 
 " Madame has ze fine hair," said Fe'licie,
 
 WELCOME HOME! 87 
 
 " only I wish zee would gif it to me to pre- 
 paire." 
 
 " Yes, I have good hair," said Mrs. Pepper, 
 " and I'm thankful for it. No one looks dressed 
 up, in my opinion, with a ragged head. The 
 finer the gown, it makes careless hair look 
 worse. No, Polly, I wouldn't wear the brown 
 dress to-night." 
 
 " Why, Mamsie ! " exclaimed Polly in surprise, 
 " I thought you'd say it was just the thing when 
 only the girls and Jappy's friends are coming 
 to the play. Besides, I don't want to look too 
 dressed up; the Princess ought to be the only 
 one in a white gown." 
 
 " You won't be too conspicuous," said her 
 mother; adding slowly, "you might wear the 
 nun's veiling well enough as you haven't any 
 part in the play, Polly," and she scanned the 
 rosy face keenly. 
 
 " I don't want any part," cried Polly ; " they 
 all play better than I do. Somebody must see 
 that everything goes off well behind the scenes ;
 
 38 WELCOME HOME! 
 
 that's my place, Mamsie. Besides, you forget 
 I am to play my sonata." 
 
 "I don't forget," said her mother; "all the 
 more reason you should wear the white gown, 
 then." 
 
 " All right," cried Polly, merrily dashing across 
 the room to Felicie, " put it over my head, do. 
 Well, I'm glad you think it is right to wear it, 
 Mamsie," as the soft folds fell around her. " I 
 just love this dress. O, Auntie ! how perfectly 
 exquisite ! " 
 
 Mrs. Whitney came in smilingly and put a kiss 
 on the tall girl's cheek. "Do I look nicely?" 
 she asked naively, turning around under the 
 chandelier. 
 
 "Nicely?" exclaimed Polly, lifting her hands, 
 " why, you are fresh from fairyland. You are so 
 good to put on that lovely blue moire' and your 
 diamond cross, just for the boys and girls." 
 
 " I am glad you like it," said Mrs. Whitney 
 hastily. " Now, Polly, don't you worry about 
 anything; I'll see that the last things are done."
 
 WELCOME HOME! 89 
 
 " Well, I am worrying," confessed Polly, quite 
 in a tremble ; " I must see to one corner of the 
 private box for the boys. You know the last 
 India shawl you lent me wasn't pinned up 
 straight and I couldn't fix it, for Van wanted 
 me just then, and I couldn't get away without 
 his suspecting something. O, Auntie ! if you 
 would see to that." 
 
 " I will," said Mrs. Whitney, not daring to 
 look at Mrs. Pepper, "and to all the other 
 things ; don't give a thought to them, Polly." 
 
 " How good you are," cried Polly with a sigh 
 of relief. " O, Auntie ! we couldn't do anything 
 without you." 
 
 " And you don't need to go into the drawing- 
 room at all," said Mrs. Whitney, going to the 
 door. " Just keep behind the scenes, and get 
 your actors and Phronsie ready, and your mother 
 and I will receive your friends. Come, Mrs. 
 Pepper." 
 
 "That is splendid," cried Polly, left behind 
 with the maid, "now I can get ready without
 
 90 WELCOME HOME! 
 
 flying into a flurry, Felicie ; and then for 
 Phronsie and the rest ! " 
 
 "There is a dreadful commotion in there 
 among the audience," said Jasper, out in the 
 green room ; " I imagine every one who had an 
 'invite,' has come. But I don't see how they 
 can make such a noise." 
 
 " Oh ! a few girls and boys make just about 
 as much confusion as a good many," observed 
 Polly. "Jasper, wouldn't you like to see Joel's 
 eyes when Aunt Whitney leads him into the pri- 
 vate box ? " she allowed herself time to exclaim. 
 
 " Yes," laughed Jasper, pulling out his watch 
 from beneath his dragon-skin ; " well, we have 
 only five minutes more, Polly. We must have 
 the curtain up sharp." 
 
 " O, dear, dear ! " cried Polly, flying here and 
 there to bestow last touches on the different 
 members of her cast. " Now, Clare, you must 
 remember not to give such a shriek when you 
 go on, mustn't he, Jappy ? Just a dull, sullen 
 roar, your part is."
 
 WELCOME HOME! 93 
 
 "Well, I'm nearly dead under here," cried 
 Clare, glaring beneath his dragon face. "I'll 
 shriek, or roar, just as I like, so ! " 
 
 " Very well," said Polly, " I don't know but 
 it's as well, after all, that you are cross ; you'll 
 be more effective," she added coolly. "Let me 
 see oh ! the door of the cave wants a bit more 
 of gray moss ; it looks thin where it hangs over. 
 You get it, will you, Hannah ? " to one of the 
 maids who was helping. 
 
 " And just one thing more," scanning hastily 
 the stage setting, " another Chinese lantern is 
 needed right here," going toward the front of the 
 stage, " and that green bush is tumbling over ; 
 do set it straight, somebody ; there now, I 
 believe everything is all ready. Now let us 
 peep out of the curtain, and get one good look 
 at the audience. Come, Phronsie, here's a fine 
 place ; come, boys ! " 
 
 The different members of the cast now applied 
 their eyes to as many cracks in the curtain as 
 ' could be hastily managed.
 
 94 WELCOME HOME ! 
 
 There was a breathing space. 
 
 " What, what ? " cried Polly, gazing into the 
 sea of faces, and the dragons nearly knocked 
 the Princess over as Mr. King gave the signal 
 for the band stationed in the wide hall, to send 
 out their merriest strains.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 AFTER THE PLAY. 
 
 IT was all over. Phronsie had been swept 
 off, a vision of loveliness, to the cave ; the 
 dragons had roared their loudest, and the gal- 
 lant knight had covered himself with glory in 
 the brilliant rescue of the Princess ; the little 
 page had won the hearts of all the ladies ; Mr. 
 King had applauded himself hoarse, especially 
 during the delivery of the prologue, when " I cry 
 you mercy, sirs, and ladies fair," rang out; the 
 musical efforts of Polly and Jasper in the "Wait" 
 between the two acts were over, and the crowded 
 house in every way possible, had expressed itself 
 delighted with all things from beginning to end. 
 " Phronsie, Phronsie, they're calling you," whis- 
 pered Polly excitedly, out in the green room. 
 95
 
 96 AFTER THE PLAY. 
 
 " Come, Princess." The head dragon held out 
 his hand. " Hurry, dear ! See, the flowers ! " 
 
 "They can't be for me," said Phronsie, stand- 
 ing quite still ; " Polly has done all the work ; 
 they're hers." 
 
 " Nonsense, child ! " cried Polly, giving her 
 a gentle push forward. "Go on, and take 
 them." 
 
 " Polly, you come too," begged Phronsie, refus- 
 ing to stir, and holding her by the gown. 
 
 " I can't, Phronsie," cried Polly in distress ; 
 " don't you see they haven't called me. Go on, 
 child, if you love me," she implored. 
 
 Phronsie, not being able to resist this, dropped 
 Polly's gown, and floated before the foot-lights. 
 
 " Thank you," she said, bowing gravely to the 
 sea of faces, as her hands were filled with roses, 
 " but I shall give these to Polly, because we 
 couldn't any of us have done it without her." 
 And so she brought them back to put into dis- 
 mayed Polly's lap. 
 
 " The authors the authors of the play ! "
 
 AFTER THE PLAY. 97 
 
 cried a strong voice, privately urged on by Mr. 
 King. 
 
 " There, now's your turn," cried Clare to 
 Polly. " And go ahead, old dragon," to Jasper, 
 " make your prettiest bow." 
 
 So the chief dragon led up blushing Polly to 
 the front of the stage, to hear a neat little speech 
 from Mr. Alstyne, thanking them for the pleasure 
 of the evening and congratulating them on its 
 success ; and the band played again, the camp 
 chairs were folded up and removed, the green- 
 room and stage were deserted, and actors and 
 audience mingled in a gay, confusing throng. 
 
 Phronsie, in her little silver and white gown 
 and gleaming cap, began to wander among the 
 guests, unconscious that she had not on the red 
 cashmere dress she had worn all day. Groups 
 stopped their conversation to take her into their 
 midst, passing her on at last as one might hand 
 over a precious parcel to the next waiting hands. 
 Polly, seeing that she was well cared for, gave 
 herself up to the enjoyment of the evening.
 
 98 AFTER THE PLAY. 
 
 " Well, sir, how did you like it ? " asked 
 Jasper, with a small pat on Joel's back. 
 
 " Well enough," said Joel, " but why didn't 
 you make more of it ? You could have crawled 
 up on top of the cave, and slashed around there ; 
 and you old dragons were just three muffs in the 
 last act. I'd rather have had Polly in the play ; 
 she's twice the ' go ' in her." 
 
 " So would we all have preferred Polly," cried 
 Jasper, bursting into a laugh, "but she wouldn't 
 act she directed everything ; she was all the 
 play, in fact." 
 
 Polly meanwhile was saying to Pickering 
 Dodge, "No, not to-night; you must dance with 
 one of the other girls." 
 
 " But I don't choose to dance with anybody 
 but you," said Pickering, holding out his hand. 
 " Come, Polly, you can't refuse ; they're forming 
 the Lancers. Hurry?" 
 
 Polly's feet twitched nervously under her white 
 gown, and she longed more than ever after the 
 excitement she had passed through, to lose her-
 
 AFTER THE PLAY. 99 
 
 self in the witching music, and the mazy dance. 
 She hesitated a bit, but just then glancing across 
 the room, " Come," she said, " I want you to 
 dance with Ray Simmons. You can't refuse," 
 using his own words ; and before he was con- 
 scious how it was done,- he was by Ray's side, 
 and asking for the pleasure of the dance. 
 
 Polly stood quite still and saw them go away 
 and take the last places in the set, and a sorry 
 little droop fell upon the curves of the laughing 
 mouth. She was very tired, and the elation 
 that had possessed her over the success of the 
 evening was fast dropping out, now that every- 
 body was enjoying themselves in their own way, 
 leaving her alone. She felt left out in the cold ; 
 and though she fought against it, a faint feeling 
 of regret stole over her for what she had done. 
 She almost wished she was standing there by 
 the side of Pickering Dodge, one of the bright 
 group on whom the eyes of the older people 
 were all turned, as they waited for the first 
 figure to begin.
 
 100 AFTER THE FLAY. 
 
 " Well, Polly" it was Mr. Alstyne who spoke, 
 and he acted as if he had come to stay by her 
 side " you've covered yourself with glory this 
 evening." 
 
 " Have I, sir?" asked Polly absently, wishing 
 there had been less of the glory, and a little more 
 fun. 
 
 "Yes, indeed," said Mr. Alstyne, his keen 
 eyes searching her face. " Well, now, Polly, your 
 dragons, although not exactly like any living 
 ones extant, make me think of some I saw at 
 the Zoo, in London. Do you want me to tell 
 you how ? " 
 
 " Oh ! if you please," cried Polly, her color 
 coming back, and beginning to forget the dance 
 and the dancers. 
 
 " Let us sit down here, then," said Mr. Alstyne, 
 drawing her off to two chairs in a corner, " and 
 you shall have the tale. No pun, Polly, you 
 know." And he plunged into it at once. 
 
 " Yes, Alstyne has her all right," Mr. King 
 was saying at the further end of the drawing-
 
 AFTER THE PLAY. IO1 
 
 room to Mrs. Pepper ; he spied the whole thing ; 
 " he'll take care of her, you may depend." 
 
 And two more people had seen ; one was 
 Jasper. Nevertheless his partner, Alexia Rhys, 
 thought it necessary to enlighten him. 
 
 " Just think, Polly's given up her chance with 
 the best dancer in the room, and sent Pickering 
 Dodge off with that horrid Ray Simmons" 
 
 Jasper pretended not to hear. " This is our 
 figure," he said hastily, and they whirled off, 
 finished it, and were back again. 
 
 " Isn't she a goose ? " as he fanned her, and 
 tried to introduce another subject. 
 
 " I suppose she best pleases herself," said the 
 boy indifferently. " Why should any one else 
 interfere in the matter ? " 
 
 " But some one else ought to interfere," cried 
 Alexia, with a little pout, provoked at his indif- 
 ference ; "that's just the way she does in school 
 all the time. Oh ! I'm vexed at her, I can tell 
 you. She's so silly dear me, it's our turn 
 again."
 
 102 AFTER THE PLAY. 
 
 By the next interim she had forgotten all 
 about Polly and whether she was having a nice 
 time or the stupidest one imaginable, for Joel, 
 who held dancing in great contempt, sauntered 
 up. 
 
 " Aren't you glad now that you didn't find 
 out about the secret ? " cried Alexia radiantly. 
 "Oh ! you are such a nuisance, Joey," she added 
 frankly. 
 
 " Phooh ! " exclaimed Joel, " it wasn't worth 
 finding out, that old secret. But it's as good as 
 girls ever get up," he finished with a supercilious 
 air. 
 
 " It was a perfectly splendid play ! " cried 
 Alexia, " and much too good for a lot of boys. 
 Goodness, Joey, I wouldn't celebrate if you four 
 were coming home from school to our house. 
 I'd have the jollification the night before you 
 went back." 
 
 " I wouldn't go home if 'twas to your house," 
 declared Joel with equal candor. " I'd run off 
 to sea, first."
 
 AFTER THE PLAY. 103 
 
 "Come, ome, you two, stop sparring," cried 
 Jasper, holding out his hand ; " it's our turn 
 again, Alexia. Joe, take yourself off." 
 
 Alexia flashing Joel a bright, making-up smile, 
 dashed off into the figure. 
 
 " Good-by," said Joel with a smile as cheery, 
 for he really liked her the best of all Polly's girl 
 friends. 
 
 After the dance, supper was announced, and 
 everybody marched out to the supper room ; 
 the dancers with their partners following. 
 
 "Will you allow me?" Mr. Alstyne seeing 
 the movement, got out of his chair and offered 
 his arm to Polly with a courtly bow. 
 
 " Oh ! don't think of me, sir," she began, 
 blushing very hard. " Joel will look out for 
 me." 
 
 " I much prefer waiting upon Miss Polly 
 Pepper to any other lady in the room," said 
 Mr. Alstyne, with another bow, courtlier than 
 the first, " since Mrs. Alstyne is provided for. 
 See, Polly, Mr. King is taking her out. And
 
 104 
 
 AFTER THE PLAY. 
 
 your mother has her cavalier, in Mr. Cabot ; 
 and Mrs. Whitney has already gone out with 
 
 JOEL WAS CHATTING AWAY TO A PRETTY LITTLE 
 CREATURE. 
 
 Mr. Fairfax. So if you don't accept my ser- 
 vices, I shall be entirely left out in the cold."
 
 AFTER THE PLAY. 105 
 
 He stood offering her his arm, and Polly, laugh- 
 ing merrily, put her hand within it. 
 
 " It's very good of you, sir," she said simply, 
 as they fell into step and joined the procession. 
 
 "I'm afraid if you had trusted to Joel's tender 
 mercies, you would have fared hardly," said Mr. 
 Alstyne, laughing. " Look, Polly, over yonder in 
 the corner." They were just passing into the 
 supper room, and now caught sight of Joel 
 chatting away to a very pretty little creature, 
 in blue and white, as busily and unconcernedly 
 as if he had done that sort of thing for years. 
 
 " Why ! " cried Polly quite aghast, " that can't 
 be Joel. He just hates girls, you know, Mr. 
 Alstyne, and never goes to parties." 
 
 " He seems to be able to endure it all very 
 well to-night," said her companion dryly. " Shall 
 I get you an ice, Miss Polly ? " 
 
 "Yes, thank you," said Polly absently, not 
 being able to take her eyes off from Joel and 
 his friend. At last, by the force of attraction, 
 he turned and looked at her. But instead of
 
 106 AFTER THE PLAY. 
 
 showing self-consciousness, his round eyes sur- 
 veyed her coolly, while he went on talking and 
 laughing with the little blue-and-white thing. 
 
 " Polly, Polly," exclaimed Alexia Rhys, hurry- 
 ing up, while Jasper was storming the supper 
 table for her, " do look at Joel Pepper ! He 
 actually brought in a girl to supper !" 
 
 "I see," said Polly, gazing at the two in a 
 fascinated way. 
 
 "On the other hand," said Alexia, sending 
 swift, bird-like glances around the supper room, 
 "there are Van and Percy moping off by them- 
 selves as if they hadn't a friend in the world. 
 What a pity; they used to be so lively at 
 parties." 
 
 Polly wrenched her gaze away from the aston- 
 ishing sight on which it had been fixed, and 
 following Alexia's glance, took a keen look over 
 at the young Whitneys. " Oh ! oh ! I must go 
 to them," she cried remorsefully. " Tell Mr. 
 Alstyne, please, when he comes back, where I 
 am." and without another word she dashed back
 
 AFTER THE PLAY. 107 
 
 of some gaily dressed ladies just entering the 
 supper room, and was out of the door. 
 
 " If I ever did ! " cried Alexia irritably to her- 
 self, " see anything so queer ! Now she thinks 
 she must race after those boys, I wish I'd kept 
 still. Jasper, she's just as funny as ever," as he 
 came up with a plate of salad, and some oysters. 
 
 " Who ? " said the boy ; " is this right, 
 Alexia?" offering the plate. 
 
 "Why, Polly," said Alexia; "yes, that's 
 lovely," with a comforted glance at the plate 
 and its contents. " Oh ! she's gone off, Mr. 
 Alstyne," to that gentleman, approaching with 
 Polly's ice. " You can't expect her to stay for 
 the goodies," beginning to nibble at her own. 
 
 "Where is she ? " cried Mr. Alstyne, laughing, 
 and sweeping the room with his brown eyes. 
 " Oh ! I see," his glance lighting on the Whit- 
 ney boys' corner. 
 
 " Yes, she told me to tell you," said Alexia, 
 between her mouthfuls of salad and oyster, 
 " where she is," as he started.
 
 I08 AFTER THE PLAY. 
 
 " O, Percy and Van ! " Polly was whispering 
 hurriedly, " I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, only 
 it was so very dreadful, you know, to hear you 
 go on so to each other." 
 
 "We didn't mean anything," said Percy, push- 
 ing one foot back and forth in an embarrassed 
 way, and looking as if he did not know what to 
 do with his hands, which confused him more 
 than anything else, as he had been quite sure 
 of them on all previous occasions. 
 
 Van thrust his into his pockets, and seemed 
 on the point of whistling, but remembering 
 where he was, took his lips speedily out of their 
 curves, and looked the other way. 
 
 Just then Mr. Alstyne came up. 
 
 " Oh ! " cried Polly suddenly, the color rush- 
 ing over her face. " Could you, Mr. Alstyne, 
 give that to some one else ? Percy and Van 
 are going to wait upon me." 
 
 "Yes, indeed," said Mr. Alstyne in a flash, 
 " nothing easier ; " and he disappeared as sud- 
 denly as he came.
 
 AFTER THE PLAY. 1 09 
 
 " Now, boys," said Polly, turning back to 
 them and whispering busily, " I know you won't 
 ever say such perfectly dreadful things to each 
 other again. And so I'm going to ask you both 
 to get me something to eat, will you? " 
 
 " How do you know we won't ? " cried Percy 
 slowly. He was sorry enough for the episode 
 iu the coach, yet couldn't resist the temptation 
 to show he was not to be driven. 
 
 " Because I shall then have nothing whatever 
 to eat," said Polly merrily, "for of course I 
 can't take a bit from anybody else after refusing 
 Mr. Alstyne's kindness. Don't you see ? O, 
 Percy ! you wouldn't quite do that ? " 
 
 Van laughed. " She's got us, Percy," he 
 said, "quite fast. You know you won't fight, 
 and I won't again ; we both said so a little while 
 back ; so what's the good of holding out now ? " 
 
 Percy drew himself up very slowly and de- 
 cidedly. " I won't trouble you so again, Polly," 
 holding out his hand. "Now would you like 
 oysters ? " all in the same breath.
 
 110 AFTER THE PLAY. 
 
 "And here's mine," cried Van, extending his 
 brown one. " Can't I bring you some salad ? " 
 
 "Yes, yes," cried Polly gaily, and she released 
 their hands after a cordial grasp. " You may 
 bring me everything straight through, boys," as 
 they rushed off, heads erect, to the crowded 
 supper-table. 
 
 " You've had a good time ? " asked Mrs. Pep- 
 per slowly, with a keen glance into the flushed 
 face and sparkling eyes, as they turned up the 
 gas in Polly's bedroom. " Dear me ! it is half- 
 past eleven." 
 
 " Splendid," said Polly, shaking herself free 
 from the white gown and beginning to braid her 
 hair for the night. " Percy and Van were per- 
 fectly lovely, and Mr. Alstyne was so good to 
 me. And oh! Mamsie, isn't dear Mr. King 
 just the dearest dear, to give all this to the 
 boys? We haven't thanked him half enough." 
 
 " He is indeed," said Mrs. Pepper heartily. 
 "Why, where is Phronsie? " looking around the 
 room.
 
 AFTER THE PLAY. 113 
 
 "She was right back of you," said Polly. 
 "She wanted to take off her things herself. 
 Did you ever see such a sweet" she began, 
 but Mrs. Pepper did not stop to hear, hurrying 
 out to the adjoining room, shared by the mother 
 and her baby. 
 
 " She isn't here," Polly heard her say in be- 
 wildered tones. So Polly, her long hair blown 
 about her face, ran in, brush in hand. 
 
 "Why, where" she began laughingly. 
 
 " She wouldn't go down-stairs, I don't think," 
 said Mrs. Pepper, peering in all the corners, 
 and even meditating a look under the bed. 
 
 "No, no," cried Polly, "the lights are all 
 turned out," investigating all possible and im- 
 possible nooks that a mouse could creep into. 
 " Where can she be ? Phronsie Phronsie ! " 
 
 "Well, of course she is down-stairs," de- 
 clared Mrs. Pepper at last, hurrying out of the 
 room. 
 
 "Take a candle, Mamsie, you'll fall," cried 
 Polly, and throwing on her bath wrapper, she
 
 114 AFTER THE PLAY. 
 
 seized the light from the mantel and hurried 
 after her. 
 
 Half-way down she could hear Phronsie's gay 
 little laugh, and catch the words "Good-night, 
 my dear Grandpapa," and then she came slowly 
 out from Mr. King's sitting-room, and softly 
 closed the door. 
 
 " Phronsie ! " exclaimed Polly, sitting down 
 on the middle of the stairs, the candle shaking 
 ominously, " how could " 
 
 " Hush ! " said Mrs. Pepper, who had fumbled 
 her way along the hall. " Don't say anything. 
 O, Phronsie dear, so you went down to bid 
 Grandpapa good-night, did you ? " 
 
 Phronsie turned a glance of gentle surprise 
 on her mother, and then looked up at Polly. 
 
 " No, not exactly to bid him good-night," she 
 said slowly. "I was afraid he was sick; I 
 heard him coughing, so I went down." 
 
 "He is quite well, isn't he?" asked Mrs. 
 Pepper. " Here, give me your hand, child ; we 
 must get up to bed."
 
 AFTER THE PLAY. 115 
 
 "O yes ! he is quite really and truly all well," 
 declared Phronsie, breaking into another glad 
 little laugh. "He said he never had such a 
 beautiful time in his life, and he is just as well 
 as he can be. O, Polly ! " as she picked up her 
 Princess gown and prepared to ascend the stairs, 
 " how funny you look sitting there ! " 
 
 " Funny ? " said Polly grimly. " I dare say, 
 and I feel funny too, Phronsie."
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 
 
 THEY were all sitting around the library 
 fire ; Polly under the pretext of holding 
 Phronsie's head in her lap, was sitting on the 
 rug beside her, the boys on either hand ; old 
 Mr. King was inarching up and down the long 
 room, and looking at them. The merriest of 
 stories had been told, Polly urging on all the 
 school records of jolly times, and those not so 
 enjoyable ; songs had been sung, and all sorts 
 of nonsense aired. At last Joel sprang up and 
 ran over to pace by the old gentleman's side. 
 
 " Christmas was good enough," said the boy, 
 by way of beginning conversation. 
 
 " Hey?" responded the old gentleman, look 
 ing down at him, " I should think it was. Well, 
 116
 
 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 117 
 
 and how about the wonderful play on the 
 twenty-first ? And that was good enough too, I 
 dare say." 
 
 "That was well enough," said Joel indiffer- 
 ently, " I don't care for such stuff, though." 
 
 "Tut tut!" cried Mr. King in pretended 
 anger, " now I won't have anything said against 
 that wonderful production. Not a thing, sir, 
 do you hear ? " 
 
 Joel laughed, his chubby face twinkling all 
 over in secret amusement. " Well, I know some- 
 thing better, if you'll only let us do it, sir, than 
 a hundred old plays." 
 
 "And pray what is it ?" demanded Mr. King, 
 "let's have it at once. But the idea of surpass- 
 ing the play ! O, no, no, it can't be done, 
 sir! " 
 
 " It's to go and see the Little Brown House," 
 said Joel, standing up on his tiptoes to a level 
 with the old gentleman's ear, and one eye look- 
 ing backward to see that nobody heard. 
 
 Mr. King started, pulled his handsome mous-
 
 Il8 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 
 
 "cache thoughtfully, looked at Joel sharply, and 
 then over at the group in the firelight. 
 
 " They don't know anything about it," cried 
 the boy in a whisper, " don't tell them, it's my 
 secret, and yours," he added generously. "Oh! 
 if we might only go and look at it." 
 
 " It's winter," observed the old gentleman, 
 and stepping to the window he put aside the 
 draperies, to peer out into -the black evening. 
 " Yes, it really is winter," he added with a 
 shiver, to the boy who was close behind, and as 
 if no longer in doubt about it, he added most 
 emphatically, " it really is winter, Joel." 
 
 " Well, but you never saw anything like it, 
 how magnificent winter is in Baclgertown," cried 
 Joel in an excited whisper. " Such hills to coast 
 down ; the snow is always crisp there, sir, 
 not like this dirty town mud. And the air is 
 as dry as punk," he added artfully. " Oh ! 
 'twould be such a lark ; " he actually clasped 
 his hands. 
 
 " Badgertown isn't so very far off," said Mr.
 
 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 119 
 
 King thoughtfully, " I'll think about it and see 
 if we can manage it." 
 
 " Ugh-ow ! " squealed Joel, utterly forgetful 
 of his caution of secrecy, " we can, we can ; we 
 can open the little brown house, and build great 
 fires there, and " 
 
 But he got no further. Into the midst of 
 Van's liveliest sally, came the words "little 
 brown house," bringing all the young people to 
 their feet, Phronsie running to the old gentle- 
 man's side, with, "What is it, Grandpapa? He 
 said little brown house." 
 
 "Get away!" cried Joel crossly to the be- 
 siegers, each and all wildly clamoring. "What 
 is it ? What are you talking about ? It's my 
 secret," he cried, "and his," pointing with a 
 dismayed finger to Mr. King. 
 
 "Well, it isn't a secret any longer," cried 
 Polly, flushing with excitement. "You said 
 'little brown house,' we heard you just as 
 plainly; and you're getting up something, I 
 know you are."
 
 120 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 
 
 " People don't usually select a roomful of 
 listeners, and then shout out their secrets," said 
 Jasper. " You are in for it now, Joe, and no 
 mistake. Go ahead, old fellow, and give us the 
 rest of it." 
 
 Joel whirled away from them all in despera- 
 tion. 
 
 " You might as well," laughed the old gentle- 
 man, " the mischief is done now, and no mis- 
 take." 
 
 So Joel, thus set upon, allowed the whole 
 beautiful plan to be wrung from him, by slow 
 and torturing installments ; how they all were to 
 go to Badgertown, open the little brown house, 
 and stay there here he glanced at Mr. King 
 " perhaps a week," he brought out suddenly, 
 filling the time with all sorts of frolics, and 
 playing they were there again, and really and 
 truly living in the old home. 
 
 At last it was all out, to be received in differ- 
 ent ways by the listeners. 
 
 " O, Joe ! " cried Davie with shining eyes.
 
 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 121 
 
 " We never could come away again if we once 
 get there, never ! " 
 
 Polly stood quite still, a mist gathering before 
 her glad eyes, out of which she dimly saw the 
 little brown house arise and beckon to her. 
 
 Phronsie jumped up and down and clapped 
 her hands in glee. "O, Grandpapa, Grand- 
 papa!" she screamed, "please take us to the 
 little brown house, please." 
 
 That settled it. " I do not think we need to 
 consider it longer," said Mr. King, glancing at 
 Ben, whose face told what he thought, " chil- 
 dren, we will go that is, if Mrs. Pepper says 
 yes." 
 
 " I will ask her," cried Joel with a howl, 
 springing off. 
 
 " Come on," cried Jasper, " let's all ' be in at 
 the death.' " And the library was deserted in 
 a twinkling. 
 
 But mother was nowhere to be found. " Up- 
 stairs, down-stairs, and in the lady's chamber," 
 they sought her wildly and thoroughly.
 
 122 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 
 
 " Oh ! I forgot," exclaimed Polly, when at last 
 they gathered in the wide hall, disposing them- 
 selves on the chairs and along the stairs, all 
 tired out. " She has gone to evening meeting 
 with Auntie. How stupid in me not to remem- 
 ber that." 
 
 " Well, I declare ! " cried a voice above them, 
 and looking up they met the cold blue eyes of 
 Mrs. Chatterton regarding them over the rail- 
 ing. " Cousin Horatio, do you keep a menag- 
 erie, or a well-ordered house, I beg to inquire ? " 
 
 " A menagerie," said Mr. King coolly, leaning 
 on the balustrade at the foot of the stairs, and 
 looking up at her. "All sorts of strange ani- 
 mals wander in here, Cousin." 
 
 "Hum; I understand. I'm not so dull as 
 you think. Well, you've changed, let me tell 
 you, vastly, and not for the better either, in the 
 last six years. Who would ever suppose I see 
 before me fastidious Horatio King ! " she ex- 
 claimed, lifting her long thin hands to show him 
 their horror-stricken palms.
 
 'WELL, i DECLARE!" CRIED A VOICE ABOVK THEM.
 
 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 125 
 
 " I dare say, I dare say, Cousin Eunice," as- 
 sented Mr. King carelessly, " but I consider all 
 you say as a compliment." 
 
 " Compliment ? " she repeated disdainfully 
 and added with a rising note of anger, forget 
 ting herself, "there's no fool like an old fool." 
 
 "So I think," said Mr. King in the same tone 
 as before. " Children, come into my room now, 
 and close the door.'' And Cousin Eunice was 
 left to air further opinions to her own ear. 
 
 But when Mother Pepper and Mrs. Whitney 
 did come home from the meeting, oh! what a 
 time there was. They all fell upon her, as soon 
 as the door opened, and the whole air was filled 
 with "Little brown house." "May we may 
 we?" "A whole week." " Two days, Mamsie, 
 do say yes," and Phronsie's glad little chirp 
 " Grandpapa wants to go, he does ! " ending 
 every other exclamation. 
 
 "What a babel," cried Mrs. Pepper, her black 
 eyes roving over the excited group. " Now what 
 is it all about? Baby, you tell mother first."
 
 126 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 
 
 Phronsie was not too big to jump into the 
 comfortable lap, and while her fingers played 
 with the bonnet strings, she laid the whole de- 
 lightful plan open, the others hanging over them 
 in ill-suppressed excitement. 
 
 "Well, you see, Mamsie," she began deliber- 
 ately. 
 
 "Oh! you are so slow, Phronsie," exclaimed 
 Poll} 7 , " do hurry." 
 
 " Let her take her own time," said Mr. King, 
 "go on, child." 
 
 " Dear Grandpapa," proceeded Phronsie, 
 turning her yellow head to look at him, her 
 hand yet among the bonnet strings, " is going 
 to take us all, every sin-gle one, to see the little 
 brown house, and just touch it once, and be 
 sure it's there, and peek in the doors and win- 
 dows and" 
 
 "No, no," roared Joel, "we're going to stay, 
 and a week too," hopping confidently up and 
 down. 
 
 " O, Joe ! not a week," corrected Polly with
 
 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. I2J 
 
 glowing cheeks, "perhaps two days, we don't 
 know yet." 
 
 "Three three," begged Van, pushing his 
 head further into the centre of the group. 
 " Mrs. Pepper, do say you want to stay three 
 days," he begged. 
 
 " I haven't said I wanted to go yet," she 
 answered with a smile. 
 
 " Now you every one of you keep quiet," 
 commanded Mr. King, raising his hand, "or 
 you'll spoil the whole thing. Phronsie shall tell 
 her story as she likes." 
 
 Thereupon the rest, with the shadow of his 
 warning that the whole might be spoiled, fell 
 back to a vigorous restraint once more. 
 
 "Perhaps," cried Phronsie with shining eyes, 
 and grasping the strings tighter she leaned for- 
 ward and pressed her red iips on the mother's 
 mouth, " we'll go in and stay. O, Mamsie ! " 
 
 That " O, Mamsie ! " carried the day, and 
 every one hanging on the conversation, knew as 
 soon as they heard it, that a victory had been won.
 
 128 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 
 
 " It's no use to contend against the Fates," 
 said Mrs. Whitney, laughing, " Mrs. Pepper, 
 you and I know that." 
 
 "That's so," cried old Mr. King, "and who- 
 ever finds it out early in life, is the lucky one. 
 Now, children, off with you and talk it over," 
 he cried, dismissing them as if they were all 
 below their teens. " I want to talk with Mrs. 
 Pepper now." 
 
 And in two days they were off. Mrs. Chat- 
 terton with nose high in the air, and plentiful 
 expressions of disgust at such a midwinter ex- 
 pedition, taking herself off to make a visit of 
 corresponding length, to some distant relatives. 
 
 " I hope and pray this may not get into a 
 society paper," she cried at the last, as she was 
 seated in the carriage, " but of course it will ; 
 outre things always do. And we shall be dis- 
 graced for life. One comfort remains to me, I 
 am not in it." 
 
 Mr. King, holding the carriage door, laughed 
 long and loudly. " No, Cousin Eunice," he
 
 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 129 
 
 said, " you are not in it. Take comfort in that 
 thought. Good-by," and the carriage rolled off. 
 
 Mother Pepper and the "five little Peppers" 
 were going back to the little brown house. 
 "Really and truly we are," as Phronsie kept 
 saying over and over with every revolution of 
 the car-wheels, in a crooning fashion, and mak- 
 ing it impossible for Mr. King to shiver in 
 apprehension at the step he was taking. Were 
 not two cases of blankets and household com- 
 forts safely packed away in the luggage car? 
 " It's not such a dreadful risk," said the old 
 gentleman gruffly to himself, " it's quite a com- 
 mon occurrence nowadays to take a winter out- 
 ing in the country. We're all right," and he 
 re-enforced himself further by frequent glances 
 at Mrs. Pepper's black bonnet, two seats off. 
 
 It was to be a three days' frolic, after all. 
 Not that the whole party were to stay in the 
 little brown house. O dear, no! how could 
 they ? It was only big enough for the Peppers. 
 So Mrs. Whitney and her thre'e boys, with Mr.
 
 130 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 
 
 King, and Jasper, who concealed many disap- 
 pointed feelings, planned to settle down in the 
 old hotel at Hingham. 
 
 And before anybody imagined they could 
 reach there so soon, there they were at Badger- 
 town Centre, to find Mr. Tisbett waiting there 
 on his stage-box as if he had not stirred from it 
 for five years. 
 
 " Sho, now ! " he called out from his elevated 
 position to Mrs. Pepper, as she stepped down 
 from the car, "it's good to see you, though. 
 Land ! how many of ye be there ? And is that 
 Phronsie ? Sho, now ! " 
 
 " Did you get my letter ? " exclaimed Mother 
 Pepper to Mrs. Henderson, who was pressing 
 up to grasp her hand, and preparing to fall on 
 the young folks separately. The parson stood 
 just back, biding his time with a smile. 
 
 "Is it possible? "he exclaimed; "are these 
 tall boys and girls the five little Peppers ? It 
 can't be, Mrs. Pepper," as at last he had he? 
 hand. " You are imposing on us."
 
 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 131 
 
 And then the village people who had held 
 back until their pastor and his wife paid their 
 respects, rushed up and claimed their rights, and 
 it was high holiday indeed for Badgertown. 
 
 " My goodness ! " exclaimed Mr. King at a 
 little remove and viewing the scene with great 
 disfavor, "this is worse than the danger of 
 taking cold. Have they no sense, to carry on 
 like this?" 
 
 " They're so glad to see the Peppers again, 
 father," said Mrs. Whitney with bright eyes. 
 " You took them away from all these good peo- 
 ple, you know ; it's but fair to give them up for 
 one day." 
 
 The old gentleman fumed and fretted, how- 
 ever, in a subdued fashion ; at last wisely turning 
 his back, he began to stalk down the platform, 
 under pretense of examining the landscape. 
 
 " Your friends will stay with us," Mrs. Hen- 
 derson was saying in a gently decisive manner, 
 "the old parsonage is big enough," she added 
 with a lau<rh.
 
 132 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 
 
 " Oh ! you are so good and thoughtful, dear 
 Mrs. Henderson," cried Mrs. Pepper with de- 
 light at the thought of the homelike warmth of 
 the parsonage life awaiting the old gentleman, 
 for whom she was dreading the dreary hotel. 
 
 " I'm good to ourselves," declared the par- 
 son's wife gaily. 
 
 Jasper gave a shout when the new arrange- 
 ment was declared, as it presently was by Percy 
 and Van, who flung themselves after him as he 
 was seeing to the luggage with Ben, and his 
 face glowed with the greatest satisfaction. 
 
 "That is jolly," he exclaimed, "and that's a 
 fact ! Now, Ben, we're but a stone's throw 
 apart. Rather different, isn't it, old fellow, from 
 the time when I used to race over from Hing- 
 ham with Prince at my heels ? " 
 
 Dr. Fisher's little thin, wiry figure was now 
 seen advancing upon the central group, and 
 everybody fell away to let him have his chance 
 to welcome the Peppers. 
 
 " I couldn't get here before," he cried, his
 
 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 133 
 
 eyes glowing behind his spectacles. " I've left 
 a very sick patient. This is good," he took 
 them all in with a loving glance, but his hand 
 held to Polly. " Now I'm going to drive you 
 down in my gig," he said to her at last. "Will 
 you come ? " 
 
 " Yes, indeed," cried Polly in delight, as her 
 mother smiled approval, and she ran off to let 
 him help her in. " It's only yesterday since 
 you took me to drive, Dr. Fisher, and you gave 
 me my stove is it ? " And so she rambled on, 
 the little doctor quite charmed to hear it all. 
 
 But Mr. Tisbett h#d a truly dreadful time 
 placing his party in the old stage, as the towns- 
 folk, fearful that so good a chance for seeing 
 the Peppers would not happen during the three 
 days' stay, insisted on crowding up close to the 
 ancient vehicle, and getting in everybody's way, 
 thereby calling forth some exclamations from 
 Mr. King that could not be regarded as exactly 
 complimentary. And quite sure that he was a 
 frightful tyrant, they fell back with many a pity-
 
 134 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 
 
 <ng glance at the Pepper family whom he was 
 endeavoring to assist into their places. 
 
 GOOD-BY," SANG OUT JOEL. 
 
 At last it was all accomplished in some way, 
 and Mr. Tisbett cracked his whip, Mrs. Pepper
 
 THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE. 135 
 
 and Phronsie leaned out of the window to bow 
 right and left into smiling faces, Ben and Davie 
 did the same over their heads. 
 
 " Good-by," sang out Joel, whom the stage 
 driver had taken up beside him. "Here ve are, 
 off for the ' little brown house.' G'lang I '
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 
 
 DON'T let me look oh! don't let me 
 look," cried Polly in the old gig, and 
 twisting around, she hid her face against the 
 faded green cloth side. " I ought not to see 
 the little brown house before Mamsie and the 
 others do." 
 
 " I'll turn down the lane," said the little 
 doctor, "so"; and suiting the action to the 
 word, Polly could feel that they were winding 
 down the narrow little road over toward Grandma 
 Bascom's. She could almost smell the violets 
 and anemones under the carpet of snow, and 
 could scarcely restrain herself from jumping 
 out for a riotous run. 
 
 136
 
 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 137 
 
 " Don't go too far away," she cried in sudden 
 alarm. "We must be there by the time the 
 stage does." And she* applied her eye to the 
 little circular glass in the back of the gig. 
 " Will it never come oh ! here it is, here it is, 
 dear Dr. Fisher." And with a quick flourish 
 around of the old horse, they were soon before 
 the little brown house, and helping out the 
 inmates of the stage, who with more spe'ed 
 than grace, were hurrying over the steps. 
 
 Joel was down before Mr. Tisbett had fairly 
 drawn up in front of the gate. " Hold on," 
 roared the stage driver, " I don't v:ant you to 
 break your neck with me." 
 
 " It's really here ! " cried Phronsie with wide 
 eyes, standing quite still on a hummock of frozen 
 snow, with her eyes riveted on the house. " It 
 really is ! " Polly had raced up the winding 
 path, and over the flat stone to drop a kiss on 
 the little old door. 
 
 " Oh ! oh ! Mamsie, do come ! " she cried to 
 Mrs. Pepper on the path.
 
 138 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 
 
 " Hum ! I think, Jasper, you and I will let 
 them alone for a few moments," said Mr. King, 
 who was still within the stage. " Here, my good 
 fellow," to Mr. Tisbett, " you say it's all com- 
 fortable in there for them ? " 
 
 " Yes, yes, sir," said Mr. Tisbett heartily. 
 " Good land ! Mis' Henderson had her boys 
 come down airly this mornin' and make the 
 fires ; and there's a mighty sight of things to 
 eat." The stage-driver put one foot on the hind 
 wheel to facilitate conversation, and smacked 
 his lips. 
 
 " All very well. Now you may drive us down 
 the road a bit," said Mr. King, withdrawing hu 
 head to the depths of the lumbering old vehicle 
 again. 
 
 " Ain't goin' in?" cried Mr. Tisbett, opening 
 his round eyes at him in astonishment. 
 
 " Get up and drive us on, I say," commanded 
 the old gentleman, "and cease your talking," 
 which had the effect to send honest Mr. Tisbett 
 clambering expeditiously up to the box, where
 
 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 141 
 
 he presently revenged himself by driving furi- 
 ously 'over all the hard frozen ruts he could 
 quickly select, determined not to stop till he 
 was obliged to. 
 
 "Goodness!" exclaimed Mr. King within, 
 holding to the strap at the side, as well as to 
 the leather band of the swinging seat in front. 
 " What a most abominable road ! " 
 
 " The road is well enough," said Jasper, who 
 couldn't bear to have a word uttered against 
 Badgertown, "it's the fellow's driving that makes 
 it rough. Here, can't you be a little more care- 
 ful to keep the road ? " he called, thrusting his 
 head out of the window. But he only narrowly 
 escaped losing his brown traveling cap for his 
 pains, as the stage gave a worse lurch than 
 before, to introduce a series of creakings and 
 joltings hitherto unparalleled. 
 
 " I cannot endure this much longer," said old 
 Mr. King, growing white around the mouth, and 
 wishing he had strength for one half the excla- 
 mations he felt inwardly capable of. Outside.
 
 142 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 
 
 honest Mr. Tisbett was taking solid comfort in 
 the reflection that he was teaching a rich city 
 man that he could not approach with anything 
 less than respect, a citizen of Badgertown. 
 
 " Ain't I as good as he ? " cried Mr. Tisbett 
 to himself, with an extra cut to the off horse, as 
 he spied a sharp ragged edge of ice along the 
 cart track in front of him. " Now that's good ; 
 that'll shake him," he added cheerfully. " Land ! 
 but I hain't been spoke to so since I was sassed 
 at school by Jim Bendy, and then I licked 
 him enough to pay twice over. G'lang there 
 easy ! " 
 
 The first thing he knew, one of the glass 
 windows was shivered to fragments; the bits 
 flying off along the quiet road, to fall a gleam- 
 ing shower upon the snow. 
 
 " Whoa ! " called Mr. Tisbett to his smoking 
 horses, and leaning over, he cried, " What's the 
 matter in there ? " 
 
 "The matter is," said Jasper, putting his face 
 put, " that as I could not possibly make you
 
 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 143 
 
 hear my calls, I chose to break the window. 
 Have the goodness to let my father and I at 
 once out of this vehicle." 
 
 Mr. Tisbett got down slowly over the wheel. 
 " Beg your pardon," he said awkwardly, pulling 
 open the door, " ain't you goin' to ride back!" 
 
 " Heavens ! " cried Mr. King. He was glad 
 to find he could ejaculate so much as he 
 tremblingly worked his way out to terra firma, 
 " Nothing on earth would tempt me to step foot 
 inside there again." 
 
 " Here is the money for your window," said 
 Jasper, putting a bill into the fur mitten, cover- 
 ing Mr. Tisbett's brawny right hand. " Kindly 
 bring our traps to the little brown house ; here, 
 father, take my arm," and he ran after the tall 
 figure, picking its way along the frozen road. 
 
 "Hey what's this?" exclaimed Mr. Tisbett, 
 looking into the center of his fur mitten, "five 
 dollars ! Gee thumps ! I ain't a-goin' to 
 take it, after shaking that old party almost to 
 pieces."
 
 144 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 
 
 iHe- stood staring at the bill in stupid per- 
 plexity till the uneasy movements of his horses 
 warned him that his position was not exactly 
 the proper one for a stage-driver who was on 
 his box from morning till night, so he clam- 
 bered over the wheel, full of vexed thoughts, 
 and carefully tucked the bill under the old 
 cushion before he took his seat. 
 
 " I'll give it back to him, that's cert'in," he 
 said, picking up the reins, " and p'raps they've 
 had enough walkin' so they'll let me pick 'em 
 up," which raised him out of his depression not 
 a little. 
 
 But the stern faces of the old gentleman, and 
 the tall boy, smote him with a chill, long before 
 he passed them, and he drove by silently, well 
 knowing it would not do to broach the subject 
 by so much as a look. 
 
 Not daring to go near the little brown house 
 without the occupants of the stage who had 
 driven down the road with him, Mr. Tisbett 
 drew up miserably to a convenient angle, and
 
 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 145 
 
 waited till the two came up. Then without 
 trusting himself to think, he sprang to the 
 ground, and with shame written all over his 
 honest face, called out, " See here, you young 
 chap, I want to speak to you, when you've got 
 him in the house." 
 
 "I will see you then,'' said Jasper, as the 
 two hurried on to meet the Peppers rushing 
 out from the little brown house, and down the 
 small path. 
 
 " I've made an awful mess for 'em all, and 
 they just come home," groaned Mr. Tisbett, 
 drawing his fur mitten across his eyes, and 
 leading his horses, he followed at a funeral 
 pace, careful not to stop at the gate until the 
 door was closed, when he began furiously to 
 unload. 
 
 A footstep crunching the snow, broke into 
 the noise he was making. " Hoh ! well," he 
 exclaimed, pausing with a trunk half-off the 
 rack, " it's a mighty awkward thing for a man 
 to say he's sorry, but you bet I be, as cert'in as
 
 146 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 
 
 my name's John Tisbett." His face became so 
 very red that Jasper hastened to put his young 
 shoulder under the trunk, a movement that only 
 added to the stage-driver's distress. 
 
 "It don't pay to get mad, now I tell you," 
 declared Mr. Tisbett, dumping the trunk down 
 on the snow, and then drawing himself to his full 
 height ; " fust place, your pa sassed me, and " 
 
 '' He didn't intend to," cried Jasper eagerly, 
 " and I'll apologize for him, if that's what you 
 want." He laid his strong right hand in the 
 old fur mitten. 
 
 " Good land ! Tain't what I want," cried 
 honest John, but he gripped the hand never- 
 theless, a fact that the boy never forgot; " I say 
 I'm sorry I shook up your pa." 
 
 " His age ought to hate protected him," said 
 the boy simply. 
 
 " Sho ! that's a fact," cried Mr. Tisbett, sink- 
 ing in deeper distress, " but how is anybody to 
 remember he's so old, when he steps so almighty 
 high, as if he owned all Badgertown say ! "
 
 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 147 
 
 " I think we shall be good friends, Mr. Tis- 
 bett," said Jasper cordially, and he turned to 
 wave his hand toward the little brown house ; 
 simultaneously the door opened, and all the 
 young Peppers and Whitneys rushed out to 
 help in the delightful unloading. 
 
 It was well along in the afternoon. The dusk 
 of the December twilight shut down speedily, 
 around the little brown house and its happy 
 occupants, but no one wanted the candles lighted 
 till the last moment. 
 
 "O, Polly!" cried Joel, who was prancing 
 as of old over the kitchen floor, " don't you 
 remember that night when you said you wished 
 you had two hundred candles, and you'd light 
 them all at once ? " 
 
 " I said a good many silly things in those 
 days," said Polly meditatively, and smoothing 
 Phronsie's yellow hair that was lying across 
 her lap. 
 
 " Some silly ones, and a good many wise 
 ones," observed Mother Pepper, over in her
 
 148 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 
 
 little old rocker in the west window, where she 
 used to sit sewing up coats and sacks for the 
 village storekeeper. "You kept us together 
 many a time, Polly, when nothing else could." 
 
 "Oh! no, I didn't, Mamsie," protested Polly, 
 guilty. of contradicting, "you and Bensie did. 
 I just washed dishes, and swept up, and " 
 
 " Baked and brewed, and fussed and stewed," 
 finished Joel, afraid of being too sentimental. 
 
 " Polly was just lovely in those days," said 
 Davie, coming across the room to lay a cool 
 cheek against her rosy one. " I liked the rainy 
 days best when we all could stay in the house, 
 and hear her sing and tell stories while she was 
 working." 
 
 " She was cross sometimes," cried Joel, deter- 
 mined not to let reminiscences become too com- 
 fortable; "she used to scold me just awfully, I 
 know." 
 
 Polly broke out into a merry laugh ; yet she 
 exclaimed " You poor Josey, I expect I was 
 dreadful ! "
 
 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 149 
 
 " You didn't catch one half as bad scoldings 
 as belonged to you," put in Ben, thrusting an- 
 other stick in the stove. " You were a bad lot, 
 Joe, in those days." 
 
 "And not over good in these," cried old Mr. 
 King, ensconced in the snuggest corner in the 
 seat of honor, the high-backed rocker, that com- 
 forted Phronsie after her little toe was hurt. 
 " There, now, my boy, how's that ? " with a 
 grim smile. 
 
 " Do you remember when the old stove used 
 to plague you, Polly ? " cried Joel, suddenly 
 changing the conversation. " And how Ben's 
 putty was everlastingly tumbling out ? Hoh 
 hoh ! " 
 
 " And you two boys were always stuffing up 
 the holes for me, when Ben was away," cried 
 Polly, with affectionate glances at Davie and 
 Joel. 
 
 "I didn't so much," said Joel honestly, "Dave 
 was always giving boot-tops and such things." 
 
 "Boot-tops!" repeated Mr. King in astonish-
 
 150 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 
 
 ment. " Bless me, I didn't know that they had 
 anything in common with stoves." 
 
 " Oh ! that was before we knew you," said 
 Joel, ready in advance of any one else with the 
 explanation ; " it wasn't this stove. Dr. Fisher 
 gave Polly this one after she had the measles ; 
 but it was a lumbering old affair that was full 
 of holes that had to be stopped up with any- 
 thing we could get. And leather was the best ; 
 and Davie saved all his old boot-heels and tops 
 he could find, you know." 
 
 " Oh ! " said the old gentleman, wondering if 
 other revelations would come to light about the 
 early days of the Peppers. 
 
 " Isn't Dr. Fisher lr vely ? " cried Polly, with 
 sparkling eyes, "just the same as ever. Mam- 
 sie, I ought to do something for him." 
 
 " He is as good as gold," assented Mrs. Pepper 
 heartily. " You've done something, I'm sure, 
 Polly. The medical books you bought out of 
 your pocket money, and sent him, pleased him 
 more than anything you could give him."
 
 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 15 r 
 
 " But I want to do something now," said 
 Polly. " Oh ! just think how good he was to 
 us." 
 
 "May we never forget it!" exclaimed Mrs. 
 Pepper, wiping her eyes. 
 
 " But he's very unwise," said Mr. King, a 
 trifle testily, " not to take up with my offer to 
 establish him in the town. A man like him 
 could easily hold a good practice, because the 
 fellow's got ability." 
 
 "Oh! Dr. Fisher wouldn't leave Badgertown," 
 cried all the Peppers in a bunch. " And what 
 would the poor people here do without him ? " 
 finished Polly. 
 
 " Well, well, never mind, he won't come to 
 town, and that's enough," said the old gentleman 
 quickly. " Aside from that, he's a sensible chap, 
 arid one quite to my liking." 
 
 " O, Polly ! " cried Phronsie suddenly, and 
 lifting her head, she fastened her brown eyes on 
 the face above her, " wasn't Mamsie's birthday 
 cake good ? "
 
 152 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 
 
 " The flowers were pretty, but the cake was 
 heavy, don't you remember ? " said Polly, who 
 hadn't recovered from that grief even yet. 
 
 " I thought it was just beautiful," cried Mrs. 
 Pepper hastily. " No one could have baked it 
 better in the old stove you had. I'm sure we 
 ate it all up, every crumb." 
 
 " We kept it in the old cupboard," cried Joel, 
 rushing over to the corner to swing the door 
 open. "And we never once peeked, Mamsie, 
 so afraid you'd suspect." 
 
 " You kept staring at the cupboard door all 
 the evening, Joe, you know you did," cried Ben ; 
 "you were just within a hair's breadth of letting 
 the whole thing out ever so many times. Polly 
 and I had to drag you away. We were glad 
 enough when you went to bed, I can tell you." 
 
 " You were always sending me off to bed in 
 those days," said Joel, taking his head out of 
 the cupboard to throw vindictive glances over 
 to the group around the stove. 
 
 " I wish we could do so now," said Ben.
 
 "WE KEPT IT IN THE OLD CUPBOARD," CRIED JOEL.
 
 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 155 
 
 " And those two," Joel went on, pointing to 
 Polly and Ben, " used to go whispering around 
 a lot of old secrets, that they wouldn't tell us. 
 Oh ! it was perfectly awful, wasn't it, Dave ? " 
 bestowing a small pinch on that individual's 
 shoulder. 
 
 " I liked the secrets best not to know them till 
 Polly and Ben got ready to tell us," said David 
 slowly ; " then they were just magnificent." 
 
 Phronsie had laid her head back in the wait- 
 ing lap, and was crooning softly to herself. 
 
 " I want to go and see dear good Mr. Beebe," 
 she said presently, " and nice Mrs. Beebe, can I, 
 Mamsie ? " looking over at her. 
 
 " To be sure," cried Mrs. Pepper, " you shall 
 indeed, child." 
 
 " Beebe Beebe, and who is he, pray ? " de- 
 manded Mr. King. 
 
 " Oh ! he keeps the shoe-shop over in the Cen- 
 ter," explained three or four voices, " and Phron- 
 sie's new shoes were bought there, you know." 
 
 " And he gave me pink and white candy-
 
 156 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 
 
 sticks." said Phronsie, " and he was very nice , 
 and I like him very much." 
 
 ' And Mrs. Beebe gave us doughnuts all 
 around," communicated Joel ; " I don't know 
 but what I liked those best. There was more 
 to them." 
 
 " So you always bought your new shoes of the 
 Beebes ? " asked the old gentleman, a question 
 that brought all the five Peppers around his chair 
 at once. 
 
 "We didn't ever have new shoes that I can 
 remember," said Joel quickly, "except Phron- 
 sie's, and once Ben had a new pair. He had 
 to, because he was the oldest, you know." 
 
 " Oh ! " said Mr. King. 
 
 "You see," said Phronsie, shaking her head 
 gravely, while she laid one hand on his knee, 
 "we were very poor, Grandpapa dear. Don't 
 you understand ? " 
 
 "Yes, yes, child," said old Mr. King; "there, 
 get up here," and he took her within his arms. 
 
 " No, no, you're not going to talk yet," seeing
 
 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 157 
 
 Percy and Van beginning violent efforts to join 
 in the conversation. "Let the Peppers have a 
 chance to talk over old times first. See how 
 good Jasper is to wait." 
 
 " I would much prefer to hear the Peppers 
 talk forever," said Jasper, smiling down on the 
 two Whitneys, " than to have the gates opened 
 for a general flood. Go on, do, Polly and Ben, 
 and the rest of you." 
 
 "Oh! there is so much," said Polly despair- 
 ingly, clasping her hands, "we shouldn't get 
 through if we talked ten years, should we, 
 Ben ? Mamsie," and she rushed over to her, 
 " can we have a baking time to-morrow, just 
 as we used to in the old days? Oh! do say 
 yes." 
 
 " Yes, do say yes," echoed Jasper, also rush- 
 ing to the side of the little rocking-chair. " You 
 will, won't you, Mrs. Pepper ? " 
 
 " Hoh ! hoh ! " cried the two Whitneys de- 
 risively, " I thought you could ' hear the Peppers 
 talk forever.' That's great, Jasper."
 
 158 OLD TIMES AGAIN. 
 
 " Well, when it comes to hearing a proposal 
 for a baking frolic, my principles are thrown to 
 the wind," said Jasper recklessly. " Why, boys, 
 that's the first thing I remember about the little 
 brown house. Do say yes, Mrs. Pepper ! "
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 
 
 WELL, I declare ! " exclaimed Grandma 
 Bascom, opening the door and look- 
 ing in, " I never ! " 
 
 " Come in," cried Mr. King sociably. His 
 night over at the parsonage had been a most 
 fortunate experiment. " I haven't slept so finely 
 in ten years," he confided to Mrs. Whitney as 
 they met at breakfast at the minister's table. 
 So now, his face wreathed with smiles, he re- 
 peated his invitation. " Come in, do, Mrs. 
 Bascom ; we're glad to see you." 
 
 " I never ! " said " Grandma Bascom " once 
 more, for want of something better to say, and 
 coming close to the centre of operations. 
 '59
 
 160 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 
 
 Jasper, attired in one of Mrs. Pepper's long 
 aprons, which was fastened in the style of the 
 old days, by the strings around his neck, was 
 busily engaged in rolling out under Polly's di- 
 rection, a thin paste, expected presently under 
 the genial warmth of the waiting stove, to evolve 
 into most toothsome cakes. Ben was similarl} 
 attired, and similarly employed ; while Joel and 
 David were in a sticky state, preparing their 
 dough after their own receipt, over at the corner 
 table, their movements closely followed by the 
 three Whitneys. 
 
 Phronsie,before a board laid across two chairs, 
 was enlightening old Mr. King who sat by hei, 
 into the mysteries of baking day. 
 
 " Do bake me a gingerbread boy," he beggeci. 
 " I never had anything half so good as the one 
 you sent over to Hingham." 
 
 " You were my poor sick man then," observed 
 Phronsie, with slow, even pats on her bit of 
 dough. " Please, the rolling-pin now, Grand- 
 papa dear."
 
 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. l6l 
 
 "To be sure," cried the old gentleman; " here, 
 Jappy, my boy, be so good as to hand us over 
 that article." 
 
 " And you see," continued Phronsie, receiving 
 the rolling-pin, and making the deftest of passes 
 with it over the soft mass, " I couldn't send 
 you anything better, though I wanted to, Grand- 
 papa dear." 
 
 "Better?" cried Mr. King. "I should think 
 not; you couldn't have made me anything that 
 pleased me more, had you tried a thousand 
 times." 
 
 Phronsie never tired of hearing this, and now 
 humming a soft note of thanks, proceeded with 
 her task, declaring that she would make the 
 best gingerbread boy that could possibly be 
 achieved. 
 
 " Grandma Bascom " was still reiterating " I 
 never," and going slowly from one group to 
 another to inspect operations. When she came 
 to Phronsie, she stopped short, raising her hands 
 in surprise. "Seems as ef 'twas only yesterday
 
 1 62 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 
 
 when the Peppers went away, though land knows 
 I've missed 'em all most dretfully, an' there sets 
 that blessed child baking, as big as any of 'em, 
 I never! " 
 
 " Have you any more raisins to give us, Grand- 
 ma?" shouted Joel across the kitchen. " They 
 were terribly hard," he added in his natural 
 voice ; " almost broke our teeth." 
 
 " Hey ? " called " Grandma " back again. 
 
 " Raisins, Grandma, or peppermints," cried 
 Joel. 
 
 " O, Joe, for shame ! " called Ben. 
 
 " I'm going to have the fun of going after 
 them," declared Joel, throwing down his dough- 
 pat, and wiping his sticky fingers on his apron ; 
 " just like old times so there ! " 
 
 " I'll go over an' get 'em," said Grandma ; 
 "you corne along with me," looking admiringly 
 up at the tall boy ; so the two, Joel laughing and 
 hopping by her side as if he were five years 
 younger, disappeared, well-pleased with each 
 other.
 
 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 163 
 
 " Now I shall take his dough," declared Dick, 
 rushing around the end of the table, to Joel's 
 deserted place. 
 
 " No such thing," declared Van, flying out of 
 his chair. " Leave your hands off, youngster ! 
 that's to be mine." 
 
 Polly looked up from the little cookies she 
 was cutting with the top of a tin baking powder 
 box, and their eyes met. 
 
 " I didn't promise not to have it out with 
 Dicky," said Van stoutly. " He's a perfect 
 plague, and always under foot. I never thought 
 of such a thing as not making him stand around, 
 Polly." 
 
 But the brown eyes did not return to their 
 task, as Polly mechanically stamped another 
 cooky. 
 
 " I only promised not to have a bout with 
 Percy," Van proceeded uncomfortably. And in 
 the same breath, " Go ahead, if you want it, 
 Dicky, I don't care." 
 
 " I do want it," declared Dick, clambering
 
 1 64 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 
 
 into Van's chair, while Van returned to his own, 
 "and I'm going to have it too. I guess you think 
 vou'd better give up now, sir ; I'm getting so 
 big." 
 
 " Softly there, Dicky," said Mrs. Whitney, 
 over in the window-seat with her fancy work ; 
 "if Van gives up, you should thank him ; I think 
 it is very nice in him." And the bigger boy's 
 heart warmed with the radiant smile she sent 
 him. 
 
 Dick gave several vicious thrusts to his dough, 
 and looked up at last to say very much against 
 his will, " Thank you ; " and adding brightly, 
 "but you know I'm getting big, sir, and you'd 
 better give up." 
 
 "All right," said Van, with that smile in his 
 heart feeling equal to anything. 
 
 "Now," cried Jasper, with a flourish of his 
 baking apron, " mine are ready. Here goes ! " 
 and he opened the oven door and pushed in a 
 pan of biscuit. 
 
 "Jappy's always nhen<i in everything," grum-
 
 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 165 
 
 bled Percy, laboring away at his dough. " How 
 in the world do you make the thing roll out 
 straight? Mine humps up in the middle." 
 
 " Put some more flour on the board," said 
 Polly, running over to him. "There, now see, 
 Percy, if that doesn't roll smooth." 
 
 " It does with you," said Percy, taking the 
 rolling-pin again, to send it violently over the 
 long-suffering dough, " and I declare, it's going 
 to do with me," he cried, in delight at the large 
 flat cake staring up at him from the board. 
 " Now, says I, I'll beat you, Jappy ! " And pres- 
 ently the whole kitchen resounded with a merry 
 din, as the several cakes and biscuits were de- 
 clared almost ready for their respective pans. 
 
 " But I can tell you, this gingerbread boy is 
 going in next," declared Mr. King from Phron- 
 sie's baking-board. " It's almost done, isn't it, 
 child?" 
 
 " Not quite, Grandpapa," said Phronsie ; " this 
 eye won't stay in just like the other. It doesn't 
 look the same way, don't you see ?" pointing to
 
 l66 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 
 
 the currant that certainly showed no inclination 
 to do its duty, as any well-bred eye should. 
 "Wait just a moment, please ; I'll pull it out and 
 stick it in again." 
 
 " Take another," advised the old gentleman, 
 fumbling over the little heap of currants on the 
 saucer. "There, here's a good round one, and 
 very expressive too, Phronsie." 
 
 " That's lovely," hummed Phronsie, accepting 
 the new eye with very sticky fingers. " Now, he's 
 all ready," as she set it in its place, and took the 
 boy up tenderly. " Give me a pan, do, Polly." 
 
 " Did you cut that out ? " cried Dick, turning 
 around in his chair, and regarding her enviously, 
 " all alone by yourself ? Didn't Grandpapa help 
 you just one teenty bit to make the legs and the 
 hands ? " 
 
 " No ; she made it all herself," said the old 
 gentleman, with justifiable pride. " There, 
 Phronsie, here's your pan," as Polly set it down 
 before her with a " You precious dear, that's 
 perfectly elegant ! "
 
 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 167 
 
 Phronsie placed the boy within the pan, and 
 gave it many loving pats. " Grandpapa sat here, 
 and looked at it, and smiled," she said, turning 
 her eyes gravely on Dick, " and that helped ever 
 so much. I couldn't ever have made it so nice 
 alone. Good-by; now bake like a good boy. 
 Let me put it in the oven all by myself, do, 
 Polly," she begged. 
 
 So Phronsie, the old gentleman escorting her 
 in mortal dread that she would be burned, safely 
 tucked her long pan into the warmest corner, 
 shut the door, and gravely consulted the clock. 
 " If I look at it in twenty-one minutes, I think 
 it will be done," she said, " quite brown." 
 
 In twenty-one minutes the whole kitchen was 
 so far removed from being the scene of a baking 
 exploit, as was possible. Everything was cleared 
 away, and set up primly in its place, leaving 
 only a row of fine little biscuits and cookies, 
 with Phronsie's gingerbread boy in the midst to 
 tell the tale of what had been going on. Outside 
 'here was a great commotion. Deacon Brown's
 
 1 68 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 
 
 old wagon stood at the gate, for the Peppers 
 and their friends ; and oh ! joy, not the old horse 
 between the shafts, but a newer and much live- 
 lier beast. And on the straw laid in the bottom 
 of the wagon, the seats being removed, disported 
 all the merry group, Mr. King alone having the 
 dignity of a chair. 
 
 Deacon Brown, delighted with his scheme of 
 bringing the wagon over as a surprise for the 
 Peppers to take a drive in, was on the side of 
 the narrow foot-path, chuckling and rubbing his 
 hands together. "You won't have to drive so 
 easy as you used to, Ben," he called out, " this 
 fellow's chirk ; give him his head. Sho ! what 
 you goin' that way, for?" as Ben turned off 
 down the lane. 
 
 " To Grandma Bascom's," shouted two or three 
 voices. 
 " Joel's over there," sang out Polly. 
 
 "We couldn't go without him, you know," 
 chirped Phronsie, poking a distressed little face 
 up from the straw heap.
 
 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 
 
 i6 9 
 
 " 'Twould serve him just right if we did," said 
 Van. " He's a great chap to stay over there like 
 this." 
 
 " No no," cried Dick in terror, " don't go 
 
 THE RIDE IN DEACON BROWN'S WAGON. 
 
 without Joel ; I'd rather have him than any of 
 you," he added, not over politely. 
 
 Phronsie began to cry piteously at the mere 
 thought of Joel's being left behind.
 
 1 70 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 
 
 " He wanted to see Mr. Beebe," she managed 
 to say, " and dear Mrs. Beebe. Oh ! don't go 
 without him." So Mr. King made them hand 
 her up to him, and at the risk of their both roll- 
 ing out, he held her in his lap until the wagon, 
 stopping at the door of " Grandma Bascom's" 
 cottage, brought Joel bounding out with a whoop. 
 
 "Jolly! where'd you get that, and where are 
 you going ? " all in one breath, as he swung him- 
 self up behind. 
 
 " Deacon Brown brought it over just now," 
 cried Polly. 
 
 " As a surprise," furnished Percy. " Isn't he 
 a fine old chap ? Here's for the very jolliest 
 go!" 
 
 " We're going to see dear Mr. Beebe, and 
 dear Mrs. Beebe," announced Phronsie, smiling 
 through her tears, and leaning out of the old 
 gentleman's lap to nod at him. 
 
 " Hurrah ! " screamed Joel. " Good-by, Grand- 
 ma," to the old lady whose cap-frills were framed 
 in the small window. " I've had a fine time in
 
 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 171 
 
 there," he condescended to say, but nothing 
 further as to the details could they extract from 
 him ; and so at last they gave it up, and lent 
 their attention to the various things to be seen 
 as the wagon spun along. And so over and 
 through the town, and to the very door of the 
 little shoe-shop, and there, to be sure, was Mr. 
 Beebe the same as ever, to welcome them ; and 
 Joel found to his immense satisfaction that the 
 stone pot was as full of sugary doughnuts as in 
 the old days ; and Phronsie had her pink and 
 white sticks, and Mrs. Beebe " Oh-ed " and 
 " Ah-ed " over them all, and couldn't bear to let 
 them go when at last it was time to say "good- 
 by." And at last they all climbed into the old 
 wagon, and were off again on their round of 
 visits. 
 
 It was not till the gray dusk of the winter 
 afternoon settled down unmistakably, so that 
 no one could beg to stay out longer, that they 
 turned Deacon Brown's horse toward the " little 
 brown house."
 
 172 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 
 
 " It's going to snow to-inorrow, I think," 
 observed Jasper, squinting up at the leaden 
 sky, " isn't it, father ? " 
 
 "Whoop!" exclaimed Joel, "then we wil, 
 have sport, I tell you ! " 
 
 " It certainly looks like it," said old Mr. King; 
 wrapping his fur-lined coat closer. " Phronsie- 
 are you sure you are warm enough ? " 
 
 "Yes, Grandpapa dear," she answered, curl 
 ing up deeper in the straw at his feet. 
 
 " Do you remember how you would carry the 
 red-topped shoes home with you, Phronsie ? " 
 cried Polly, and then away they rushed again 
 into "Oh! don't you remember this, and you 
 haven't forgotten that?" Jasper as wildly rem 
 iniscent now as the others, for hadn't he almost 
 as good as lived at the little brown house, pray 
 tell ? So the Whitneys looked curiously on, 
 without a chance to be heard in all the merry 
 chatter ; and then they drew up at the gate 
 of the parsonage, where they were all to have 
 supper.
 
 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 
 
 '73 
 
 When Phronsie woke up in the big bed by the 
 side of her mother, the next morning, Polly was 
 standing over her, and looking down into her 
 face. 
 
 "O, Phronsie ! " she exclaimed in great glee, 
 " the ground is all covered with snow ! " 
 
 POLLY WAS STANDING OVER HER. 
 
 "O-oh ! " screamed Phronsie, her brown eyes 
 flying wide open, " do give me my shoes and 
 stockings, Polly, do ! I'll be dressed in just one 
 minute " and thereupon ensued a merry scram-
 
 174 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 
 
 ble as she tumbled out of the big bed, and com- 
 menced operations, Polly running out to help 
 Mamsie get the breakfast. 
 
 " Mush seems good now we don't have to eat 
 it," cried Joel, as they all at last sat around the 
 board. 
 
 "'Twas good then," said Mrs. Pepper, her 
 black eyes roving over the faces before her. 
 
 " How funny," cried Percy Whitney, who had 
 run over from the parsonage to breakfast, " this 
 yellow stuff is." And he took up a spoonful of 
 it gingerly. 
 
 " You don't like it, Percy ; don't try to eat it. 
 I'll make you a slice of toast," cried Polly, spring- 
 ing out of her chair, "in just one moment." 
 
 " No, you mustn't," cried Dick, bounding in in 
 time to catch the last words. " Mamma said no 
 one was to have anything different if we came 
 to breakfast, from what the Peppers are going to 
 eat. I like the yellow stuff ; give me some, do," 
 and he slid into a chair and passed his plate to 
 Mrs. Pepper.
 
 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 175 
 
 " So you shall, Dicky," she said hastily. " And 
 you will never taste sweeter food than this," giv- 
 ing him a generous spoonful. 
 
 " Grandpapa is eating ham and fried eggs over 
 at the minister's house," contributed Dick, after 
 satisfying his hunger a bit. 
 
 " Ham and fried eggs ! " exclaimed Mother 
 Pepper, aghast. " Why, he never touches them. 
 You must be mistaken, my boy." 
 
 "No, I'm not," said Dick obstinately. "The 
 minister's wife said it was, and "he asked me if 
 I wouldn't have some, and I said I was going 
 over to the Peppers to breakfast; I'd rather have 
 some of theirs. And Grandpapa said it was good 
 the ham and fried eggs was -and he took it 
 twice, he did, Mrs Pepper." 
 
 "Took it twice?" she repeated faintly, with 
 troubled visions of the future. ** Well, well, the 
 mischief is done now, so there is no use in talk- 
 \ng ?bout it, but I'm worried, all the same." 
 
 " Hurry up, Percy," called Joel across the 
 table, "and don't dawdle so. We're goin^, to
 
 tj6 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 
 
 make a double ripper, four yards long, to go 
 down that hill there." He laid down his spoon 
 to point out the window at a distant snow-covered 
 slope. 
 
 Percy shivered, but recalling himself in time, 
 said " Splendid," and addressed himself with 
 difficulty to his mush. 
 
 "Well, you never'll be through at that speed," 
 declared Joel. "See, I've eaten three saucers- 
 ful," and he handed his plate up. "And now 
 for the fourth, Mamsie." 
 
 "Oh ! baked potatoes," cried Ben, rolling one 
 around in his hand before he took off its crack- 
 ling skin. " Weren't they good, though, with a 
 little salt. I tell you, they helped us to chop 
 wood in the old times ! " 
 
 " I really think I shall have to try one," said 
 Percy, who deeply to his regret was obliged to 
 confess that Indian meal mush had few charms 
 for Jiis palate. 
 
 " There's real milk in my mug now," cried 
 Phronsie, with long deep draughts. " Polly, did
 
 SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS. 177 
 
 I ever have anything but make-believe in the 
 little brown house, ever, Polly ? " 
 
 Polly was saved from answering by a stamping 
 of snowy boots on the flat doorstone. 
 
 " Hurrah there ! " cried Van, rushing in, fol- 
 lowed by Jasper. " Hoh, you slow people in 
 the little brown house, come on for the double 
 ripper ! "
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 A SUDDEN BLOW. 
 
 MAMSIE," cried Polly suddenly, and rest- 
 ing her hands on her knees, as she sat 
 on the floor before the stove, " do you suppose 
 there is any one poor enough in Badgertown to 
 need the little brown house when we lock it up 
 to-morrow ? " 
 
 "Not a soul," replied Mrs. Pepper quickly; 
 "no more than there was when we first locked 
 it up five years ago, Polly. I've been all over 
 that with the parson last evening ; and he says 
 there isn't a new family in the place, and all the 
 old ones have their homes, the same as ever. 
 So we can turn the key and leave it with a clear 
 conscience." 
 
 178
 
 A SUDDEN BLOW. 179 
 
 Polly drew a long breath of delight, and gazed 
 long at the face of the stove that seemed to 
 crackle out an answering note of joy as the 
 wood snapped merrily ; then she slowly looked 
 around the kitchen. 
 
 " It's so perfectly lovely, Mamsie," she broke 
 out at length, "to see the dear old things, and 
 to know that they are waiting here for us to 
 come back whenever we want to. And to think 
 it isn't wicked not to have them used, because 
 everybody has all they need ; oh ! it's so delicious 
 to think they can be left to themselves." 
 
 She folded her hands now across her knees, 
 and drew another long breath of content. 
 
 Phronsie stole out of the bedroom, and came 
 slowly up to her mother's side, pausing a bit on 
 the way to look into Polly's absorbed face. 
 
 " I don't think, Mamsie," she said quietly, 
 " that people ought to be so very good who've 
 never had a little brown house ; never in all 
 their lives." 
 
 " O, yes, they had, child," said Mrs. Pepper
 
 l8o A SUDDEN BLOW. 
 
 briskly ; " places don't make any difference. It's 
 people's duty to be good wherever they are." 
 
 But Phronsie's face expressed great incredulity. 
 
 " I'm always going to live here when I am 
 a big, grown-up woman," she declared, slowly 
 gazing around the kitchen, " and I shall never, 
 never go out of Badgertown." 
 
 " O, Phronsie ! " exclaimed Polly, turning 
 around in dismay, " why, you couldn't do that. 
 Just think, child, whatever in the world would 
 Grandpapa do, or any of us, pray tell ? " 
 
 " Grandpapa would come here," declared 
 Phronsie decidedly ; and shaking her yellow 
 head to enforce her statement. " Of course 
 Grandpapa would come here, Polly. We couldn't 
 live without him." 
 
 " That's it," said Polly, with a corresponding 
 shake of her brown head, "of course we couldn't 
 live without Grandpapa ; and just as ' of course ' 
 he couldn't leave his own dear home. He never 
 would be happy, Phronsie, to do that." 
 
 Phronsie took a step or two into the sunshine
 
 A SUDDEN BLOW. l8l 
 
 lying on the middle of the old kitchen floor. 
 "Then I'd rather not come, Polly," she said. 
 But she sighed and Polly was just about say- 
 ing, "We'll run down now and then perhaps, 
 Phronsie, as we have done now," when the 
 door was thrown open suddenly, and Joel burst 
 in, his face as white as a sheet, and working 
 fearfully. 
 
 " O, Polly ! you must tell Mrs. Whitney I 
 can't." 
 
 Polly sprang to her feet ; Mrs. Pepper, who 
 had just stepped into the pantry, was saying, 
 " I think, Polly, I'll make some apple dumplings, 
 the boys like them so much." 
 
 " What is it, Joe ? " cried Polly hoarsely, and 
 standing quite still. Phronsie, with wide eyes, 
 went up and took the boy's cold hand, and 
 gazed into his face as he leaned against the door. 
 
 "Dick!" groaned Joel; "oh! oh! I can't 
 
 
 
 bear it," and covering his face with one hand, 
 he would have pulled the other from Phronsie's 
 warm little palm, but she held it fast.
 
 182 A SUDDEN BLOW. 
 
 "Tell me at once, Joe," commanded Polly. 
 " Hush ! mother " but Mrs. Pepper was 
 already out of the pantry. 
 
 "Joel," said Mrs. Pepper, "whatever it is, 
 tell us immediately." 
 
 The look in her black eyes forced him to gasp 
 in one breath, " Dick fell off the double ripper, 
 and both of his legs are broken may be not," 
 he added in a loud scream. 
 
 Phronsie still held the boy's hand. He was 
 conscious of it, and that she uttered no word; 
 and then he knew no more. 
 
 " Leave him to me, Polly," said Mrs. Pepper, 
 through drawn lips, " and then do you run as 
 you have never run before, to the parsonage. 
 Oh ! if they should bring him there before the 
 mother hears." 
 
 Phronsie dropped the hand she held, and 
 running on unsteady little feet into the bed- 
 room, came back with Polly's hood and coat. 
 
 "Let me go," cried Polly wildly, rushing 
 away from the detaining hand to the door,
 
 A SUDDEN BLOW. 183 
 
 "I don't want those things on. Let me go, 
 Phronsie! " 
 
 "You'll be cold," said Phronsie. With all 
 her care, her little white lips were quivering as 
 she held out the things. "Please, Polly," she 
 said piteously. 
 
 "The child is right ; put them on," commanded 
 Mrs. Pepper, for one instant taking her thought 
 from her boy; and Polly obeyed, and was gone. 
 
 In the parsonage "best room" sat Mrs. Whit- 
 ney. Her rocking-chair was none of the easiest, 
 being a hair-cloth affair, its cushion very much 
 elevated in the world just where it should have 
 been depressed, so that one was in constant 
 danger of slipping off its surface; moreover, the 
 chair arms and back were covered with inde- 
 scribable arrangements made and presented by 
 loving parishioners and demanding unceasing 
 attention from the occupant. But the chair 
 was drawn up in the sunshine pouring into 
 the window, and Mrs. Whitney's thoughts were 
 sunny too; for she smiled now and then as she
 
 i8 4 
 
 A SUDDEN BLOW. 
 
 drew her needle busily in and out through the 
 bright wools. 
 
 " How restful it all is here, and so quaint* 
 
 "HOW RESTFUL IT ALL IS HERE." 
 
 and simple." She glanced up now to the high- 
 backed mantel with its wealth of daguerreotypes,
 
 A SUDDEN BLOW. 185 
 
 and surprising collection of dried leaves in tall 
 china vases; and over the walls, adorned with 
 pine-cone framed pictures, to the center table 
 loaded with "Annuals," and one or two volumes 
 of English poetry, and then her gaze took in 
 the little paths the winter sunshine were making 
 for themselves along the red and green ingrain 
 carpet. " I am so glad father thought to bring 
 us all. Dear father, it is making a new man of 
 him, this winter frolic. Why " 
 
 She was looking out of the window now, and 
 her hands fell to her lap as Polly Pepper came 
 running breathlessly down the village street, 
 her hood untied, and the coat grasped with one 
 hand and held together across her breast. But 
 it was the face that terrified Mrs. Whitney, 
 and hurrying out of her chair, she ran out to 
 the veranda as the girl rushed through the 
 gateway. 
 
 " Polly, child," cried Mrs. Whitney, seizing 
 her with loving arms and drawing her on the 
 steps " oh ! what is it, dear ? "
 
 l86 A SUDDEN BLOW. 
 
 Polly's lips moved, but no words came. 
 
 "Oh!" at last, "don't hate us for bringing 
 you to the little bvown house. Why did 
 we come ! " And convulsively she threw her 
 young arms around the kind neck. "O, Aunty! 
 Dicky is hurt but we don't know how much 
 his legs, Joel says, but it may not be as bad as 
 we think ; dear Aunty, it may not." 
 
 Mrs. Whitney trembled so that she could 
 scarcely stand. Around them streamed the same 
 winter sunshine that had been so bright a moment 
 since. How long ago it seemed. And out of 
 gathering clouds in her heart she was saying, 
 " Polly dear, God is good. We will trust him." 
 She did not know her own voice, nor realize 
 when Polly led her mercifully within, as a 
 farmer's wagon came slowly down the street, 
 to stop at the parsonage gate; nor even when 
 Dick was brought in, white and still, could she 
 think of him as her boy. It was some other 
 little figure, and she must go and help them 
 care for him. Her boy would come bounding
 
 A SUDDEN BLOW. 187 
 
 in presently, happy and ruddy, with a kiss for 
 mamma, and a world of happy nonsense, just as 
 usual. It was only when Mrs. Henderson came 
 in, and took her hand to lead her into the next 
 room, that it all came to her. 
 
 "O, Dick ! " and she sprang to the side of the 
 sofa where he lay. " My child my child ! " 
 
 And then came Dr. Fisher, and the truth was 
 known. One of Dick's legs was broken below 
 the knee ; the other badly bruised. Only Jasper 
 and the mother remained in the room while the 
 little doctor set the limb; and after what seemed 
 an age to the watchers, the boy came out. 
 
 "He bore it like a Trojan," declared Jasper, 
 wiping his forehead. " I tell you, Dick's our 
 hero, after this." 
 
 " Now I should like to know how all this 
 happened," demanded Mr. King. The old gen- 
 tleman had remained at the parsonage to get a 
 good morning nap while the snow frolic was in 
 progress. And he had been awakened by the 
 unusual bustle below stairs in time to hear the
 
 l88 A SUDDEN BLOW. 
 
 welcome news that Dicky was all right since 
 Dr. Fisher was taking care of him. He now 
 presented himself in his dressing-gown, with his 
 sleeping cap awry, over a face in which anger, 
 distress and impatience strove for the mastery. 
 "Speak up, my boy," to Jasper, "and tell us 
 what you know about it." 
 
 " Well, the first thing I knew of any danger 
 ahead," said Jasper, " was hearing Dick sing 
 out ' Hold up ! ' I supposed the double ripper 
 all right ; didn't you, Ben ? " 
 
 "Yes," said Ben sturdily, "and it was all 
 right ; just exactly as 'we used to make them, we 
 boys ; there wasn't a weak spot anywhere in 
 her, sir." 
 
 "Who was steering?" demanded old Mr. King 
 almost fiercely. 
 
 " I was," said Van, beginning boldly enough, 
 to let his voice die out in a tremulous effort. 
 
 " Humph humph," responded Mr. King 
 grimly. "A bad business," shaking his head. 
 
 "Van would" began Percy, but his eye
 
 A SUDDEN BLOW. 191 
 
 meeting Polly's he added, "We'd none of us 
 done any better, I don't believe, sir, than Van." 
 
 Van was now choking so badly that the great- 
 est kindness seemed to be not to look at him. 
 Accordingly the little company turned their eyes 
 away, and regarded each other instead. 
 
 " Well, so Dick rolled off ? " proceeded the 
 old gentleman. 
 
 "Oh! no, he didn't," said all three boys 
 together ; " he stuck fast to the double ripper ; 
 we ran into a tree, and Dick was pitched off 
 head-first." 
 
 " But honestly and truly, father," said Jasper, 
 " I clo not think that it was the fault of the 
 steerer." 
 
 " Indeed it was not," declared Ben stoutly ; 
 "there was an ugly little gully that we hadn't 
 seen under the snow. We'd been down four or 
 five times all right, but only missed it by a 
 hair-breadth ; this time the ' ripper ' struck into 
 it ; I suppose Dick felt it bump, as it was on his 
 side, and sang out, and as quick as lightning we
 
 192 A SUDDEN BLOW. 
 
 were against that tree. It was as much my 
 fault as any one's, and more, because I ought 
 to have known that old hill thoroughly." 
 
 " I share the blame, Ben," broke in Jasper, 
 " old fellow, if you pitch into yourself, you'll 
 have to knock me over too." 
 
 " Come here, Vanny," said old Mr. King, 
 holding out his hand. " Why, you needn't be 
 afraid, my boy," aghas^ at the tears that no 
 power on earth could keep back. " Now all 
 leave the room, please." 
 
 " Where's Polly ? " asked Ben, on the other 
 side of the door. 
 
 " She's run home," said David, " I guess. 
 She isn't here." 
 
 "And that's where I must be too," cried Ben, 
 bounding off. 
 
 When Van was next seen he was with old 
 Mr. King, and wearing all signs of having re- 
 ceived his full share of comfort. Phronsie, just 
 tying on her little hood, to go down to the 
 parsonage to ask after Dicky, looked oat of the
 
 A SUDDEN BLOW. 193 
 
 window to exclaim in pleased surprise, " Why, 
 here comes dear Grandpapa," and then she 
 rushed out to meet him. 
 
 " Here's my little girl," cried the old gentle- 
 man, opening his arms, when she immediately 
 ran into them. " Now we're all right." 
 
 "Is Dicky all right?" asked Phronsie anx- 
 iously, as she fell into step by his side. 
 
 "Yes, indeed; as well as a youngster can be, 
 who's broken his leg." 
 
 Phronsie shivered. " But then, that's noth- 
 ing," Mr. King hastened to add ; " I broke 
 my own when I was a small shaver no bigger 
 than Dick, and I was none the worse for it. 
 Boys always have some such trifling mishaps, 
 Phronsie." 
 
 " Ben never broke his leg, nor Joel, nor Davie," 
 said Phronsie. " Must they yet, Grandpapa? " 
 
 "O, dear, no," declared Mr. King hastily; 
 " that isn't necessary. I only meant they must 
 have something. Now you see, Ben had the 
 measles, you know."
 
 194 A SUDDEN BLOW. 
 
 " Yes, he did," said Phronsie, quite relieved 
 to think that this trial could take the place of 
 the usual leg-breaking episode in a boy's career. 
 "And so did Joel, and Davie all of them, 
 Grandpapa dear." 
 
 " Exactly ; well, and then Ben had to work 
 hard, and Joel and Davie too, for that matter. 
 So, you see, it wasn't as essential that they 
 should break their legs, child." 
 
 " But Jasper and Percy and Van don't have 
 to work hard, oh ! I don't want them to break 
 their legs," said Phronsie, in a worried tone. 
 " You don't think they will, Grandpapa dear, 
 do you ? Please say they won't." 
 
 " I don't think there is the least clanger of it/' 
 said Mr. King, " especially as I shall put an 
 end to this ' double-ripper ' business, though 
 not because this upset was anybody's fault, 
 remember that, Phronsie." Van's head which 
 had dropped a bit at the last words, came up 
 proudly. " Van here, has acted nobly " he put 
 his hand on the bov's shoulder " and would
 
 A SUDDEN BLOW. 195 
 
 have saved Dicky if he could. It was a pure 
 accident, that nobody could help except by 
 keeping off from the abominable thing. Well, 
 here we are at the little brown house ; and 
 there's your mother, Phronsie, waiting for us in 
 the doorway." 
 
 " Halloo ! " cried Van, rushing over the flat 
 stone, and past Mrs. Pepper, " where's Joel ? Oh 
 here, you old chap ! " 
 
 "Well, Mrs. Pepper," said the old gentleman, 
 coining up to the step, Phronsie hanging to 
 his hand, " this looks like starting for town 
 to-morrow, doesn't it ? " 
 
 " Oh ! what shall we do, sir ? " cried Mrs. 
 Pepper, in distress. "To think you have come 
 down here in the goodness of your heart, to be 
 met with such an accident as this. What shall 
 we do ? " she repeated. 
 
 " Goodness of my heart," repeated Mr. King, 
 nevertheless well pleased at the tribute. " I've 
 had as much pleasure out of it all as you or the 
 young people. I want you to realize that."
 
 196 A SUDDEN BLOW. 
 
 " So does any one who does a kind act," 
 replied Mrs. Pepper, wiping her eyes ; " well, 
 sir, now how shall we manage about going 
 back ? " 
 
 "That remains to be seen," said Mr. King 
 slowly, and he took a long look at the winter 
 sky, and the distant landscape before he ven- 
 tured more. " It very much looks as if we all 
 should remain for a few days, to see how Dick 
 is to get on, all but the four boys ; they must 
 pack off to school to-morrow, and then probably 
 Mrs. Whitney will stay over with the boy till 
 he can be moved. Dr. Fisher will do the right 
 thing by him. Oh! everything is all right, Mrs. 
 Pepper." 
 
 Mrs. Pepper sighed and led the way into the 
 house. She knew in spite of the re-assuring 
 words, that the extreme limit of the " outing' 1 
 ought to be passed on the morrow.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 
 
 GOOD-BY to the little brown house ! " Joel 
 and David, Percy and Van sang out in 
 dclefvl chorus, from the old stage coach ; two 
 of the boys on the seat shared by John Tisbett, 
 the other two within as companions to Mrs. 
 Pepper and Jasper, who were going home to 
 start the quartette off to school. 
 
 " Ben and 1 will take good care of everything, 
 Mamsie," said Polly for the fiftieth time, and 
 climbing up on the steps to tuck the traveling 
 shawl closer. Thereupon Phronsie climbed up 
 too, to do the same thing. " Don't you worry ; 
 we'll take care of things," she echoed. 
 
 " I sha'n't worry," said Mrs. Pepper in a bright 
 197
 
 ig8 THK PARTV SEPARATES. 
 
 assured way. " Mother knows you'll both do just 
 right. And Phronsie'll be a good girl too," with 
 a long look into the bright eyes peering over the 
 window casing of the old coach. 
 
 " I'll try," said Phronsie. " Good-by, Mamsie," 
 and she tried to stand on tiptoe to reach her 
 mouth up. 
 
 " Goodness me ! " cried Polly, " you nearly 
 tumbled off the steps. Throw her a kiss, 
 Phronsie ; Mamsie'll catch it." 
 
 " If that child wants to kiss her ma agen, she 
 shall do it," declared Mr. Tisbett ; and throwing 
 down the reins, he sprang to the ground, seized 
 Phronsie, and swung her lightly over the window 
 edge. " There you be went through just like 
 a bird." And there she was, sure enough, in 
 Mrs. Pepper's lap. 
 
 " I should like to go with you," Phronsie was 
 whispering under Mrs. Pepper's bonnet strings, 
 ' ; Mamsie, I should." 
 
 " O, no, Phronsie ! " Mrs. Pepper made haste 
 to whisper back. " You must stay with Polly.
 
 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 199 
 
 Why, what would she ever do without you ? Be 
 mother's good girl, Phronsie ; you're all coming 
 home, except Auntie and Dick, in a few days." 
 
 Phronsie cast one look at Polly. "Good-by,"' 
 she said slowly. " Take me out now," holding 
 her arms towards Mr. Tisbett. 
 
 " Here you be ! " exclaimed Mr. Tisbett mer- 
 rily, reversing the process, and setting her care- 
 fully on the ground. ''Now, says I ; up I goes," 
 his foot on the wheel to spring to the box. 
 
 " Stay ! " a peremptory hand was laid on his 
 shaggy coat sleeve, and he turned to face old 
 Mr. King. 
 
 " When I meet a man who can do such a kind 
 thing, it is worth my while to say that I trust no 
 words of mine gave offense. Bless you, man ! " 
 added the old gentleman, abruptly changing the 
 tone of his address as well as its form, " it's my 
 way ; that's all." 
 
 John Tisbett had no words to offer, but re- 
 mained, his foot on the wheel, stupidly staring 
 up at the handsome old face.
 
 200 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 
 
 "We shall be late for the train," called Jasper 
 within the coach, " if you don't start." 
 
 "Get up, do!" cried Joel, who had seized the 
 reins, " or I'll drive off without you, Mr. Tisbett," 
 which had the effect to carry honest John briskly 
 up to his place. When there, he took off his fur 
 cap without a word, and bowed to Mr. King, 
 cracked his whip and they were off, leaving the 
 four on the little foot-path gazing after them, 
 till the coach was only a speck in the distance. 
 
 " Mamma dear," said Dick, one afternoon 
 three weeks later (the little brown house had 
 been closed a fortnight, and all the rest of 
 the party back in town), "when are we going 
 home ? " 
 
 "Next week," said Mrs. Whitney brightly; 
 " the doctor thinks if all goes well, you can be 
 moved from here." 
 
 Dick leaned back in the big chintz-covered 
 chair. " Mamma," he said, " your cheeks aren't 
 so pink, and not quite so round, but I think you 
 are a great deal nicer mamma than you were."
 
 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 2OI 
 
 " Do you, Dick ? " she said, laughing. " Well, 
 we have had a happy time together, haven't we? 
 The fortnight hasn't been so long for you as I 
 feared when the others all went away." 
 
 " It hasn't been long at all," said Dick promptly 
 and burrowing deeper into the chair-back ; " it's 
 just flown, mamma. I like Polly and Phronsie ; 
 but I'd rather have you than any girl I know ; I 
 had really, mamma." 
 
 " I'm very glad to hear it, Dick," said Mrs. 
 Whitney, with another laugh. 
 
 " And when I grow up, I'm just going to live 
 with you forever and ever. Do you suppose papa 
 will be always going to Europe then ? " 
 
 " I trust not," said Mrs. Whitney fervently. 
 " Dicky, would you like to have a secret ? " she 
 asked suddenly. 
 
 The boy's eyes sparkled. " Wouldn't I 
 mamma ? " he cried, springing forward in the 
 chair; " ugh ! " 
 
 " Take care, darling," warned his mother. 
 "You must remember the poor leg."
 
 202 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 
 
 Dick made a grimace, but otherwise took 
 the pain pluckily. "Tell me, do, mamma," he 
 begged, "the secret." 
 
 " Yes, I thought it would be a pleasant thing 
 for you to have it to think of, darling, while you 
 are getting well. Dicky, papa is coming home 
 soon." 
 
 " Right away ? " shouted Dick so lustily that 
 Mrs. Henderson popped her head in the door. 
 "Oh ! beg your pardon," she said ; " I thought 
 you wanted something." 
 
 " Isn't it lovely," cried Mrs. Whitney, " to have 
 a boy who is beginning to find his lungs ? " 
 
 "Indeed it is," cried the parson's wife, laugh- 
 ing ; " I always picked up heart when my children 
 were able to scream. It's good to hear you, 
 Dicky," as she closed the door. 
 
 "Is he is he is he?" cried Die? in a 
 spasm of excitement, " coming right straight 
 away, mamma ? " 
 
 " Next week," said mamma, with happy eyes. 
 " he sails in the Servia. Next week, Dicky, my
 
 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 203 
 
 boy, we will see papa. And here is the best 
 part of the secret. Listen ; it has all been 
 arranged that Mr. Duyckink shall live in Liver- 
 pool, so that papa will have to go across only 
 once in a while. O, Dicky ! " 
 
 That " O, Dicky ! " told volumes to the boy's 
 heart. 
 
 " Mamma," he said at last, " isn't it good that 
 God didn't give boys and girls to Mr. Duyckink ? 
 Because you see if he had, why, then Mr. Duyc- 
 kink wouldn't like to live over there." 
 
 "Mr. Duyckink might not have felt as your 
 father does, Dicky dear, about having his chil- 
 dren educated at home ; and Mrs. Duyckink 
 wants to go to England ; rhe hasn't any father, 
 as I have, Dicky dear, who clings to the old 
 home." 
 
 " Only I wish God had made Mr. Duyckink 
 and Mrs. Duyckink a little sooner," said Dick 
 reflectively. " I mean, made them want to go 
 to England sooner, don't you, mamma ? " 
 
 " I suppose we ought not to wish that," said
 
 204 
 
 THE PARTV SEPARATES. 
 
 his mother with a smile, "for perhaps we needed 
 to be taught to be patient. Only now, Dicky, 
 
 MRS. WHITNEY RAN x THE OLD-FASHIONED LOOKING-GLASS 
 
 just think, we can have papa actually live at 
 home with us ! " 
 
 "Your cheeks are pink now," observed Dick; 
 " just the very pink they used to be, mamma."
 
 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 2OC 
 
 Mrs. Whitney ran to the old-fashioned looking- 
 glass hanging in its pine-stained frame, between 
 the low windows, and peered in. 
 
 " Do I look just as I did when papa went away 
 six months ago, Dicky ? " she asked anxiously. 
 
 "Yes," said Dick, "just like that, only a great 
 deal nicer," he added enthusiastically. 
 
 His mother laughed and pulled at a bright 
 wave on her forehead ; dodged a bit to avoid a 
 long crack running across the looking-glass front. 
 
 "Here's Dr. Fisher! " shouted Dick suddenly. 
 " Now, you old fellow, you," and shaking his 
 small fist at his lame leg, " you've got to get well, 
 I tell you. I won't wait much longer, sir ! " And 
 as the doctor came in, "I've a secret." 
 
 " Well, then, you would better keep it," said 
 Dr. Fisher. " Good morning," to Mrs. Whitney. 
 " Our young man here is getting ahead pretty 
 fast, I should think. How's the leg, Dicky ? " 
 sitting down by him. 
 
 " The leg is all right," cried Dick ; " I'm going 
 to step on it," trying to get out of the chair.
 
 206 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 
 
 " Dicky ! " cried his mother in alarm. 
 
 "Softly softly now, young man," said Dr. 
 Fisher. " I suppose you want me to cure that 
 leg of yours, and make it as good as the other 
 one, don't you ? " 
 
 " Why, of course," replied Dick ; " that's what 
 you are a doctor for." 
 
 " Well, I won't agree to do anything of the 
 sort," said the little doctor coolly, "if you don't 
 do your part. Do you know what patience 
 means ?" 
 
 " I've been patient," exclaimed Dick, in a 
 dudgeon, " for ever and ever so many weeks, 
 and now papa is coming home, and I " 
 
 And then he realized what he had done, 
 and he turned quite pale, and looked at his 
 mother. 
 
 Her face gave no sign, but he sank back in 
 his chair, feeling disgraced for life, and ready 
 to keep quiet forever. And he was so gooA 
 while Dr. Fisher was attending to his leg that 
 when he was through, the little doctor turned to
 
 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 2OJ 
 
 him approvingly : " Well, sir, I think that I can 
 promise that you can go home Saturday. You've 
 improved beyond my expectation." 
 
 But Dick didn't " hurrah," nor even smile. 
 
 " Dicky," said Mrs. Whitney, smiling into his 
 downcast face, " how glad we are to hear that ; 
 just think, good Dr. Fisher says we may go next 
 Saturday." 
 
 " I'm glad," mumbled Dick, in a forlorn little 
 voice, and till after the door closed on the 
 retreating form of the doctor, it was all that 
 could be gotten out of him. Then he turned 
 and put out both arms to his mother. 
 
 " I didn't mean I didn't mean I truly 
 didn't mean to tell mamma,'' he sobbed, 
 as she clasped him closely. 
 
 " I know you didn't, dear," she soothed him. 
 " It has really done no harm ; papa didn't want 
 the home people to know, as he wants to sur- 
 prise them." 
 
 " But it was a secret," said Dick, between his 
 tears, feeling as if he had lost a precious treas-
 
 208 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 
 
 ure entrusted to him. " O, mamma ! I really 
 didn't mean to let it go." 
 
 " Mamma feels quite sure of that," said Mrs. 
 Whitney gently. " You are right, Dicky, in 
 feeling sorry and ashamed, because anything 
 given to you to keep, is not your own, but 
 belongs to another; but, my boy, the next duty 
 is to keep back those tears all this is hurting 
 your leg." 
 
 Dick struggled manfully, but still the tears 
 rolled down his cheeks. At last he said, rais- 
 ing his head, " You would much better let me 
 have my cry out, mamma ; it's half-way, and it 
 hurts to send it back." 
 
 "Well, I don't think so," said Mrs. Whitney, 
 with a laugh. " I've often wanted to have a 
 cry out, as you call it. But that's weak, Dicky, 
 and should be stopped, for the more one cries, 
 the more one wants to." 
 
 " You've often wanted to have a cry out ? " 
 repeated Dick, in such amazement that every 
 tear just getting ready to show itself, immedi-
 
 THE PARTY SEPARATES. * 2OQ 
 
 ately rushed back again. "Why, you haven't 
 anything to cry for, mamma." 
 
 "Indeed I have," she declared ; "often and 
 often, I do many things that I ought not to do " 
 
 "Oh ! never, never," cried Dick, clutching 
 her around the neck, to the detriment of her 
 lace-trimmed wrapper. " My sweetest, dearing- 
 est mamma is ever and always just right." 
 
 " Indeed, Dick," said Mrs. Whitney earnestly, 
 " the longer I live, I find that every day I have 
 something to be sorry for in myself. But God, 
 you know, is good," she whispered softly. 
 
 Dick was silent. 
 
 "And then when papa goes," continued Mrs. 
 Whitney, " why, then, my boy, it is very hard 
 not to cry." 
 
 Here was something that the boy could 
 grasp ; and he seized it with avidity. 
 
 " And you stop crying for us," he cried ; " I 
 know now why you always put on your prettiest 
 gown, and play games with us the evening after 
 papa goes. I know now."
 
 210 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 
 
 " Here are three letters," cried the parson, 
 hurrying in, and tossing them over to the boy. 
 " And Polly Pepper has written to me, too." 
 
 Dick screamed with delight. ''Two for me; 
 one from Ben, and one from Grandpapa!" 
 
 "And mine is from Phronsie," said Mrs. 
 Whitney, seizing an epistle carefully printed in 
 blue crayon. 
 
 But although there were three letters from 
 home, none of them carried the news of what 
 was going on there. None of them breathed a 
 syllable that Cousin Eunice Chatterton was ill 
 with a low fever, aggravated by nervous pros- 
 tration ; and that Mrs. Pepper and Polly were 
 having a pretty hard time of it. On the con- 
 trary, every bit of news was of the cheeriest 
 nature ; Jasper tucked on a postscript to his 
 father's letter, in which he gave the latest bulle- 
 tin of his school life. And Polly did the same 
 thing to Ben's letter. Even Phronsie went into 
 a long detail concerning the new developments 
 of a wonderful kitten she had left at home, to
 
 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 211 
 
 take her visit to Badgertown, so the two recipi- 
 ents never missed the lack of information in 
 regard to the household life, from which they 
 were shut out. 
 
 Only once Mrs. Whitney said thoughtfully, 
 as she folded her letter and slipped it back into 
 its envelope, " They don't speak of Mrs. Chat- 
 terton. I presume she has changed her plans, 
 and is going to remain longer at her nephew's." 
 
 " I hope she'll live there always," declared 
 Dick, looking up savagely from Ben's letter. 
 " What an old guy she is, mamma ! " 
 
 " Dick, Dick," said his mother reprovingly, 
 " she is our guest, you know." 
 
 " Not if she is at her nephew's," said Dick 
 triumphantly, turning back to his letter. 
 
 Polly at this identical minute was slowly 
 ascending the stairs, a tray in one hand, the 
 contents of which she was anxiously regarding 
 on the way. 
 
 " I do hope it is right now," she said, and 
 presently knocked at Mrs. Chatterton's door.
 
 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 
 
 " Come in," said that lady's voice fretfully. 
 And, " Do close the door," before Polly and 
 her tray were well within. 
 
 POLLY STOOD QUITE STILL. 
 
 Polly shut the door gently, and approached 
 the bedside. 
 
 " I am so faint I do not know that I can take 
 any," said Mrs. Chatterton. Whether it was 
 her white cashmere dressing robe, and her deli- 
 cate lace cap that made her face seem against
 
 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 213 
 
 the pillows, wan and white, Polly did not know. 
 But it struck her that she looked more ill than 
 usual, and she said earnestly, " I am so sorry I 
 wasn't quicker." 
 
 " There is no call for an apology from you," 
 said Mrs. Chatterton coldly. " Set the tray 
 down on the table, and get a basin of water ; I 
 need to be bathed." 
 
 Polly stood quite still, even forgetting to de- 
 posit the tray. 
 
 " Set the tray down, I told you," repeated 
 Mrs. Chatterton sharply, " and then get the 
 basin of water." 
 
 " I will call Hortense," said Polly quietly, 
 placing the tray as desired. 
 
 " Hortense has gone to the 4 apothecary's," 
 said Mrs. Chatterton, "and I will not have one 
 of the other maids; they are too insufferable." 
 
 And indeed Polly knew that it would be 
 small use to summon one of them, as Martha, 
 the most obliging, had airily tossed her head 
 when asked to do some little service for the
 
 214 THE PARTY SEPARATES. 
 
 sick woman that very morning, declaring, " I 
 will never lift another ringer for that Madame 
 Chatterton." 
 
 " My neck aches, and my side, and my head," 
 iaid Mrs. Chatterton irritably ; " why do you 
 "Ot do as I bid you ? " 
 
 For one long instant, Polly hesitated ; then she 
 aimed to rush from the room, a flood of angry, 
 bitter feelings surging through her heart, more 
 at the insufferable tone and manner, than at 
 what she was bidden to do. Only turned ; and 
 she was back by the side of the bed, and look- 
 ing down into the fretful, dictatorial old face. 
 
 " I will bathe you, Mrs. Chatterton," she said 
 gently; "I'll bring the water in a minute."
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 POOR POLLY ! 
 
 YOU are very awkward, child," observed 
 Mrs. Chatterton to Polly on her knees, 
 "and abrupt. Move the sponge more slowly; 
 there, that is better." 
 
 Polly shifted her position from one aching 
 knee to another, set her lips closer together, and 
 bent all her young energies to gentler effects. 
 But Mrs. Chatterton cried out irritably : 
 
 "Have you never taken care of a sick person, 
 pray tell, or is it all your back-country training, 
 that makes you so heavy-handed ? " 
 
 "I helped mother take care of Phronsie when 
 she had the measles, and Ben and Joel," said 
 Polly, "five years ago; we haven't been sick 
 lately."
 
 2l6 POOR POLLY ! 
 
 " Humph ! " ejaculated Mrs. Chatterton, not 
 very elegantly. But what was the use of a fine 
 manner when there was nobody but a little 
 back-country maiden to see it ? 
 
 " I shall have to endure it till Hortense re- 
 turns," she said with a sigh ; " besides, it is my 
 duty to give you something useful to do in this 
 house. You should be thankful that I allow 
 you to bathe me." 
 
 Polly's eyes flashed, and the hand holding 
 the sponge trembled. Nothing but the fear of 
 troubling Mamsie, and dear old Mr. King whose 
 forbearance was worn to the finest of threads, 
 kept her at her post. 
 
 " Now get the violet water," said Mrs. Chat- 
 terton, with an air she would never have dared 
 employ towards Hortense ; " it is the bottle in 
 the lower left-hand corner of the case." 
 
 Polly got up from her knees, and stiffly stum- 
 bled across the room to the case of silver-mounted 
 toilet articles : in her Jumult bringing away the 
 upper right-hand corner vial.
 
 POOR POLLY ! 217 
 
 " Stupide!" exclaimed Mrs. Chatterton among 
 her pillows. " Go back, and do as I bid you, 
 girl ; the lower left-hand corner bottle!" 
 
 Without a word Polly returned, and bringing 
 the right vial set about its use as directed, in 
 a rapidly growing dismay at the evil feelings 
 surging through her, warning her it would not 
 be safe to stay in the room much longer. 
 
 " Do you understand," presently began Mrs. 
 Chatterton, fastening her cold blue eyes upon 
 her, " what your position is in this house ? 
 Everybody else appears to be blind and idiotic 
 to the last degree ; you seem to have a little 
 quickness to catch an idea." 
 
 As Polly did not answer, the question was 
 repeated very sharply : " Do you understand 
 what your position is in this house ? " 
 
 " Yes," said Polly, in a low voice, and dashing 
 out the violet water with a reckless hand, " I do." 
 
 "Take care," impatiently cried Mrs. Chaiter- 
 ton. Then she pushed her pillow into a bettei 
 position, and returned to the charge.
 
 2l8 POOR POLLY ! 
 
 " What is it, pray, since you understand it so 
 well ? " 
 
 " I understand that I am here in this house," 
 said Polly, quite cold and white, " because dear 
 Mr. King wants me to be here." 
 
 " DEAR Mr. King ! " echoed Mrs. Chatterton. 
 in shrill disdain. " Stuff and nonsense," and 
 she put her head back for an unpleasant cackle : 
 it could hardly be called a laugh. "What an 
 idiot the man is to have the wool pulled over 
 his eyes in this fashion. I'll tell you, Polly" 
 and she raised herself up on her elbow, the soft 
 lace falling away from the white, and yet shapely 
 arm. This member had been one of her strong- 
 est claims to beauty, and even in her rage, Mrs. 
 Chatterton paused a second to glance compla- 
 cently at it in its new position "you are, when 
 all is said about your dear Mr. King, and your 
 absurd assumption of equality with refined people 
 who frequent this house, exactly the same under- 
 bred country girl as you were in your old brown 
 house, goodness knows wherever that is."
 
 POOR POLLY ! 219 
 
 " I'm glad I am," declared Polly. And she 
 actually laughed merrily, while she squared her 
 sturdy shoulders. Nothing could be sweeter 
 than to hear it said she was worthy of the 
 dear little old brown house, and didn't disgrace 
 Mamsie's bringing up. 
 
 The laugh was the last feather that overthrew 
 Mrs. Chatterton's restraint. She was actually 
 furious now that she, widow of Algernon Chat-' 
 terton, who was own cousin to Joseph Horatio 
 King, should be faced by such presumption, and 
 her words put aside with girlish amusement. 
 
 " And I'll tell you more," she went on, sitting 
 quite erect now on the bed, " your mother thinks 
 she is doing a fine thing to get all her family 
 wormed in here in this style, but she'll " 
 
 Polly Pepper, the girlish gladness gone from 
 heart and face, waited for no more. " Our 
 mother ! " she cried stormily, unable to utter 
 another word " oh-oh ! " Her breath came 
 in quick, short gasps, the hot indignant blood 
 mounting to the brown waves of hair on her
 
 220 POOR POLLY ! 
 
 brow, while she clasped her hands so tightly 
 together, the pain at any other time would have 
 made her scream. 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton, aghast at the effect of her 
 words, leaned back once more against her pil- 
 lows. " Don't try to work up a scene," she 
 endeavored to say carelessly. But she might 
 as well have remonstrated with the north wind. 
 The little country maiden had a temper as well 
 as her own, and all the more for its long restraint, 
 now on breaking bounds, it rushed at the one who 
 had provoked it, utterly regardless that it was 
 the great Mrs. Algernon Chatterton. 
 
 For two minutes, so breathlessly did Polly 
 hurl the stinging sentences at the figure on the 
 bed, Cousin Eunice was obliged to let her have 
 her own way. Then as suddenly, the torrent 
 ceased. Polly grew quite white. " What have 
 I done oh! what have I done?" she cried, 
 and rushed out of the room. 
 
 " Polly Polly ! " called Jasper's voice below. 
 She knew he wanted her to try a new duet he
 
 POOR POLLY ! 221 
 
 had gone down town to purchase ; but how could 
 she play with such a storm in her heart ? and, 
 worse than all else, the consciousness that she 
 had spoken to one whose gray hairs should have 
 made her forget the provocation received 
 words that now plunged her into a hot shame 
 to recall. 
 
 She flew over the stairs up, away from every 
 one's sight to a long, dark lumber room, partially 
 filled with trunks, and a few articles of furniture, 
 prized as heirlooms, but no longer admissible in 
 the family apartments. Polly closed the door 
 behind her, and sank down in the shadow of a 
 packing box half filled with old pictures, in a 
 distress that would not even let her think. She 
 covered her face with her hands, too angry with 
 herself to cry ; too aghast at the mischief she 
 had done, to even remember the dreadful words 
 Mrs. Chatterton had said to her. 
 
 " For of course, now she will complain to 
 Mamsie, and I'm really afraid Mr. King will 
 find it out; and it only needs a little thing to
 
 222 POOR POLLY ! 
 
 make him send her off. He said yesterday Dr. 
 Valentine told him there was nothing really the 
 
 "o DEAR! i DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN." 
 
 matter with her, and and . O dear ! I don't 
 know what will happen." 
 
 To poor Polly, crouching there on the floor in 
 the dim and dusty corner, it seemed as if her 
 wretchedness held no hope. Turn whichever 
 way she might, the dreadful words she had 
 uttered, rang through her heart. They could
 
 POOR POLLY ! 223 
 
 not be unsaid ; they were never to be forgotten ; 
 but must always stay and rankle there. 
 
 " Oh-oh ! " she moaned, clasping her knees 
 with distressed little palms, and swaying back 
 and forth, " why didn't I remember what Mamsie 
 has always told us that no insult can do us 
 harm if only we do not say or do anything in 
 return. Why why couldn't I have remembered 
 it ? " 
 
 How long she staid there she never knew. 
 But at last, realizing that every moment there 
 was only making matters worse, she dragged 
 herself up from the little heap on the floor, and 
 trying to put a bit of cheerfulness into a face 
 she knew must frighten Mamsie, she went slowl) 
 out, and down the stairs. 
 
 But no one looked long enough at her face 
 to notice its change of expression. Polly, the 
 moment she turned towards the household life 
 again, could feel that the air was charged with 
 some intense excitement. Hortense met her on 
 the lower stairs; the maid was startled out of
 
 224 POOR POLLY ! 
 
 her usual nonchalance, and was actually in a 
 hurry. 
 
 "What is the matter?" cried Polly. 
 
 " Oh ! the Madame is eel," said the maid ; 
 " the doctaire says it is not a lie dees time," 
 and she swept past Polly. 
 
 Polly clung to the stair-railing, her face whiten- 
 ing, and her gaze fastened upon Mrs. Chatter- 
 ton's door, where Hortense was now disappearing. 
 Inside, was a sound of voices, and that subdued 
 stir that gives token of a sick room. 
 
 " I have killed her ! " cried Polly's heart. 
 For one wild moment she was impelled to flight ; 
 anywhere, she did not care where, to shake off 
 by motion in the free air, this paralysis of fear. 
 But the next she started and rushing down the 
 stairs, and into Mr. King's room, cried out, 
 " Oh ! dear Grandpapa, will Mrs. Chatterton 
 die?" 
 
 " No, no, I think not," replied the old gentle- 
 man, surprised at her feeling. " Cousin Eunice 
 never did show much self-control ; but then,
 
 POOR POLLY! 225 
 
 I don't believe this piece of bad news will 
 kill her." 
 
 "Bad news?" gasped Polly, hanging to the 
 table where Mr. King was writing letters. "O, 
 Grandpapa ! what do you mean ? " 
 
 " Bless me ! where have you been, Polly 
 Pepper," said Mr. King, settling his eyeglass 
 to regard her closely, "not to hear the uproar 
 in this house ? Yes, Mrs. Chatterton received a 
 telegram a half-hour since that her nephew, 
 the only one that she was very fond of among 
 her relatives, was drowned at sea, and she has 
 been perfectly prostrated by it, till she really is 
 quite ill." 
 
 Polly waited to hear no more, but on the wings 
 of the wind, flew out ' and up the stairs once 
 more. 
 
 " Where have you been, Polly? " cried Jasper, 
 coining out of a side passage in time to catch a 
 dissolving view of her flying figure. " Polly 
 Polly ! " and he took three steps to her one, and 
 gained her side.
 
 226 POOR POLLY ! 
 
 " Oh ! don't stop me," begged Polly, flying on, 
 "don't, Jasper." 
 
 He took a good look at her face. " Anything 
 I can help you about ? " he asked quickly. 
 
 She suddenly stopped, her foot on the stair 
 above. " O, Jasper ! " she cried, with clasped 
 hands, "you don't know she may die, and I 
 said horribly cruel things to her." 
 
 "Who Mrs. Chatterton ? " said the boy, 
 opening his dark eyes; "why, you couldn't 
 have said cruel things to her, Polly. Don't 
 be foolish, child." He spoke as he would to 
 Phronsie's terror, and smiled into her face. But 
 it did not reassure Polly. 
 
 "Jasper, you don't know ; you can't guess what 
 dreadful things I said," cried poor overwhelmed 
 Polly, clasping her hands tightly together at the 
 mere thought of the words she had uttered. 
 
 " Then she must have said dreadful things to 
 you," said the boy. 
 
 " She but, O, Jasper ! that doesn't make it 
 any better for me," said Polly. " Don't stop
 
 POOR POLLY ! 
 
 227 
 
 me ; I am going to see if they won't let me do 
 something for her." 
 
 " There are ever so many up there now," said 
 Jasper. "Your 
 mother, and Hor- 
 tense, and two or 
 three maids. What 
 in the world could 
 you do, Polly ? 
 Come down into 
 the library, and 
 tell us all about 
 it." 
 
 But Polly broke 
 away from him 
 with an, "Oh! I 
 must do some- 
 thing for her," 
 speeding on until she softly worked her way 
 into the sick room. 
 
 Mrs. Pepper was busy with the doctor in the 
 further part of the room, and Polly stood quite 
 
 SHE WENT SOFTLY TO THE SICK 
 ROOM.
 
 228 POOR POLLY 1 
 
 still for a moment, wishing she were one of the 
 maids, to whom a bit of active service was 
 given. She could not longer endure her thoughts 
 in silence, and gently going up to her mother's 
 side, with a timorous glance at the bed, as she 
 passed it, she begged, " Mamsie, can't I do some- 
 thing for her? " 
 
 Mrs. Pepper glanced up quickly. "No yes, 
 you can ; take this prescription down to Oakley's 
 to be prepared." 
 
 Polly seized the bit of paper from Dr. Valen- 
 tine's hand, and hurried out. Again she glanced 
 fearfully at the bed, but the curtain on that side 
 was drawn so that only the outline of the figure 
 could be seen. She was soon out on the street, 
 the movement through the fresh air bringing 
 back a little color to her cheek, and courage to 
 her heart. Things did not seem quite so bad 
 if she only -might do something for the poor sick 
 woman that could atone for the wretched work 
 she had done ; at least it would be some comfort 
 if the invalid could be helped by her service.
 
 POOR POLLY ! 229 
 
 Thus revolving everything in her mind, Polly 
 did not hear her name called, nor rapid foot- 
 steps hurrying after. 
 
 "Wait!" at last cried a voice; "oh ! dear me, 
 what is the matter, Polly?" Alexia Rhys threw 
 herself up flushed and panting at Polly's side. 
 
 " I'm on the way to the apothecary's," said 
 Polly, without looking around. 
 
 " So I should suppose," said Alexia; "O dear! 
 I am so hot and tired. Do go a bit slower, 
 Polly." 
 
 " I can't," said Polly. " She's very sick, and I 
 must get this just as soon as I can." She waved 
 the prescription at her, and redoubled her speed. 
 
 " Who ? " gasped Alexia, stumbling after as 
 best she could. 
 
 " Mrs. Chatterton," said Polly, a lump in her 
 throat as she uttered the name. 
 
 " Oh ! dear me ; that old thing," cried Alexia, 
 her enthusiasm over the errand gone. 
 
 " Hush ! " said Polly hoarsely ; " she may die 
 She has had bad news."
 
 230 POOR POLLY ! 
 
 " What ? " asked Alexia ; the uncomfortable 
 walk might be enlivened by a bit of stray gossip; 
 " what is it, Polly ? What news ? " 
 
 " A telegram," said Polly. " Her favorite 
 nephew was drowned at sea." 
 
 "Oh! I didn't know she had any favorite 
 nephew. Doesn't she fight with everybody ? " 
 
 " Do be quiet," begged Polly. " No; that is, 
 perhaps, other people are not kind to her." 
 
 " Oh ! " said Alexia, in a surprised voice. 
 " Well, I think she's perfectly and all-through- 
 and-through horrid, so ! Don't race like this 
 through the streets, Polly. You'll get there 
 soon enough." 
 
 But Polly turned a deaf ear, and at last the 
 prescription was handed over the counter at 
 Oakley's, and after what seemed an endless 
 time to Polly, the medicine was given to her. 
 
 "Now as soon as you carry that thing home," 
 observed Alexia, glancing at the white parcel in 
 Polly's hand, " I hope you'll come with us girls. 
 That's what I ran after you for."
 
 POOR POLLY ! 231 
 
 " What girls ? " asked Polly. 
 
 " Why, Philena and the Cornwalls ; we are 
 going to have a sleighing party to-night, and 
 a supper at Lilly DrexelPs. Mrs. Cornwall 
 chaperones the thing." 
 
 Polly was surprised to feel her heart bound. 
 It hadn't seemed as if it could ever be moved by 
 any news of girlish frolics, but that its dull ache 
 must go on forever. 
 
 " Oh ! I can't," she cried the next moment. 
 " I must stay at home, and help take care of 
 Mrs. Chatterton." 
 
 " Nonsense ! " exclaimed Alexia in a provoked 
 tone ; "you are not wanted there, Polly Pepper; 
 the idea, with that great house full of servants." 
 
 " Well, I shall not go," declared Polly sharply ; 
 " you needn't ask me, Alexia. I shall stay home 
 till she gets well." 
 
 " You little idiot ! " cried Alexia, thoroughly 
 out of temper. But as this produced no effect on 
 Polly, she began to wheedle and coax. " Now, 
 Polly, do be reasonable. You know we can't
 
 232 POOR POLLY ! 
 
 go without you; you wouldn't spoil the whole 
 thing, you know you wouldn't. I shall just tell 
 the Cornwalls that you are coming," and she 
 turned off to the corner of the avenue. 
 
 "Indeed you will not," called Polly after her. 
 " Don't you dare do that, Alexia Rhys," she 
 said, with flashing eyes. 
 
 " You are the most uncomfortable girl I ever 
 saw," cried Alexia, stopping, to come slowly 
 back. " You spoil every bit of fun with your 
 absurd notions. I'm quite, quite put out with 
 you, Polly." 
 
 " I'm sorry," said poor Polly, fairly longing 
 for the snow-revel, and dismayed at disappoint- 
 ing the girls. 
 
 " No, you're not," pouted Alexia, " and I shall 
 tell them all so," and she broke away and ran off 
 in the opposite direction. 
 
 Polly was met at the door by Mrs. Pepper, who 
 grasped the packet of medicine quickly. 
 
 " Isn't there anything else I can do, Mamsie ?" 
 begged Polly.
 
 POOR POLLY ! 233 
 
 " No ; sit down and rest ; you're hot and tired, 
 you've run so." 
 
 " I'm not tired," said Polly, not daring to ask 
 " Is she better ? " 
 
 "Well, you must be," said Mrs. Pepper, hurry- 
 ing off, "going all the way down to Oakley's." 
 
 So Polly had nothing to do but to sit out in the 
 hall, and listen and watch all the movements in 
 the sick room, every one of which but increased 
 her terror. At last she could bear it no longer, 
 and as Dr. Valentine came out, putting on his 
 gloves, she rushed after him. 
 
 "Oh! will she die?" she begged; "please do 
 tell me, sir." 
 
 " Die ? no indeed, I hope not," said Dr. Val- 
 entine. " She has had a severe shock to her 
 nerves and her age is against her, but she is 
 coming around all right, I trust. Why, Polly, 
 I thought better things of you, my girl." He 
 glanced down into the distressed face with pro- 
 fessional disfavor. 
 
 " I'm so glad she won't die," breathed Polly,
 
 234 POOR POLLY ! 
 
 wholly lost to his opinion of her ; and her face 
 gleamed with something of her old brightness. 
 
 " I didn't know you were so fond of her," 
 observed Dr. Valentine grimly ; " indeed, to 
 speak truthfully, I have yet to learn that any- 
 body is fond of her, Polly." 
 
 " Now if you really want to help her," he 
 continued thoughtfully, pulling his beard, as 
 Polly did not answer, " I can give you one or 
 two hints that might be of use." 
 
 "Oh! I do, I do," cried Polly, with eagerness. 
 
 " It will be tiresome work," said Dr. Valentine, 
 "but it will be a piece of real charity, and perhaps, 
 Polly, it's as well for you to begin now as to wait 
 till you can belong to forty charity clubs, and spend 
 your time going to committee meetings." And 
 he laughed not altogether pleasantly. How was 
 Polly to know that Mrs. Valentine was immersed 
 up to her ears in a philanthropic sea with the 
 smallest possible thought for the Doctor's home ? 
 " Now that maid," said the physician, dropping 
 his tone to a confidential one, " is as well as the
 
 POOR POLLY ! 235 
 
 average, but she's not the one who is to amuse 
 the old lady. It's that she needs more than medi- 
 cine, Polly. She actually requires diversion." 
 
 Poor Polly stood as if turned to stone. Diver- 
 sion ! And she had thrown away all chance of 
 that. 
 
 "She is suffering for the companionship of some 
 bright young nature." Dr. Valentine proceeded, 
 attributing the dismay written all over the girl's 
 face, to natural unwillingness to do the service. 
 "After she gets over this attack she needs to be 
 read to for one thing; to be told the news; to 
 be made to forget herself. But of course, Polly," 
 he said hastily, buttoning his top coat, and open- 
 ing the outer door, " it's too much to ask of you, 
 so think no more about it, child."
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 
 
 IT was Saturday morning, and Polly ran up- 
 stairs with a bright face, the morning Jour- 
 nal in her hand. " I'm going to stay with Mrs. 
 Chatterton, Hortense," she announced to that 
 functionary in the dressing-room. 
 
 " And a comfairte may it gif to you," said 
 Hortense, with a vicious shake of the silk 
 wrapper in her hand, before hanging it in its 
 place. " Madame has the tres diablerie, cross 
 as de two steeks, what you call it, dis morning." 
 
 Polly went softly into the room, closing the 
 door gently after her. In the shadow of one 
 corner of the large apartment, sat Mrs. Chat- 
 terton under many wrappings in the depths of 
 an invalid's chair. Polly went up to her side. 
 236
 
 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 237 
 
 " Would you like to have me read the news, 
 Mrs. Chatterton ? " she asked gently. 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton turned her head and looked 
 at her. " No," she was about to say shortly, 
 just as she had repulsed many little offers of 
 Polly's for the past few days ; but somehow 
 this morning the crackling of the fresh sheet 
 in the girl's hand, suggestive of crisp bits of gos- 
 sip, was too much for her to hear indifferently, 
 especially as she was in a worse state of mind 
 than usual over Hortense and her bad temper. 
 
 " You may sit down and read a little, if you 
 like," she said ungraciously. So Polly, happy 
 as a queen at the permission, slipped into a 
 convenient chair, and began at once. She hap- 
 pened fortunately on just the right things for 
 the hungry ears ; a description of a large church 
 wedding, the day before ; two or three bits about 
 society people that Mrs. Chatterton had lost sight 
 of, and a few other items just as acceptable. 
 
 Polly read on and on, from one thing to 
 another, not daring to look up to see the effect,
 
 238 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 
 
 until at last everything in the way of gossip was 
 exhausted. 
 
 " Is that all ? " asked Mrs. Chatterton hun- 
 grily. 
 
 Polly, hunting the columns for anything, 
 even a murder account if it was but in high 
 life, turned the paper again disconsolately, 
 obliged to confess it was. 
 
 " Well, do put it by, then," said Mrs. Chatter- 
 ton sharply, " and not whirl it before my face ; 
 it gives me a frightful headache." 
 
 " I might get the Town Talk" suggested 
 Polly, as a bright thought struck her. " It came 
 yesterday. I saw it on the library table." 
 
 " So it is Saturday." Mrs. Chatterton looked 
 up quickly. "Yes, you may, Polly," her mouth 
 watering for the revel she would have in its 
 contents. 
 
 So Polly ran over the stairs with delighted 
 feet, and into the library, beginning to rummage 
 over the papers and magazines on the reading 
 table.
 
 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 239 
 
 "Where is it ?" she exclaimed, turning them 
 with quick fingers. " O, dear ! it was right here 
 last evening." 
 
 " What is it ? " asked Phronsie, from the depths 
 of a big arm-chair, and looking up from her 
 book. Then she saw as soon as she had asked 
 the question, that Polly was in trouble, so 
 she laid down her book, and slid out of 
 the chair. " What is it, Polly ? Let me help 
 you, do." 
 
 "Why, the Town Talk that hateful old 
 society thing," said Polly, throwing the papers 
 to right and left. " You know, Phronsie; it has 
 a picture of a bottle of ink, and a big quill for a 
 heading. O, dear ! do help me, child, for she 
 will get nervous if I am gone long." 
 
 " Oh ! I know where that is," said Phronsie 
 deliberately, laying a cool little hand on Polly's 
 hot one. 
 
 " Where ? " demanded Polly feverishly. " O, 
 Phronsie ! where ? " 
 
 "Jack Rutherford has it."
 
 240 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 
 
 Polly threw down the papers, and started for 
 the door. 
 
 " He has gone," said Phronsie ; " he went 
 home almost an hour ago." 
 
 Polly turned sharply at her. " What did he 
 want Town Talk for ? " 
 
 " He said it was big, and he asked Grand- 
 papa if he might have it, and Grandpapa said 
 Yes. I don't know what he wanted it for," said 
 Phronsie. " And he took other newspapers, too, 
 Polly ; oh ! ever so many." 
 
 "Wety I don't care how many he took, nor 
 what they were," cried Polly, " only that very 
 identical one. O, dear me ! Well, I'll ask 
 Jasper." 
 
 And rushing from the library. Phronsie follow- 
 ing in a small panic over Polly's distress, she 
 knocked at the door of Jasper's den, a little 
 room in the wing, looking out on the east lawn. 
 
 " Oh ! I am so glad you are here," she exclaimed 
 as " Come in ! " greeted her, and both Phronsie 
 and she precipitated themselves with no show
 
 NEW WORK. FOR POLLY. 
 
 241 
 
 of ceremony, in front of his study table. " O, 
 Jasper ! could you get me a copy of TownTalk / 
 Jack Rutherford has gone off with ours." 
 
 " O, JASPER ! COULD YOU GET ME A COPY OF TOWN TALK ? " 
 
 " Town Talk" repeated Jasper, raising his 
 head from his hands to stare at her. 
 
 " Yes ; Jack has taken ours off ; Grandpapa 
 gave it to him. Can you, Jasper? Will it 
 break up your study much ? " she poured out 
 anxiously.
 
 242 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 
 
 "No that is never mind," said Jasper, 
 pushing the book away and springing from his 
 chair. " But whatever in the world do you 
 want that trash for ? " He turned, and looked 
 at her curiously. 
 
 " Mrs. Chatterton will let me read it to her ; 
 she said so," cried Polly, clasping her hands 
 nervously, " but if I don't get the paper soon, 
 why, I'm afraid she'll change her mind." 
 
 Jasper gave a low whistle as he flung himself 
 into his coat. " Inestimable privilege ! " he 
 exclaimed at last, tossing on his cap. 
 
 " O, Jasper ! you are so good," cried Polly in 
 a small rapture. " I'm so sorry to have to ask 
 you." 
 
 " I'll go for you, Jasper," declared Phronsie ; 
 " Mamsie will let me, I almost know she will." 
 
 " No, no, Phronsie," said Jasper, as she was 
 flying off ; " it isn't any place for you to go to. 
 I shall get one at the hotel the Allibone. 
 I'll be back in a trice, Polly." 
 
 Polly went out, and sat down in one of the
 
 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 243 
 
 big oaken chairs in the hall to seize it as it 
 came, and Phronsie deposited herself in an 
 opposite chair and watched Polly. And pres- 
 ently in came Jasper, waving the desired jour- 
 nal. Polly, with a beaming face, grasped it and 
 rushed off upstairs. 
 
 " Polly," called the boy, looking after her, 
 " it isn't too late now for you to go with them. 
 Lucy Bennett met me at the corner and she said 
 they will take the twelve o'clock train, instead 
 of the eleven, and she wanted me to beg you to 
 come." 
 
 " No, no," tossed back Polly, rushing on, " I 
 am quite determined to stay at home." Then 
 she went into Mrs. Chatterton's room, and closed 
 the door. But she couldn't so easily shut out 
 the longings that would rise in her heart for the 
 Saturday outing that the other girls were to 
 have. How lovely it would be ! the run out 
 to Silvia Home's charming home some ten miles 
 distant ; the elegant luncheon they would have, 
 followed by games, and a dance in the ball-room
 
 244 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 
 
 upstairs, that Silvia's older sisters used for theii 
 beautiful parties. Then the merry return before 
 dusk, of the twelve girls, all capital friends at 
 school ! Oh-oh ! " 
 
 "You've been an unconscionable time," ex- 
 claimed Mrs. Chatterton in a sharp, high key, 
 "just to get a paper. Well, do sit down ; I am 
 quite tired waiting for you." 
 
 Polly sat down, and resolutely plunged into 
 the column where the news items promised the 
 most plentiful yield, but in between the lines 
 ran the doings of the girls : how they were all 
 assembling by this time at Lucy Bennett's ; how 
 they were hurrying off to the train, and all the 
 other delightful movements of the " outing " 
 flashed before her eyes, as she finished item 
 after item of her dreary task. But how Mrs. 
 Chatterton gloated over it ! 
 
 At last Polly, feeling as if she could not en- 
 dure another five minutes of it, glanced up to 
 see the old lady's eyes actually sparkling; her 
 mouth had fallen into contented curves, and
 
 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 245 
 
 the jeweled hand resting on the chair-arm was 
 playing with the fringe, while she leaned for- 
 ward that she might not lose a word. 
 
 " Read that again, Polly," she said, " the list 
 of presents exhibited at Arabella Granger's 
 wedding. I didn't hear any mention of the 
 Archibalds. It can't be that they have fallen 
 out ; and read more slowly." 
 
 So Polly began once more the long lists of 
 gifts that ushered in the matrimonial happi- 
 ness of Mrs. John Westover nee Miss Arabella 
 Granger ; this time, however, stimulated by the 
 pleasure she was giving, to find it an endurable 
 task. 
 
 It seemed to Polly as if Mrs. John Westover 
 had everything on earth given to her that could 
 possibly be presented at a wedding ; neverthe- 
 less the list was gone through again bravely, 
 Polly retracing her steps two or three times to 
 read the items over for her listener's slow 
 digestion. 
 
 " The Archibalds are not mentioned, either
 
 246 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 
 
 as being there or sending a gift, nor the Har- 
 lands, nor the Smythes, so I am very glad I 
 ' didn't remember her," said Mrs. Chatterton, 
 drawing herself up with a relieved sigh. " Those 
 presents sound fine on paper, but it isn't as well 
 as she might have done if she had made a dif- 
 ferent match. Now something else, Polly," and 
 she dismissed Mrs. Westover with a careless 
 wave of her hand. Polly flew off into the 
 fashion hints, and was immediately lost in 
 the whirl of coming toilets. No one noticed 
 when the door opened, so of course no one 
 saw Mrs. Whitney standing smiling behind the 
 old lady's big chair. 
 
 " Well, Polly," said a pleasant voice suddenly. 
 
 Down went Town Talk to the floor as Polly 
 sprang up with a glad cry, and Mrs. Chatterton 
 turned around nervously. 
 
 " O, Auntie Auntie ! " cried Polly, convul- 
 sively clinging to her, " are you really here, and 
 is Dicky home ?" 
 
 " Dear child," said Mrs. Whitney, as much a
 
 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 247 
 
 girl for the moment as Polly herself. And 
 pressing kisses on the red lips, while she folded 
 her close "Yes, Dick is home. There, go 
 dnd find him ; he is in Mrs. Pepper's room." 
 
 " I am glad to see you so much better, Mrs. 
 Chatterton," said Mrs. Whitney, leaning over 
 the invalid's chair to lay the tenderest of palms 
 on the hand resting on the chair-arm. 
 
 " O, yes, Marian ! I am better," said Mrs. 
 Chatierton, looking around for Polly, then down 
 at the delicious Town Talk carelessly thrown on 
 the floor. "Will you send her back as soon as 
 possible ? " she asked with her old imperative- 
 ness. 
 
 "Who Polly? "said Mrs. Whitney, follow- 
 ing the glance. " Why, she has gone to see 
 Dick, you know. Now, why cannot I read a 
 bit ? " and she picked up the paper. 
 
 " You don't know what has been read," said 
 Mrs. Chatterton as Mrs. Whitney drew up a 
 chair, and sat down, running her eye in a prac- 
 ticed way over the front page. " Dear me,
 
 248 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 
 
 it makes me quite nervous, Marian, to see you 
 prowling around all over the sheet that way." 
 
 " Oh ! I shall find something interesting quite 
 soon,' I fancy," said Mrs. Whitney cheerfully, 
 her heart on her boy and the jolly home-coming 
 he was having. " Here is the Washington news ; 
 I mean all about the receptions and teas." 
 
 " She has read that," said Mrs. Chatterton. 
 
 " Now for the fashion department." Mrs. 
 Whitney whirled the paper over dexterously. 
 " Do you know, Mrs. Chatterton, gray stuffs are 
 to be worn more than ever this spring ? " 
 
 " I don't care about that," said Mrs. Chatter- 
 ton quickly, " and besides, quite likely there'll 
 be a complete revolution before spring really 
 sets in, and gray stuffs will go out. Find some 
 description of tea gowns, can't you? I must 
 have one or two more." 
 
 "And here are some wonderfully pretty 
 caps, if they are like the descriptions," said 
 Mrs. Whitney, unluckily dropping on another 
 paragraph.
 
 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 249 
 
 " Caps ! who wants to hear about them ? " 
 cried Mrs. Chatterton in a dudgeon. " I hope 
 I'm not to the cap period yet." 
 
 " Oh ! those lovely little lace arrangements," 
 said Mrs. Whitney hastily ; " don't you know 
 how exquisite they are at Pinaud's ? " she cried. 
 
 " I'm sure I never noticed," said Mrs. Chat- 
 terton indifferently. " Hortense always arranges 
 my hair better without lace. If you can't find 
 what I ask you, Marian," raising her voice to a 
 higher key, " you needn't trouble to read at all." 
 
 Fortunately the description of the gown worn 
 by Lady Hartly Cavendish at a London high 
 tea, stood out in bold relief, as Mrs. Whitney's 
 eyes nervously ran over the columns again, and 
 she seized upon it. 
 
 But in just two moments she was interrupted. 
 " Send that girl back again, Marian," cried Mrs. 
 Chatterton. " I had just got her trained so that 
 she suits me. It tires me to death to hear you." 
 
 " I do not know whether Polly can come now," 
 said Mrs. Whitney gently; "she"
 
 250 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 
 
 " Do not know whether Polly can come ! " 
 repeated Mrs. Chatterton sharply, and leaning 
 forward in her chair. " Didn't I say I wanted 
 her ? " 
 
 " You did." Marian's tone did not lose a 
 note of its ordinary gentleness. " But I shall 
 ask her if she is willing to do it as a favosr, 
 Mrs. Chatterton ; you quite understand that, of 
 course ?" She, too, leaned forward in her chair, 
 and gazed into the cold, hard face. 
 
 " Just like your father," cried Mrs. Chatter- 
 ton, settling herself irascibly back in the chair- 
 depths again. " There is no hope that affairs 
 in this house will mend. I wash my hands of 
 you." 
 
 " I am glad that you consider me like my 
 father," said Mrs. Whitney gleefully as a child. 
 "We surely are united on this question." 
 
 " May I read some more ? " cried Polly, 
 coming in softly, and trying to calm the im- 
 petuous rush of delight as her eyes met Mrs 
 Whitney's.
 
 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 25 1 
 
 " Yes ; I am waiting for you," said Mrs. Chat- 
 terton. " Begin where you left off." 
 
 Mrs. Whitney bit her pretty lips and slipped 
 out of her chair, just parsing a moment to lay 
 her hand on the young shoulder as she passed, 
 and a world of comfort fell upon Polly, shut in 
 once more to her dreary task. 
 
 " How perfectly splendid that I didn't go to 
 Silvia Home's luncheon party now ! " cried 
 Polly's heart over and over between the lines. 
 " If I had, I should have missed dear Auntie's 
 home-coming, and Dicky's." She glanced up 
 with luminous eyes as she whirled the sheet. 
 Mrs. Chatterton, astonishing as it may seem, 
 was actually smiling. 
 
 " It's some comfort to hear you read," she 
 observed with a sigh of enjoyment, " because 
 you enjoy it yourself. I wouldn't give a fig for 
 anybody to try to do it." 
 
 Polly felt like a guilty little thing to take 
 this quietly, and she eased her conscience by 
 being more glad that she was in that very room
 
 252 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 
 
 doing that very task. And so the moments 
 sped on. 
 
 Outside, Dick was holding high revel as every 
 one revolved around him, the hero of the coast- 
 ing accident, till the boy ran considerable dan- 
 ger from all the attention he was receiving. But 
 one glance and a smile from Mrs. Whitney 
 brought him back to himself. 
 
 " Don't talk any more about it," he cried a 
 trifle impatiently. " I was a muff to stick on, 
 when I knew we were going over. Mamma, 
 won't you stop them ? " ., 
 
 And she did. 
 
 " Do you know, Dicky and I have a secret to 
 tell all of you good people." The color flew 
 into her soft cheek, and her eyes beamed. 
 
 " Really, Marian," said her father, whose 
 hand had scarcely ceased patting Dick's brown 
 head since the boy's home-coming, "you've 
 grown young in Badgertown. I never saw you 
 look so well as you do to-day." 
 
 Mrs. Whitney laughed and tossed him a gay
 
 NEW WORK FOR POLLY 253 
 
 little smile, that carried him back to the days 
 when Marian King stood before him looking 
 just so. 
 
 " Now listen, father, and all you good people, 
 to my secret Dicky's and mine ; we are allowed 
 to tell it now. Papa Whitney sailed in the Ser- 
 via, and he ought to be in to-day ! " 
 
 A shout of joy greeted her announcement. 
 Polly, off in her prison, could hear the merry 
 sounds, and her happy heart echoed them. 
 The misery of the past week when she had 
 been bearing an unatoned fault, seemed to 
 drop away from her as she listened, and to 
 say, " Life holds sunshine yet." 
 
 Then a hush dropped upon the gay uproar. 
 She did not know that Dicky was proclaiming 
 " Yes, and he is never, never going back again. 
 That is, unless he takes mamma and me, you 
 know." 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton turned suddenly upon the 
 young figure. 
 
 "Do go!" She tossed an imperative com
 
 254 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 
 
 mand with her jeweled fingers. " You have 
 ceased to be amusing since your interest is all 
 in the other room with that boy." 
 
 Polly dashed the newspaper to the floor, and 
 rushing impulsively across the room, threw her- 
 self, with no thought for the consequences, on 
 her knees at Mrs. Chatterton r s chair. 
 
 " Oh-oh ! " she cried, the color flying up to 
 the brown waves on her temples, " don't send 
 me off ; then I shall know you never will forgive 
 me." 
 
 " Get up, do ! " exclaimed Mrs. Chatterton, in 
 disgust; "you are crushing my gown, and besides 
 I hate scenes." 
 
 But Polly held resolutely to the chair-arm, and 
 never took her brown eyes from the cold face. 
 
 " I must say, Polly Pepper," cried Mrs. Chat- 
 terton with rising anger, " you are the most 
 disagreeable girl that I ever had the misfortune 
 to meet. I, for one, will not put up with your 
 constant ebullitions of temper. Go out of this 
 room ! "
 
 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 255 
 
 Polly rose slowly and drew herself up with 
 something so new in face and manner, that the 
 old lady instinctively put up her eyeglass and 
 gazed curiously through it, as one would look 
 at a strange animal. 
 
 " Humph ! " she said slowly at last, " well, 
 what do you want to say ? Speak out, and then 
 go." 
 
 " Nothing," said Polly in a low voice, but 
 quite distinctly, "only I shall not trouble you 
 again, Mrs. Chatterton." And as the last words 
 were spoken, she was out of the room. 
 
 " Pretty doings these ! " Mr. King, by a dexter- 
 ous movement, succeeded in slipping back of the 
 portiere folds into the little writing-room, as Polly 
 rushed out through the other doorway into the 
 hall. " A fortunate thing it was that I left Dick, 
 to see what had become of Polly. Now, Cousin 
 Eunice, you move from my house ! " and descend- 
 ing the stairs, he called determinedly, " Polly, 
 Polly, child ! " 
 
 Polly, off in her own room now, heard him.
 
 2$6 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 
 
 and for the first time in her life, wished she need 
 not answer. 
 
 "Polly Polly!" the determined call rang 
 down the passage, causing her to run fast with 
 a " Yes, Grandpapa, I'm coming." 
 
 " Now, I should just like to inquire," began 
 Mr. King, taking her by her two young shoul- 
 ders and looking down into the flushed face, 
 " what she has been saying to you." 
 
 "O, Grandpapa!" down went Polly's brown 
 head, "don't make me tell. Please don't, 
 Grandpapa ! " 
 
 " I shall ! " declared Mr. King ; " every bles- 
 sed word. Now begin ! " 
 
 "She she wanted me to go out of the 
 room," said Polly, in a little reluctant gasp. 
 
 "Indeed!" snorted Mr. King. "Well, she 
 will soon go out of that rooin. Indeed, I might 
 say, out of the house." 
 
 " O, Grandpapa ! " exclaimed Polly, in great 
 distress, and raising the brown eyes he was 
 dismayed to find them filling with tears
 
 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 259 
 
 "don't, don't send her away! It is all my 
 fault ; indeed it is, Grandpapa ! " 
 
 "Your fault," cried Mr. King irately; "you 
 must not say such things, child ; that's silly ; 
 you don't know the woman." 
 
 " Grandpapa," cried Polly, holding back the 
 storm of tears to get the words out, " I never 
 told you I couldn't but I said perfectly 
 dreadful words to her a week ago. O, Grand- 
 papa ! I did, truly." 
 
 " That's right," said the old gentleman in a 
 pleased tone. "What were they, pray tell? 
 Let us know." 
 
 " O, Grandpapa, don't ! " begged Polly, with 
 a shiver ; " I want to forget them." 
 
 " If you would only follow them up with more," 
 said Mr. King meditatively, "but when it comes 
 to tears, she must march, you know." 
 
 " I won't cry," said Polly, swallowing the 
 lump in her throat, " if you will only let her 
 stay." 
 
 She turned to him such a distressed and white
 
 260 NEW WORK FOR POLLY. 
 
 face that Mr. King stood perplexedly looking 
 down at her, having nothing to say. 
 
 " I'm tired of her," at last he said ; " we are 
 all tired of her ; she has about worn us out." 
 
 " Grandpapa," cried Polly, seeing her advan- 
 tage in his hesitation, "if you will only let her 
 stay, I never will beg you for anything again." 
 
 " Well, then she goes," cried Mr. King 
 shortly. " Goodness me, Polly, if you are 
 going to stop asking favors, Cousin Eunice 
 marches instanter ! " 
 
 "Oh! I'll beg and tease for ever so many 
 things," cried Polly radiantly, her color coming 
 back. " Will you let her stay, Grandpapa will 
 you ? " She clasped his arm tightly and would 
 not let him go. 
 
 "Well," said Mr. King slowly, "I'll think 
 about it, Polly." 
 
 " Will you ? " cried Polly. " Dear Grand- 
 papa, please say yes." 
 
 Mr. King drew a long breath. " Yes," he 
 said at last.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 A PIECE OF NEWS. 
 
 COLLECT the whole bunch of Peppers and 
 send them into my writing-room, Marian." 
 Old Mr. King mounting the stairs, turned to see 
 that his command was heard. 
 
 " You want Mother Pepper too, I presume ? " 
 said Mrs. Whitney, pausing at the foot. 
 
 " Mother Pepper ? No, indeed ; the last per- 
 son in the world I wish to see," cried her father 
 irritably. " The bunch of Pepper children, I 
 want, and at once ; see that they all report to 
 me directly." With that he redoubled his 
 efforts and was soon at the top of the long 
 oaken steps. 
 
 Polly and Ben closely followed by Joel, 
 David and Phronsie soon rushed over the same 
 261
 
 262 A PIECE OF NEWS. 
 
 ascending thoroughfare, and presented them- 
 selves, flushed and panting, at the writing-room 
 door. 
 
 " Come in," called Mr. King from within. 
 
 " Here we are, sir," said Ben, spokesman by 
 virtue of being the eldest. 
 
 "Yes, yes," said Mr. King nervously, and 
 turning away from some papers he was fumbling 
 to occupy the waiting moments. "Well, do sit 
 down, all of you. I sent for you to have a talk 
 about something that you that you well, do 
 sit down." 
 
 So all the Peppers deposited themselves in 
 various resting-places ; all but Joel. He im- 
 mediately marched up to the old gentleman's 
 chair. 
 
 "If it's good news," he said abruptly, "please 
 let us have it right this minute. But if it's bad, 
 why," a gathering alarm stole over his chubby 
 countenance, as he scanned the face before 
 him, " I'm going out-doors." 
 
 "It's good or bad news according as you take
 
 A PIECE OF NEWS. 263 
 
 it," said the old gentleman. " It ought to be 
 good. But there," pushing back his chair to 
 look at the row of anxious figures the other side 
 of the table, "do sit down with the rest, Joe, 
 and stop staring me out of countenance." 
 
 Polly at that, pushed a chair over toward 
 Joel, who persuading himself into it, sat uncom- 
 fortably perched on its edge, where he stared 
 harder than ever. 
 
 " Hum ! well, children, now you are all re- 
 markably sensible boys and girls. Re-mar-kably 
 sensible. I've always said so, and I see no 
 reason to change my opinion of you now. And 
 so, although at first my news may not be quite 
 to your liking, why, you'll quickly make it so, 
 and be very happy about it in the end. Hem ! 
 well, did you ever think that that your mother 
 might possibly marry again ?" 
 
 The last words were brought out so abruptly, 
 that to the five pairs of ears strained to catch 
 their import, it seemed as if the news had shot 
 by harmlessly. But after a breathing space the
 
 2 6 4 
 
 A PIECE OF NEWS. 
 
 dreadful "marry," 
 and " your mother," 
 came back to them, 
 bringing the sev- 
 eral owners of the 
 ears out of their 
 chairs at one bound. 
 " Our mother ! " 
 Ben hoarsely ex- 
 claimed. 
 
 " Oh ! how can 
 you ? " cried Polly 
 passionately, a little-- 
 white line showing 
 around her mouth, 
 "say such perfect- 
 ly dreadful things, 
 sir ! " 
 
 Phronsie clasped 
 her hands in silent 
 terror, and raised big eyes to his face. David 
 began to walk helplessly down the apart- 
 
 <; COME IN," CALLED MR. KING.
 
 A PIECE OF NEWS. 265 
 
 ment. " See here ! " said Joel, turning to the 
 others, " wait a minute, and hold on. Perhaps 
 it's you, sir," whirling back to question with 
 piercing eyes, the old gentleman, " who's going 
 to marry our mother. Then it's all right ! " 
 
 " Me ! " roared the old gentleman. " Oh ! 
 bless my soul, what should I want to marry for 
 at my time of life ? Oh ! my goodness me." 
 
 His distress was now so frightful to see, that 
 it brought the Peppers in a measure out of 
 theirs ; and they began at once to endeavor to 
 soothe him. 
 
 "Don't oh! don't," they cried, and a com- 
 mon trouble overwhelming them, they rushed 
 around the table, seized his hands, and patted 
 his shoulders and hair. " Oh ! this is very 
 dreadful," gasped Polly, " but don't you feel 
 badly, dear, dear Grandpapa." 
 
 " I should think it was," said Mr. King. 
 " Phronsie, here, child, get into my lap. I'll 
 come to myself then. There, now, that's some- 
 thing like," as Phronsie, with a low cry, hopped
 
 266 A PIECE OF NEWS. 
 
 into her usual nest. " Now perhaps I can com- 
 municate the rest of my news, when I get my 
 breath." 
 
 The Peppers held theirs, and he began once 
 more. " Now, children, it isn't in the course of 
 nature for such a fine bright woman as your 
 mother to remain single the rest of her life ; 
 somebody would be sure to come and carry her 
 off. I'm glad it's to be in my life-time, for now 
 I can be easy in my mind, and feel that you 
 have a protector when I am gone. There, 
 there, we won't talk about that," as the young 
 faces turned dark with sudden pain, while Joel 
 rushed convulsively to the window, " you can 
 see how I feel about it." 
 
 " Are you glad ? " cried Ben hoarsely. Polly 
 for her life could not speak. The whole world 
 seemed turning round, and sinking beneath her 
 feet. 
 
 "Yes, I am," said the old gentleman, "and 
 it won't alter the existing state of things, for he 
 will live here with us, and things will be just
 
 A PIECE OF NEWS. 267 
 
 the same, if only you children will take it 
 rightly. But I've no doubt you will in the end ; 
 no doubt at all," he added, brightening up, "for 
 you are very sensible young people. I've always 
 said so." 
 
 " Who is he ? " The dreadful question trem- 
 bled on all the lips; but no one asked it. See- 
 ing this, Mr. King broke out, " Well, now of 
 course you want to know who is going to marry 
 your mother, that is, if you are willing. For 
 she won't have him unless you are to be happy 
 about it. Would you like Dr. Fisher for a 
 father?" 
 
 Joel broke away from the window with a howl, 
 while Polly tumultuously threw herself within 
 the kind arms encircling Phronsie, 
 
 " Next to you," cried the boy, " why, he's a 
 brick, Dr. Fisher is ! " 
 
 " Why didn't you tell us before that it was 
 he ? " sobbed Polly, with joyful tears running 
 over her face. Davie, coming out of his gloomy 
 walk, turned a happy face towards the old man's
 
 268 A PIECE OF NEWS. 
 
 chair, while Ben said something to himself that 
 sounded like " Thank God ! " 
 
 Phronsie alone remained unmoved. "What 
 is Dr. Fisher going to do?" she asked presently, 
 amid the chatter that now broke forth. 
 
 " He's going to live here," said old Mr. King, 
 looking down at her, and smoothing her yellow 
 hair. " Won't that be nice, Phronsie ? " 
 
 "Yes," said Phronsie, "it will. And he'll 
 bring his funny old gig, won't he, and I'll drive 
 sometimes, I suppose ? " she added with great 
 satisfaction. 
 
 "Yes; you will," said the old gentleman, 
 winking furiously to keep back the excited flow 
 of information that now threatened the child, 
 " Well, Phronsie, you love Dr. Fisher, don't 
 you ? " 
 
 "Yes, I do," said the child, folding her hands 
 in her lap, " love him very much indeed." 
 
 "Well, he's going to be your father," com- 
 municated Mr. King, cautiously watching her 
 face at each syllable.
 
 A PIECE OF NEWS. 269 
 
 " O, no!" cried Phronsie, u he couldn't be; 
 he's Dr. Fisher." She laughed softly at the 
 idea. "Why, Grandpapa, he couldn't be my 
 father." 
 
 " Listen, Phronsie," and Mr. King took both 
 her hands in his, "and I'll tell you all about it, 
 so that you will understand. Dr. Fisher loves 
 your mother ; he has loved her for many years 
 all those years when she was struggling on 
 in the little brown house. But he couldn't tell 
 her so, because he had others depending on 
 him for support. They don't need him now, 
 and as soon as he is free, he comes and tells 
 your mother and me, like a noble good man as 
 he is, all about it. He's a gentleman, children," 
 he declared, turning to the others, "and you will 
 be glad to call him father." 
 
 "I don't know what you mean," said Phron- 
 sie, with puzzled eyes. " Dear Grandpapa, 
 please tell me." 
 
 " Why, he is going to marry your mother, 
 child, and we are all to live here together just
 
 270 A PIECE OF NEWS. 
 
 the same, and everything is going to be just as 
 happy as possible." 
 
 Phronsie gave a sharp and sudden cry of dis- 
 tress. " But Mamsie, my Mamsie will be gone ! " 
 and then she hid her face in the old gentleman's 
 breast. 
 
 " O, dear, dear ! get a glass of water, Polly," 
 cried Mr. King, "One of you run and open 
 the window. Phronsie, Phronsie there, child, 
 look up and let me tell you." But Phronsie 
 burrowed yet deeper in the protecting nest, 
 regardless of his spotless linen. 
 
 " Polly, speak to her," he cried in despair ; 
 " where is she ? gone for the water ? O, dear ! 
 Here, Ben, you try. Dear, dear, what a blun- 
 derer I am." 
 
 " Phronsie," said Ben, leaning over the shak- 
 ing figure, "you are making Grandpapa sick." 
 
 Up came Phronsie's yellow head. " O, Grand- 
 papa ! " she wailed, putting out an unsteady 
 little hand, " I didn't mean to, dear Grandpapa, 
 only only Mamsie will be gone now."
 
 A PIECE OF NEWS. 271 
 
 "' Bless your heart, you'll have Mamsie more 
 thAn ever," cried Mr. King heartily. " Here, 
 you children, tell her. Polly, we don't want 
 the water now, she's come to," as Polly came 
 rushing in with a glassful. " Make her under- 
 stand; I can't." 
 
 So Polly, setting down her glass, the others 
 crowding around, took up the task of making 
 the piece of news as delightful as possible, and 
 presently Phronsie came out of her despair, to 
 ask questions. 
 
 "Are you really and truly very glad, Polly? '* 
 she asked at last, in a lull. 
 
 " Really and truly I am so glad I don't know 
 what to do," said Polly, kneeling down by the 
 chair-side. " Don't you see we are so much 
 the richer, Phronsie ? We have lost nothing, 
 and we gain Dr. Fisher. Dear splendid Dr. 
 Fisher ! " 
 
 " You've always wanted to repay Dr. Fisher 
 for his kindness," said Mr. King, " and now's 
 your chance, Polly."
 
 272 A PIECE OF NEWS. 
 
 "I guess he'll get his pay back for his stove," 
 cried Joel in a burst; "Polly will wait on him, 
 and kill herself doing things for him." 
 
 " And for your new eyes," sang Phronsie in a 
 pleased way. " O, Polly ! " She jumped out of 
 the old gentleman's lap, and began to dance 
 around the room, softly clapping her hands and 
 exclaiming, "O, Polly!" 
 
 "Well, now, children," said Mr. King, as the 
 excitement ran low, "you just run and tell your 
 mother, every one of you, how happy she will 
 make you by bringing Dr. Fisher here as your 
 father. Scamper, now ! " 
 
 No need to urge them. On the wings of the 
 wind ran the five Peppers up into Mamsie's own 
 room. Mrs. Pepper for once turning aside from 
 the claim of her pressing duties, was standing 
 by the work table. Here stood the mending 
 basket before her, piled to the brim with the 
 weekly installment of stockings big and 'little, 
 clamoring for attention. But the usually busy 
 needle lav idle, and the busier hands were
 
 A PIECE OF NEWS. 273 
 
 folded, as the mother-heart went over the words 
 she knew were being rehearsed downstairs by 
 the kind friend who had made a home for them. 
 He was pleading her cause with her children. 
 
 "They shall be happy, anyway," she said 
 softly to herself, " bless their hearts ! " as they 
 burst in. 
 
 " Mother," said Ben How the- boy's cheek 
 glowed! And what a world of joy rang in the 
 usually quiet tones ! "we want to thank you 
 for giving us Dr. Fisher for a father." 
 
 " Mamsie," Polly hid her happy face on the 
 dear neck, "I've always loved him, you know; 
 oh! I'm so glad." 
 
 Joel whooped out something incoherent, but 
 his face told the words, while Davie clasped one 
 of the firm, closely folded hands. 
 
 "If you'll take me up in your lap as much as 
 ever," said Phronsie deliberately, and patting 
 the other hand, "why, I shall be really and truly 
 glad, Mamsie." 
 
 " Bless your dear heart ! " cried Mother Pep-
 
 274 A PIECE OF NEWS. 
 
 per, clasping her tightly, "and you children, all 
 of you," and she drew them all within her arms. 
 " Now I want you to understand, once for all, 
 that it isn't to be unless you all wish it. You 
 are sure Mr. King hasn't persuaded you to 
 like it?" 
 
 "Look at us," cried Ben, throwing back his 
 head to see her eyes. " Do we act as if we had 
 been talked over? " 
 
 At that, Polly burst into a merry laugh ; and 
 the others joining, Mother Pepper laughing as 
 heartily as the rest, the big room became the 
 jolliest place imaginable. 
 
 " No, I don't really think you do," said Mrs. 
 Pepper, wiping her eyes. 
 
 " Dear me ! " cried Jasper, putting his head 
 in the doorway, " what good fun is going on ? 
 I'm not going to be left out." 
 
 "Come in, Jasper," they all called. 
 
 " And we've a piece of news that will make 
 your hair stand on end," said Joel gayly. 
 
 "Joe, don't announce it so," cried Polly in
 
 A PIECE OF NEWS. 275 
 
 dismay, who dearly enjoyed being elegant 
 " Ben must tell it, he is the oldest." 
 
 " No, no ; let Polly," protested Ben. 
 
 " Polly shall," said Jasper, hurrying in to 
 stand the picture of patience before the group. 
 " Hurry, do, for I must say my curiosity is hard 
 to keep within bounds." 
 
 So Polly was gently pushed into the center 
 of the circle. " Go on," said Joel, " and hurry 
 up, or I shall tell myself." 
 
 "Jasper," said Polly, her breath coming fast, 
 "oh ! you can't think ; we are so glad " But 
 she got no further, for Phronsie, rushing out of 
 Mother Pepper's arms, piped out suddenly : 
 
 " Dr. Fisher is coming here to live always 
 and forever, and I'm going to ride in his gig, 
 and Mamsie likes him, and I'm going to call 
 him father ; now, Jasper, I told you ! " 
 
 " I should think you did," exclaimed Ben. 
 
 " Whew ! " cried Jasper, " that is a piece ot 
 news all in one breath. Well, Mrs. Pepper, I'm 
 gl ad of it, too. I congratulate you." With that,
 
 276 A PIECE OF NEWS. 
 
 he marched up to her, Phronsie hanging to his 
 arm, and shook her hand heartily. 
 
 And in two days everybody in the King set 
 knew that the mother of the five little Peppers 
 was going to be married. 
 
 " I should think you'd want to be condoled 
 with, Ben," said Pickering Dodge, clapping him 
 on the shoulder as he rushed down the aisle 
 of the store occupied by Cabot & Van Meter. 
 
 "Halloo.!" said Ben, "can't stop," rushing 
 past. 
 
 " I suppose not," said Pickering carelessly, 
 and striding after, "so I'll whisper my gentle 
 congratulations in your ear 'on the wing.' But 
 I'm awfully sorry for you, Ben," he added, as he 
 came up to him. 
 
 " You needn't be," said Ben brightly, " we 
 are all as glad as can be." 
 
 "Sweet innocent, you don't know a step- 
 father," said Pickering lugubriously. 
 
 " I know Dr. Fisher," said Ben, " that's 
 enough."
 
 A PIECE OF NEWS. 277 
 
 "Well, when you want comfort, come to me," 
 said Pickering, "or to uncle ! " 
 
 " Don't you fill Ben's ears with your foolish- 
 ness," said the Senior Partner, coming out of 
 ihe counting-room. " Take yourself off, Picker- 
 ing ; you're hindering Ben." 
 
 Pickering laughed. " I'm caught in the very 
 act. Now, Ben, remember I'm your friend 
 when you get into trouble with your dear pa. 
 Good-by, Uncle,' : with a bright nod, and a lazy 
 shake of his long figure. "Trade always de- 
 moralizes me. I'll get back to my books," and 
 he vanished as quickly as he came. 
 
 " Back to your books," said his uncle grimly, 
 " hum, I wish you would. See here, Ben," he 
 put a controlling hand on the boy's shoulder, 
 " one word with you." marching him into the 
 private office of the firm. " Don't you follow 
 Pickering too closely, my boy," he said abruptly; 
 " he's a good lad in the main, but if he is my 
 nephew, I must give you warning. He's losing 
 ground."
 
 278 A PIECE OF NEWS. 
 
 Ben lifted his head in sudden alarm. " Oh ! 
 I hope not, sir," he said. 
 
 " It's a fact. Master Nelson says he could 
 be first scholar in the grammar, but for the last 
 six months he's failed steadily. There's no 
 polytechnic reason, only ambition's gone. And 
 when you say that, you mean there's a general 
 collapse of all my hopes concerning him." 
 
 " Oh ! no, sir," Ben kept on protesting, his 
 ruddy cheek losing its color. " He'll take hold 
 by and by and give a pull at his books again." 
 
 " It isn't a pull now and then that gets a man 
 up hill," observed Mr. Cabot, leaning back in 
 his revolving chair to look into the blue eyes, 
 " that you know as well as I. Now, Ben, I'm 
 not going to see you throw away your prospects 
 too. Don't let him influence you in the wrong 
 way. He's bright and attractive, but don't pay 
 attention to his ridicule of good things." 
 
 " I've a mother," said Ben proudly, " and I 
 don't believe any boy could say much to me, that 
 I'd think of twice, if she didn't like it."
 
 A PIECE OF NEWS. 279 
 
 " You always tell her everything, do you, 
 Ben ? " asked Mr. Cabot with a curious glance. 
 
 " I should think so, sir," said Ben, with a 
 short laugh. 
 
 " You'll do, then," said Mr. Cabot, bringing 
 his palm down on a pile of unread letters await- 
 ing him. "Go ahead. I don't promise any- 
 thing, but I will say this. If you work on as 
 you have done these two years since you came 
 in here as errand boy, Ben, I'll make you a 
 power in trTe house. Understand I don't expect 
 you to do brilliant things ; that isn't in your 
 line. You will be a success only as a steady, 
 faithful worker. But keep at it, and hang on to 
 Cabot & Van Meter, and we'll hang on to you."
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 MAMSIE'S WEDDING. 
 
 POLLY," said Dr. Fisher, coming suddenly 
 out of a corner of the library as she ran 
 around the portiere folds, "you are sure you are 
 willing are willing it should go on ? " 
 
 The little man peered at her anxiously through 
 his big glasses, and he looked so exactly as he 
 did on that morning so long ago when Polly's 
 eyes were at their worst, that she could do noth- 
 ing but gaze speechlessly into his face. 
 
 "I see you don't consider it quite best, child," 
 said the little doctor brokenly, " but you are 
 trying with your good heart, to make it so. 
 Don't be afraid ; it is not too late to end it all." 
 
 " I was thinking," cried Polly with a gasp, 
 " how good you were to me, when you saved 
 280
 
 MAMSIE'S WEDDING. 281 
 
 my eyes, and how you kept Joel from dying of 
 the measles. Oh ! I couldn't speak but I 
 love you so." 
 
 She threw her young arms around him. " Papa 
 Fisher for you are almost my father now I 
 am the very, very happiest girl because you are 
 going to live here, and now I can show you just 
 how much I really and truly love you." 
 
 The little man beamed at her. Then he took 
 off his spectacles, wiped them, and clapped 
 them into place again. "You see, Polly," he 
 said deliberately, " it was impossible to see 
 your mother and not love her. She has had 
 well, there, child, I cannot bear to talk about it," 
 and he walked to the window, blew his nose 
 violently on an immense pocket-handkerchief, 
 leaving the words poised in mid-air. 
 
 " It was the greatest trial of my life that I 
 couldn't show her then when she was struggling 
 so bravely to keep the wolf from the door, how 
 I felt. But my hands were tied, child," he 
 added, coming back, his usual self again. "Now
 
 282 MAMSIE'S WEDDING, 
 
 I can make her, she says, happy, that is, if you 
 children like it. Just think, Polly, she said 
 happy ! It's stupendous, but she said so, Polly, 
 she really did ! " 
 
 He folded his hands and looked at her in 
 astonishment, behind which shone an intense 
 gratification, that lighted up his plain little face 
 till he seemed to grow young every instant. 
 
 "Indeed she did!" repeated Polly like a bird, 
 and laughing merrily. " O, Papa Fisher ! you 
 ought to hear Mamsie sing. She don't know I'm 
 hearing her, but she sings at her work now." 
 
 " Does she ? " cried the doctor radiantly. 
 " Well, Polly, we must see that she sings every 
 day, after this." 
 
 "Yes, let us," cried Polly, clasping his hand; 
 " we will." 
 
 " And," proceeded the doctor, " after the 
 wedding is over I really dread the wedding, 
 Polly but after that is over, I do believe we 
 shall all be comfortable together ! " 
 
 Polly gave a little cry of delight. Then she
 
 said, " You needn't dread the wedding one bit, 
 Papa Fisher. There will be only the people 
 that we love, and who love us Grandpapa 
 promised that." 
 
 " But that will make it very big," said Dr. 
 Fisher, with round eyes and a small shiver he 
 could not suppress. 
 
 "O, no!" said Polly cheerily, "sixty-five 
 friends; that's all we are going to ask; Mamsie 
 and I made out the list last night." 
 
 " Sixty-five people ! " exclaimed Dr. Fisher 
 in dismay. "Oh! isn't it possible to be married 
 without sixty-five friends to stare at you ? " 
 
 "Oh! that's not many," said Polly; "sixty- 
 five is the very smallest number that we could 
 manage. We've been over the list ever so 
 many times, and struck out quantities of names. 
 You see, everybody loves Mamsie, and they all 
 want to see her married." 
 
 "I know I know," assented the doctor, 
 " but that makes one hundred and thirty eyes. 
 Did you ever think of that, Polly ? "
 
 284 MAMSIE'S WEDDING. 
 
 Polly burst into such a laugh that Jasper 
 popped in, and after him, Phronsie, and a gen- 
 eral hilarity now reigning, the dreaded wedding 
 preparations soon sank away from the doctor's 
 perturbed vision. 
 
 But they went on merrily nevertheless. All 
 over the old stone mansion there were hints of 
 the on-coming festivities ; and though all signs 
 of it were tucked away from the little doctor 
 on his occasional visits, the smothered excite- 
 ment flamed afresh immediately his departure 
 became an assured thing. Everybody had the 
 wildest plans for the occasion ; it appearing im- 
 possible to do enough for the one who had 
 stood at the helm for five long years, and who 
 was to be reigning housekeeper for as much 
 longer as her services were needed. 
 
 And Dr. Fisher never knew how perilously 
 near he had been to the verge of brilliant even- 
 ing festivities, in the midst of which he was 
 to be ushered into matrimony. 
 
 For Polly had suddenly waked one morning,
 
 MAMSIE'S WEDDING. 285 
 
 to find herself, not "famous," but alive with 
 the sense of being as her mother had so 
 often expressed it " Mamsie's little right-hand 
 woman/' 
 
 " It will be much better to have everything 
 plain," said Polly, communing with herself, as 
 she turned on her pillow. " Mamsie has always 
 been without show, of any kind, and so," but 
 here Polly's heart stood still. Dearly she loved 
 the bright, conspicuous accompaniments to the 
 wedding whereby Mr. King was determined to 
 show his respect for the family under his care. 
 And her soul secretly longed for the five hun- 
 dred guests named on a list of the old gentle- 
 man's drawing up. And the feast and the 
 lights, and the pretty dresses, and the dancing 
 party for the young people to follow. For Mr. 
 King had announced himself as about to usher 
 in the brightest of days for the young Peppers 
 to remember. 
 
 " Beside it brings our new physician into 
 notice," he would answer when any faint pro-
 
 286 MAMSIE'S WEDDING. 
 
 test was made. " And we shall all have reason 
 to be immensely proud of him, I tell you ! " 
 
 " O, dear ! " cried Polly, burrowing deeper 
 within the pillow folds, " why aren't pleasant 
 things best to do ? Why, I wonder ! " 
 
 Cherry, twittering in the window, chirped some- 
 thing vague and unsatisfactory. Polly brought 
 up her brown head suddenly and laughed. 
 
 " Nonsense ! our happiness doesn't depend 
 upon a lot of people coming together to help it 
 along. Mamsie's face whenever Grandpapa 
 plans all this magnificence, is enough to make 
 me feel wretched at thought of it. Dear Mam- 
 sie ! she's afraid of ingratitude if she don't try 
 to like it. She shall have the little morning 
 wedding with -a few people around, and the gray 
 silk gown instead of the lavender one Grand- 
 papa wants her to wear, for Mamsie always 
 knows just what is right." 
 
 With that, Polly sprang out of bed, and 
 rushed at her toilet, and after breakfast she 
 quietly captured Mr. King on the edge of some
 
 MAMSIE'S WEDDING. 
 
 287 
 
 other extravagant plan, and led him into the 
 library. 
 
 " Everything is going on finely, Polly," he 
 
 "EVERYTHING is GOING ON FINELY, POLLY." 
 
 cried in elation. " Ring for Thomas, child ; 
 stay, I'll do it myself. I shall go in an hour to 
 give my orders for the wedding supper."
 
 288 MAMSIE'S WEDDING. 
 
 "Grandpapa," cried Polly, turning quite pale, 
 and laying a quick, detaining hand on his arm, 
 "oh! do wait, dear Grandpapa, I have some- 
 thing to say." 
 
 " Well, child," but he still retained his hand 
 on the cord. 
 
 "O, Grandpapa!" how could she say it! 
 But she must. " Mamsie will be ever so much 
 happier if the wedding might be a quiet one. 
 She really would, Grandpapa." 
 
 " No doubt Mrs. Pepper finds it a little hard 
 to adjust her ideas to the large affair," said the 
 old gentleman, considerably disturbed, and by 
 no means relinquishing the bell-cord, "but it is 
 due to you children to have a bright time, and 
 I must see that you all have it. That is my 
 affair," and this time the cord was pulled, and 
 the bell rang a loud, insistent message. 
 
 Polly stood still in despair. "Grandpapa," 
 she said distinctly, finding it hard to proceed, 
 with his face before her, " we children do not 
 want the large party ; that is, 1 do not.
 
 MAMSIE'S WEDDING. 289 
 
 It was all out at last. 
 
 " Stuff and nonsense ! " exclaimed Mr. King 
 sharply, for his surprise was too great to allow 
 of composure, " who has been putting this idea 
 into your head ? Your mother couldn't have 
 done it, for she promised it should all be as you 
 young people wanted." 
 
 " Mamsie never said a word," cried Polly, 
 recovering herself as she saw a chance to make 
 things right for Mother Pepper; "it all came to 
 me, Grandpapa, all alone by myself. Oh ! I 
 hate the big display," she declared with sudden 
 vehemence, astonishing herself with the repul- 
 sion that now seized her. 
 
 " Hoity toity ! " exclaimed Mr. King, " it's 
 not quite the thing, Polly, my child, to express 
 yourself so decidedly, considering your years." 
 
 "Grandpapa," cried Polly, with a sudden rush 
 of tears, " forgive me, do ; I did not mean to be 
 so naughty. I did not, dear Grandpapa." She 
 looked like Phronsie now, and the old gentle- 
 man's heart melted. " But I am quite sure that
 
 2QO MAMSIES WEDDING. 
 
 none of us children would be a bit happy not to 
 have it as Mamsie would like." 
 
 "Well, but I am not sure that the others 
 wouldn't like it," said Mr. King persistently. 
 
 " Ben wouldn't," said Polly triumphantly, " I 
 know, for he all along shrank from the big 
 party." 
 
 "Oh ! well, Ben, I suppose, would object some- 
 what," conceded the old gentleman slowly. 
 
 " And Davie," cried Polly, flushing eagerly ; 
 " O, Grandpapa ! David would much prefer the 
 morning wedding and the plain things." 
 
 " But how about Joel and Phronsie ? " inter- 
 rupted Mr. King, utterly ignoring Davie's claims 
 to be heard. " Ah ! Polly, my dear, until you 
 tell me that they will prefer to give up the fine 
 party, you mustn't expect me to pay any atten- 
 tion to what you say. It's due to Phronsie that 
 your mother's wedding is a thing worthy to 
 remember as a fine affair." 
 
 " Perhaps Joel and Phronsie will think as we 
 do," said Polly. But her heart said No.
 
 MAMSIE S WEDDING. 2Q1 
 
 " All right if they do," said Mr. King easily, 
 " but unless you come and tell me it is their 
 own choice, why, I shall just go on with my 
 plans as mapped out," he added obstinately. 
 " Thomas," as that functionary appeared in the 
 doorway, " take the letters to the post at once : 
 you will find them on my writing table." 
 
 " All right, sir." 
 
 " I'll give you till to-morrow to find out," said 
 Mr. King. " Now come and kiss me, Polly dear. 
 You'll see it's all right after it's over, and be 
 glad I had the sense to keep my mind about it." 
 
 Polly put up her lips obediently. But it was 
 a sad little kiss that was set upon his mouth, 
 and it left him feeling like a criminal. 
 
 And running out, she met her difficult task 
 without a moment of preparation. 
 
 " Halloo, Polly ! " whooped Joel, rushing 
 around an angle in the hall, " Grandpapa prom- 
 ised me that I might go out with him, to give the 
 supper orders, and all that kind of nonsense." 
 
 Polly's heart stood still.
 
 292 MAMSIE S WEDDING. 
 
 "Joel," she began, seizing his jacket with 
 trembling fingers, "come up into my room a 
 minute." 
 
 " What's up ? " cried Joel with curiosity ; 
 "some more mysteries? There's nothing but 
 whisperings, and secrets, and no end of jolly un- 
 derstandings, ever since Mamsie commenced to 
 marry Dr. Fisher. Go ahead, I'll come." 
 
 " And Phronsie, too," said Polly, seeing the 
 yellow head emerge from the breakfast-room 
 doorway. 
 
 "Come on, Phron," sang out Joel, "up in 
 Polly's room she wants you," and the three 
 hurried off. 
 
 " Now, Joel," said Polly, closing the door and 
 facing him desperately, " you are Mamsie's own 
 boy." 
 
 "I should think so," said Joel, " I'm not any- 
 body's else. Is that all you brought me up 
 here to say ?" thrusting his hands in his pockets 
 and looking at her. 
 
 " And you can make her happy, or just as
 
 MAMSIES WEDDING. 293 
 
 miserable as I can't say what," went on Polly 
 incoherently. 
 
 " What in the world are you firing at ? " de- 
 manded the boy, visions of certain pranks at 
 school unpleasantly before him. " Don't shoot 
 over my head, Polly, but keep somewhere near 
 your mark," he advised irritably. 
 
 Phronsie surveyed the two with wide eyes, 
 and a not wholly pleased manner. 
 
 " Mamsie does not want a big wedding," de- 
 clared Polly, going to the heart of the matter, 
 " but dear kind Grandpapa thinks it will please 
 us children, and so he wants to give her one." 
 
 " And so it will," cried Joel, " please us chil- 
 dren. Whoop la! give us your hand, Phronsie; 
 this is the way we'll dance afterwards at the 
 party." 
 
 " I don't want to dance," said Phronsie, 
 standing quite still in the middle of the room. 
 The morning sun shone across her yellow hair, 
 but no light came into the large eyes. " Polly 
 wants something, first; what is it, Joel?"
 
 294 MAMSIE'S WEDDING. 
 
 " I'm sure I don't know," said Joel, poised on 
 a careless foot, and executing a remarkable pas 
 seul. " I don't believe she knows herself. Polly 
 is often queer, you know, Phronsie," he added 
 cheerfully. 
 
 " Tell me, Polly, do," whispered Phronsie, 
 going over to her. 
 
 " Phronsie," said Polly very slowly, " Mamsie 
 don't want a big party in the evening to see her 
 married, but to have a cunning little company 
 of friends come in the morning, and " 
 
 " Ugh ! " cried Joel in disgust, coming down 
 suddenly to both feet. 
 
 " It will please Mamsie best," went on Polly, 
 with a cold shoulder to Joel. " And I never 
 should be happy in all this world to remember 
 that I helped make my Mamsie unhappy on her 
 wedding day." 
 
 Phronsie shivered, and her voice held a mis- 
 erable little thrill as she begged, "Oh! make 
 her be married just as she wants to be, Polly, 
 da"
 
 MAMSIE S WEDDING. 297 
 
 " Now that's what I call mean," cried Joel in 
 a loud, vindictive tone back of Polly, " to work 
 on Phronsie's feelings. You can't make me say 
 I don't want Mamsie to have a wedding splurge, 
 so there, Polly Pepper ! " 
 
 Polly preserved a dignified silence, and pre- 
 sented her shoulder again to his view. 
 
 " You can't make me say it, Polly Pepper ! " 
 shouted Joel shrilly. 
 
 "O, Phronsie ! " exclaimed Polly in a rapture, 
 throwing her arms around the child, " Mamsie 
 will be so pleased you can't think. Let us go 
 and tell her ; come ! " 
 
 " See here ! " called Joel, edging up, " why 
 don't you talk to me ? " 
 
 " I haven't anything to say," Polly conde- 
 scended to give him, without turning her head. 
 "Come, Phronsie," holding out her hand. 
 
 " Wait a minute." 
 
 " Well, what is it ? " Polly's hand now held 
 Phronsie's, but she paused on the way to the 
 door.
 
 298 MAMSIES WEDDING. 
 
 " I guess I can give up things as well as she 
 can, if I know Mamsie wants me to," said Joel, 
 with a deeply injured manner. 
 
 " Mamsie don't want any of us to give up 
 anything unless we do it as if we were glad to," 
 said Polly. For her life, she couldn't conceal 
 a little scornful note in her voice, and Joel 
 winced miserably. 
 
 "I I wish she wouldn't have the big party," 
 he whined. 
 
 " I thought you wanted it," said Polly, turn- 
 ing to him. 
 
 "I I don't. I'd rather Mamsie would be 
 happy. O, dear ! don't look at me so." 
 
 " I'm not looking at you so," said Polly. 
 "You acted just as if you had your heart set on 
 the party." 
 
 " Well, it isn't. I'll I'll if you say party 
 to me again ! " and he faced her vindictively. 
 
 "Joel Pepper!" cried Polly, holding him 
 with her brown eyes, " do you really mean that 
 you are glad to give up that big evening
 
 MAMSIE S WEDDING. 299 
 
 party, and have the little teenty one in the 
 morning ? " 
 
 "Yes," said Joel, "as true as I live and 
 breathe, I do ! " 
 
 " Oh ! oh ! oh ! " cried Polly, and seizing his 
 arm, she led off in a dance, so much surpassing 
 his efforts, that Phronsie screamed with delight 
 to see them go. When they could dance no 
 more, Polly, flushed and panting, ran out of 
 the room, leaving the two to find out as best 
 they might, the cause of her strange demeanor. 
 
 " Grandpapa," Polly rushing over the stairs, 
 met him coming up to Mrs. Whitney's room, 
 "Joel says it's the little morning wedding 
 please ; and Phronsie too ! " 
 
 The old gentleman gave no sign of his defeat, 
 beyond a " Humph ! and so I'm beaten, after 
 all!" 
 
 And Dr. Fisher never knew all this. 
 
 Mamsie's wedding-day ! At last it came ! 
 Was any other ever so bright and beautiful? 
 Phronsie thought not, and thereupon she im-
 
 300 MAMSIE'S WEDDING. 
 
 peded the preparations by running up to kiss 
 her mother every few moments, until such time 
 as Felicie carried her off to induct her into a 
 white muslin gown. Polly, here, there, and 
 everywhere, was in such a rapture that shf 
 seemed to float on wings, while the boys of the 
 household, with the exception of Jasper, lost 
 their heads early in the day, and helplessly suc- 
 cumbed to all demands upon them. 
 
 Every flower had to be put in place by the 
 young people. Old Turner for once stood one 
 side. And Polly must put the white satin boxes 
 filled with wedding cake on the little table 
 where one of the waiters would hand them to 
 departing guests. And Phronsie must fasten 
 Mamsie's pearl brooch the gift of the five 
 little Peppers in her lace collar the very last 
 thing. And Jasper collected the rice and set 
 the basket holding it safely away from Joel's 
 eager fingers till such time as they could shower 
 the bride's carriage. And all the boys were 
 ushers, even little Dick coming up grandly to
 
 MAMSIES WEDDING. 301 
 
 offer his arm to the tallest guest as it hap- 
 pened. 
 
 And old Mr. King gave the bride away ! 
 And Dr. Fisher at the last forgot all the one- 
 hundred and thirty eyes, and his " I will," rang 
 out like a man's who has secured what he has 
 long wanted. And ever so many of the guests 
 said " What a good father he will make the 
 children," and several attempted to tell the 
 Peppers so. " As if we didn't know it before," 
 said Joel indignantly.. 
 
 And Alexia and aU the other girls of Polly's 
 set were there, and Joel's little blue and white 
 creature to his great satisfaction, came with her 
 aunt, who was quite intimate in the family; and 
 Pickering Dodge was there of course, and the 
 Alstynes, and hosts of others. 
 
 And Mother Pepper in her silver-gray gown 
 and bonnet, by the side of her husband, with 
 Phronsie clinging to one hand, heard nothing 
 but heart-felt wishes for her happiness and that 
 of the five little Peppers.
 
 302 MAMSIE'S WEDDING. 
 
 And there was not so much as the shadow of 
 a skeleton at the wedding breakfast. And 
 Cousin Mason Whitney took charge of the 
 toasts and everybody felt that just the right 
 things had been said. And then there was a 
 
 _pi_Jp^ 
 
 "WE'RE GOING TO LET HER BE HAPPY." 
 
 nutter of departure of the bridal party, and in 
 the rattle of the wheels Phronsie piped out 
 bravely as she threw the slipper after the de- 
 parting coach : 
 
 "Mamsie has been taking care of us all these 
 years ; now we're going to be good and let her 
 be happy."
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN. 
 
 T)OLLY is learning to play beautifully," 
 mused Phronsie, nursing one foot con- 
 templatively, as she curled up on the floor. 
 " And Ben is to be a capital business man, so 
 Papa Fisher says, and Joel is going to buy up 
 this whole town sometime, and Davie knows 
 ever so many books from beginning to end, but 
 what can I do ? " 
 
 Down went the little foot to the floor, and the 
 yellow head drooped over the white apron. 
 
 " Nothing," mourned Phronsie, " just nothing 
 at all ; not even the wee-est teentiest bit of any- 
 thing do I know how to do. O, dear ! " 
 
 Outside, Jasper was calling to Prince. Phron- 
 sie could hear the big dog rushing over the lawn 
 33
 
 304 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN. 
 
 in response, barking furiously as he went. But 
 she did not move. 
 
 " And Mamsie will never be glad for me, 
 unless I learn how to do things too. If I don't 
 hurry, I shall never be grown up." 
 
 " Tweet tweet chr-r-r " Cherry in his 
 cage over her head, chirped vigorously by way of 
 consolation, but Phronsie did not lift her head. 
 Cherry seeing all his efforts in vain, stopped his 
 song and rolled one black eye down at her in 
 astonishment, and soon became quite still. 
 
 Presently the rustle of a stiff black satin gown 
 became the chief intruder upon the silence. It 
 was so asserting, that Phronsie lifted her head to 
 look into the face of Mrs. Chatterton, standing 
 before her, playing with the rings on her long 
 white hands, and regarding her as if she would 
 soon require an explanation of such strange 
 conduct. 
 
 " What are you doing, Phronsie ? " at last 
 demanded the lady. 
 
 " Thinking," said Phronsie ; and she laid her
 
 MRS. CHATl'liKTON HAS A NEW FLAN. 305 
 
 chin in her hand, and slowly turned her gaze 
 upon the thin, disagreeable face before her, but 
 
 "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, PHRONSIE?" 
 
 not as if in the slightest degree given up to a 
 study of its lines and expression. 
 
 " So I perceive," said Mrs. Chatterton harshly. 
 "Well, and what are you thinking of, pray tell ? " 
 
 Still Phronsie looked beyond her, and it was
 
 306 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN. 
 
 not till the question had been repeated that an 
 answer came. 
 
 "Of many things," said Phronsie, "but I do 
 not think I ought to tell you." 
 
 " And why not, pray ? " cried the lady, with a 
 short and most unpleasant laugh. 
 
 " Because I do not think you would under- 
 stand them," said Phronsie. And now she 
 looked at the face she had before overlooked, 
 with a deliberate scrutiny as if she would not 
 need to repeat the attention. 
 
 " Indeed ! " exclaimed Mrs. Chatterton an- 
 grily, " and pray how long since your thoughts 
 have been so valuable? " 
 
 " My thoughts are nice ones," said Phronsie, 
 slowly, " because they are about nice people." 
 
 " Ah ! " 
 
 " And they won't tell themselves. And I ought 
 not to make them. They would fly away then, 
 and I should never find them again, when I 
 wanted to think them." 
 
 " Your mother brought you up well, I must
 
 MRS. CHATTKKI-OM HAS A NKW PLAN. 307 
 
 say," observed Mrs. Chatterton, deliberately 
 drawing up a chair and putting her long figure 
 within it, " to talk in this style to a lady as old 
 as I am." 
 
 Phronsie allowed one foot to gently trace the 
 pattern on the carpet before she answered. " I 
 know you are very old," she said at last, "but I 
 cannot tell my thoughts to you." 
 
 "Very old ! " cried Mrs. Chatterton, her chin 
 in the air. " Indeed ! well, I am not, I would 
 have you know, Miss Phronsie," and she played 
 with the silk cord of her satin wrapper. " I 
 hate a child that is made a prig ! " she added 
 explosively under her breath. 
 
 Phronsie made no reply, being already deep 
 in her own calculations once more. 
 
 " Now, Phronsie," said Mrs. Chatterton, sud- 
 denly drawing herself out of her angry fit, and 
 clearing her bro":, " I want you to give your at- 
 tention to me a moment, for I have something I 
 must say to you. That's why I came in here, to 
 find you alone. Come, look at me, child. It
 
 308 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NKW PLAN. 
 
 isn't polite to be staring at the carpet all the 
 time." 
 
 Phronsie thus admonished, took her gaze from 
 the floor, to bestow it on the face above her. 
 
 " It's something that nobody is to know but 
 just you and I," began Mrs. Chatterton, with a 
 cautious glance at the door. Then she got out 
 of her chair, and going across the room, closed 
 it carefully. " There, that's better ; Polly is 
 always around. Now we are quite alone," com- 
 ing back to her seat. 
 
 "You see, Phronsie," she proceeded, not car- 
 ing that the brown eyes were slowly adding to 
 their astonishment an expression that augured ill 
 for any plans she might be hoping to carry out 
 toward propitiation. " It is necessary to be care- 
 ful not to be overheard, for what I am going to 
 say to you, must be kept quite secret." 
 
 " I must tell Mamsie," said Phronsie dis- 
 tinctly. 
 
 " Indeed you will not," declared Mrs. Chatter- 
 ton. " She is the verv one of all others who
 
 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NKW PLAN. 309 
 
 
 
 ought not to know. You can help her, 
 Phronsie, if you only keep quiet." 
 
 Phronsie's eyes now became so very large, that 
 Mrs. Chatterton hastened to add : 
 
 " You know Polly is learning to be a music 
 teacher when she grows up." 
 
 Phronsie made no reply. 
 
 " And a very creditable one she will be, from 
 all accounts I can gather," contributed Mrs. 
 Chatterton carelessly. " Well, Ben is doing 
 well in Cabot & Van Meter's, so he's no trouble 
 to your mother. As for the two boys, I know 
 nothing about them, one way or the other. But 
 you, as you are a girl, and the only one not 
 provided for, why, I shall show a little kind- 
 ness in your direction. It's wholly disinter- 
 ested and quixotic, I know," added Mrs. Chat- 
 terton, with a sweeping gaze at the walls and 
 ceilings, "for me to give myself a thought about 
 you or your future. And I shall never receive 
 so much as a thank you for it. But I've passed 
 all my life in thinking of others, Phronsie," here
 
 310 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN. 
 
 she brought down her attention to the absorbed 
 little countenance, " and I cannot change now," 
 she finished pensively. 
 
 A silence fell upon them, so great that Mrs. 
 Chatterton broke it nervously. " Goodness me, 
 Phronsie, you are not like a child ; you are too 
 uncanny for anything. Why don't you ask ques- 
 tions about my secret ? " 
 
 "Because I ought not to know it," said Phron- 
 sie, finding her tongue. 
 
 " Haven't I told you that you will help your 
 mother only by not telling her ? " said Mrs. Chat- 
 terton. " How would you like to learn how to 
 take care of yourself when you are a big girl ? " 
 
 A light slowly gathered in the brown eyes, 
 becoming at last so joyous and assured, that 
 Mrs. Chatterton's face dropped its hard lines, 
 to lose itself in a gratified smile. 
 
 " Now you make me see some real hope that 
 my scheme won't be wholly a wild piece of phil- 
 anthropy," she exclaimed. " Only look like that, 
 Phronsie, and I'll do anything for you."
 
 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN. 311 
 
 " If I can do anything for Mamsie," cried 
 Phronsie, clasping her hands in rapture. "Oh ! 
 do tell me, dear Mrs. Chatterton," she pleaded. 
 
 "Oh! now I am dear Mrs. Chatterton," cried 
 that lady, with a hard, ill-favored smile. But she 
 lowered her tone to a gentler one, and extending 
 one jeweled hand, took the little folded ones in 
 her clasp. 
 
 " I will be a good friend to you, and show you 
 how you can learn to do something so that when 
 you grow up, you can take care of yourself, just 
 as Polly will. Just think, Phronsie, just as Polly 
 will," cried Mrs. Chatterton artfully. 
 
 " How how ? " demanded Phronsie, scarcely 
 breathing. 
 
 " Listen, Phronsie. Now you know I haven't 
 any little girl." 
 
 Phronsie drew a long breath. 
 
 " Well, I have been looking for one for a long 
 time. I want one who will be a daughter to me ; 
 who will grow up under my direction, and who 
 will appreciate what I sacrifice in taking her.
 
 312 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN. 
 
 She must be nice-looking, for I couldn't stand 
 an ill-favored child. I have found several who 
 were much better looking than you, Phronsie ; 
 in fact, they were beauties ; but I didn't like 
 the attitude of their families. The poor things 
 actually thought they were doing me a favor 
 by accepting my proposition for the children." 
 
 As this statement required no remark on the 
 part of the hearer, Phronsie was silent, not 
 removing her eyes from Mrs. Chatterton's face. 
 
 " Now, although you haven't as much to recom- 
 mend you as many other children that I have 
 fancied, I hope to make you serve my purpose. 
 I am going to try you, at least. Every day, 
 Phronsie, you can come to my room. It's lucky 
 that you don't go to school, but do pretty much 
 as you like in this house, so no questions will be 
 asked." 
 
 " I go to Grandpapa's room every day," said 
 Phronsie, in a distressed tone, "to my lessons." 
 
 " Of course. I know that ; a very silly thing 
 it is too. There's no use in trying to break it
 
 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN. 313 
 
 up now, I suppose, or I'd put my hand to the 
 attempt. But you can come to me after you've 
 got through toadying Mr. King." 
 
 " What is toding ? " asked Phronsie. 
 
 " Never mind ; that hasn't anything to do with 
 the business in hand," replied Mrs. Chatterton 
 impatiently. " Now if you come to me every 
 day, and give me as much time as you can, why, 
 I'll show )'ou what I want of you, and teach you 
 many things. Then after a while, Phronsie, when 
 you learn to appreciate it, I shall tell you what I 
 am going to do. The adoption will be an easy 
 matter, I fancy, when the child is interested," 
 she added, taking the precaution to mutter it. 
 
 " You must do everything as I tell you," Mrs. 
 Chatterton leaned forward, and said with great 
 deliberateness, "else you will lose this chance 
 to help your mother. And you will never have 
 another like it, but will grow up to be a good- 
 for-nothing little thing when Polly and all the 
 rest are earning money for your Marnsie, as you 
 call her."
 
 314 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN. 
 
 " I shall earn money too," declared Phronsie 
 on a high note, and nodding her yellow head with 
 great decision. 
 
 " Never ! " Mrs. Chatterton brought her foot, 
 incased in its black satin slipper, down with force 
 on the carpet. " You will never earn a cent of 
 money in all this world, unless you do exactly as 
 1 say ; for you are a child who hasn't it in her 
 to learn anything. But you can help me, and I 
 shall teach you many things, and do well by 
 you." 
 
 " When I grow a big girl, will anybody want 
 me to do those things that you are going to 
 teach me ? " asked Phronsie, drawing near to lay 
 her hand on the stiff black gown, and speaking 
 earnestly. " Then if they will, I'll try to do 
 them just exactly as you tell me." 
 
 "Of course they will," declared Mrs. Chatter- 
 ton carefully, edging off from the little fingers ; 
 u ever so many people will want you, Phronsie. 
 And I shall give you a great deal of money." 
 
 " I shall give it all to Mamsie," interrupted
 
 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN. 315 
 
 Phronsie, her brown eyes dilating quickly, "every 
 single twenty-five cents you give me. Then I 
 guess she will be glad, don't you ? " she cried, 
 clasping her hands in sudden rapture, while she 
 began to dance up and down. 
 
 " I shall give you so many twenty-five cents," 
 cried Mrs. Chatterton, beginning to feel her old 
 heart beat with more enthusiasm than she had 
 known for many a day, " that you will be very 
 rich, Phronsie." 
 
 " Oh-oh ! " cried Phronsie, coming to an 
 abrupt pause in the middle of the floor, her 
 cheek paling in excitement. And then she 
 could say no more. 
 
 " But you must do exactly as I tell you." 
 Mrs. Chatterton leaned forward suddenly, and 
 seized the little hands, now so still in their 
 delight. " Remember, it is only when you fol- 
 low my commands in every single thing, that you 
 will have any chance of earning all this money 
 for your mother, and helping her just as Polly 
 is going to do. Remember now, Phronsie ! "
 
 316 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN. 
 
 " I will remember," said Phronsie slowly, as 
 her hands were released. 
 
 " Very good. We will begin now then." Mrs. 
 Chatterton threw herself back in her chair, and 
 drew a long breath. " Lucky I found the child 
 alone, and so tractable. It's singularly good for- 
 tune," she muttered. "Well," aloud, with a light 
 laugh, " now, Phronsie, if you are going to be your 
 mother's helper, why, this is your first duty. Let 
 us see how well you perform it. Run upstairs 
 to the closet out of the lumber-room, and open 
 the little black box on the shelf in front of the 
 door the box isn't locked and bring me the 
 roll of black velvet ribbon you will find there." 
 
 Phronsie was about to ask, " Why does not 
 Hortense go up for it ? " but Mrs. Chatterton 
 forestalled the question by saying with a frown. 
 " Hortense has gone down to the dressmaker's. 
 No child who calls me to account for anything 
 I ask of her, can be helped by me. Do as you 
 like, Phronsie. No one will compel you to learn 
 how to do things so that you can be a comfort
 
 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN. 317 
 
 to your mother. Only remember, if you don't 
 obey me, you will lose your only chance." 
 After this speech, Mrs. Chatterton sat back 
 
 "I'LL GO," SAID PHRONSIE, WITH A LONG SIGH. 
 
 and played with her rings, looking with oblique 
 glances of cold consideration at the child. 
 
 " I'll go," said Phronsie with a long sigh, "and 
 do every thing you say." 
 
 " I do really believe I can bend one of those 
 dreadful Pepper children to my will," thought 
 Mrs. Chatterton exultingly. " She is my only 
 hope. Polly does better than she did, but she is
 
 318 MRS. CHATTERTON HAS A NEW PLAN. 
 
 too old to be tractable, and she has a shrewd head 
 on her practical body, and the others are just 
 horrible ! " She gave a shiver. " But Phronsie 
 will grow up to fit my purpose, I think. Three 
 purposes, I may say to get the Peppers grad- 
 ually out from under Horatio King's influence, 
 and to train up a girl to wait on me so that I can 
 get away from these French villains of maids, 
 and to spite Alexander's daughter by finally 
 adopting this Phronsie if she suits me. But I 
 must move carefufly. The first thing is to get 
 the child fastened to me by her own will." 
 
 Phronsie, ascending the stairs to the lumber- 
 room, with careful deliberateness, found no hint 
 of joy at the prospect before her, reaching into 
 the dim distance to that enchanted time when 
 she should be grown up. But there was a 
 strangely new sense of responsibility, born in 
 an hour ; and an acceptance of life's burdens, 
 that made her feel very old and wise. 
 
 " I shall be a comfort to my mother," she said 
 confidently, and mounted on.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 WHERE IS PHRONSIE ? 
 
 PHRONSIE shut the door of the lumber 
 room, and with a great sigh realized that 
 she had with her own hand cut herself off from 
 the gay life below stairs. 
 
 " But they are not so very far off," she said, 
 " and I shall soon be down again," as she made 
 her way across the room and opened the closet 
 door. 
 
 A little mouse scurried along the shelf and 
 dropped to the floor. Phronsie peered into the 
 darkness within, her small heart beating fear- 
 fully as she held the knob in her hand. 
 
 " There may be more," she said irresolutely. 
 " I suppose he wouldn't live up here all alone. 
 Please go away, mousie, and let me get the box."
 
 320 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 
 
 For answer there was a scratching and nibbling 
 down in the corner that held more terrors for the 
 anxious ears than an invading army. 
 
 " I must go in," said Phronsie, " and bring 
 out the box. Please, good mouse, go away for 
 one moment ; then you may come back and stay 
 all day." 
 
 But the shadowy corner only gave back the 
 renewed efforts of the sharp little teeth; so at 
 last, Phronsie, plucking up courage, stepped in. 
 The door swung to after her, giving out a little 
 click, unnoticed in her trepidation as she picked 
 her way carefully along, holding her red gown 
 away from any chance nibbles. It was a low 
 narrow closet, unlighted save by a narrow lat- 
 ticed window, in the ceiling, for the most part 
 filled with two lines of shelves running along 
 the side and one end. Phronsie caught her 
 breath as she went in, the air was so confined ; 
 and stumbling over in the dim light, put her 
 hand on the box desired, a small black affair, 
 easily found, as it was the only one there.
 
 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 321 
 
 "I will take it out into the lumber-room; then 
 I can get the velvet roll," and gathering it up 
 within her arms, she speedily made her way 
 back to the door. 
 
 "Why" another pull at the knob; but with 
 the same result, and Phronsie, setting the box 
 on the floor, still with thoughts only of the 
 mouse, set both hands to the task of opening 
 the door. 
 
 " It sticks, I suppose, because no one comes 
 up here only once in a great while," she said* in 
 a puzzled way. " I ought to be able to pull it 
 open, I'm sure, for I am so big and strong." 
 She exerted all her strength till her face was like 
 a rose. The door was fast. Phronsie turned a 
 despairing look upon the shadowy corner. 
 
 " Please don't bite me," she said, the large 
 teajs gathering in her brown eyes. " I am 
 locked in here in your house ; but I didn't want 
 to come, and I won't do anything to hurt you if 
 you'll let me sit down and wait till somebody 
 comes to let me out."
 
 322 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 
 
 Meanwhile Mrs. Chatterton shook out her 
 black satin gown complacently, and with a satis- 
 fied backward glance at the mirror, sailed off to 
 her own apartments. 
 
 " Madame," exclaimed Hortense breathlessly, 
 meeting her within the door, " de modiste will 
 not send de gown ; you must " 
 
 " Will not send it ? " repeated her mistress in 
 a passion. "A pretty message to deliver. Go 
 back and get it at once." 
 
 "She say de drapery de tournure all wrong, 
 and she must try it on again," said the maid, 
 glad to be defiant, since the dressmaker sup- 
 ported her. 
 
 " What utter nonsense ! Yet I suppose I 
 must go, or the silly creature will have it ruined. 
 Take off this gown, Hortense, and bring my 
 walking suit, then ring and say I'd like to have 
 Thomas take me down there at once," and throw- 
 ing off her bracelets, and the various buckles and 
 pins that confined her laces, she rapidly dis- 
 robed and was expeditions!}' inducted by Hor-
 
 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 325 
 
 tense into her walking apparel, and a parlor maid 
 announcing that Thomas with the coupe was at 
 the door, she hurried downstairs, with no thought 
 for anything beyond a hasty last charge to her 
 maid. 
 
 " Where's Phronsie ? " cried Polly, rushing into 
 Mother Fisher's room ; "oh! dear me, my hair 
 won't stay straight," pushing the rebellious waves 
 out of her eyes. 
 
 " It looks as if a brush wouldn't do it any 
 harm," observed Mother Fisher critically. 
 
 " Oh, dear, dear ! well, I've brushed and 
 brushed, but it does no good," said Polly, run- 
 ning over to the mirror, " some days, Mamsie, 
 no matter what I do, it flies all ways." 
 
 " Good work tells generally," said her mother, 
 pausing on her way to the closet for a closer 
 inspection of her and her head; "you haven't 
 taken as much pains, Polly, lately with your 
 hair ; that is the trouble." 
 
 " Well, I'm always in such a hurry," mourned 
 Polly, brushing furiously on the refractory locks.
 
 326 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 
 
 " There, will you stay down ? " to a particularly 
 rebellious wave. 
 
 "One at a time is the best way to take things," 
 said Mrs. Fisher drily. "When you dress your- 
 self, Polly, I'd put my mind on that, if I were 
 you." 
 
 With that, she disappeared within the closet. 
 
 "Oh, dear, I suppose so," sighed Polly, left to 
 her own reflections and brushing away. "Well, 
 that's the best I can make it look now, for I 
 can't do the braid over. Where is Phronsie, I 
 wonder ! Mamsie," she threw down the brush, 
 and ran over to put her head in the closet, 
 "where did she go ?" 
 
 " I told her she might run over to Helen 
 Fargo's, right after breakfast," said Mrs. Fisher, 
 her head over a trunk, from which she was tak- 
 ing summer dresses. " Polly, I think you'll 
 get one more season's wear out of this pink 
 cambric." 
 
 "Oh! I am so glad," cried Polly, " for I had 
 such splendidly good times in it," with a fond
 
 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 327 
 
 glance at the pink folds and ruffles. " Well, if 
 Phronsie is over at Helen's, there's no use in 
 asking her to go down town with us." 
 
 " Where are you going ? " asked Mrs. Fisher, 
 extricating one of Phronsie's white gowns from 
 its winter imprisonment. 
 
 " Down to Candace's," said Polly. " Jasper 
 wants some more pins for his qabinet. No, I 
 don't suppose Phronsie would tear herself away 
 from Helen for all the down-towns in the world." 
 
 " You better let her stay where she is," advised 
 Mother Fisher ; " she hasn't been over to Helen's 
 for quite a while, so it's a pity to call her away," 
 and she turned to her unpacking again, while 
 Polly ran off on the wings of the wind, in a 
 tremor at having kept Jasper waiting so long. 
 
 " Candace " was the widow of an old colored 
 servant of Mr. King's ; she called herself a 
 ' ; relict ; " that, and the pride in her little shop, 
 made her hold her turbaned head high in the 
 air, while a perennial smile enwreathed her round 
 face.
 
 328 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 
 
 The shop was on Temple Place, a narrow 
 extension thrown out from one of the city's 
 thoroughfares. She was known for a few special- 
 ties ; such as big sugary doughnuts that appealed 
 alike to old and young. They were always fresh 
 and sweet ; with just the proper amount of spice 
 to make them toothsome ; and she made holders 
 of various descriptions, with the most elaborate 
 patterns wrought always in yellow worsted ; with 
 several other things that the ladies protested 
 could never be found elsewhere. Jasper had 
 been accustomed to run down to Candace's 
 little shop, since pinafore days, when he had 
 been taken there by his nurse, and set upon a 
 high stool before the small counter, and plied 
 with dainties by the delighted Candace. 
 
 " The first thing I can remember," he had 
 often told Polly, " is Candace taking out huge 
 red and white peppermint drops, from the big 
 glass jar in the window, and telling me to hold 
 out both hands." 
 
 And after the " pinafore days " were over,
 
 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 329 
 
 Candace was the boy's helper in all his sports 
 where a woman's needle could stitch him out of 
 any difficulty. She it was who made the sails 
 to his boats, and marvelous skate bags. She 
 embroidered the mpst intricate of straps for his 
 school-books, and once she horrified him com- 
 pletely by working in red cotton, large "J's" 
 on two handkerchiefs. He stifled the horror 
 when he saw her delight in presenting the gift, 
 and afterwards was careful to remember to carry 
 a handkerchief occasionally when on an errand 
 to the shop. 
 
 Latterly Candace was occupied in preparing 
 pins for Jasper's cabinet, out of old needles 
 that had lost their eyes. She cleverly put on red 
 and black sealing wax heads, turning them out 
 as round as the skillful manipulation of deft 
 fingers could possibly make them. In this new 
 employment, the boy kept her well occupied, 
 many half-dollars thereby finding their way into 
 her little till. 
 
 " I wish Phronsie had come," said Polly, as
 
 330 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 
 
 she and Jasper sorted the pins in the little 
 wooden tray Candace kept for the purpose. 
 " How many red ones you will have, Jasper 
 see fifteen; well, they're prettier than the 
 others." 
 
 " Ef little Miss had come wid .you," said 
 Candace, emerging from the folds of a chintz 
 curtain that divided the shop from the bedroom, 
 " she'd a-seen my doll I made for her. Land ! 
 but it's a beauty." 
 
 " O, Candace ! " exclaimed Polly, dropping 
 the big pin she held, and allowing it to roll off 
 the counter to the floor. "What a pity we 
 didn't bring her ! Do let us see the doll." 
 
 " She's a perfec' beauty ! " repeated Candace 
 in satisfaction, " an' I done made her all myself 
 fer de little Miss," and she dodged behind the 
 curtain again, this time bringing out a large rag 
 doll with surprising black bead eyes, a generous 
 crop of wool on its head, and a red worsted 
 mouth. 
 
 " Dat's my own hair," said Candace, pointing
 
 WHERE IS PHRONSIE ? 
 
 33 1 
 
 to the doll's head with pride, "so I know it's 
 good; an' ain't dat mouf pretty?" 
 
 " O, Candace!" exclaimed Polly, seizing the 
 
 "o, CANDACE!" EXCLAIMED POLLY, SEIZING THE DOLL. 
 
 doll, and skillfully evading the question, "what 
 a lovely dress and the apron is a dear "
 
 33 2 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 
 
 " Ain't it ? " said Candace, her black face 
 aglow with delight. " Ole Miss gimme dat 
 yeller satin long ago, w'en I be'longed to her 
 befo' de war. An' dat yere apun was a piece 
 of ole Misses night-cap. She used to have 
 sights of 'em, and dey was all ruffled like to 
 kill, an' made o' tambour work." 
 
 Polly had already heard many times the story 
 of Madame Carroll's night-caps, so she returned 
 to the subject of the doll's beauty as a desirable 
 change. 
 
 " Do you want us to take this to Phronsie ? " 
 she asked. "Jasper, won't she be delighted?" 
 
 "Land, no!" cried Candace, recovering the 
 doll in alarm; " I'd never sleep a week o' nights 
 ef I didn't put dat yere doll into dat bressed 
 child's arms." 
 
 "Then I'll tell Phronsie to come over to- 
 morrow," said Polly. "Shall I, Candace?" 
 
 " Yes," said Candace, " you tell her I got 
 somefin' fer her ; don't you tell her what, an' 
 send her along."
 
 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 333 
 
 "All right," said Jasper. "Just imagine 
 Phronsie's eyes when she sees that production. 
 Candace, you've surpassed yourself." 
 
 " You go 'long ! " exclaimed Candace, in de- 
 light, and bestowing a gentle pat of depreca- 
 tion on his shoulder, " 'tain't like what I could 
 do ; but la ! well, you send de bressed chile along, 
 and mabbe she'll like it. !> 
 
 "Jasper, we'll stop at Helen's now," said Polly 
 as the two hurried by the tall iron fence, that, 
 lined with its thick hedge, shut out the Fargo 
 estate from vulgar eyes, " and get Phronsie ; 
 she'll be ready to come home now ; it's nearly 
 luncheon time." 
 
 "All right," said Jasper ; so the two ran over 
 the carriage drive to a side door by which the 
 King family always had entre'e. 
 
 " Is Phronsie ready to come home ? " asked 
 Polly of the maid. " Tell her to hurry and get 
 her things on ; we'll wait here. O, Jasper ! " 
 turning to him, " why couldn't we have the club 
 next week, Wednesday night ? "
 
 334 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 
 
 " Miss Mary," said the maid, interrupting, 
 " what do you mean ? I haven't seen Miss 
 Phronsie to-day." 
 
 Polly whirled around on the step and looked 
 at her. 
 
 " Oh ! she's upstairs in the nursery, playing 
 with Helen, I suppose. Please ask her to hurry, 
 Hannah." 
 
 " No, she isn't, Miss Mary," said Hannah. 
 "I've been sweeping the nursery this morning; 
 just got through." She pointed to her broom 
 and dustpan that she had set in a convenient 
 corner, as proof of her statement. 
 
 "Well, she's with Helen somewhere," said 
 Polly, a little impatiently. 
 
 " Yes ; find Helen, and you have the two," 
 broke in Jasper. " Just have the goodness, 
 Hannah, to produce Helen." 
 
 " Miss Helen isn't home," said Hannah. " She 
 went to Greenpoint yesterday with Mrs. Fargo to 
 spend Sunday." 
 
 " Why," exclaimed Polly in bewilderment,
 
 WHERE IS PHRONSIE ? 335 
 
 " Mamsie said she told Phronsie right after 
 breakfast that she could come over here." 
 
 " She hasn't been here," said the maid posi- 
 tively. " I know for certain sure, Miss Mary. 
 Has she, Jane ? " appealing to anothe-r maid 
 coming down the hall. 
 
 "No," said Jane. "She hasn't been here for 
 ever so many days." 
 
 " Phronsie played around outside probably," 
 said Jasper quickly ; " anyway, she's home now. 
 Come on, Polly. She'll run out to meet us." 
 
 " O, Jasper! do you suppose she will?" cried 
 Polly, unable to stifle an undefinable dread. 
 She was running now on frightened feet, Jasper 
 having hard work to keep up with her, and the 
 two dashed through the little gate in the hedge 
 where Phronsie was accustomed to let herself 
 through on the only walk she was ever allowed 
 to take alone, and into the house where Polly 
 cried to the first person she met, " Where's 
 Phronsie ? " to be met with what she dreaded, 
 " Gone over to Helen Fargo's."
 
 ^36 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 
 
 And now there was indeed alarm through the 
 big house. Not knowing where to look, each 
 fell in the other's way, quite as much concerned 
 r or Mr. King's well-being; for the old gentle- 
 man was reduced to such a state by the fright, 
 that the entire household had all they could do 
 to keep him in bounds. 
 
 " Madame is not to come home to luncheon," 
 announced Hortense to Mrs. Whitney in the 
 midst of the excitement. " She told me to tell 
 you that de Mees Taylor met her at de modiste, 
 and took her home with her." 
 
 Mrs. Whitney made no reply, but raised her 
 eyes swollen with much crying, to the maid's 
 face. 
 
 " Hortense, run as quickly as possible down 
 to Dr. Fisher's office, and tell him to come 
 home." 
 
 " Thomas should be sent," said Hortense, with 
 a. toss of her head. " It's not de work for me. 
 Beside I am Madame's maid." 
 
 "Do you go at once," commanded Mrs. Whit-
 
 WHERE IS PHRONSIE? 337 
 
 ney, with a light in her blue eyes that the maid 
 never remembered seeing. She was even guilty 
 of stamping her pretty foot in the exigency, and 
 Hortense slowly gathered herself up. 
 
 " I will go, Madame," with the air of con- 
 ferring a great favor, " only I do not such t'ings 
 again."
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 
 
 I AM glad that you agree with me." Mrs. 
 Chatterton bestowed a complacent smile 
 upon the company. 
 
 " But we don't in the least agree with you," 
 said Madam Dyce, her stiff brocade rustling 
 impatiently in the effort to put her declaration 
 before the others, " not in the least." 
 
 " Ah ? Well, you must allow that I have good 
 opportunities to judge. The Pepper entangle- 
 ment can be explained only by saying that my 
 cousin's mental faculties are impaired." 
 
 " The rest of the family are afflicted in the 
 same way, aren't they ? " remarked Hamilton 
 Dyce nonchalantly. 
 
 " Humph ! yes." Mrs. Chatterton's still 
 338
 
 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 339 
 
 shapely shoulders allowed themselves a shrug 
 intended to reveal volumes. " What Jasper 
 Horatio King believes, the rest of the house- 
 hold accept as law and gospel. But it's no 
 less infatuation." 
 
 " I'll not hear one word involving those dear 
 Peppers," cried Madam Dyce. " If I could, I'd 
 have them in my house. And it's a most 
 unrighteous piece of work, in my opinion, to 
 endeavor to arouse prejudice against them. It 
 quite goes to my heart to remember their strug- 
 gles all those years." 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton turned on her with venom. 
 Was all the world arrayed against her, to take 
 up with those hateful interlopers in her cousin's 
 home ? She made another effort. " I should 
 have credited you with more penetration into 
 motives than to allow yourself to be deceived 
 by such a woman as Mrs. Pepper." 
 
 " Do give her the name that belongs to her. 
 I believe she's Mrs. Dr. Fisher, isn't she ? " 
 drawled Livingston Bayley, a budding youth,
 
 340 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 
 
 with a mustache that occasioned him much 
 thought, and a solitary eyeglass. 
 
 " Stuff and nonsense ! Yes, what an absurd 
 thing that wedding was. Did anybody ever 
 hear or see the like ! " Mrs. Chatterton lifted 
 her long jeweled hands in derision, but as no 
 one joined in the laugh, she dropped them 
 slowly into her lap. 
 
 " I don't see any food for scorn in that epi- 
 sode," said the youth with the mustache. 
 " Possibly there will be another marriage there 
 before many years. I'm sweet on Polly." 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton's face held nothing but blank 
 dismay. The rest shouted. 
 
 " You needn't laugh, you people," said the 
 youth, setting his eyeglass straight, " that girl 
 is going to make a sensation, I tell you, when 
 she comes out. I'm going to secure her 
 early." 
 
 " Not a word, mind you, about Miss Polly's 
 preferences," laughed Hamilton Dyce aside to 
 Miss Mary.
 
 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 341 
 
 " Tisn't possible that she could be anything 
 but fascinated, of course," Mary laughed back. 
 
 " Of course not. The callow youth knows 
 his power. Anybody else in favor of the Pep- 
 pers? " aloud, and looking at the company. 
 
 " Don't ask us if we like the Peppers," cried 
 two young ladies simultaneously. "They are 
 our especial and particular pets, every one of 
 them." 
 
 "The Peppers win," said Hamilton Dyce, 
 looking full into Mrs. Chatterton's contemptuous 
 face. " I'm glad to record my humble self as 
 their admirer. Now " 
 
 " Well, pa ! " Mary could not refrain from 
 interrupting as her father suddenly appeared in 
 the doorway. 
 
 " I can't sit down," he said, as the company 
 made way for him to join them. " I came home 
 for some important papers. I suppose you have 
 heard the trouble at the Kings ? I happened to 
 drop in there. Well, Dyce," laying his hand on 
 that gentleman's chair, " I scarcely expected to
 
 342 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 
 
 see you here to-day. Why aren't you at the 
 club spread ? " 
 
 " Cousin Horatio ! I suppose he's had a para- 
 lytic attack," interrupted Mrs. Chatterton, with 
 her most sagacious air. 
 
 " What's the trouble up there ? " queried Mr. 
 Dyce, ignoring the question thrust at him. 
 
 " It's the little beauty Phronsie," said Mr. 
 Taylor. 
 
 " Nothing's happened to that child I hope ! " 
 cried Madam Dyce, paling. 
 
 " Now, Mr. Taylor, you are not going to 
 harrow our feelings by telling us anything has 
 harmed that lovely creature," exclaimed the two 
 young ladies excitedly. 
 
 " Phronsie can't be found," said Mr. Taylor. 
 
 " Can't be found ! " echoed all the voices, 
 except Mrs. Chatterton's. She ejaculated 
 " Ridiculous ! " 
 
 Hamilton Dyce sprang to his feet and threw 
 down his napkin. " Excuse me, Miss Taylor. 
 Come, Bayley, now is the time to show our
 
 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 343 
 
 devotion to the family. Let us go and help 
 them out of this." 
 
 Young Bayley jumped lightly up and stroked 
 his mustache like a man of affairs. " All 
 right, Dyce. Bon jour, Miss Taylor and 
 ladies." 
 
 " How easily a scene is gotten up," said Mrs. 
 Chatterton, "over a naughty little runaway. I 
 wish some of the poor people in this town could 
 have a tithe of the attention that is wasted on 
 these Peppers," she added virtuously. 
 
 Madam Dyce turned uneasily in her seat, and 
 played with the almonds on her plate. " I 
 think we do best to reserve our judgments," 
 she said coolly. " I don't believe Phronsie has 
 run away." 
 
 " Of course she has," asserted Mrs. Chatter- 
 ton, in that positive way that made everybody 
 hate her to begin with. " She was all right this 
 morning when I left home. Where else is she, 
 if she hasn't run away, pray tell ? " 
 
 Not being able to answer this, no one at-
 
 344 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 
 
 tempted it, and the meal ended in an uncom- 
 fortable silence. 
 
 Driving home a half-hour later, in a cab sum- 
 moned for that purpose, Mrs. Chatterton threw 
 off her things, angry not to find Hortense at her 
 post in the dressing-room, where she had been 
 told to finish a piece of sewing, and not caring 
 to encounter any of the family in their present 
 excitement, she determined to take herself off 
 upstairs, where " I can kill two birds with one 
 stone ; get rid of everybody, and find my box 
 myself, because of course that child ran away 
 before she got it." 
 
 So she mounted the stairs laboriously, count- 
 ing herself lucky indeed in finding the upper 
 part of the house quite deserted, and shutting 
 the lumber-room door when she was well within 
 it, she proceeded to open the door of the closet. 
 
 " Hortense didn't tell me there was a spring 
 lock on this door," she exclaimed, with an im- 
 patient pull. " Oh ! good heavens." She had 
 nearly stumbled over Phronsie Pepper's little
 
 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 345 
 
 body, lyirfg just where it fell when hope was 
 lost. 
 
 " I have had nothing to do with it," repeated 
 Mrs. Chatterton to herself, following Mr. King 
 and Jasper as they bore Phronsie downstairs, 
 her yellow hair floating from the pallid little 
 face. "Goodness! I haven't had such a shock 
 in years. My heart is going quite wildly. 
 The child probably went up there for something 
 else : I am not supposed to know anything 
 about it." 
 
 " Is she dead ? " cried Dick, summoned with 
 the rest of the household by Mrs. Chatterton's 
 loud screams, and quite beside himself, he clam- 
 bered up the stairs to get in every one's way. 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton, with an aimless thrust of her 
 long jeweled hands, pushed him one side. 
 And Dick boiled over at that. 
 
 " What are you here for?" he cried savagely. 
 " You don't love her. You would better get out 
 of the way." And no one thought to reprove 
 him.
 
 346 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 
 
 Polly was clinging to the post at the foot of 
 the stairs. " I shall die if Phronsie is dead," 
 she said. Then she looked at Mother Fisher, 
 waiting for her baby. 
 
 " Give her to me ! " said Phronsie's mother, 
 holding out imperative arms. 
 
 "You would better let us carry her ; we'll put 
 her in your bed. Only get the doctor." Mr. 
 King was almost harsh as he endeavored to pass 
 her. But before the words weje over his lips, 
 the mother held her baby. 
 
 " Mamsie," cried Polly, creeping over to her 
 like a hurt little thing, " I don't believe but what 
 she'll be all right. God won't let anything hap- 
 pen to our Phronsie. He couldn't, Mamsie." 
 
 Dr. Fisher met them at the door. Polly never 
 forgot the long, slow terror that clutched at her 
 heart as she scanned his face while he took the 
 child out of the arms that now yielded up their 
 burden. And everything turned dark before 
 her eyes Was Phronsie dead ? 
 
 But there was Mamsie. And Polly caught
 
 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 349 
 
 her breath, beat back the faintness and helped 
 to lay Phronsie on the big bed. 
 
 " Clearly I have had nothing to do with it," 
 said Mrs. Chatterton to herself, stumbling into 
 a room at the other end of the hall. But her face 
 was gray, and she found herself picking ner- 
 vously at the folds of lace on her throat. " The 
 child went up there, as all children will, to ex- 
 plore. I shall say nothing about it nothing 
 whatever. Oh ! how is she ? " grasping blindly 
 at Jasper as he rushed by the door. 
 
 " Still unconscious " 
 
 " Stuff and oh ! well," muttering on. " She'll 
 probably come to. Children can bear a little 
 confinement ; an hour or two don't matter with 
 them Hortense ! " aloud, " bring me my sal 
 volatile. Dear me ! this is telling on my 
 nerves." She caught sight of her face in the 
 long mirror opposite, and shivered to see how 
 ghastly it was. " Where is that girl ? Hor- 
 tense, I say, come here this instant ! " 
 
 A maid, summoned by her cries, put her head
 
 350 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 
 
 in the door. " Hadn't you better go into yovu 
 own room, Mrs. Chatterton ? " she said, in pity at 
 the shaking figure and blanched face. 
 
 "No no," she sharply repulsed her. 
 " Bring Hortense where is that girl ? " she de- 
 manded passionately. 
 
 " She's crying," said the maid, her own eyes 
 filling with tears. " I'll help you to your room." 
 
 "Crying?" Madam Chatterton shrieked. 
 " She's paid to take care of me ; what right 
 has she to think of anything else ?" 
 
 " She says she was cross to Phronsie once 
 though I don't see how she could be, and and 
 now that she's going to die, she " and the 
 maid burst into tears and threw her apron over 
 her face. 
 
 "Die she sha'n't ! What utter nonsense 
 everybody does talk in this house ! " Madam 
 Chatterton seized her arm, the slender fingers 
 tightening around the young muscles, and shook 
 her fiercely. 
 
 The maid roused by her pain out of her tears
 
 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 351 
 
 looked in affright into the gray face above 
 her. " Let me go," she cried. " Oh ! madam, 
 you hurt me." 
 
 " Give me air," said Madam Chatterton, her 
 fingers relaxing, and making agreat effort not to 
 fall. " Help me over to the window, and open 
 it, girl " and leaning heavily on the slight fig- 
 ure, she managed to get across the room. 
 
 " There now," drawing a heavy breath as 
 she sank into a chair and thrust her ashen 
 face out over the sill, " do you go and find out 
 how the child is. And come back and tell me 
 at once." 
 
 " Madam, I'm afraid to leave you alone," said 
 the girl, looking at her. 
 
 " Afraid ? I'm not so old but that I can take 
 care of myself," said Mrs. Chatterton with a 
 short laugh. ' " Go and do as I tell you," stamp- 
 ing her foot. 
 
 "Still unconscious" 
 
 Would no one ever come near her but this de- 
 testable maid, with her still more detestable
 
 352 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 
 
 news ? Mrs. Chatterton clutched the window 
 casing in her extremity, not feeling the soft 
 springy air as she gasped for breath. The maid, 
 too frightened to leave her, crept into a corner 
 where she watched and cried softly. 
 
 There was a stir in the household that they 
 might have heard, betokening the arrival of two 
 other doctors, but no word came. And darkness 
 settled upon the room. Still the figure in the 
 window niche held to its support, and still the 
 maid cried at her post. 
 
 As the gray of the twilight settled over the 
 old stone mansion, Phronsie moved on her 
 pillow. 
 
 " Dear mouse," the circle of watchers 
 around the bed moved closer, " I'll go away 
 when some one comes to open the door." 
 
 " Hush ! " Dr. Fisher put his hand over the 
 mother's lips. 
 
 " Don't please bite me very hard. I won't 
 come up again to your house. Oh ! where 's 
 Grandpapa? "
 
 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 353 
 
 Old Mr. King put his head on his hands, and 
 sobbed aloud. 
 
 The little white face moved uneasily. 
 
 " Grandpapa always comes when I want him," 
 in piteous tones. 
 
 " Father," said Jasper, laying a hand on the 
 bowed shoulders, " you would better come out. 
 We'll call you when she comes to herself." 
 
 But Mr. King gave no sign of hearing. 
 
 A half-hour ticked slowly away, and Phronsie 
 spoke again. " It's growing dark, and I sup- 
 pose they will never come. Dear mouse" 
 The words died away and she seemed to sleep. 
 
 " I shall not tell," Mrs. Chatterton was saying 
 to herself in the other room ; " what good could 
 it do? Oh! this vile air is stifling. Will no 
 one come to say she is better?" And so the 
 night wore on. 
 
 As morning broke, Phronsie opened her eyes, 
 and gave a weak little cry. Polly sprang from 
 her knees at the foot of the bed, and staggered 
 toward the child.
 
 354 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 
 
 " Don't ! " cried Jasper, with a hand on her 
 arm. 
 
 " Let her alone," said Dr. Fisher quickly. 
 
 " O, Polly ! " Phronsie raised herself convul- 
 sively on the bed. " You did come you did ! " 
 winding her little arms around Polly's neck. 
 " Has the mouse gone ? " 
 
 " Yes, yes," said Polly as convulsively ; " he's 
 all gone, Phronsie, and I have you fast ; just 
 see. And I'll never let you go again." 
 
 "Never?" cried Phronsie, straining to get up 
 further into Polly's arms. 
 
 " No, dear ; I'll hold you close just as long as 
 you need me." 
 
 " And he won't come again ? " 
 
 " He can't, Phronsie ; because, you see, I have 
 you now." 
 
 "And the door will open, and I'll have Mamsie 
 and dear Grandpapa ? " 
 
 "Yes, yes, my precious one," began Mr. King, 
 getting out of the large arm-chair into which they 
 had persuaded him.
 
 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 355 
 
 " Don't do it. Stay where you are," said Dr. 
 Fisher, stopping him half-way across the room. 
 
 " But Phronsie wants me ; she said so," ex- 
 claimed old Mr. King hoarsely, and trying to 
 push his way past the doctor. " Why, man, 
 don't stop me." 
 
 Dr. Fisher planted his small body firmly in 
 front of the old gentleman. " She's not ready 
 for seeing you yet. You must obey me." 
 
 Obey? When had Mr. King heard that word 
 addressed to himself. He drew a long breath, 
 looked full into the spectacled eyes, then said, 
 " All right, Fisher ; I suppose you know best," 
 and went back to his arm-chair. 
 
 " I'm so tired, Polly," Phronsie was saying, 
 and the arms, Polly could feel, were dropping 
 slowly from her neck. 
 
 " Are you, Pet ? Well, now, I'll tell you what 
 we'll do. Let us both go to sleep. There, Phron- 
 sie, now you put your arms down, so" Polly 
 gave them a swift little tuck under the bedclothes 
 "and I'll get up beside you, so" and she
 
 356 
 
 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 
 
 crept on to the bed " and we'll both go right 
 to 'nid-nid-nodland,' don't you know?" 
 
 " You're sure you won't let me go ? " whis- 
 
 "NOW YOU PUT YOUR ARMS DOWN, SO." 
 
 pered Phronsie, cuddling close, and feeling for 
 Polly's neck again. 
 
 " Oh ! just as sure as I can be," declared Polly 
 cheerfully, while the tears rained down her cheek 
 in the darkness. 
 
 " I feel something wet," said Phronsie, drawing 
 back one hand. " What is it, Polly ? "
 
 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 357 
 
 " Oh ! that," said Polly with a start. " Oh 
 well, it's well, I'm crying, Phronsie ; but 
 I'm so glad oh ! you don't know how glad 
 I am, sweet," and she leaned over and kissed 
 her. 
 
 " If you're glad," said Phronsie weakly, " I 
 don't care. But please don't cry if you are not 
 glad, Polly." 
 
 " Well, now we're all fixed," said Polly as 
 gayly as she could. " Give me your hand, Pet. 
 There, now, good-night." 
 
 " Good-night," said Phronsie. Polly could 
 feel her tucking the other hand under her cheek 
 on the pillow, and then, blessed sound the long 
 quiet breathing that told of rest. 
 
 " Oh ! better is she ? " Mrs. Chatterton looked 
 up quickly to see Mrs. Whitney's pale face. 
 " Well, I supposed she would be. I thought I'd 
 sit here and wait to know, since you were all so 
 frightened. But I knew it wouldn't amount to 
 much. Now, girl," nodding over to the maid 
 still in the corner, "you may get me to bed."
 
 358 PHRONSIE IS FOUND. 
 
 And she stretched her stiff limbs, and held out 
 her hand imperatively. 
 
 " It was very fortunate that I did not tell," she 
 said, when the slow passage to her own apart- 
 ments had been achieved. " Now if the child 
 will only keep still, all will be well."
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 
 
 PHRONSIE shall- have a baked apple this 
 morning," said Mother Fisher, coming 
 into the sunny room where Phronsie lay propped 
 up against the pillows. 
 
 "Did Papa-Doctor say so?" asked Phronsie, 
 a smile of supreme content spreading over her 
 wan little face. 
 
 " Yes, he did," said her mother ; " as nice 
 an apple, red and shiny as we could find, 
 is downstairs baking for you, Phronsie. When 
 it's done Sarah is to bring it up." 
 
 " That will be very nice," breathed Phronsie 
 
 slowly. " And I want my little tea-set just the 
 
 two cups and saucers and my own little pot and 
 
 sugar-bowl. Do let me, Mamsie, and you shall 
 
 359
 
 360 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 
 
 have a cup of milk with me," she cried, a little 
 pink color stealing into either cheek. 
 
 " Yes, yes, child," said Mother Fisher. " There, 
 you mustn't try to lean forward. I'll bring the 
 little table Grandpapa bought, so ; " she hurried 
 over across the room and wheeled it into place 
 " Now isn't that fine, Phr.onsie ? " as the long 
 wing swung over the bed. " Did you ever see 
 such a tea-party as you and I'll have ? " 
 
 " Breakfast-party, Mamsie ! " hummed Phron- 
 sie ; " isn't that just lovely? " wriggling her toes 
 under the bed-clothes. " Do you think Sarah '11 
 ever bring that apple ? " 
 
 " Yes, indeed why, here she is now ! " an- 
 nounced Mrs. Fisher cheerily. " Come in, 
 Sarah," as a rap sounded on the door. " Our 
 little girl is all ready for that good apple. My ! 
 what a fine one." 
 
 " Bless honey's heart ! " ejaculated Sarah, her 
 black face shining with delight. " Ain't he a 
 beauty, though ? " setting down on the table- 
 wing a pink plate in the fnidst of which reposed
 
 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 361 
 
 an apple whose crackling skin disclosed a tooth- 
 some interior. " I bring a pink sasser so's to 
 match his insides. 
 But ain't he rich, 
 though ! " 
 
 "Sarah," said 
 Phronsie, with hun- 
 gry eyes on the 
 apple, "I think he 
 is very nice indeed, 
 and I do thank you 
 for bringing him." 
 
 " Bless her pre- 
 cious heart ! " cried 
 Sarah, her hands 
 on her ample hips, 
 and her mouth ex- 
 tended in the broad- 
 est of smiles. 
 
 ' AIN'T HE A BEAUTY, THOUGH ! " 
 
 "Do get me a 
 
 spoon, Mamsie," begged Phronsie, unable to 
 take her gaze from the apple. " I'm so glad
 
 362 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 
 
 he has a stem on, Sarah," carefully picking 
 at it. 
 
 "Well, there," said Sarah, "I had the great- 
 est work to save that stem. But la ! I wouldn't 'a' 
 brung one without a stem. I know'd you'd want 
 it to hold it up by, when you'd eat the most off." 
 
 "Yes, I do," said Phronsie, in great satisfac- 
 tion fondling the stem. 
 
 " And here's your spoon," said her mother, 
 bringing it. " Now, child, enjoy it to your 
 heart's content." 
 
 Phronsie set the spoon within the cracked 
 skin, and drew it out half-full. " O, Mamsie ! " 
 she cried, as her teeth closed over it, " do just 
 taste ; it's so good ! " 
 
 " Hee-hee ! " laughed Sarah, " I guess 'tis. 
 Such works as I had to bake dat apple just right. 
 But he's a beauty, ain't he, though ? " 
 
 Phronsie did not reply, being just at that 
 moment engaged in conveying a morsel as 
 much like her own as possible, to her mother's 
 mouth.
 
 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 363 
 
 " Seems to me I never tasted such an apple," 
 said Mother Fisher, slowly swallowing the bit. 
 
 "Did you, now ? " cried Sarah. 
 
 Downstairs Polly was dancing around the 
 music-room with three or four girls who had 
 dropped in on their way from school. 
 
 "Give me a waltz now, Polly," begged Phi- 
 lena. " Dear me, I haven't had a sight of you 
 hardly, for so long, I am positively starved for 
 you. I don't care for you other girls now," she 
 cried, as the two went whirling down the long 
 room together. 
 
 " Thank you, Miss Philena," cried the others, 
 seizing their partners and whirling off too. 
 
 " I feel as if I could dance forever," cried 
 Polly, when Amy Garrett turned away from the 
 piano and declared she would play no more 
 and she still pirouetted on one foot, to come up 
 red as a rose to the group. 
 
 "Look at Polly's cheeks ! " cried Amy. 
 
 " You've been a white little minx so long," 
 said Alexia, putting a fond arm around Polly ;
 
 364 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 
 
 " I went home and cried every day, after I would 
 steal around the back way to see how Phronsie 
 was " 
 
 " Won't Phronsie be downstairs soon ? " asked 
 Amy. 
 
 " I don't know," said Polly. " Papa-Doctor 
 is going to be dreadfully careful of her, that she 
 doesn't get up too soon." 
 
 "Say, Polly," cried another girl, "don't you 
 have to take lots of pills and stuff, now Dr. 
 Fisher is your father ? " 
 
 Polly threw back her head and laughed mer- 
 rily. It sounded so strangely to her to hear the 
 sound echoing through the room so long silent, 
 that she stopped suddenly. 
 
 " O, girls ! I can't hardly believe even yet 
 that Phronsie is almost well," she cried. 
 
 "Well, you better," advised Alexia philosoph- 
 ically, "because she is, you know. Do laugh 
 again, Polly ; it's good to hear you." 
 
 " I can't help it," said Polly, " Cathie asks 
 such a funny question."
 
 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 365 
 
 "Cathie's generally a goose," said Alexia 
 coolly. 
 
 "Thank you," said Cathie, a tall girl, with 
 such light hair and sallow face that she looked 
 ten years older than her fourteen summers. 
 " I sometimes know quite as much as a few 
 other people of my acquaintance," she said 
 pointedly. 
 
 " I didn't say but what you did," said Alexia 
 composedly. " I said you were generally a 
 goose. And so you are. Why, everybody 
 knows that, Cath." 
 
 "Come, come, girls, don't fight," said Polly. 
 "How can you, when Phronsie is getting better? 
 Alexia didn't mean anything, Cathie." 
 
 "Yes, she did," declared Cathie with a pout; 
 "she's always meaning something. She's the 
 hatefullest thing I ever saw so there ! " 
 
 " Nonsense ! " said Polly, with a gay little 
 laugh. " She says perfectly dreadful things to 
 me, and so I do to her, but we don't either of 
 us mind them."
 
 366 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 
 
 " Well, those are in fun," said Cathie ; " that's 
 a very different matter " 
 
 " So you must make these in fun," said Polly. 
 " I would, if I were you." But she drew away 
 from Alexia's arm. 
 
 "Polly, don't be an idiot and fight with me," 
 whispered Alexia in her ear. 
 
 "Go away," said Polly, shaking her off. 
 
 "Polly, Polly, I'll say anything if you won't 
 look like that. See here, Cathie, let's make up," 
 and she ran over, seized the tall girl by the 
 waist and spun her around till she begged to 
 stop. 
 
 " Is that your way of making up ? " cried 
 Cathie, when she had the breath to speak. 
 
 " Yes , it is as good as any other way. It 
 spins the nonsense out of you. There!" with 
 a last pat on the thin shoulder, she left her, and 
 ran back to Polly. 
 
 " It's all done," she cried. " I'm at peace 
 with the whole world. Now don't look like an 
 ogre any longer."
 
 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 367 
 
 " Phronsie's actually hungry now all the time," 
 confided Polly in a glow, "and we can't get 
 enough to satisfy her." 
 
 " Good good ! " cried the girls. 
 
 " I'm going to send her some of my orange 
 jelly," declared Alexia. " I'll make it just as 
 soon as I go home. Do you think she will like 
 it, Polly?" she asked anxiously. 
 
 "Yes, I do believe she will," said Polly, 
 "because she loves oranges so." 
 
 " Well, I sha'n't make any old orange jelly," 
 cried Cathie, her nose in the air. " Faugh ! it's 
 insipid enough ! " 
 
 " But 'tisn't when it's made the way Alexia 
 makes it," said Polly, viewing in alarm the 
 widening of the breach between "the two. " I've 
 eaten some of hers, and it's too splendid for any- 
 thing." 
 
 " I don't know anything about hers, but all 
 orange jelly I have tasted is just horrid. I hate 
 it! I'm going to make almond macaroons. 
 They're lovely, Polly."
 
 368 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 
 
 " Oh! don't, Cathie," begged Polly in. distress. 
 
 " Why not, pray tell," whirling on one set of 
 toes. " You needn't be afraid they won't be 
 good. I've made them thousands of times." 
 
 " But she couldn't eat them," said Polly. 
 "Just think, almond macaroons! Why, Papa' 
 Doctor would " 
 
 " Now I know the doctor makes you take per- 
 fectly terrible things, and won't let you eat any- 
 thing. And macaroons is the only thing I can 
 make. It's a shame !" and down sat Cathie in 
 despair on an ottoman. 
 
 "What's the matter?" Dr. Fisher put his 
 head in at the doorway, his spectacled eyes 
 sending a swift glance of inquiry around. 
 
 " O, dear me ! " exclaimed Cathie in a fright, 
 jumping up and clutching the arm of the girl 
 next to .her. " Don't let Polly tell him what 1 
 said don't." 
 
 " Polly won't tell," said the girl, with a superb 
 air ; " don't you know any better, Cathie Harri- 
 son, you goose, you ! "
 
 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 369 
 
 To be called a goose by two persons in the 
 course of an hour was too much for Cathie's en- 
 durance, and flinging off the girl's arm, she 
 cried out passionately, " I won't stay ; I'm 
 going home ! " and rushed out the door. 
 
 Dr. Fisher turned from a deliberate look at 
 the girl's white cheeks, as she ran past, to the 
 flushed ones before him. 
 
 " I'm very sorry that anything unpleasant has 
 happened. I dropped in to tell you of a little 
 surprise, but I see it's no time now." 
 
 " O, Papa-Doctor ! " cried Polly, flying up to 
 him from the center of the group, " it was noth- 
 ing only " 
 
 "A girl's quarrel is not a slight thing, Polly," 
 said little Dr. Fisher gravely, " and one of your 
 friends has gone away very unhappy." 
 
 "Oh! I know it," said Polly, "and I'm so 
 sorry." 
 
 " We can't any of us help it," said Alexia 
 quickly. " Cathie Harrison has the temper of 
 a gorilla so there, Doctor Fisher."
 
 370 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 
 
 Dr. Fisher set his spectacles straight, and 
 looked at Alexia, but he did not even smile, as 
 she hoped he would do. " I can't help it," she 
 said, tracing the pattern of the carpet with the 
 toe of her boot, " she makes us all so uncom- 
 fortable, oh ! you can't think. And I wish she'd 
 stay home forever." 
 
 Still no answer from the doctor. He didn't 
 act as if he heard, but bowing gravely, he with- 
 drew his head and shut the door. 
 
 "O, dear, dear ! " cried Alexia, when they had 
 all looked at each other a breathing space. 
 " Why didn't he speak ? I'd much rather he'd 
 scold like everything than to look like that. 
 Polly, why don't you say something?" 
 
 " Because there isn't anything to say." Polly 
 got no further, and turned away, suspiciously 
 near to tears. Was this the first meeting with 
 the girls to which she had looked forward so 
 long? 
 
 " To think of that Cathie Harrison making 
 such a breeze," cried Alexia angrily; "a girl
 
 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 371 
 
 who's just come among us, as it were, and we 
 only let her in our set because Miss Salisbury 
 asked us to make things pleasant for her. If it 
 had been any one else who raised such a fuss ! " 
 
 Meantime Dr. Fisher strode out to the west 
 porch, intending to walk down to his office, and 
 buttoning up his coat as he went along. As he 
 turned the angle in the drive, he came suddenly 
 upon a girl who had thrown herself down on a 
 rustic seat under a tree, and whose shoulders 
 were shaking so violently that he knew she was 
 sobbing, though he heard no sound. 
 
 " Don't cry/' said the little doctor, " and 
 what's the matter ? " all in the same breath, 
 and sitting down beside her. 
 
 Cathie looked up with a gasp, and then 
 crushed her handkerchief over her eyes. "Those 
 girls in there are perfectly horrid." 
 
 " Softly, softly," said Dr. Fisher. 
 
 "I can't help it. No matter what I say, 
 they call me names, and I'm tired of it. O, 
 dear, dear !"
 
 372 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 
 
 " Now see here," said the doctor, getting up 
 on his feet and drawing a long breath. " I'm 
 on my way to my office ; suppose you walk along 
 with me a bit and tell me all about it." 
 
 Cathie opened her mouth, intending to say, 
 "Oh! I can't" instead she found herself 
 silent, and not knowing how, she was presently 
 pacing down the drive by the doctor's side. 
 
 " Polly Pepper ! " exclaimed Alexia, as a turn 
 in the drive brought the two figures in view of 
 the music-room windows, " did you ever see such 
 a sight in your life ? Cathie is walking off with 
 Dr. Fisher ! There isn't anything her tongue 
 won't say! " 
 
 " Did you tell Polly ? " cried Jasper, a half- 
 hour later, putting his head into Dr. Fisher's 
 office. ' Oh ! beg pardon ; I didn't know you 
 were busy, sir." 
 
 " Come in," said the doctor, folding up some 
 powders methodically. " No, I didn't tell 
 Polly." 
 
 " Oh ! " said Jasper, in a disappointed tone.
 
 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 
 
 373 
 
 " I hadn't a fair chance " 
 " But she ought to know it just as soon as it's 
 talked of," said Jasper, fidgeting at a case of 
 
 "DID YOU TELL POLLY?" CRIED JASPER. 
 
 little vials on the table. "Oh! beg pardon 
 again. I'm afraid I've smashed that chap," as 
 one rolled off to the floor. " I'm no end sorry," 
 picking up the bits ruefully.
 
 374 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 
 
 " I have several like it," said the doctor 
 kindly, and settling another powder in its little 
 paper. 
 
 " There were a lot of girls with Polly when I 
 looked in upon her on my way out. But we'll 
 catch a chance to tell her soon, my boy." 
 
 " Oh ! I suppose so. A lot of giggling crea- 
 tures. How Polly can stand their chatter, I 
 don't see," cried Jasper impatiently. 
 
 " They've been shut off from Polly for some 
 time, you know," said Dr. Fisher quietly. " We 
 must remember that." 
 
 " Polly don't like some of them a bit better 
 than I do," said Jasper explosively, " only she 
 puts up with their nonsense." 
 
 " It's rather a difficult matter to pick and 
 choose girls who are in the same classes," said 
 the doctor, " and Polly sees that." 
 
 " Don't I know it ? " exclaimed Jasper, in an 
 astonished tone. "Dear me, Dr. Fisher, I've 
 watched Polly for years now. And she's always 
 done so." He stopped whirling the articles on
 
 THE GIRLS -HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 375 
 
 the office table, and bestowed a half-offended 
 look on the little physician. 
 
 " Softly, softly, Jasper," said Dr. Fisher com- 
 posedly. " Of course you've used your eyes. 
 Now don't spoil things by saying anything, but 
 let Polly ' go her own gait,' I beg of you." Then 
 he turned to his powders once more. 
 
 " She will, any way," declared Jasper. " What- 
 ever she makes up her mind to do, Polly does 
 that very thing." 
 
 " Not a bad characteristic," laughed the doctor. 
 
 " I should say not." 
 
 " Now when I come up home to dinner, you 
 and I will find Polly, and tell her the good news. 
 If she's with a lot of those silly girls, I'll I'll 
 tear her off this time." Dr. Fisher glared so 
 fiercely as he declared this determination, that 
 Jasper laughed outright. 
 
 " I thought no one was to disturb Polly's good 
 intentions in that line," he cried. 
 
 " Well, there's an end to all things, and 
 patience ceases to be a virtue sometimes."
 
 376 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 
 
 " So I've thought a good many times, but 
 I've borne it like a man." Jasper drew himself 
 up, and laughed again at the doctor's face. 
 
 "Oh ! you go along," cried Dr. Fisher, his eyes 
 twinkling. " I'll meet you just before dinner." 
 
 " All right," as Jasper rushed off. 
 
 Dr. Fisher jumped to his feet, pushing aside 
 the litter of powder papers, and bottles, and ran 
 his fingers through the shock of gray hair stand- 
 ing straight on his head. 
 
 " Yes, yes," he muttered, walking to the win- 
 dow, " it will be a good thing for Polly, now I 
 tell you, Adoniram." He always preferred to 
 address himself by his first name, then he was 
 sure of a listener. " A vastly good thing. It's 
 quite time that some of the intimacies with these 
 silly creatures are broken up a bit, while the 
 child gains immensely in other ways." He 
 rubbed his palms gleefully. " Oh ! good-morn- 
 ing, good-morning ! " 
 
 A patient walking in, looked up at the jolly 
 little doctor. " I wish I could laugh like that,"
 
 THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN. 377 
 
 he ejaculated, his long face working in the 
 unusual effort to achieve a smile. 
 
 " You would if you had a gay crowd of children 
 such as I have," cried the little doctor proudly. 
 " Why, man, that's better than all my doses." 
 
 " But I haven't the children," said the patient 
 sourly, and sitting down with a sigh. 
 
 " I pity you, then," said Dr. Fisher, with the 
 air of having been a family man for years. 
 " Well, besides owning the Peppers, I'm going 
 off with them to " there he stopped, for before 
 he knew it, the secret was well-nigh out.
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 
 
 BUT Polly was not to be told yet. When 
 Papa Fisher walked in to dinner, the 
 merry party around the oak table were waiting 
 over the ices and coffee for his appearance. 
 
 "O, Papa Fisher!" cried Polly in dismay, 
 turning from one of Alexia's sallies, and drop- 
 ping her spoon. " Now you're all tired out 
 too bad ! " 
 
 Mother Fisher flushed up, and set her lips 
 closely together. Ben looked disapproval across 
 the board, and Polly knew that the wrong thing 
 had been said. 
 
 " Oh ! I didn't mean of course you must take 
 care of the sick people," she said impulsively. 
 
 "Yes, I must," said Dr. Fisher wearily, and 
 378
 
 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 379 
 
 pushing up the shock of gray hair to a stiffer 
 brush over his brow. "That's what I set out 
 to do, I believe." 
 
 "But that's no reason why you should tire 
 yourself to death, and break down the first 
 year," said Mr. King, eying him sharply. 
 "Zounds, man, that isn't what I brought you up 
 from the country for." 
 
 Dr. Fisher looked into his wife's eyes and 
 smiled. " I believe you brought me," the smile 
 said. But he kept his tongue still. 
 
 "And you must get accustomed to seeing 
 suffering that you can't help. Why, man alive, 
 the town's full of it; you can't expect to stop it 
 alone." 
 
 " I'll do what I can to help," said the little 
 doctor between his teeth, and taking a long 
 draught of the coffee his wife put by his plate. 
 " I suppose there's no objection to that. Now, 
 that's good," smacking his lips in a pleased 
 way. 
 
 " Of course not, if you help in the right way,"
 
 380 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 
 
 said old Mr. King stoutly, "but I'll wager any- 
 thing that you're picking up all sorts of odd 
 jobs among the poor, that belong to the young 
 doctors. Your place is considerably higher, 
 where you can pick and choose your patients." 
 
 Dr. Fisher laughed an odd little laugh, 
 that along with its pleasant note, carried the 
 ring of a strong will. 
 
 " Oh ! well, you know, I'm too old to learn new 
 ways," he said. " Better let me wag on at the 
 old ones." 
 
 Mr. King gave an exclamation of disapproval. 
 " It's lucky your time is short," he said grimly, 
 and the secret was nearly out 1 
 
 " Phronsie is coming downstairs to-morrow, 
 isn't she ? " asked Jasper quickly, over to the 
 doctor. 
 
 " Oh ! no, indeed, I think not," answered Mr. 
 King before Dr. Fisher had time to reply. 
 " She would better wait a day or two longer. 
 Isn't that so, Doctor?" at last appealing to him. 
 
 " I don't agree with you," the little doctor
 
 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 381 
 
 drew off his attention from his plate. "You see 
 she has regained her strength remarkably. Now 
 the quicker she is in the family life again, the 
 better for her." 
 
 "Oh! good, good," cried Polly, delighted at 
 the safe withdrawal from the precipice of dan- 
 gerous argument. " Alexia, now you must help 
 us think up something to celebrate her coming 
 downstairs." 
 
 "Not so fast, Polly." The little doctor 
 beamed at her in a way surprising to see after 
 the morning's affair. " Phronsie won't be ready 
 for any celebration before next week. Then I 
 think you may venture." 
 
 Alexia pouted and played with her spoon. 
 
 " O, dear! " cried Dick dolefully, "what's the 
 reason we must wait a whole week, pray tell ? " 
 
 " Because Father Fisher says so," ' replied 
 Ben across the table ; " that's the principal 
 reason and don't need any more to support 
 it ;> 
 
 "Well, I tell you," broke in Polly in her
 
 352 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 
 
 brightest way, " let us think up perfectly splen- 
 did things. It's best as it is, for it will take us 
 a week to get ready." 
 
 " I shall get her a new doll," declared Mr. 
 King. The rest shouted. " Her others must 
 be quite worn out." 
 
 " What could you get her," cried Mr. Whitney, 
 " in the way of a doll ? do tell us, for 1 really 
 do not see." 
 
 " Why, one of those phonograph dolls, to be 
 sure," said Mr. King promptly. 
 
 "Are they on sale yet?" asked Jasper. "I 
 thought they had not perfected them enough 
 for the market." 
 
 " I think I know where one can be bought," 
 said his father. "They must be perfected 
 it's all nonsense that I can't find one if Phron- 
 sie wants it ! Yes, she shall have a phonograph 
 doll." 
 
 " That will be perfectly elegant," exclaimed 
 Polly, with sparkling eyes. "Won't Phronsie 
 be delighted when she hears it talk ? "
 
 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 383 
 
 " She ought to have a Punch and Judy show," 
 said Mrs. Whitney, "she's always so pleased 
 with them, father/' 
 
 Mr. King pushed away his coffee-cap, and 
 pulled out his note-book. 
 
 " ' Punch and Judy,' down that goes," he said, 
 noting it after " phonograph doll." " What 
 else ? " 
 
 " Can't we have some of those boys up from 
 the Orphan Asylum? " asked Polly, after a minute 
 in which everybody had done a bit of hard 
 thinking. " Phronsie loves to hear them sing 
 when she goes there. Oh ! they are so cunning." 
 
 " She'll want to give them her best toys and 
 load them down with all her possessions. You 
 see if she doesn't," warned Jasper. 
 
 " Well, she won't give away her new doll, 
 anyway," cried Polly. 
 
 "No, she never gives away one of the dolls 
 you've given her, father," said Mrs. Whitney 
 slowly, " not a single one. I tried her one day, 
 asking her to give me one to bestow on a poor
 
 384 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 
 
 child, and she quite reproached me by the look 
 in her brown eyes. I haven't asked her since." 
 
 " What did she say ? " asked Mr. King 
 abruptly. 
 
 '"I can't, Aunty; dear Grandpapa gave them 
 to me himself.' Then she ran for her savings 
 bank, and poured out the money in my lap. 
 ' Let's go out and buy the poor child a doll,' 
 she begged, and I really had to do it. And 
 there must be at least two hundred dolls in this 
 house." 
 
 " Two hundred dolls ! " cried Alexia in aston- 
 ishment, and raising her hands. 
 
 " Why, yes; father has been bringing Phron- 
 sie dolls for the last five years, with the greatest 
 faithfulness, till her family has increased to a 
 painful extent." 
 
 " O, dear me ! " cried Alexia, with great 
 emphasis. " I should think they'd be under 
 foot in every room." 
 
 "Well, indeed they're not," said Polly; "she 
 keeps them up in her playroom."
 
 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 385 
 
 " And the playroom closet," said Mrs. Whit- 
 ney, " that is full. I peeped in there yesterday, 
 and the dolls are ranged according to the times 
 when father gave them to her." 
 
 " And the baby-house is just crowded," 
 laughed Jasper. " I know, because I saw her 
 moving out her chairs and tables to make room." 
 
 " O, dear me ! " exclaimed Alexia again, for 
 want of something else to say. 
 
 "I just hate dolls," exploded Dick. "Faugh! 
 how can girls play with them ; they're so silly. 
 And Phronsie always has something to do for 
 hers, so she can't come when I want her to. I 
 wish they were burnt up," he added vindictively. 
 
 Mr. King rubbed his forehead in a puzzled 
 way. " Perhaps she has enough," he said at 
 last. " Yet what shall I give her if I don't buy 
 a doll ? " 
 
 " I'd give her the phonograph one, father," 
 said Mrs. Whitney, " anyway." 
 
 " Yes, of course ; but after that, what shall 
 I do?"
 
 386 PHROXSIE IS WEI, I. AGAIN. 
 
 He looked so troubled that Mrs. Whitney 
 hastened to say, " O, well, father ! you know 
 when you are abr" and the secret was nearly 
 out the second time ! 
 
 But they were saved by the appearance of 
 Alexia's father, who often dropped in on the edge 
 of the dinner hour, for a second cup of coffee. 
 
 The next morning Phronsie was waiting for 
 Grandpapa King, who insisted that no one else 
 should carry her downstairs, the remainder of 
 the household in various stages of delight and 
 expectation, revolving around her, and curbing 
 their impatience as best they might, in hall and 
 on staircase. 
 
 " O, Grandpapa ! do hurry," begged Dick, 
 kicking his heels on the stairs. 
 
 " Hush, Dicky boy," said mamma. " Grand- 
 papa can't come till his agent is gone. Don't 
 you hear them talking in the library ? " 
 
 " Well, I wish Mr. Frazer would take himself 
 off; he's a nuisance," declared the boy. " He's 
 been here a whole hour."
 
 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 387 
 
 " Here comes Grandpapa ! " announced Polly 
 gleefully, from a station nearer the library. 
 " Hush, now, Mr. Frazer's going ! " 
 
 The library door opening at this announce- 
 ment, and a few sentences charged with busi- 
 ness floating up the staircase, the bustle around 
 Phronsie became joyfully intense. 
 
 " Mamsie, don't you think she ought to have 
 a shawl on?" cried Polly anxiously, running 
 over the stairs. "She's been shut up so long ! " 
 
 " No," said Mother Fisher. " Doctor told 
 me particularly 'not to bundle her up. It was 
 the last thing he said before he went to his 
 office." 
 
 " Well," said Polly with a sigh, " then there 
 isn't absolutely anything more to do for her. 
 Why don't Grandpapa come ? " 
 
 " You are worse than Dicky," said Mrs. 
 Fisher with a little laugh. " Dear me, Polly, 
 just think how old you are." 
 
 Phronsie stood quite still in the middle of the 
 floor and folded her hands. " I want to see
 
 388 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 
 
 Grandpapa all alone when he comes up," she 
 said. 
 
 "What for?" cried Polly, pausing in aston- 
 ishment. 
 
 " Do you want us all to go out, Phronsie ? " 
 'asked her mother slowly. 
 
 " Yes," said Phronsie, shaking her yellow 
 head with great decision, "please every single 
 one go out, Mamsie. I want to see Grandpapa 
 quite alone." 
 
 " All right, child," said Mrs. Fisher, with a 
 look at Polly. So after a little demur and con- 
 sequent delay on the part of the others, the door 
 was closed and she was left standing alone. 
 
 Phronsie drew a long breath. " I \frish Grand- 
 papa would come," she said to herself. 
 
 " And so you wanted me, did you, dear ? " 
 cried Mr. King joyfully, as he hurried in and 
 closed the door carefully. "Well, now, see if 
 T can guess what you want to tell me." 
 
 " Grandpapa," said Phronsie. standing quite 
 still and turning a puzzled face toward him,
 
 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 391 
 
 " I don't want to tell you anything, I want to 
 ask you something." 
 
 "Well, well, dear, what is it?" Old Mr. 
 King, not stopping for a chair, leaned over her 
 and stroked her yellow head. " Now, then, look 
 up, and ask me right off, Phronsie." 
 
 " Must a person keep a promise ? " asked 
 Phronsie, " a really and truly promise, Grand- 
 papa ? " 
 
 " Yes, yes," said the old gentleman, drawing 
 himself up stoutly, and speaking with great 
 abruptness, "to be sure one must, Phronsie. 
 To be sure. So now if any one has promised 
 you anything, do you make him stick to it. 
 It's mean enough to break your word, child." 
 
 Phronsie drew a long breath. 
 
 "That's all, Grandpapa," she said, and lift- 
 ing up her arms: "now take me downstairs, 
 please." She laid a cool little cheek against 
 his, as he raised her to his shoulder. 
 
 " Remember what I say, Phronsie," laughed 
 Mr. King, his mind more intent on the delight-
 
 392 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 
 
 ful fact that he was carrying down the longed- 
 for burden to the family life, than on what he 
 was saying, " and if any one has promised you 
 anything, keep him up sharp to pay you. I 
 verily believe it is that scamp Dick. Here 
 goes ! " and reaching the door he threw it wide. 
 " Forward, march ! " 
 
 " Well, is the important conference over ? " 
 asked Polly, with a keen look at them both. 
 
 Mrs. Fisher's eyes did their duty, but she 
 said nothing. 
 
 "Yes, indeed," declared Mr. King, marching 
 on gaily. " Now clear the way there, all you 
 good people. Here, you Dick, drumming your 
 heels, go ahead, sir." 
 
 " I'm glad enough to,* shouted Dick, racing 
 clown the remainder of the stairs. " " Halloo, 
 Phronsie," waving his hand at her, "three cheers 
 and a tiger ! Bother ! here comes Mrs. Chat- 
 terton." 
 
 Which was quite true. To every one's aston- 
 ishment the door to that lady's apartttient opened
 
 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 393 
 
 slowly, disclosing her in new morning wrapper, 
 preparing to join the cavalcade. 
 
 "Good morning, Cousin Eunice," cried Mr. 
 King gaily. He could be merry with any one 
 this day. " Come on, this is a festal occasion, 
 you see . Phronsie's going downstairs for the 
 first time. Fall into line ! " 
 
 " I'm not able to go down," said Mrs. Chat- 
 terton, coming slowly out into the hall, "but I'll 
 stand here and see the parade." 
 
 " Bully ! " exploded Dick softly, peering up 
 from the foot of the stairs. 
 
 Phronsie looked over Mr. King's shoulder at 
 her as she was borne down the stairs, and, put- 
 ting out her hand, " I'm all well now," she said. 
 
 "Yes, I see," said Mrs. Chatterton. Then 
 she pulled up her white shawl with a shiver. 
 " It's rathet cold here," she said ; " after all, I 
 believe I must get back to my room." 
 
 Nobody noticed when she crept back, the 
 hilarity now being so great below stairs.* 
 
 "I certaipjy am losing ground," she muttered,
 
 394 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 
 
 " every little thing affects me so. I'll step into 
 Bartram's office next time I go down town, and 
 set that little matter straight, since I've made 
 up my mind to do it. It never would do to let 
 him come to the house. Horatio would suspect 
 something to see my lawyer here, and the whole 
 household imagine I was going to die right off. 
 No, no ; I must go there, that's clear. Then if 
 it's attended to, I'll live all the longer, with 
 nothing on my mind." 
 
 Phronsie, meanwhile, was going around from 
 room to room in a pleased way, and touching 
 different objects gently. " Everything's new, 
 isn't it, Polly," she said at last, "when you 
 stay upstairs ? Oh ! there's my kittens in the 
 basket," pointing to a bisque vase on the table. 
 
 "Yes," said Polly; " Mamsie brought it in 
 here. And we've some flowers; .Alexia sent 
 them over. They're out in the back hall ; we 
 saved them for you to put in yourself.'' 
 
 "Oh ! " exclaimed Phronsie, "that's so good 
 in you, Polly."
 
 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 395 
 
 "Don't stop now," cried Dick in disgust. 
 " Faugh ! you can fix flowers any time. Come 
 out into the dining-room and you'll see some- 
 thing like." 
 
 Phronsie smothered a sigh, and turned slowly 
 away from the kittens waiting in their basket 
 for Alexia's flowers. " Come on ! " shouted 
 Dick, seizing her hand. " You never can guess 
 what it is, in all this world." 
 
 "Is it a new dog?" asked Phronsie fearfully, 
 whose memory of Dick's latest purchase was 
 not altogether happy. 
 
 " No," said Dick, pulling her on, "better than 
 that." 
 
 " Don't hurry her so," said Polly. " What 
 have you got, Dick ? " 
 
 "Now, do you mind, sir," cried jasper, "else 
 we'll stop your pretty plan." 
 
 " I won't hurry her," said Dick, slackening 
 his gait. " Well, here we are," opening the 
 dining-room door. "Why, Jane has let it out!" 
 
 Phronsie fell back a step at this and tried to
 
 396 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 
 
 cover her feet with her gown, searching the 
 floor for the " it." 
 
 " Look out ! " cried Dick suddenly; " there he 
 goes ! " And following the direction of his 
 gaze she saw a big bird with thick plumage and 
 long wings whirring over her head. 
 
 " Oh ! what is it?" she cried, tumbling into 
 Jasper's arms and clasping his neck. " Oh ! oh ! " 
 
 " Why, it's a swallow," cried Dick, in the babel 
 that ensued, "a beautiful one, too. I caught 
 him this morning, and made Jane let me bring 
 it in here to surprise you," he added proudly. 
 
 "Well, you've succeeded," cried Jasper, hold- 
 ing Phronsie close. "There, there, child, it's 
 all right ; the creature's gone upstairs.' 
 
 " He'll frighten my dolls," cried Phronsie in 
 new alarm, hanging to Jasper's neck. " Oh ! 
 do let us go upstairs, and tell them he's only a 
 swallow." 
 
 "Run along, Dick, and catch your old bird," 
 cried Jasper, "and clear out with him quick 
 now ! "
 
 THE UNINVITED GUEST.
 
 PHRONSIE IS WELL AGAIN. 399 
 
 " He's the best thing there is in this house," 
 cried Dick, going over the back stairs two at a 
 time. "Girls are so silly." 
 
 " Bring him down,'' said Polly, moving along 
 to the foot, "and I'll show him to Phronsie, and 
 tell her about him. Then she'll like him, Dick." 
 
 I'll like him, Dick," echoed Phronsie, "if 
 he don't frighten my dolls." 
 
 This episode taking the family life to the rear 
 of the house, no one noticed that soft footsteps 
 were passing through the open front door, that 
 Jane, who was sweeping the vestibule, had left 
 ajar to run and tell Dick that she had not let the 
 bird out of the dining-room. So the uninvited 
 guest to the household let himself up easily to 
 the scene of his hopes the location of the 
 ladies' jewel-boxes.
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE SECRET. 
 
 MRS. CHATTERTON standing by her 
 toilet table, carefully examining her 
 wealth of gray hair to note the changes in its 
 tint, was suddenly surprised in the very act of 
 picking out an obnoxious white hair, by a slight 
 noise in the further corner of the apartment. 
 And dropping her ringers quickly and turning 
 away from the glass, she exclaimed, " How dare 
 you, Hortense, come in without knocking ? " 
 
 " If you make a noise I'll kill you," declared 
 a man, standing in the shadow of a portiere and 
 watching her underneath a slouched black hat. 
 There was a slight click that caused the listen- 
 er's nerves to thrill. But her varied life had 
 brought her nothing if not self-control, and she 
 400
 
 THE SECRET. 40 1 
 
 coolly answered, " If you want my money, say 
 so." 
 
 " Not exactly money, ma'am," said the man, 
 " for I don't suppose you have much here. But 
 I'll thank you to hand over that there box of 
 diamonds." He extended the other hand with 
 its dingy fingers toward a large ebony jewel-case 
 elaborate with its brass hinges, and suggestive 
 of double locks, on a corner of the table. 
 
 " If you are determined to take it, I suppose 
 I must give it to you," said Mrs. Chatterton, 
 with evident reluctance handing the box desig- 
 nated, very glad to think she had but a few days 
 before changed the jewels to another repository 
 to escape Hortense's prying 'eyes. In making 
 the movement she gave a sweeping glance out the 
 window. Should she dare to scream ? Michael 
 was busy on the lawn, she knew ; she could hear 
 his voice talking to one of the under gardeners. 
 
 " See here, old lady," warned the man, " you 
 keep your eyes in the room. Now then." his 
 greedy glance fastened on the glittering gems
 
 402 THE SECRET. 
 
 on her fingers, " I'll thank you to rip them 
 things off." Dick, racing along the further end 
 of the hall after his bird with a " Whoop, la 
 I've almost caught you," startling him, he pro- 
 ceeded to perform the service for himself. 
 
 " There he goes ! " cried Dick, " in her room. 
 Bother I Well, I must catch him." So without 
 the preamble of knocking, the boy dashed into 
 the dressing-room. The bird whizzing ahead 
 of him, flashed between the drawn folds of the 
 portiere. 
 
 " Excuse me," cried Dick, rushing in, " but 
 my swallow oh! " 
 
 " Go back ! " cried Mrs. Chatterton hoarsely, 
 "you'll be killed." 
 
 The bird flying over his head, and the appear- 
 ance of the boy, disconcerted the robber for one 
 instant. He held the long white hand in his, 
 tearing off the rings. There was no chance for 
 her to escape, she knew, but she could save Dick. 
 
 "Go back!" she screamed again. There was 
 only a moment to think, but Dick dashed in.
 
 THU SECRET. 
 
 403 
 
 and with a mighty spirit, but small fists, he 
 rlung himself against the stalwart arms and 
 shoulders. 
 
 " O, heavens ! " screamed Mrs. Chatterton. 
 
 HK WAS TEARING OFF THE RINGS. 
 
 " He's but a boy, let him go. You shall have 
 the rings. Help help!" 
 
 Dick, clutching and tearing blindly at^what- 
 ever in the line of hair or ragged garment he
 
 404 THE SECRET. 
 
 could lay hold of, was waging an unequal war- 
 fare. But whal he did, was accomplished finely. 
 And the bird, rushing blindly into the midst of 
 the contention, with whirrings and flappings 
 indescribable, helped more than an army of 
 servants, to confuse the man. Notwithstanding, 
 it was 'soon over, but not before Mrs. Chatter- 
 ton had wrenched her fingers free, and grasped 
 the pistol from its loose hold in his other hand. 
 The box under his arm fell to the floor, and 
 Dick was just being tossed to the other side of 
 the room ; she could hear him strike the cheval- 
 glass with a dull thud. 
 
 "I can shoot as well as you," said Mrs. Chat- 
 terton, handling the pistol deftly. " Make a 
 noise, and I will." 
 
 Hfe knew it, by her eyes, and that she had 
 taken good aim. 
 
 " Where are you, Dick ? " cried Polly's voice 
 outside, and rapping at the door. " Mrs. Chat- 
 terton, have you seen him?" 
 
 " Come in," called Mrs. Chatterton, with
 
 THE SECRET. 405 
 
 firmest of fingers on the trigger and her flash- 
 ing eyes fastened upon the seamed, dirty face 
 before her. 
 
 Polly threw wide the door. 
 
 "We have a man here that we don't want," 
 said Mrs. Chatterton. "I'll take care of him 
 till you get help. Hurry ! " 
 
 " O, Dick ! " cried Polly in a breath, with a 
 fearful glance at the boy lying there. 
 
 " I think he's all right, Polly." She dared 
 say no more, for Dick had not stirred. 
 
 Polly clasped her hands, and rushed out 
 almost into jasper's face. " A burglar a 
 burglar ! " and he dashed into Mrs. Chatter- 
 ton's room. 
 
 "Don't interfere," said Mrs. Chatterton, "I'm 
 a splendid markswoman." 
 
 "You needn't shoot," said the man sullenly, 
 "I won't stir." 
 
 " No, I don't think you will," said the gray- 
 haired woman, her eyes alight, and hand firm 
 as a rock. " Well, here are the. men."
 
 406 THE SECRET. 
 
 Jasper had seized a table-spread, and as 
 Michael and the under gardeners advanced, he 
 went back of the robber, and cleverly threw it 
 over his head. It was easy to secure and bind 
 him then. Poll) 7 rushed over to Dick. 
 
 " Turn the creature over and let us see how 
 he looks," said Mr. King, hurrying in as the 
 last knot of the rope was made fast. The old 
 slouched hat had fallen off in the struggle, and 
 the man's features came plainly to view. " He's 
 no beauty, and that's a fact." 
 
 "I've seen that fellow round here for mony a 
 day," said Michael, giving the recumbent legs 
 a small kick. "Oncet he axed me ef we wanted 
 ony wourk done. I mind yees, yer see," with 
 another attention from his gardening boot. 
 
 " I want to tie one rope," cried a voice. Dick 
 opened his eyes, rubbed them, and felt of his 
 head. " I'm all righx, Polly. I saw stars, but 
 I've got over it, I guess. Let me give him the 
 last knot." He staggered blindly to his feet. 
 
 "I'll tie for you," said Jasper, "trust me.
 
 THE SECRET. 407 
 
 Dick's all right, only stunned," he telegraphed 
 to the rapidly increasing group. 
 
 "Tell his mother so, do, somebody," said 
 old Mr. King. 
 
 " Well, Cousin Eunice, you've covered your- 
 self with glory," he turned to her warmly. She 
 had thrown aside the pistol, and now sank into 
 a chair. 
 
 " Never mind," she waved it off carelessly, 
 " I'll imagine the compliments. Just now I want 
 a glass of wine. Call Hortense, will you ? " 
 
 The man on the floor tried to raise his head. 
 But he couldn't, so was obliged to content him- 
 self with an ugly grin. 
 
 " That bird has flown," he said. " I'll peep. 
 She put me up to it ; we was goin' shares on 
 the old lady's stuff." 
 
 With that Mrs. Chatterton's spirit returned. 
 She sprang from her chair, and rushed around 
 from bureau to closet to see the extent of her 
 maid's dishonesty. But beyond a few minor 
 deficiencies of her wardrobe, there was no rob-
 
 408 THE SECRET. 
 
 bery to speak of. Evidently Hortense had con- 
 sidered it unwise to be burdened with much 
 impedimenta. So the robber was hauled off to 
 justice, and Phronsie, coming wonderingly up 
 the stairs, came softly in upon them, in time 
 to see Dick rush up to Mrs. Chatterton with a 
 " You're a brick ! " before them all. 
 
 After that, there was no more hope of keep- 
 ing things quiet in the house for Phronsie's 
 sake. Meanwhile the bird, who had played no 
 mean part in the engagement, now asserted 
 himself, and blindly rushed into capture. 
 
 "Isn't he lovely!" cried Phronsie, tearing 
 her gaze off from the wonderful wings, as the 
 swallow fluttered under the mosquito netting 
 speedily brought in. 
 
 "Yes, his wings are," said Polly. " O, Dick ! 
 do tell over again how it all happened." 
 
 So Dick rehearsed once more as far as he 
 knew the story, tossing off lightly his part of it. 
 
 " Your poor head, does it ache ? " cried Polly, 
 feeling of the big bump on the crown.
 
 THE SECRET. 409 
 
 " No. not a bit," declared Dick, shaking his 
 brown poll. "I'm glad I didn't crack the 
 glass." 
 
 " That heavy plate ? " cried Polly, looking 
 over at the cheval-glass with a shiver. 
 
 Phronsie deserted the fascinating bird, and 
 began to smooth Dick's head with both hands. 
 
 "Do let me bathe it," she begged. "I'll get 
 the Pond's Extract." 
 
 " No, I won't," said Dick. " It smells aw- 
 fully, and I've had so much of it for my leg. 
 I'm all right, Phronsie. See his wings now he's 
 stretching." 
 
 But Phronsie was not to be diverted from her 
 purpose. 
 
 " I'll get Bay Rum," she said. "May I?" 
 
 Dick made a wry face. " Worse and worse." 
 
 "Cologne, then." 
 
 " No, I hate it." 
 
 " He don't want it bathed, Phronsie dear," 
 said Polly. " Boys like to get hurt, you know. 
 Tisn't manly to be fixed up."
 
 410 THE SECRET. 
 
 Phronsie gave a sigh, which so went to Dick's 
 heart, that he said, " All right, bring on some 
 water if you want to. But don't you get any 
 brown paper ; I had enough of that when I was 
 a boy." 
 
 And at the end of that exciting day, the 
 secret came out, after all, in rather a tame 
 fashion. Dr. Fisher and Jasper met Polly in 
 an angle of the hall, as she was running up- 
 stairs after dinner for her schoolbooks. 
 
 " Polly," asked the little doctor, putting both 
 hands on her shoulders, and looking into the 
 brown eyes, "should you be willing to go abroad 
 with your mother and Phronsie, Mr. King and 
 Jasper ? " 
 
 " Oh ! " gasped Polly. " But you ? " came in 
 a later breath, "we couldn't leave you," she 
 cried loyally. 
 
 "Well, I suppose I should go along too," 
 said the little doctor, enjoying her face. 
 
 " Why, Jasper Elyot King ! " cried Polly, 
 slipping out from under the doctor's palms, and
 
 THE SECRET. 411 
 
 seizing the two hands extended, she began to 
 spin around as in the olden days, "did you 
 ever, ever hear of anything so perfectly mag- 
 nificent ! But Ben and Joel and Davie ! " and 
 she paused on the edge of another pirouette. 
 
 Dr. Fisher made haste to answer, " Pollv, 
 Mrs. Whitney will take care of them." And 
 Jasper led her off into the dance again. 
 
 " How can we ever leave the boys ! Oh ! J 
 don't see," cried Polly, a bit reproachfully, her 
 hair blown over her rosy cheeks. As they 
 danced lightly down the long hall, Dr. Fisher 
 leaned against a pillar, and watched them. 
 
 " Have to," said Jasper, guiding his partner 
 deftly in the intricacies of the chairs and stat- 
 uary. " That's a good spin, Polly," he said, as 
 they brought up by the little doctor's side. 
 
 " Lovely ! " said Polly, pushing back her locks 
 from the sparkling eyes. 
 
 " I'm almost tempted to dance myself," said 
 Dr. Fisher. " If I wasn't such an old fellow, 
 I'd try; that is, if anybody asked me,"
 
 412 THE SECRET. 
 
 " I will," said Polly, laughing. " Come, Papa 
 Fisher," holding out her hand, " do give me the 
 honor." 
 
 "All right," said Dr. Fisher bravely. So 
 Jasper took the deserted post by the pillar, and 
 whistled a Strauss waltz. Thereupon a most 
 extraordinary hopping up and down the hall was 
 commenced, the two figures bobbing like a pair 
 of corks on a quivering water-surface. 
 
 The doors opened, and several faces appeared, 
 amongst the number Mrs. Fisher's. 
 
 " I couldn't help it," said the little doctor, 
 coming up red and animated, and wiping his 
 forehead. His spectacles had fallen off long 
 since, and he had let them go. " It looked so 
 nice to see Jasper and Polly, I thought I'd try 
 it. I didn't suppose I'd get on so good ; I 
 really believe I can dance." 
 
 " Humph ! " laughed Mr. King, " it looks 
 like it. Just see Polly." 
 
 " O, Papa Fisher ! " cried Polly with a merry 
 peal in which Jasper, unpuckering his lips
 
 THE SECRET. 415 
 
 from the Strauss effort, had joined, " we must 
 have looked " Here she went off again. 
 
 "Yes," said Jasper, "you did. That's just 
 it, Polly, you did. Lucky you two caperers 
 didn't break anything." 
 
 "Well, if you've all got through laughing," 
 observed Dr. Fisher, " I'll remark that the 
 secret is out." 
 
 " Do you like it, Polly ? " asked Mr. King, 
 holding out his hand. " Say, my girl ?" And 
 then before she could answer, he went on, 
 " You see, we can't do anything without a doc- 
 tor on our travels. Now Providence has given 
 us one, though rather an obstinate specimen," 
 he pointed to Father Fisher. " And he wants 
 to see the hospitals, and you want to study a 
 bit of music, and your mother wants rest, and 
 Jasper and Phronsie and I want fun, so we're 
 going, that's all." 
 
 " When ? " demanded Polly breathlessly. 
 
 " In a month."
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN. 
 
 I THINK it's a mean shame," cried Joel, on 
 a high vindictive key. " You've had burg- 
 lars here twice, and I haven't been home." 
 
 "You speak as if we appointed the meeting, 
 Joe," said Ben with a laugh. 
 
 " Well, it's mean, anyway," cried Joel, with a 
 flash of his black eyes. " Now there won't any 
 come again in an age." 
 
 " Goodness, I hope not," ejaculated Mr. King, 
 lowering his newspaper to peer over its top. 
 
 " I'd have floored him," declared Joel, strik- 
 ing out splendidly from the shoulder, " if I'd 
 only have been here." 
 
 " All very well," said Percy negligently, " but 
 you weren't here," and he laughed softly. 
 416
 
 THE WHITNEYS LITTLE PLAN. 417 
 
 " Do you mean to say that I couldn't have 
 handled the burglar ? " demanded Joel belliger- 
 ently, and advancing on Percy, " say ? Because 
 if you do, why, I'll try a bout with you." 
 
 " I didn't say anything what you could or 
 couldn't do. I said you weren't here, and you 
 weren't. That's enough," and Percy turned his 
 back on him, thrust his hands in the pockets of 
 his morning jacket and stalked to the window. 
 
 Van opened his mouth to speak, then thought 
 better of it, and gave a low whistle. Joel finding 
 no enthusiasm for tales of his fighting prowess, 
 ran off to interview Dick on the old topic of the 
 burglary and to obtain another close account of 
 its details. 
 
 " To think Phronsie saw the other burglar 
 five years ago, and now Dick was on hand for 
 this one those two babies," he fumed, " and 
 none of us men around." 
 
 " Percy," said Van, " come out in the hall, 
 will you ? " 
 
 " What do you want ? " asked Percy lazily.
 
 418 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN. 
 
 " Oh ! you come along," cried Van, laying hold 
 of his jacket. " See here," dropping his voice 
 cautiously, as he towed him successfully out, 
 " let's give Joe a chance to see a burglar ; he 
 wants to so terribly." 
 
 " What do you mean ? " asked Percy, with 
 astonished eyes, his hands still in his pockets. 
 
 Van burst into a loud laugh, then stopped 
 short. " It'll take two of us," he whispered. 
 
 " O, Van ! " exclaimed Percy, and pulling 
 his hands from their resting places, he clapped 
 them smartly together. 
 
 " But we ought not, T really suppose," he 
 said at last, letting them fall to his sides. 
 " Mamma mightn't like it, you know." 
 
 " She wouldn't mind," said Van, yet he looked 
 uneasy. " It would be a great comfort to every 
 one, to take Joe down. He does yarn so." 
 
 " It's an old grudge with you," said Percy 
 pleasantly. " You know he beat you when you 
 were a little fellow, and he'd just come." 
 
 " As if I cared for that," cried Van in a
 
 THE WHITNEYS LITTLE PLAN. 419 
 
 dudgeon, " that was nothing. I didn't half try ; 
 and he went at me like a country sledge-ham- 
 mer." 
 
 " Yes, I remember," Percy nodded placidly, 
 " and you got all worsted and knocked into a 
 heap. Everybody knew it." 
 
 " Do you suppose I'd pound a visitor ? " cried 
 Van wrathfully, his cheeks aflame. " Say, 
 Percy Whitney ? " 
 
 "No, I don't," said Percy," not when 'twas Joe." 
 
 " That's just it. He was Polly's brother." 
 
 At mention of Polly, Percy's color rose, and 
 he put out his hand. " Beg pardon, Van," he 
 said. " Here, shake, and make up. I forgot 
 all about our promise," he added penitently. 
 
 " I forgot it, too," declared Van, quieting 
 down, and thrusting out his brown palm to meet 
 his brother's. " Well, I don't care what you 
 say if you'll only go halves in this lark," he 
 finished, brightening up. 
 
 "Well, I will," said Percy, to make atone- 
 ment.
 
 420 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN. 
 
 " Come up to our room, then, and think it 
 out," cried Van gleefully, flying over the stairs 
 three at a bound. " Sh-sh ! and hurry up ! " 
 
 Just then the door-bell gave a loud peal, and 
 Jencks the butler opened it to receive a box 
 about two feet long and one broad. 
 
 " For Miss Phronsie Pepper," said the foot- 
 man on the steps, holding it out, " but it's not 
 to be given to her till to-morrow." 
 
 " All right," said Jencks, taking it. " That's 
 the sixth box for Miss Phronsie that I've took 
 in this morning," he soliloquized, going down the 
 hall and reading the address carefully. " And 
 all the same size." 
 
 " Ding-a-ling," Jencks laid the parcel quickly 
 on one of the oaken chairs in the hall, and 
 hurried to the door, to be met by another par- 
 cel for " Miss Phronsie Pepper : not to be given 
 to her till to-morrow." 
 
 " And the i-dentical size," he ejaculated, 
 squinting at it as he went back to pick up the 
 first parcel, " as like as two peas, they are."
 
 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN. 421 
 
 
 
 Upstairs Polly was at work with happy fin- 
 gers, Alexia across the room, asking every third 
 minute, " Polly, how does this go ? O, dear ! I 
 can't do anything unless you look and see if 
 it's right." 
 
 And Polly would turn her back on a certain 
 cloud of white muslin and floating lace, and fly- 
 ing off to Alexia to give the necessary criticism, 
 with a pull here and a pat there, would set mat- 
 ters straight, presently running back to her own 
 work again. 
 
 " You see," she said, " everything must be 
 just right, for next to Mamsie's wedding, this 
 is to be the most important occasion, Alexia 
 Rhys, that we've ever known. We can't have 
 anything too nice for Phronsie's getting-well 
 party." 
 
 " That's so," said Alexia, twitching a pink 
 satin bow on the handle of a flower-basket. 
 " O, dear me ! this bow looks like everything ! 
 I've tried six different times to make it hang 
 down quite careless and refined. And just to
 
 422 THE WHITNEYS LITTLE PLAN. 
 
 provoke me, it pokes up like a stiff old thing in 
 my face. Do come and tie it, Polly." 
 
 So Polly jumped up again, and laying de- 
 termined fingers on the refractory bow, sent it 
 into a shape that Alexia protested was " too 
 lovely for anything." 
 
 " Are you going to have a good-by party ? " 
 asked Alexia after a minute. 
 
 " I suppose so," said Polly. " Grandpapa 
 said I would better, but oh, dear me, I don't 
 believe I can ever get through with it in all this 
 world," and Polly hid her face behind a cloud 
 of muslin that was slowly coming into shape as 
 a dress for one of Phronsie's biggest dolls. 
 
 " It will be dreadful," said Alexia, with a 
 pathetic little sniff, and beginning on a second 
 pink bow, " but then, you know, it's your duty 
 to go off nicely, and I'm sure you can't do it, 
 Polly, without a farewell party." 
 
 " Yes," said Polly slowly, " but then I'd really 
 rather write little notes to all the girls. But I 
 suppose they'll all enjoy the party," she added.
 
 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN. 423 
 
 " Indeed they will," declared Alexia quickly. 
 " Oh ! dear me, I wish I was going with you. 
 You'll have a perfectly royal time." 
 
 " I'm going to work hard at my music, you 
 know," declared Polly, raising her head sud- 
 denly, a glow on her round cheek. 
 
 " Oh ! well, you'll only peg away at it when 
 you've a mind," said Alexia carelessly, and 
 setting lazy stitches. " Most of the time you'll 
 be jaunting around, seeing things, and having 
 fun generally. Oh ! don't I wish I was going 
 with you." 
 
 " Alexia Rhys ! " cried Polly in astonishment, 
 and casting her needle from her, she deserted 
 the muslin cloud summarily. " Only peg away 
 when I have the mind ? " she repeated indig- 
 nantly. " Well, I shall have the mind most of 
 the time, I can tell you. Why, that's what I'm 
 going abroad for, to study music. How can I 
 ever teach it, if I don't go, pray tell ? " she 
 demanded, and now her eyes flas'hed, and her 
 hands worked nervously.
 
 424 THE WHITNEYS LITTLE PLAN. 
 
 " Oh ! nonsense," cried Alexia, not looking at 
 the face before her, and going on recklessly, 
 " as if that meant anything, all that talk about 
 your being a music-teacher, Polly," and she 
 gave a little incredulous laugh. 
 
 Polly got out of her chair somehow, and 
 stood very close to the fingers fussing over the 
 pink satin bow. " Do you never dare say that 
 to me again," she commanded ; "it's the whole 
 of my life to ,be a music-teacher the very 
 whole." 
 
 " O, Polly ! " down went the satin bow drag- 
 ging with it Alexia's spool of silk and the dainty 
 scissors. " Don't don't I didn't mean any- 
 thing; but you really know that Mr. King will 
 never let you be a music-teacher in all this 
 world. Never ; you know it, Polly. Oh ! don't 
 look like that $ please don't." 
 
 " He will," said Polly, in a low but perfectly 
 distinct voice, " for he has promised me." 
 
 " Well, he'll get out of it somehow," said 
 Alexia, her evil genius urging her on, " for you
 
 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN. 425 
 
 know, Polly, it would be too queer for any of 
 his family, and and a girl of our set, to turn 
 out a music-teacher. You know, Polly, that it 
 would." 
 
 And Alexia smiled in the most convincing 
 way and jumped up to throw her arm around 
 her friend. 
 
 "If any of the girls in our set," said Polly 
 grandly, and stepping off from Alexia, " wish to 
 draw away from me, they can do so now. I am 
 to be a music-teacher ; I'm perfectly happy to 
 be one. I want you all to understand. Just as 
 happy as I can possibly be in all this world. 
 Why, it's what I've been studying and working 
 for, and how else do you suppose I can ever 
 repay dear Grandpapa for helping me ? " Her 
 voice broke, and she stopped a minute, clasping 
 her hands tightly to keep back the rush of 
 words. 
 
 " O, Polly ! " cried Alexia in dismay, and be- 
 ginning to whimper, she tried again to put her 
 arm around her.
 
 426 
 
 THE WHITNEYS LITLLE PLAN. 
 
 " Don't touch me," said Polly, waving her off 
 with an imperative hand. 
 " O, Polly ! Polly ! " 
 " And the rest of our set may feel as you do ; 
 
 "DON'T TOUCH ME," SAID POLLY. 
 
 then I don't want them to keep on liking me," 
 said Polly, with her most superb air, and drawing 
 off further yet. 
 
 " Polly, if you don't stop, you'll you'll kill 
 me," gasped Alexia, " 0, Polly ! I don't care
 
 THE WHITNEYS LITTLE PLAN. 427 
 
 what you are. You may teach all day if you 
 want to, and I'll help get you scholars. I'll do 
 anything, and so will all the girls, I know they 
 will. Polly, do let me be your friend just as I 
 was. O, dear, dear ! I wish I hadn't said any- 
 thing I wish I had bitten my tongue off; I 
 didn't think you'd mind it so much," and now 
 Alexia broke down, and sobbed outright. 
 
 "You've got to say it's glorious to teach," 
 said Polly, unmoved, and with her highest air 
 on, " and that you're glad I'm going to do it." 
 
 " It's glo-glorious to teach," mumbled poor 
 Alexia behind her wet handkerchief. 
 
 " And I'm glad you're going to do it," dic- 
 tated Polly inflexibly. 
 
 " I'm glad you're going to do it," echoed 
 Alexia in a dismal tone. 
 
 "Then I'll be your friend once more," con- 
 sented Polly with a slow step toward Alexia, 
 " that is, if you never in all this world say such 
 a dreadful thing again, Alexia Rhys." 
 
 " Don't ask me. You know I won't," prom-
 
 428 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN. 
 
 ised Alexia, her spirits rising. So Polly went 
 over to her and set a kiss on her wet cheek, 
 comforting her as only Polly could, and before 
 long the pink satin bow with the spool of silk 
 hanging to it, and the scissors, were found under 
 the table, and Polly attacked the muslin cloud 
 with redoubled vigor, and the girls' voices 
 carried merry laughter and scraps of happy 
 talk, and Mrs. Chatterton stole out of the little 
 reading-room next them and shut herself up in 
 her own apartment. 
 
 " Dear me, how fine that doll's gown is to be, 
 Polly," exclaimed Alexia after a bit. " Is the 
 lace going on all around the bottom ? " 
 
 " Yes," said Polly, biting off her thread, and 
 giving the muslin breadths a little shake ; 
 " Felicie is tucking the flounce ; then I shall 
 have to sew on the lace." 
 
 " How many dolls are there to refurbish be- 
 fore to-morrow ? " asked Alexia suddenly. 
 
 "Four no, five," said Polly, rapidly count- 
 ing ; " for the one that Grandpapa gave her
 
 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN. 429 
 
 Christmas before last, Celestine, you know, does 
 need a new waist. I forgot her. But that don't 
 count the new sashes, and the hair ribbons and 
 the lace ruffles around the necks; I guess there 
 are almost fifty of them. Dear me, I must 
 hurry," and she began to sew faster yet. 
 
 " What a nuisance all those dolls are," said 
 Alexia, " they take up every bit of your spare 
 time." 
 
 "That isn't the worst of it," said Polly. 
 " Alexia, I don't know what we shall do, for 
 Phronsie works over them till she's quite tired 
 out. You ought to see her this morning." 
 
 " She's up in the play-house at it now, I sup- 
 pose," said Alexia, " dressing every one of them 
 for the party to-morrow." 
 
 " Yes," said Polly, " she is." 
 
 " Well, I hope no one will give her a doll to- 
 morrow," said Alexia, " at least no one but Mr. 
 King. . Of course he will." 
 
 " Oh ! no one else will," declared Polly cheer- 
 fully. " Of course not. Alexia."
 
 430 THE WHITNEYS LITTLE PLAN. 
 
 And then Jencks walked in with his seven 
 boxes exactly alike as to size, and deposited 
 them solemnly in a row on the blue and white 
 lounge. " For Miss Phronsie Pepper, and not 
 to be opened till to-morrow, Miss Mary." 
 
 " Polly," said Alexia in a stage whisper, and 
 jumping up as Jencks disappeared to run over 
 to the row, " do you suppose they are dolls ? " 
 
 " I shall die if they are," declared Polly 
 desperately, and sitting quite still. 
 
 " They surely look like dolls on the very 
 covers," said Alexia, fingering the cords. " Would 
 it be so very wrong to open one box, and just 
 relieve our suspense ? Just one, Polly ? " 
 
 " No, no, don't," cried Polly sharply. "They 
 belong to Phronsie. But oh dear me ! " 
 
 " And just think," said Alexia, like a Job's 
 comforter, and looking over at the clock, " it's 
 only half-past eleven. Polly Pepper, there's 
 time for oceans more to come in yet." 
 
 " It's perfectly horrid to get such a scrap of 
 an outing," said Joel that night, sprawling on
 
 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN. 431 
 
 the rug before the library fare, " only four days ! 
 Why couldn't Mr. Marks be sick longer than 
 that, if he was going to be sick at all, pray ? " 
 
 " These four days will give you strength for 
 your 'exams,' won't they, Joe ?" asked Van. 
 
 Joel turned his black eyes on him and coolly 
 said Yes, then he made a wry face, doubled 
 up a bit of paper, and aimed it at Van. 
 
 Davie sighed, and looked up anxiously. "I 
 hope Mr. Marks will come out all right so that 
 we can go back Monday." 
 
 " I only hope he'll stay ill," said Joel affec- 
 tionately. " 'Tisn't safe anyway for us to go 
 back Monday. It may be typhoid fever, you 
 know, Mamsie," looking over at her. 
 
 " They'll let us know soon enough if that's 
 the case," said Mother Fisher in the lamp-light 
 over by the center-table. " No, I expect your 
 letter to-morrow will say ' Come Monday.' " 
 
 " Well, it's a downright shame for us to be 
 pulled off so soon," cried Joel indignantly, sit- 
 ting straight.
 
 432 THE WHITNEYS LITTLE PLAN. 
 
 *' Think how soon the term ends, Joe,'* cried 
 Polly, " then you have such a long outing." She 
 sighed as she thought of the separation to come, 
 and the sea between them. 
 
 "That's nothing; only a dreadful little time 
 soon be gone," grunted Joel, turning his face 
 to look at the brightly-leaping flames the cool 
 evening had made necessary. 
 
 Ben glanced over at Polly. " Don't talk of the 
 summer," he was going to say, but stopped in 
 time. Phronsie set her doll carefully in the 
 corner of the sofa, and went over to Joel. 
 
 " Does your head ache often at school, Joel ? " 
 she asked, softly laying her cool little palm on 
 his stubby hair. 
 
 "Yes," said Joel, "it does, awfully, Phronsie; 
 and nobody cares, and says ' Stop studying.' " 
 
 A shout greeted this. 
 
 "That's too bad," said Phronsie pityingly, 
 " I shall just write and ask Mr. Marks if he 
 won't let you stop and rest when it aches." 
 
 "'Twouldn't do any good, Phronsie," said
 
 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN. 433 
 
 Joel, "nothing would. He's a regular old 
 grinder, Marks is." 
 
 "Mr. Marks," said Phronsie slowly, "I don't 
 know who you mean by Marks, Joel. And what 
 is a grinder, please ? " getting down on her 
 knees to look in his face. 
 
 "And he works us boys so, Phronsie you 
 can't think," said Joel, ignoring the question. 
 
 " What is a grinder, Joel, please tell me," re- 
 peated Phronsie with gentle persistence. 
 
 " Oh ! a grinder is a horrid buffer," began Joel 
 impatiently. 
 
 " Joel," said Mrs. Fisher, reprovingly. The 
 fire in her black eyes was not pleasant to look 
 at, and after one glance, he turned back to the 
 blazing logs once more. 
 
 " I can't help it," he muttered, picking up the 
 tongs to poke the fire. 
 
 " Don't ever let me hear that excuse from a 
 son of mine," said Mother Fisher scornfully. 
 " Can't help it. I'd be master of myself, that's 
 one thing."
 
 434 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN. 
 
 Joel set the tongs back with an unsteady 
 hand. They slipped and fell to the hearth with 
 a clang. 
 
 " Mamsie, I didn't mean," he began, finding 
 his feet. And before any one could draw a long 
 breath, he rushed out of the room. 
 
 There was a dreadful pause. Polly clasped 
 her hands tightly together, and looked at her 
 mother. Mrs. Fisher quietly put her sewing 
 into the big basket and got out of her chair. 
 
 " Oh ! what is the matter with Joey ? " cried 
 Phronsie, standing quite still by the deserted 
 hearth-rug. " Mamsie, do you suppose his 
 head aches ? " 
 
 " I think it must," said Mrs. Fisher gravely. 
 Then she went out very quietly and they could 
 hear her going up the stairs. 
 
 With a firm step she went into her own room, 
 and turned up the gas. The flash revealed Joel, 
 face downward on the broad, comfortable sofa. 
 Mrs. Fisher went over and closed the door, then 
 came to his side.
 
 THE WHITNEYS' LITTLE PLAN. 435 
 
 " I thought, my boy," she said, " that I should 
 find you here. Now then, tell mother all about 
 it," and lifting his head, she sat down and took 
 it into her lap. 
 
 " O, dear !'" cried Joel, burrowing deep in the 
 comfortable lap, " oh, dear oh, dear ! " 
 
 
 "NOW, THEN, TELL MOTHER ALL ABOUT IT." 
 
 " Now, that is silly, Josey," said MotheV 
 Fisher, " tell me at once what all this trouble 
 is about," passing her firm hands over his hot 
 forehead, and trying to look in his face. But 
 he struggled to turn it away from her. 
 
 " In the first place I just hate school ! " he 
 exploded.
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 HATE school?" cried Mother Pepper. 
 " O, Josey ! think how Ben wanted more 
 schooling, only he wouldn't take the chance 
 when Mr. King offered it to him because he felt 
 that he must be earning money as soon as 
 possible. O, Josey !" 
 
 That "O, Josey!" cut deeply. Joel winced and 
 burrowed deeper under his mother's fingers. 
 
 " That's just it," he cried. " Ben wanted it, 
 and I don't. I hate it, and I don't want to 
 go back." 
 
 " Don't want to go back ? " repeated Mrs. 
 Fisher in dismay. 
 
 " No, I don't. The fellows are always twitting 
 me, and every one gets ahead of me, and I'm 
 43 6
 
 JOEL. 437 
 
 everlastingly staying in from ball-games to make 
 up lessons, and I'd like to fire the books, I 
 would," cried Joel with venom. 
 
 Mrs. Fisher said nothing, but the hands still 
 stroked the brown stubby head in her lap. 
 
 " And nobody cares for me because I won't be 
 smart like the others, but I can't help it, I just 
 hate school ! " finished Joel in the same strain. 
 
 " Joel," said Mother Fisher slowly, " if that 
 is the case, I shall go down to Mr. King and 
 tell him that we, Father Fisher and I, Polly 
 and Phronsie, will not go abroad with him." 
 
 Joel bolted upright and putting down his two 
 hands, brought his black eyes to bear on her. 
 
 "What?" 
 
 " I shall go directly downstairs and tell Mr. 
 King that Father Fisher and I, Polly and 
 Phronsie, will not go abroad with him," re- 
 peated his mother slowly and distinctly while 
 she looked him fully in the face. 
 
 "You can't do that," said Joel in amazement. 
 " He's engaged the state-rooms."
 
 438 JOEL. 
 
 "That makes no difference," said Mrs. Fisher, 
 " when a woman has a boy who needs her, noth- 
 ing should stand in the way. And I must stay 
 at home and take care of you, Joel." 
 
 Joel sprang to his feet and began to prance 
 up and down the floor. " I'm big enough to 
 take care of myself, mother," he declared, com- 
 ing up to her, to prance off again. 
 
 "So I thought," said Mrs. Fisher composedly, 
 " or I shouldn't have placed you at Mr. Marks's 
 school." 
 
 "The idea, Mamsie, of your staying. at home 
 to take care of me," said Joel excitedly. " Why, 
 feel of that." He bared his arm, and coming 
 up, thrust it out for inspection. "Isn't that 
 splendid ? I do verily believe I could whip 
 any fellow in school, I do," he cried, regard- 
 ing his muscles affectionately. " If you don't 
 believe it, just pinch them hard. You don't 
 mean it really, Mamsie, what you said of course. 
 The idea of staying at home to take care of me," 
 and he began to prance again.
 
 JOEL. 439 
 
 " I don't care how many boys you can whip," 
 observed Mother Fisher coolly, " as long as you 
 can't whip your own self when you're naughty, 
 you're too weak to go alone, and I must stay at 
 home." 
 
 Joel stopped suddenly and looked at her. . 
 
 "And before I'd give up, a boy of thirteen, 
 and beg to be taken away from school because 
 the lessons were hard, and I didn't like to study, 
 I'd work myself to skin and bone but I'd go 
 through creditably." Mrs. Fisher sat straight 
 now as an arrow in her corner of the sofa. 
 " I've said my say, Joel," she finished after a 
 pause, " and now I shall go down and tell Mr. 
 King." 
 
 " Mother," howled Joel, dashing across the 
 room to her, "don't go ! I'll stay, I will. Don't 
 say that again, about my having to be taken 
 care of like a baby. I'll be good, mother, and 
 study." 
 
 "Study don't amount to much unless you are 
 glad of the chance," said Mrs. Fisher sharply.
 
 440 JOEL. 
 
 " I wouldn't give a fig for it, being driven to 
 it," and her lips curled scornfully. 
 
 Joel wilted miserably. " I do care for the 
 chance," he cried ; " just try me, and see." 
 
 Mrs. Fisher took his sunburnt face between 
 her two hands. " Do you really wish to go 
 back to school, and put your mind on your 
 books ? Be honest, now." 
 
 " Yes, I do," said Joel, without winking. 
 
 " Well, you never told me a lie, and I know 
 you won't begin now," said Mother Fisher, 
 slowly releasing him. " You may go back, Joe ; 
 I'll trust you." 
 
 " Phronsie," said Jasper, as the sound of the 
 two voices could be heard in Mother Fisher's 
 room, " don't you want to come into my den ? 
 I've some new bugs in the cabinet found a 
 regular beauty to-day." 
 
 Phronsie stood quite still just where Joel had 
 left her; her hands were clasped and tears were 
 rolling slowly down her cheeks. " No," she said, 
 without looking at him, "Jasper, I don't."
 
 JOEL. 44 I 
 
 " Do come, Phronsie," he begged, going over 
 to her, and holding out his hand. " You can't 
 think how nice the new one is, with yellow 
 stripes and two long horns. Come and see it, 
 Phronsie." 
 
 " No, Jasper," said the child quietly. Then in 
 the next breath, " I think Joey must be very sick." 
 
 " Oh ! Mamsie is taking care of him, and 
 he'll soon be all right," broke in Polly cheerily. 
 " Do go with Jasper, Phronsie, do, dear." She 
 took hold of the clasped hands, and smiled up 
 into the drooping face. 
 
 But Phronsie shook her head and said " No." 
 
 " If Grandpapa should come in and find her 
 so 'twould be very dreadful ! " exclaimed Polly, 
 looking over at the five boys, who in this sudden 
 emergency were knocked speechless. " Do let 
 us all play some game. Can't some one think 
 of one ? " 
 
 "Let us play 'Twenty Questions,' " proposed 
 Jasper brightly. " I'll begin it, I've thought of 
 something."
 
 442 JOEL. 
 
 "That's horrid," cried Van, finding his tongue, 
 "none of us want to play that, I'm sure." 
 
 "I do," said David. "I think 'Twenty Ques- 
 tions ' is always nice. Is it animal, vegetable 
 or mineral, Jasper?" 
 
 " I'm sick of it. Do play something not quite 
 as old as the hills, I beg." 
 
 " Well, you think of something yourself, old 
 man," said Jasper, nodding furiously at him. 
 " Hurry up." 
 
 " I'd rather have Polly tell a story than any 
 game you could possibly think of," said Van, 
 going over to her, where she sat on the rug at 
 Phronsie's feet. "Polly, will you?" he asked 
 wheedlingly. 
 
 " Don't ask her to-night," interposed Jasper. 
 
 "Yes, I shall. It's the only time we shall 
 have," said Van, "before we go back to school. 
 Do, Polly, will you ? " he begged again. 
 
 "I can't think of the first thing," declared 
 Polly, pushing back little rings of brown hair 
 from her forehead.
 
 JOEL. 443 
 
 "Don't try to think; just spin it off," said 
 Van. " Now begin." 
 
 "You're a regular nuisance, Van ! " exclaimed 
 Jasper indignantly. "Polly, I wouldn't indulge 
 him." 
 
 " I know Phronsie wants a story ; don't you, 
 Phronsie ? " asked Van artfully, and running 
 over to peer into her face. 
 
 But to his astonishment, Phronsie stood per- 
 fectly still. "No," she said again, "I don't 
 want a story ; Joey must be sick." 
 
 "Jasper," cried Polly in despair, and spring- 
 ing up, " something must be done. Grandpapa's 
 coming ; I hear him." 
 
 " Phronsie," said Jasper, bending to speak 
 into her ear, "do you know you are making 
 Polly feel very unhappy ? Just think ; the next 
 thing I don't know but what she'll cry." 
 
 Phronsie unfolded her hands. " Give me your 
 handkerchief, Polly," she said, winking back the 
 rest of the tears. 
 
 " Now, there's a dear," cried Polly, pulling
 
 444 JOEL. 
 
 out her handkerchief and wiping the wet, little 
 face. None too soon ; the door opened and 
 Mr. King' came in. 
 
 " Well well well ! " he exclaimed, looking 
 at them all over his spectacles. " Playing games, 
 hey?" 
 
 "We're going to," said Ben and Jasper together. 
 
 " No, Polly is going to tell a story," said Van 
 loudly, " that is, if you want to hear it, Grand- 
 papa. Do say you do," he begged, going over 
 to whisper in his ear. 
 
 " I want immensely to hear it ! " declared the 
 old gentleman, pulling up an easy-chair to the 
 fireside. " There now," sitting down, " I'm 
 fixed. Now proceed, my dear." 
 
 Van softly clapped his hands. " Phronsie," 
 Mr. King beckoned to her, and then suggestively 
 touched his knee, "here, dear." 
 
 Phronsie scurried across the room to his side. 
 " Yes, Grandpapa." 
 
 " There, up she goes ! " sang Mr. King, swing- 
 ing her into position on his lap. " Now then,
 
 JOEL. 445 
 
 Polly, my child, we are all ready for the wonder- 
 ful tale. Stay, where is Joel ? " 
 
 "Joel went upstairs a little while ago," said 
 Jasper quickly. " Well, now, Polly, do begin." 
 
 " I'll tell how we went to buy Phronsie's 
 shoes," said Polly, drawing up an ottoman to 
 Mr. King's side. " Now, boys, bring your chairs 
 up." 
 
 "Joel ought to know that you are going to 
 tell a story, Polly," said Mr. King. "One of 
 you boys run out and call him at the foot of the 
 stairs." 
 
 " He's in Mamsie's room," said Ben. " I 
 suppose when she gets through with him, he'll 
 come down." 
 
 "Oh! ah!" said the old gentleman. "Well, 
 Polly, then perhaps you would better proceed." 
 
 So Polly began on the never tiresome recital, 
 how Phronsie fell down the stairs leading from 
 the kitchen to the " provision room " in the little 
 brown house, with the bread-knife in her hand ; 
 and how, because she cut her thumb so that it
 
 446 JOEL. 
 
 bled dreadfully, mother decided that she could 
 at last have a pair of shoes bought especially 
 for her very own self ; and how Deacon Brown's 
 old horse and wagon were procured, and they 
 all set forth, except mother, and how they rode 
 to town, and how the Beebes were just as good 
 as gold, and how the red-topped shoes fitted as 
 if they were made for Phronsie's feet, and how 
 they all went home, and how Phronsie danced 
 around the kitchen till she was all tired out, 
 and then went to bed carrying the new shoes 
 with her, and how she fell asleep with 
 
 "Why, I declare," exclaimed Polly, reaching 
 tin's, denouement in a delightfully roundabout way, 
 " if she isn't asleep now! " 
 
 And indeed she was. So she had to be car- 
 ried up to bed in the same old way ; only this 
 time it was Jasper instead of Polly, that held 
 her. 
 
 " Don't you believe we'd better put it off till 
 some other night ? " whispered Percy to Van on 
 the way upstairs to bed, the library party having
 
 JOEL. 447 
 
 broken up early. " A fellow don't want to see 
 a burglar on top of the time Joel has had." 
 
 " No, no," said Van ; " it'll be good for him, 
 and knock the other thing out of his head, 
 don't you see, Percy ? I should want something 
 else to think of if I were Joel. You can't back 
 out ; you promised, you know." 
 
 " Well, and I'll do it," said Percy testily. 
 
 " It's no use trying to sleep," declared Joel, 
 in the middle of the night, and kicking the 
 bedclothes for the dozenth time into a roll 
 at the foot, "as long as I can see Mamsie's 
 eyes. I'll just get up and tackle that Latin 
 grammar now. Whew ! haven't I got to work, 
 though. Might as well begin at it," and he 
 jumped out of bed. 
 
 Stepping softly over to the door that led into 
 David's little room, he closed it carefully, and 
 with a sigh, lighted the gas. Then he went 
 over to the table where his school books ought 
 to have been. But instead, the space was piled 
 with a great variety of things one or two
 
 448 JOEL. 
 
 balls, a tennis racket, and a confusion of fishing 
 tackle, while in front, the last thing that had 
 occupied him that day, lay a book of artificial 
 flies. 
 
 Joel set his teeth together hard, and looked at 
 them. " Suppose I sha'n't get much of this sort 
 of thing this summer," he muttered. " Here 
 goes!" and without trusting himself to take 
 another look, he swept them all off down to the 
 floor and into a corner. 
 
 " There," he said, standing up straight, " lie 
 there, will you ? " But they loomed up in a 
 suggestive heap, and his fingers trembled to 
 just touch them once. 
 
 " I must cover up the things, or else I know 
 I'll be at them," he said, and hurrying over to 
 the bed, he dragged off the coverlid. " Now," 
 and he threw it over the fascinating mass, "I've 
 got to study. Dear me, where are my books ? " 
 
 For the next five minutes Joel had enough to 
 do to collect his working instruments, and when 
 at last he unearthed them from the corner of
 
 JOEL. 449 
 
 his closet where he had thrown them under a 
 pile of boots, he was tired enough to sit down. 
 
 " I don't know which to go at first," he groaned, 
 whirling the leaves of the upper book. " It 
 ought to be Latin but then it ought to be 
 algebra just as much, and as for history well 
 there here goes, I'll take them as they come." 
 
 With a very red face Joel plunged into the 
 first one under his hand. It proved to be the 
 Latin grammar, and with a grimace, he found 
 the page, and resting his elbows on the table, 
 he seized each side of his stubby head with his 
 hand. "I'll hang on to my hair," he said, and 
 plunged into his task. 
 
 And now there was no sound in the room but 
 his hard breathing, and the noise he made turn- 
 ing the leaves, for he very soon found he was 
 obliged to go back many lessons to understand 
 how to approach the one before him ; and with 
 cheeks growing every instant more scarlet with 
 shame and confusion, the drops of perspiration 
 ran down his forehead and fell on his book.
 
 450 JOEL. 
 
 " Whew ! " he exclaimed, " it's horribly hot," 
 and pushing back his book, he tiptoed over to 
 the other window and softly raised it. The 
 cool air blew into his face, and leaning far out 
 into the dark night, he drew in deep breaths. 
 
 " I've skinned through and saved my neck a 
 thousand times," he reflected, " and now I've 
 got to dig like sixty to make up. There's Dave 
 now, sleeping in there like a cat ; he don't have 
 anything to do, but to run ahead of the class 
 like lightning just because he " 
 
 " Loves it," something seemed to sting the 
 words into him. Joel drew in his head and 
 turned abruptly away from the window. 
 
 " Pshaw ! well, here goes," he exclaimed again, 
 throwing himself into his chair. " She said 'I'd 
 work myself to skin and bone but I'd go through 
 creditably.' " Joel bared his brown arm and 
 regarded it critically. " I wonder how 'twould 
 look all skin and bone," and he gave a short 
 laugh. 
 
 " But this isn't studying." He pulled down
 
 JOEL. 451 
 
 his sleeve, and his head went over the book 
 again. 
 
 Outside, a bright blue eye applied to the key 
 hole, gave place to a bright brown one, till such 
 time as the persons to whom the eyes belonged, 
 were satisfied as to the condition of the interior 
 they were surveying. 
 
 " What do you suppose he's doing ? " whis- 
 pered the taller figure, putting his face concealed 
 under a black mask, closely to the ear of the other 
 person, whose countenance was similarly adorned. 
 
 " Don't know," whispered the second black 
 mask. " He acts dreadfully queer, but I sup- 
 pose he's got a novel. So you see it's our duty 
 to break it up," he added virtuously. 
 
 The taller figure shook his head, but as it 
 was very dark on their side of Joel's door, the 
 movement was unobserved. 
 
 " Well, come on," whispered the second black 
 mask. " Are you ready ? " 
 
 "Yes." 
 
 " Come then."
 
 452 
 
 JOEL. 
 
 "O, dear, dear!" grunted Joel, "I'd rather 
 chop wood as I used to, years ago, to help the 
 little brown house out," swinging his arms up 
 over his head. " Why " 
 
 And he was left in darkness, his arms falling 
 nervelessly to his 
 side, while a cau- 
 tious step across 
 the room made his 
 black eyes stand 
 out in fright. 
 
 " A burglar a 
 burglar ! " flashed 
 through his mind. 
 He held his breath 
 
 hard and his knees knocked together. But 
 Marnsie's eyes seemed to look with scorn on 
 him again. Joel straightened up, clenched his 
 fist, and every minute expecting to be knocked 
 on the head, he crept like a cat to the further 
 corner, even in this extremity, grumbling in- 
 wardly because Mr. King would not allow fire- 
 
 l'D RATHER CHOP WOOD."
 
 JOEL. 453 
 
 arms. " If I only had them now ! " he thought. 
 "Well, I must get my club." 
 
 But there was no time to get it. Joel creep- 
 ing along, feeling his way cautiously, soon knew 
 that there were two burglars instead of one in 
 the room, and his mind was made up. 
 
 "They'll be after Grandpapa's money, sure," 
 he thought. " I have got to get out, and 
 warn him." 
 
 But how ? that was the question. 
 
 Getting down on all-fours, holding his breath, 
 yet with never a thought of danger to himself ; 
 he crept along toward the door leading into 
 the hall, then stopped and rested under cover 
 of the heavy window drapery. But as quick as 
 a flash, two dark figures, that now, his eyes 
 becoming more accustomed to the darkness, he 
 could dimly distinguish, reached there before 
 him, and the key clicking in the lock, Joel 
 knew that all hope from escape by that quarter 
 was gone. 
 
 Like a cat, he sprang to his feet, swung the
 
 454 JOEL. 
 
 drapery out suddenly toward the figures, and in 
 the next second hurled himself over the window- 
 sill, hanging to the edge, grasping the blind, 
 crawling to the next window, and so on and 
 over, and down, down, by any friendly thing he 
 could grasp, to the ground. 
 
 Two black masks hung over the deserted 
 window-edge. 
 
 " Joe Joe ! it's only we boys Percy and 
 Van. Joe Joe !" 
 
 "He'll be killed!" gasped Van, his face as 
 white as Joel's robe fluttering below them in 
 his wild descent. " Stop him, Percy. Oh ! do 
 stop him." 
 
 Percy clung to the window-sill, and danced in 
 distress. " Stop him ! " he was beyond uttering 
 anything more. 
 
 " Yes, O, Joe ! don't you see it's only Percy 
 and Van ? " cried Van persuasively, and hang- 
 ing out the window to the imminent danger of 
 adding himself to Joel's company. 
 
 Percy shoved him back. " He's most down,"
 
 JOEL. 457 
 
 he said, finding his breath. " Now we'll run 
 downstairs and let him in." 
 
 Van flew off from the window. " I'll go ; it's 
 my scrape," and he was unfocking the door. 
 
 " I'm the oldest," said Percy, hurrying to get 
 there first. " I ought to have known better." 
 
 This made Van furious, and pushing Percy 
 with all his might, he wriggled out first as the 
 door flew open, and not forgetting to tiptoe 
 down the hall, he hurried along, Percy behind 
 him, to hear the noise of men's feet coming 
 over the stairs. 
 
 Van tried to rush forward shouting, "Thomas, 
 it's we boys Percy and Van." Instead, he 
 only succeeded in the darkness, in stumbling 
 over a chair, and falling flat with it amid a 
 frightful racket that drowned his voice. 
 
 Old Mr. King who had been awakened by 
 the previous noise, and rung his burglar alarm 
 that connected with Thomas and Jencks' rooms 
 in the stable, now cried out from his doorway, 
 " Make quick work, Thomas," and Percy saw
 
 458 JOEL. 
 
 the gleam of a pistol held high in Thorna? 
 hand. 
 
 Up with a rush came bare feet over the 
 back stairs ; a flutter of something white, and 
 Joel sprang in between them. "It's Percy 
 it's Percy ! " he screamed, " don't you see, 
 Thomas ? " 
 
 " I'm Percy don't shoot! " the tallest bu^ 
 lar kept saying without intermission, while the 
 flaring of candles and frightened voices, told of 
 the aroused household. 
 
 " Make quick work, Jencks ! " shouted Mr. 
 King from his doorway, to add to the general 
 din. 
 
 Thomas, whose blood was up, determined once 
 for all to put an end to the profession of burglary 
 as far as his master's house was concerned, now 
 drew nearer, steadying his pistol and trying to 
 sight the nearest fellow. This proved to be 
 Van, now struggling to his feet. 
 
 Joel took one wild step forward. " Thomas 
 don't shoot ! It's Van ! "
 
 JOEL. 459 
 
 " Make quick work, Thomas ! " called Mr. 
 King. 
 
 There was but a moment in which to decide. 
 It was either Van or he ; and in an instant Joel 
 had stepped in front of the pistol.
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 OF MANY THINGS. 
 
 VAN threw his arms around Joel. 
 " Make quick work, Thomas," called 
 Mr. King from his doorway. The pistol fell 
 from Thomas's hand. " I've shot one of the 
 boys. Och, murther ! " he screamed. 
 
 And everybody rushing up, supposed it was 
 Van, who was writhing and screaming unintel 
 ligibly in the corner. 
 
 "Oh! I've killed him," they finally made 
 out. 
 
 Who who ? O, Van ! who ? " 
 
 "Joey," screamed Van, bending over a white 
 heap on the floor. " Oh ! make him get up. 
 Oh! I've killed him." 
 
 The mask was hanging by one end from his 
 460
 
 OF MANY THINGS. 461 
 
 white face, and his eyes protruded wildly. Up 
 flew another figure adorned with a second black 
 mask. 
 
 " No, no, it was I," and Percy rushed for- 
 ward with an "O, Joel, Joel ! " 
 
 Somebody lighted the gas, that flashed sud- 
 denly over the terrified group, and somebody 
 else lifted the heap from the corner. And as 
 they did so, Joel stirred and opened his eyes. 
 
 "Don't make such a fuss," he said crossly. 
 One hand had gripped the sleeve of his night- 
 dress, trying to hold it up in a little wad on the 
 shoulder, the blood pouring down the arm. At 
 sight of this, Van collapsed and slid to the floor. 
 
 " Don't frighten Mamsie," said Joel, his head 
 drooping, despite his efforts to hold it up. "I'm 
 all right ; nothing but a scratch. Ugh ! let me 
 be, will you ? " to Mr. Whitney and Jasper, who 
 were trying to support him. 
 
 And Mother Fisher, for the first time since 
 the children had known her, lost her self- 
 control.
 
 462 OF MANY THINGS. 
 
 " O, Joey ! and mother was cross to you," 
 she could only sob as she reached him. 
 
 Polly, at a nod from the little doctor's night- 
 cap and a few hurried words, ran as in a dream, 
 for the case of instruments in his bedroom. 
 
 "All right, Mamsie !" exclaimed Joel in sur- 
 prise, and trying to stagger to his feet. 
 
 " Good heavens and earth ! " cried old Mr. 
 King, approaching. u What ? oh ! it's mon- 
 strous Joel ! " 
 
 " Och, murther ! " Thomas sidled along the 
 edge of the group, rolling fearful eyes at them, 
 and repeating over and over, " I've shot that 
 boy that boy ! " 
 
 All this occupied but an instant, and Joel was 
 laid on his bed, and the wound which proved 
 to be only a flesh one, the ball cutting a little 
 furrow as it grazed the shoulder, was dressed, 
 and everybody drew a long breath. " Tell Van 
 that I'm all right," Joel kept saying all the 
 time. 
 
 Polly undertook to do this.
 
 OF MANY THINGS. 463 
 
 "Van Van!" she cried, running out into 
 the hall to lay a shaking hand on his arm, 
 where he lay on the floor. " Joel sent me to 
 say that he is all right." 
 
 " Polly, I've killed him ! " Van thrust his head 
 
 "O, JOEY! AND MOTHER WAS CROSS TO YOU." 
 
 up suddenly and looked at her, with wild eyes. 
 " I have don't speak to me, or look at me. 
 I've killed Joel!" 
 
 "Take off this- dreadful thing," said Polly 
 with a shiver, and kneeling down, she seized
 
 464 OF MANY THINGS. 
 
 the strings that tied the mask. " O, dear ! it's 
 all in a knot. Wait, I'll get the scissors," and 
 she found her feet, and ran off to her room. 
 
 " Now you are all right ;" he gave a little sob 
 as the mask tumbled off. " Oh ! how could 
 you ? " she wanted to say, but Van's distress 
 was too dreadful for anything but comfort. 
 
 " Don't you see," said Polly, sitting down on 
 the floor and cuddling up his head in her lap, 
 "that Joel is really all right now? Suppose we 
 hadn't a Father Fisher who was a doctor, what 
 should we do then ? " and she even managed a 
 faint laugh. 
 
 "O, dear! but I've killed Joel." Van cov- 
 ered his face with the folds of her flannel dress 
 and wailed on. 
 
 " Now, just see here, Van Whitney," said 
 Polly, with the air of authority, " I tell you that 
 Joel is all right now. Don't you say that again 
 not once more, Vanny." 
 
 " But I have ki I mean I saw Thomas 
 shoot, and I couldn't stop him," and Van writhed
 
 OF MANY THINGS. 465 
 
 ) 
 fearfully, ending with a scream "I've ki " 
 
 but Polly, clapping her hand over his mouth, 
 kept the words back. 
 
 Meanwhile Percy had rushed out of the 
 house. 
 
 " Oh ! " cried Polly, when this new alarm 
 sprang up, and everybody was running hither 
 and thither to comfort him by the assurance 
 that Joel was not much hurt, " do, Uncle Mason 
 and Jasper, let me go with you." 
 
 " No, no, you stay here, Polly," cried Jasper, 
 throwing wide the heavy front door. " Brother 
 Mason and I will find him. Don't worry, Polly." 
 
 " I know I could help," said Polly, hanging 
 over the stair-railing. " Oh ! do let me," she 
 begged. 
 
 "No, no, child," said Mr. Whitney, with pal- 
 ing lips. " Stay where you are, and take care 
 of the others. Now, then, Jasper, is Jencks 
 ready with the lantern ? " 
 
 " All right," said Jasper. " Come on. " 
 
 Polly, longing to fly to the window to watch
 
 466 OF MANY THINGS. 
 
 at least, the lantern's twinkling light across the 
 lawn, hurried off to comfort Aunt Whitney, who 
 at this new stage in the affairs, was walking her 
 room, biting her lips to keep from screaming 
 the terror that clutched at her heart. 
 
 " O, Polly ! " she cried, " I'm so glad you've 
 come. I should die if left alone here much 
 longer;" her soft hair floated down the white 
 robe, and the blue eyes were filled with tears. 
 " Do tell me, don't you think they will find 
 Percy ? " 
 
 " Yes, indeed ! " declared Polly, cuddling up 
 to the little woman. " O, Aunty ! remember 
 when Dicky's leg was broken." 
 
 " But this is much worse," said Mrs. Whit- 
 ney, sobbing, and holding close to Polly's warm 
 hand. 
 
 " But we thought he was dead," and Polly 
 gave a little shiver. 
 
 "Don't don't," begged Mrs. Whitney, put- 
 ting her hand over her eyes ; " O, Polly ! don't." 
 
 " But he wasn't, you see, Aunty," Polly hur-
 
 OF MANY THINGS. 467 
 
 ried on, " and so now you know it will come 
 out all right about Per There ! Oh ! they've 
 found him," as a shout from the lawn rang out. 
 
 "Do you suppose it, Polly?" cried Mrs. 
 Whitney, taking down her hand to clasp it over 
 its fellow. " Oh ! do run to the window and 
 see." 
 
 So Polly ran to the window in the next room 
 that overlooked that part of the lawn where 
 Mr. Whitney and Jasper were searching, and 
 strained her gaze up and down, and in every 
 direction. 
 
 " Have they ? oh ! have they ? " cried Mrs. 
 Whitney. " O, Polly ! do tell me." 
 
 "I don't see any of them," said Polly, lis- 
 tening eagerly for another cry, " but I do be- 
 lieve they've found him." 
 
 " Do come back," implored Mrs. Whitney ; 
 " there, now, don't go again, Polly," as Polly 
 hurried to her side, "but just hold my hand." 
 
 " I will," said Polly, "just as tight as I can, 
 Aunty."
 
 468 OK MANY THINGS. 
 
 "Oh oh! Percy is so much worse off than 
 Joel," wailed Mrs. Whitney. " Oh ! to do such 
 a thing, Polly," she groaned. 
 
 "They only meant it in fun," said Polly, 
 swallowing hard the lump in her throat, " don't 
 let us talk about it, Aunty." 
 
 " And Van," cried Mrs. Whitney, running on. 
 " Oh ! my poor, poor boys. Will your mother 
 ever forgive me, Polly ? " 
 
 " O, Aunty ! don't talk so," said Polly ten- 
 derly ; " and we both ought to be out helping. 
 There's Van, Aunty ; just think how he feels." 
 
 " I can't go near him," cried Mrs. Whitney 
 in distress, " as long as he is in Joel's room, 
 for I can't see your mother's eyes, Polly. It 
 would kill me to have her look at me." 
 
 The door opened at this, and the trail of a 
 long silken wrapper was heard on the floor. 
 
 " Mrs. Chatterton," said Mrs. Whitney, rais- 
 ing her head and looking at the new-comer 
 with as much anger as her gentle face could 
 contain, " I really cannot see you in my room
 
 OK MANY THINGS. 469 
 
 to-night. Excuse me, but I am unstrung by all 
 that has occurred. Will you please not come 
 in " 
 
 " I thought I might sit with you," said Mrs. 
 Chatterton. In the brief interval since the 
 arousing of the household, she had contrived to 
 make a perfect breakfast toilet, and she folded 
 her hands over her handsome gown. "Polly 
 might then be with her mother. But if you 
 don't wish me 'to remain, I will go." 
 
 " I do not need you," said Mrs. Whitney, 
 decidedly, and she turned to Polly again. 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton moved away, and closed the 
 door after her. 
 
 " Aunty," said Polly, " she really wants to 
 help you." 
 
 " Polly, you needn't say anything about it," 
 exclaimed Mrs. Whitney, like many other gentle 
 creatures, when roused, becoming unreasonably 
 prejudiced ; " I cannot bear the sight of that 
 woman. She has been here so long, and is so 
 intensely disagreeable to us all."
 
 470 OF MANY THINGS. 
 
 Polly's eyes became very round, and she held 
 her breath in astonishment. 
 
 " Don't look so, child," said Mrs. Whitney at 
 length, "you don't understand, my dear. But 
 you would if you were in my place " 
 
 "She's sorry for it," said Polly, finding her 
 tongue at last. 
 
 "And father is nearly worn out with her," 
 continued Mrs. Whitney. " And now to come 
 parading her attentions upon me, it" 
 
 " Who who ? " Dicky, now that the ex- 
 citement in Joel's room had died down, had 
 lost his relish for it, and he now pranced into 
 Mrs. Whitney's room. " Who, mamma ? " 
 
 " Mrs. Chatterton," said Mrs. Whitney un- 
 guardedly. " She has disagreeably intruded 
 herself upon me." 
 
 " Has she been in here ? " asked Dick in 
 astonishment. 
 
 " Yes ; asking if she can sit with me," and 
 Polly started at the look in the usually soft 
 blue eyes.
 
 OF MANY THINGS. 471 
 
 "And you wouldn't let her?" asked Dick, 
 stopping short and regarding his mother curi- 
 ously. 
 
 " Of course not, Dicky," she made haste to 
 say. 
 
 " Then I think you did very wrong," declared 
 Dick flatly. 
 
 " O, Dick ! " exclaimed Polly in consterna- 
 tion. 
 
 " And you don't act like my mother at all," 
 said Dick, standing quite stiffly on his sturdy 
 legs, and gazing at her with disapprobation. 
 " Didn't Mrs. Chatterton save my life," he ex- 
 ploded, "when the real burglar was going for 
 me ? Say, didn't she ? " he cried. 
 
 " I have yet to find out that is the truth," said 
 Mrs. Whitney, finding her voice. " O, Dicky," 
 she added, hurt that he should defend another, 
 worst of all, Mrs. Chatterton, " don't talk about 
 her." 
 
 " But I ought to talk about her," persisted 
 Dick. " She saved me as much as she could.
 
 472 OF MANY THINGS. 
 
 Because she won't let anybody thank her, I 
 like her more myself. I'm going to stay with 
 her." 
 
 With that, he held his head high, and marched 
 to the door. 
 
 "Dick, Dick!" called his mother, "come 
 back, dear." 
 
 Dick slowly turned and made his way to her 
 side, but he still regarded her with disapproval. 
 
 " Dick, I want you to go to Mrs. Chatterton's 
 room, and say that I am sorry I refused her 
 offer to help, and that I would like to have her 
 sit with me. Remember, say I am sorry I re- 
 fused her offer to help, Dicky." She leaned 
 forward and kissed her boy, her long, soft hair 
 falling like a veil around the two faces. 
 
 Dick threw his arms around her neck. 
 
 " Now, you're a brick ! " he declared im- 
 pulsively. " I'll bring the old lady, and we'll 
 both sit with you." 
 
 So Polly was free to run back to Mamsie. 
 On the way there she opened the door of Phron-
 
 OF MANY THINGS. 473 
 
 sie's little room, just out of Father and Mother 
 Fisher's. 
 
 " How good it is that she sleeps through it 
 all," said Polly, listening to the regular breath- 
 ing. Then she stole across the room and stood 
 beside the small bed. 
 
 "She looks just as she did the night she took 
 her new shoes to bed," thought Polly; "one 
 hand is over her head, exactly as it was then. 
 O, Phronsie ! to think that you're to have no 
 party to-morrow," and she turned off with a 
 sigh, went out, and closed the door. 
 
 " Percy's here all right ! " cried Jasper, 
 running over the stairs to meet her at the top. 
 
 His eyes were gleaming with excitement, and 
 his face was torn and bleeding. 
 
 " Are you hurt ? " cried Polly, feeling as if 
 the whole family were bound to destruction. 
 " O, Jasper! did you fall ? " 
 
 " Nothing but a scratch. I was fool enough 
 to forget the ledge, and walked off for my 
 pains "
 
 474 OF MANY THINGS. 
 
 " O, Jasper ! " cried Polly, with paling cheeks, 
 " let me bathe it for you, do ; " her strength be- 
 
 "HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO RUN OFF TO SEA." 
 
 gan to return at the thought of action, and she 
 sprang for a basin -of water.
 
 OF MANY THINGS. 475 
 
 " Nonsense. No, Polly ! " cried Jasper, with 
 a quick hand detaining her, "it's nothing but 
 a mere scratch, I tell you, but I suppose it looks 
 terribly. I'll go and wash it off. Run and tell 
 his mother that Percy is found." 
 
 " Is he all right ? " asked Polly fearfully, 
 holding her breath, for the answer. 
 
 " Sound as a nut," declared Jasper ; " we 
 found him streaking it down the locust path ; 
 he said he was going to run off to sea." 
 
 " Run off to sea ! " repeated Polly. " O, 
 Jasper ! " 
 
 "Well, he was so frightened, of course he 
 didn't know what to say," replied Jasper. 
 " And ashamed, too, he didn't care to show his 
 head at home. I don't know as I blame him, 
 Polly. Well, it's too bad about Phronsie's 
 party, isn't it ? " added Jasper, mopping up his 
 face as the two went down the hall. 
 
 " Yes," said Polly with a sigh, stopping at 
 Mrs. Whitney's door, " but, oh ! think how 
 happy we are now that Percy is safe, Jasper."
 
 47 OF MANY THINGS. 
 
 " Still, it's too bad for Phronsie," repeated 
 Jasper, looking back. 
 
 But Joel flatly declared that the first one that 
 even so much as hinted that a single item of 
 the arrangements for Phronsie's getting-well 
 party should be changed, he'd make it dis- 
 agreeable as only he knew how, for that one 
 when he got up from his bed. " Yes, sir ! " and 
 he scolded, and fretted, and fussed, and laid 
 down the law so generally to all, not excepting 
 the doctor, that at last it was decided to let the 
 party go on. Then he lay back against the pil- 
 lows quite exhausted, but with a beatific face. 
 
 " I should think you would be tired, Joe." 
 exclaimed Jasper, " you've bullied us so. Dear 
 me ! people ought to be angelic when they're 
 sick, at least." 
 
 " If you'd had him to take care of as I did," 
 observed Dr. Fisher, "you'd know better; good- 
 ness me ! the little brown house scarcely held 
 him when he was getting over the measles." 
 
 '' What's the use of being sick," said Joel
 
 OF MANY THINGS. 477 
 
 reflectively, turning on his pillow, " if you can't 
 make people stand round, I'd like to know. 
 Now that point's settled about Phronsie's party, 
 won't you all go out? I'd like to speak to Father 
 Fisher a moment." 
 
 " Not me, Joey ? " said Mother Fisher at the 
 head of the bed, holding her boy's hand. 
 
 " Yes ; you, too, Mamsie," said Joel, giving 
 her an affectionate glance, " it's something that 
 only the doctor and I are to know." 
 
 " You're not hurt anywhere else, are you, 
 Joey?" said his mother, a sudden alarm leaping 
 to her black eyes. 
 
 " Not a scratch," said Joel promptly. " I 
 want to see Father Fisher about something. 
 Some time you shall know, Mamsie." He gave 
 her hand a sudden pressure, then let it go. 
 
 " Perhaps you better step out, my dear," said 
 the little doctor, nodding to his wife. So Mrs. 
 Fisher, smothering a sigh, went out reluctantly. 
 
 " All out ? " asked Joel, trying to raise his 
 head to see for himself.
 
 478 OF MANY THINGS. 
 
 " Every soul," said Dr. Fisher. 
 
 '* Well, see here, will you," said Joel, point- 
 ing to the table, the schoolbooks scattered as 
 lie had left them, " pack those things all away 
 in the closet on the shelf, you know, and put 
 the rubbish or) the floor there, back on the 
 table ? " 
 
 Dr. Fisher could not for his life, refrain from 
 asking curiously, as he did as requested, " Been 
 having a pull at the books, eh, Joe ? " 
 
 " Um um maybe," said Joel, twisting 
 uneasily. " Well, now, come here, please, 
 Father Fisher." 
 
 The little man turned away from the table, 
 with its sprawling array of delightful things, to 
 stand by the bedside. 
 
 " You must get me well as soon as you can," 
 said Joel confidentially. 
 
 " All right, I understand," Dr. Fisher nodded 
 professionally. 
 
 " And whatever you say, don't let it be that 
 I must be careful of my eyes," said Joel.
 
 OF MANY THINGS. 479 
 
 "All right; that is, if you get up quickly," 
 agreed the doctor. 
 
 " That's all," said Joel in great -satisfaction. 
 " Now, call Mamsie in and the others." 
 
 And in the morning, no one told Phronsie 
 what had happened the night before. She only 
 knew that Joel was not very well, and was go- 
 ing to keep his room ; all her pleadings to do 
 something for him being set one side by Grand- 
 papa's demands upon her instant attention when- 
 ever the idea suggested itself to her. And so 
 the time wore along till the party began. 
 
 Alexia was the first to arrive, her bowl of 
 orange jelly in her hand, and after her, a tall 
 slight figure jumped from the carriage, hev 
 flaxen hair streaming out in two pale braids. 
 
 "I thought I'd pick Cathie up," said Alexia 
 carelessly; "had to pass her door, you know. 
 Oh ! dear me, what perfectly dreadful times you 
 had last night, Polly Pepper." 
 
 " I didn't bring macaroons," said Cathie ; 
 "as I really think that they wouldn't be good
 
 480 OF MANY THINGS. 
 
 for Phronsie. Besides, I've forgotten how to 
 make them, and our cook was cross and said I 
 shouldn't come into her kitchen. But I bought 
 a doll for Phronsie : my mother said it would be 
 a great deal more sensible present," and she 
 hugged the long box under her arm with great 
 satisfaction. 
 
 " O, dear! dear!" groaned Alexia, falling 
 back with Polly as the three raced along the 
 hall, " she showed it to me in the carriage, and 
 it's a perfect guy, beside counting one more." 
 
 But afflictions like this were small to Polly 
 now, and although for the next hour it rained 
 dolls into Phronsie's puzzled hands, Polly helped 
 her to thank the givers and to dispose them 
 safely on neighboring chairs and tables and 
 sofas. 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton's was the pattern of old Mr. 
 King's phonograph doll, at which discovery he 
 turned upon her with venom in his eye. 
 
 " My gift to my little granddaughter," taking 
 especial care to emphasize the relationship,
 
 OF MANY THINGS. 481 
 
 " has always been a doll, I suppose you knew 
 that, Cousin Eunice, and to try to procure one 
 exactly like the one I have purchased, is very 
 presuming in you, to say the least." 
 
 " And why may I not present a doll to Phron- 
 sie Pepper, if I care to, pray tell ? " demanded 
 Mrs. Chatterton in a high, cold tone. 
 
 " Why ? because you have always showed a 
 marked dislike for the child," cried old Mr. 
 King angrily, " that's why, Cousin Eunice." 
 
 "Grandpapa Grandpapa," said Phronsie, 
 laying her hand on his arm. 
 
 " And to parade any special affection, such 
 as the presentation of a gift indicates, is a piece 
 of presumption on your part, I say it again, 
 Cousin Eunice." 
 
 " Grandpapa ! " said Phronsie again at his 
 elbow. 
 
 " Now, Phronsie," turning to her, " you are 
 to take that doll," pointing to a gorgeous affair 
 reposing on the sofa, with Mrs. Algernon Chat- 
 terton's card attached to it, " and go over to
 
 482 OF MANY THINGS. 
 
 Mrs. Chatterton, and say, very distinctly, ' I 
 cannot accept this gift ; ' mind you say it dis- 
 tinctly, Phronsie, that there may be no mistake 
 in the future." 
 
 " O, Grandpapa!" cried Phronsie in dismay. 
 
 " Yes, child ; I know what is best for you. 
 Take that doll, and do exactly as I bid you." 
 
 A dreadful pause fell upon the room. Polly 
 clasped her hands, while Alexia and the other 
 girls huddled into a corner saying softly, "Oh ! 
 how perfectly dreadful ! " 
 
 " No use to say anything to father when he 
 looks like that," groaned Jasper, when Polly 
 besought him to try his influence, " his blood is 
 up now ; he's borne a good deal, you know, 
 Polly." 
 
 " O, dear, dear ! " whispered Polly back 
 again, "just look at Mrs. Chatterton's face, and 
 at poor Phronsie's ; can't you do something, 
 Jasper?" 
 
 " I'm afraid not," said Jasper gloomily. " No ; 
 he's making her give it back; see, Polly."
 
 OF MANY THINGS. 483 
 
 i 
 
 "You '11 know it's for the bast," Mr. King 
 was repeating as he led the child to Mrs. Chat- 
 terton standing cold and silent at the end of 
 the room, " some time, child, and then you'll 
 thank me that I saved you from further annoy- 
 ance of this sort. There, Cousin Eunice, is 
 your gift," taking the doll from Phronsie's hand, 
 and placing it in the long, jeweled one. " My 
 little granddaughter receives presents only from 
 those who love her. All others are unwar- 
 ranted, and must be returned." 
 
 Phronsie burst out tearfully, " She's sorry, 
 Grandpapa, I know she is, and she loves me 
 now. Please let me keep the doll." 
 
 But Mrs. Chatterton had left the room, the 
 doll in her hand.
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 AWAY. 
 
 AND after that everybody had to be as 
 gay as possible, to keep Phronsie's sad 
 little face from being flooded with tears. 
 
 " Dear me ! " exclaimed Jasper, " here comes 
 Candace ! Now what do you suppose she has 
 for you, Phronsie ? " 
 
 Candace sailed through the doorway with 
 ample satisfaction with everything and herself 
 in particular. 
 
 " Whar's little Miss ? " she demanded, her 
 turban nodding in all directions, and her black 
 eyes rolling from side to side. 
 
 " There, Candace," said some one, " over in 
 the corner with Jasper." 
 
 "Oh! I see her," said Candace, waddling 
 484 
 
 I
 
 AWAY. 485 
 
 over to them. " Well, now, Phronsie, seein' you 
 couldn't come to me for somethin' I made 
 'xpressly fer you, w'y, Candace has to come to 
 you. See dat now, chile ! " 
 
 She unrolled the parcel, disclosing the won- 
 derful doll adorned with Candace's own hair, 
 and " Ole Missus' ruffles," then stood erect, 
 her bosom swelling with pride and delight. 
 
 " Oh, my goodness me ! " exclaimed Alexia, 
 tumbling back after the first and only glance, 
 and nearly overturning Cathie who was looking 
 over her shoulder. " Polly Pepper, oh dear 
 me ! " Then she sat down on the floor and 
 laughed till she cried. 
 
 " Hush hush ! " cried Polly, running over 
 to her, " do stop, Alexia, and get up. She'll 
 hear you, and we wouldn't hurt her feelings for 
 the world. Do stop, Alexia." 
 
 "Oh dear me!" cried Alexia gustily, and 
 holding her sides while she waved back and 
 forth; "if it had been a respectable doll, 
 but that horror ! Oh dear me ! "
 
 486 AWAY. 
 
 " Stop stop ! " commanded Polly, shaking 
 * her arm. 
 
 But Alexia was beyond stopping herself. 
 And in between Candace's delighted recital 
 how she combed " de ha'r to take de curl out," 
 and how "ole Missus' ruffles was made into de 
 clothes," came the peals of laughter that finally 
 made every one in the room stop and look at 
 the girls. 
 
 " Candace, come into my ' den ' and get a 
 pattern for some new pins I want you to make 
 for me," cried Jasper, desperately dragging her 
 off. 
 
 " It's no use to lecture me," said Alexia, sit- 
 ting straight as Candace's feet shuffled down 
 the hall, and wiping her face exhaustedly. " I 
 know it was dreadful oh dear me! Don't 
 anybody speak to me, or I shall disgrace myself 
 again ! " 
 
 " Now, Phronsie, what do you suppose we are 
 to do next ? " 
 
 Phronsie looked up into old Mr. King's face.
 
 AWAY. 487 
 
 " I don't know, Grandpapa," she said wonder- 
 ingly. 
 
 " Well, now, my dear, you've had Punch and 
 Judy, and these nice children," waving his hand 
 to indicate the delegation from the orphan 
 asylum, " have sung beautifully for you. Now 
 what comes next, Phronsie ? " 
 
 " I don't know, Grandpapa," repeated 
 Phronsie. 
 
 " When gifts become burdensome they no 
 longer are kindnesses," said Mr. King. " Now, 
 Phronsie, I have found out never mind how ; 
 little birds, you know, sometimes fly around 
 telling people things they ought to know. 
 Well, I have discovered in some way that my 
 little girl has too many children to care for." 
 
 Here Phronsie's brown eyes became very 
 wide. 
 
 " And when there are too many children in 
 the nest, Phronsie, why, they have to go out 
 into the world to try their fortunes and make 
 other homes. Now there are so many poor lit-
 
 488 AWAY. 
 
 tie girls who haven't any children, Phronsie. 
 Think of that, dear, and you have so many." 
 Phronsie at this drew nearer and stole her 
 hand into his. 
 
 " Now what is to be done about it ? " asked 
 the old gentleman, putting his other broad palm 
 over her little one and holding it fast. " Hey, 
 my pet ? " 
 
 " Can't we buy them some children ? " asked 
 Phronsie with warm interest. " O, Grandpapa 
 dear, do let us ; I have money in my bank." 
 
 " Phronsie," said the old gentleman, going to 
 the heart of the matter at once and lifting her 
 to his lap, " I really think the time has come 
 to give away some of your dolls. I really do, 
 child." 
 
 Phronsie gave a start of incredulity and 
 peered around at him. 
 
 " I really do. You are going abroad to be 
 gone well, we'll say a year. And your dolls 
 would be so lonely without anything to do but 
 to sit all day and think of their little mother.
 
 AWAY. 489 
 
 And there are so many children who would 
 love them and make them happy." Now Mr. 
 King's white hair was very near the yellow 
 waves floating over his shoulder, so that none 
 but Phronsie's ears caught the next words. 
 "It's right, Phronsie dear; I'd do it if I were 
 you," he said in a low voice. 
 
 " Do you want it, Grandpapa ? " asked 
 Phronsie softly. 
 
 " I do, child ; but not unless you are willing " 
 
 "Then I do," declared Phronsie, sitting quite 
 straight on his knee. And she gave a relieved 
 sigh. " O, Grandpapa, if we only had the poor 
 children now ! " she exclaimed, dreadfully ex- 
 cited. 
 
 " Come, then." Old Mr. King set her on her 
 feet. " Clear the way there, good people ; we 
 are going to find some poor children who are 
 waiting for dolls," and he threw wide the door 
 into a back passage, and there, presided over 
 by Jencks, and crowding for the first entrance, 
 was a score of children with outstretched hands.
 
 49 AWAY. 
 
 " Oh oh ! " exclaimed Phronsie with cheeks 
 aflame. 
 
 " Please, he said we was to have dolls," cried 
 one hungry-eyed girl, holding out both her 
 hands. " I've never had one. Please give me 
 one quick." 
 
 " Never had one ? " echoed Phronsie, taking 
 a step toward her. 
 
 " Only a piece, Miss, I found in a rag-barrel. 
 Please give me one quick." 
 
 "She's never had a doll only a piece," re- 
 peated Phronsie, turning back to the family, 
 unable to contain this information. 
 
 " Ask the others if they have had any ? " said 
 Mr. King, leaning against a tall cabinet. " Try 
 that girl there in a brown plaid dress." 
 
 " Have you ever had a doll ? " asked Phronsie 
 obediently, looking over at the girl indicated, 
 and holding her breath for the answer. 
 
 At this, the girl in the brown plaid dress 
 burst into tears, which so distressed Phronsie 
 that she nearly cried.
 
 AWAY. 491 
 
 "Yes, but it died," said the girl after a little. 
 
 " O, Grandpapa, her doll died ! " exclaimed 
 Phronsie in horror. 
 
 " No, it didn't, Jane," corrected another girl, 
 " the dog et it ; you know he did." 
 
 " Yes, I know," said Jane, between small 
 sobs, " it died, and we couldn't have any fun'ral, 
 'cause the dog had et it." 
 
 " Well, now, Phronsie," exclaimed Mr. King, 
 getting away from the support of the cabinet, 
 " I think it's time that we should make some of 
 these children happy. Don't you want to take 
 them up to the playroom and distribute the 
 dolls ? " 
 
 "No, no," protested Phronsie suddenly, "I 
 must go up and tell my children. They will 
 understand it better then, Grandpapa. I'll be 
 back in a very few minutes," and going out she 
 went quickly upstairs, and after a while returned 
 with both arms full. 
 
 " This doll is for you," she said gravely, put- 
 ting a doll attired in a wonderful pink satin
 
 49 2 
 
 costume into Jane's arms. " I've told her about 
 your dog, and she's a little frightened, so please 
 be careful/' 
 
 "What's the fun down there now?" asked 
 Joel of Van, who 
 with Percy could 
 not be persuaded 
 to leave his bed- 
 side a moment, 
 " open the door, 
 do, and let's hear 
 it." 
 
 So Van threw 
 wide the door. 
 
 " Go out and 
 listen, Percy, will 
 you ? " he said. 
 
 " I don't want 
 to/ 1 said Percy, 
 who shared Van's 
 
 WITH BOTH ARMS FULL. 
 
 wish to keep in the background. 
 
 " You two fellows act like muffs," said Joel.
 
 AWAY. 493 
 
 " Now if you want to make me well, go out, do, 
 and tell me what the fun is going on down 
 there." 
 
 So persuaded, the two boys stole out into the 
 hall in time to see Phronsie go down the stairs 
 with her armful, and carefully using their ears 
 they soon rushed back with " Phronsie's giving 
 away her dolls ! " 
 
 "Stuff and nonsense!" exclaimed Joel, " if 
 you can't bring back anything better than that 
 yarn, you might as well stay here." 
 
 " But I tell you it's true," declared Van, " isn't 
 it, Percy ? " 
 
 " Yes, it is," said Percy. " I heard her dis- 
 tinctly say, ' This doll is for you ' and she had 
 her arms full, so I suppose she's going to give 
 those away too " 
 
 " A likely story," said Joel, bursting into a 
 laugh. At the noise up in the boys' room, 
 Mother Fisher ran quickly over the stairs. 
 
 " O, boys ! what is it ? Joel, are you worse ? " 
 
 " No indeed," said Joel, " I was laughing.
 
 494 AWAY. 
 
 Percy and Van have been telling such a big 
 story. Mamsie, they actually said that Phronsie 
 was giving away her dolls." 
 
 " Is that all ? " cried Mrs. Fisher in relief. 
 "Well, so she is, Joel." 
 
 " Phronsie giving away her dolls, Mamsie ?" 
 screamed Joel. " Why, what does Grandpapa 
 say ? " 
 
 ".He's the very one that proposed it," said 
 Mrs. Fisher. " There, Joey, don't get excited, 
 for I don't know what the doctor will say," as 
 Joel sank back on his pillow, overcome by this 
 last piece of news. 
 
 When Phronsie went to bed that night she 
 clasped Mr. King's new gift to her breast. 
 
 " Grandpapa, dear," she said confidingly as 
 they went up the stairs together, " do you know 
 I really think more of this doll, now that the 
 others are gone ? Really I do, Grandpapa, and 
 I can take better care of her, because I shall 
 have more time." 
 
 " So you will, dear," assented Mr. King.
 
 AWAY. 495 
 
 " Well, Phronsie, I think you and I, dear, 
 haven't made a bad day's work." 
 
 " I think my children will be happy," said 
 Phronsie, with a small sigh, " because you see 
 it's so nice to make good times for their new 
 mothers. And, Grandpapa, I couldn't play with 
 each one more than once a week. I used to 
 try to, but I couldn't, Grandpapa." 
 
 " Why didn't you tell me, Phronsie," asked 
 the old gentleman a bit reproachfully as they 
 reached the top step, "how it was, dear? 
 You should have given them away long ago." 
 
 " Ah, but," said Phronsie, slowly shaking her 
 head, " I didn't want to give them away 
 before ; only just now, Grandpapa, and I think 
 they will be happy. And now I'm going to take 
 this newest one to bed, just as I used to take 
 things to bed years ago, when I was a little 
 girl." 
 
 And after all, there was an extension of time 
 for the three boys' vacation, Dr. Marks not get- 
 ting up from his sudden attack of fever as
 
 49 6 AWAY. 
 
 quickly as was expected. But there came a day 
 at last, when Percy, Van and David bade Joel 
 " good-by." 
 
 " It won't be for long," observed that in- 
 dividual cheerfully, " you'll be back in three 
 weeks." 
 
 " Oh dear ! " groaned Percy when safe within 
 the coach, " we've ruined all his chances. He 
 certainly will be plucked now with those 
 three weeks to make up." 
 
 Van gathered himself up and leaned forward 
 in his corner. 
 
 " Don't look so, Dave," he cried desperately. 
 
 David tried to smooth the troubled lines out 
 of his face, but only succeeded in making it 
 look worse than before. 
 
 " And it will kill Mrs. Fisher," Percy con- 
 tinued gloomily, " if he does get plucked, as of 
 course he will." 
 
 " Keep still, will you ?" cried Van, his irrita- 
 tion getting beyond bounds. " What's the use 
 in talking about a thing till it's done," which
 
 AWAY. 497 
 
 had the effect to make Percy remember his 
 promise to Polly and close his mouth. 
 
 But Joel's wound healed quicker than any 
 one supposed it possibly could, and Percy and 
 Van who both hated to write letters, gave up 
 much time on the playground to indite daily 
 bulletins, so that he declared that it was almost 
 as good as being there on the spot. And 
 Mother Fisher and her army of servants cleaned 
 the great stone house from top to bottom, and 
 sorted, and packed away, and made things tidy 
 for the new housekeeper who was to care for 
 them in her absence, till Dr. Fisher raised his 
 eyebrows and hands in astonishment. 
 
 " I really must," he said one day, " put in a* 
 remonstrance, wife, or you'll kill yourself before 
 we start." 
 
 " Oh ! I'm used to working," Mrs. Fisher 
 -vould say cheerily, and then off she would fly to 
 something so much worse, that the little doctor 
 was speechless. 
 
 And Polly set herself at all her studies, es-
 
 498 AWAY. 
 
 pecially French, with redoubled vigor, notwith- 
 standing that she was hampered with the faith- 
 ful attentions of the schoolgirls who fought 
 among themselves for her company, and show- 
 ered her with pathetic "Oh dear me 
 how I shall miss you," and with tears 
 when they got over it. And Jasper buried him- 
 self in his den, only bursting forth at meal 
 times, and Mrs. Whitney bemoaned all prepara- 
 tions for the travelers' departure, and wished a 
 thousand times that she had not given her 
 promise to keep the house and look after the 
 boys. And everybody who had the slightest 
 claim to a calling acquaintance, now dropped in 
 upon the Kings, and Polly had her " good-by 
 party," and it was pronounced perfectly elegant 
 by Alexia and her set, and the three boys came 
 home for the long vacation and in two days 
 the party would sail. 
 
 " Who do you think is going abroad with us ? " 
 asked Mr. King suddenly, as they all sat in the 
 library for a last evening talk ; " guess quickly."
 
 AWAY. 499 
 
 "Who? " cried several voices. 
 
 " Why, I thought you didn't want any out- 
 siders, father," exclaimed Jasper in surprise. 
 
 " Well, and I didn't when I said so, but cir- 
 cumstances are changed now come, guess 
 quickly, some one ? " 
 
 " The Cabots," said Jasper at a venture. 
 
 " No, no ; guess again." 
 
 " Mr. Alstyne ? " 
 
 " No ; again." 
 
 "The Bayleys, the Dyces, the Herrings," 
 shouted Mr. Whitney and Van and Joel. 
 
 "No, I know," broke in Percy, "it's Mrs. 
 Chatterton," with a quick glance to make sure 
 that she was not in the room. 
 
 "M>/" thundered Mr. King. "Oh! how 
 stupid people can be when they want to. Two 
 persons are to meet us in New York to-morrow. 
 I didn't tell you till I was sure ; I had no desire 
 that you should be disappointed. Now guess 
 again." 
 
 " Aunty, do you know ? " asked Polly suddenly,
 
 500 AWAY. 
 
 leaning back, as she sat on the rug in front of 
 the fire, to lay her head in Mrs. Whitney's lap. 
 
 " No, I'm sure I don't," said Mrs. Whitney, 
 stroking lightly the brown hair, with a pang to 
 think how long it would be before she should 
 caress it again. 
 
 " How any one can desire to cross the ocean," 
 remarked Mr. Whitney, folding his hands back of 
 his head and regarding meditatively the glowing 
 fire, " is more than I can see. That I never 
 shall do it again unless whipped over, I'm 
 morally certain." 
 
 " Are the persons men ? " asked Ben suddenly. 
 
 " One is," replied Mr. King. 
 
 " And the other is a woman ? " 
 
 " The other is a woman," said Mr. King. 
 " Well, what are their names. Isn't anybody 
 smart enough to guess them ? Dear me, I've 
 always said that the Peppers were remarkably 
 bright, and the rest of you children are not 
 behind other young people. Go on, try again. 
 Now who are they ? "
 
 AWAY. 501 
 
 Polly took her head out of Mrs. Whitney's 
 lap, and rested her chin in her hands, Davie 
 walked up and down the room, while Ben and 
 the two Whitney boys hung over Mother 
 Fisher's chair. 
 
 " Dear me ! " fumed Joel. " Who ever could 
 guess. There's such a lot of people in the 
 world that Grandpapa knows. It might be any 
 two of them that he has asked." 
 
 Little Dr. Fisher's eyes roved from one to the 
 other of the group. " I couldn't begin to guess 
 because I don't know many of your friends," 
 he said quietly. 
 
 " You know these two people very well," 
 said Mr. King, laughing, to see the little 
 man's face. 
 
 " Now I think I know," said Jasper slowly, a 
 light coming into his gray eyes, " but I don't 
 suppose it's a fair guess, for I saw the address 
 on a letter father was writing two or three 
 weeks ago." 
 
 " You did, you young scamp, you ! " cried Mr.
 
 502 AWAY. 
 
 King, turning on him. " Well, then, 'tisn't a 
 guess for you, Jasper. Keep still, my boy, and 
 let them work away at it. Will no one guess ? " 
 
 "Mamsie," cried Polly, bounding up from the 
 ring, nearly upsetting Phronsie, who was sitting 
 beside her in a brown study, " can it be do 
 you suppose it is nice, dear Mr. and Mrs. 
 Henderson ? " 
 
 "Well, Polly," said Mr. King, beaming at 
 her, " you've done what the others couldn't. 
 Yes, it is Mr. and Mrs. Henderson, and they 
 are going with, us to stay until the autumn." 
 
 " Good, good ! " cried every one till the big 
 room seemed full of joy. 
 
 " O, father ! " exclaimed Mrs. Whitney, " I'm 
 so glad you've done this. They were so kind 
 to Dicky and to me when he was hurt." 
 
 " They were kind to Dicky and to you," said 
 her father; " and besides, Marian, Mr. Hender- 
 son is a man who doesn't preach at you only once 
 a week, and Mrs. Henderson is a fine woman. 
 So it's a pity not to ease up things for them now
 
 AWAY. 503 
 
 and then. Well, how do you like the plan ? " 
 He spoke to Dr. Fisher, but his gaze took them 
 all in. 
 
 "Immensely," said the little doctor; which 
 being again echoed heartily, by all the rest, old 
 Mr. King began to feel very much elated at his 
 part in the proceedings, and in a quarter of an 
 hour it seemed as if the expedition had been 
 especially planned for the benefit of the Hen- 
 dersons, so naturally had it all come about. 
 
 And on the morrow, the whole family, Kings, 
 Whitneys, Fishers and Peppers, turned their 
 backs on the gray stone mansion and went 
 down to the city. 
 
 And Alexia Rhys persuaded her aunt to do 
 her semi-annual shopping at this time, and to 
 take her too ; and Mr. Alstyne also had busi- 
 ness that necessitated his going, and Mr. Cabot 
 and Mary Taylor, and her father found they 
 must go along, too; and Hamilton Dyce was 
 there, and Pickering Dodge, of course, went to 
 be company for Ben on the way back. And at
 
 504 AWAY. 
 
 the last moment who should jump on the train 
 but Livingston Bayley. 
 
 " Had a telegram," he explained ; " must be 
 there at noon. So glad of the unexpected pleas- 
 ure of meeting you all." 
 
 And Cousin Eunice Chatterton went ; for, at 
 the last minute, she had suddenly discovered 
 that she had visited at the gray stone mansion 
 as long as she cared to, and notified the family 
 accordingly. And Mr. King had so far made 
 up for his part in the late unpleasantness as to 
 ask her to go with the party, on her way to her 
 nephew's in the city. So there she was with the 
 others, bidding them good-by on the steamer. 
 
 " Phronsie," she said slowly, under cover of 
 the babel of tongues, "you. are a good child, 
 and I've done well by you. This little bit of 
 paper," putting it into her hand, "contains a 
 message to Mr. King, which you are to give 
 him after you have started." 
 
 " I will go and give it to him now," said 
 Phronsie, her fingers closing over the bit.
 
 AWAY. 505 
 
 " No, no," said Mrs. Chatterton sharply, " do 
 as I say. Remember, on no account to let any one 
 see it till after you have started. You are a good 
 child, Phronsie. Now, remember to do as you 
 are bidden. And now, will you kiss me, child ? " 
 
 Phronsie lifted her eyes and fixed them on 
 the long, white face, and suddenly raising her- 
 self to her tiptoes, she put up her lips. 
 
 " Look at Phron," cried Joel in the midst of 
 the group, " actually kissing Mrs. Chatterton ! " 
 and everybody turned and stared. 
 
 Cousin Eunice dropped her veil with a quick 
 hand, and moved off with a stately step, but not 
 in time to lose young Bayley's drawl : 
 
 " Ton me word it's the most ex-troar-'nary 
 thing. Phronsie, come here, and tell us what 
 'twas like." But Phronsie stood quite still as if 
 she had not heard. 
 
 " Yes, I hope you'll have a nice time," Pick- 
 ering Dodge was saying for the dozenth time, 
 with eyes for no one but Polly, " now don't stay 
 away for a year."
 
 506 AWAY. 
 
 Polly with her heart full of the boys, who 
 were hanging on either side, answered at ran- 
 dom. 
 
 "O, Ben! I can't go," she was exclaiming, 
 and she hid her head on his shoulder, so Pick- 
 ering turned off. 
 
 But Joel set his teeth together. "You must," 
 he said, for Ben was beyond speech with the 
 effort to control himself. 
 
 " I can't," said poor Polly, " leave you, Ben, 
 and the boys." 
 
 And then Mrs. Whitney came up just as 
 Polly was near breaking down. 
 
 " My dear child," she said, taking Polly's 
 hands, " you know it is right for you to go." 
 
 " Yes, I know," said Polly, fighting her tears. 
 
 " Then, Polly, be brave, dear, and don't be- 
 grudge me my three new boys," she added play- 
 fully. " Just think how happy I'm to be, with 
 six such splendid fellows to call my own." 
 
 Polly smiled through her tears. 
 
 " And one thing more," said Mrs. Whitney
 
 AWAY. 509 
 
 in a low voice, " when you feel badly," looking 
 steadily at Polly and the three boys, " remember 
 what Dr. Fisher said ; that if your mother didn't 
 stop working, and rest, she would break down." 
 
 "I'll remember," said Ben hoarsely. 
 
 " So will I," said David. 
 
 " And I will," said Joel, looking everywhere 
 but into Polly's eyes. 
 
 "Well, I hope, Miss Polly," said young Mr. 
 Bayley, sauntering up, " that you'll have an un- 
 commonly nice time, I do indeed. I may run 
 across in September ; if I do, we shall probably 
 meet." 
 
 " Miss Mary Pepper ? " suddenly asked a 
 man with a huge basket of flowers, and pausing 
 in front of her. 
 
 Young Mr. Bayley smiled indulgently as he 
 could not help reading the card thrust into the 
 flowers. " She will receive my flowers at in- 
 tervals all the way over, if the steward doesn't 
 fail me," he reflected with satisfaction, " while 
 this boy s will fade in an hour."
 
 510 AWAY. 
 
 " Miss Mary Pepper ? " the florist's messenger 
 repeated, extending the basket to Polly. 
 
 " It's for you, Miss Polly," said young Mr. 
 Bayley. " Let me relieve you," taking the bas- 
 ket. 
 
 " Oh ! are they for me ? " cried Polly. 
 
 " I believe you are Miss Mary Pepper," said 
 young Bayley. " Pretty, aren't they ? " fingering 
 the roses, and glad to think that there were 
 orchids among the flowers to which his card was 
 attached, and just placed under the steward's 
 care. 
 
 " I suppose I am," said Polly, with a little 
 laugh, " but it seems as if I couldn't be any- 
 thing but Polly Pepper. Oh ! thank you, Pick- 
 ering, for these lovely roses," catching sight of 
 him. . 
 
 " Glad you like them," said Pickering radi- 
 antly. " Say, Polly, don't stay away a whole 
 year, will you ? " 
 
 Young Mr. Bayley set the basket in his hand 
 and turned on his heel with a smile.
 
 AWAY. 511 
 
 " Come, Polly, I want you," cried Alexia, try- 
 ing to draw her off, "you know she's my very 
 best friend, Pickering, and I haven't had a 
 chance to say one word to her this morning. 
 Come, Polly." 
 
 " Polly, come here," called Mrs. Fisher. 
 
 " O, dear ! " cried Alexia impatiently, " now 
 that's just the way it always is. It's Polly here, 
 and Polly there," as Polly deserted her and ran 
 off with her basket of roses. 
 
 " You don't do any of the calling, of course," 
 said Pickering, with a laugh. 
 
 "Well, I'll have her to myself," declared 
 Alexia savagely, " before it's time for us to get 
 off the steamer, see if I don't." 
 
 " I don't believe it," said Pickering. "Look 
 at her now in a maelstrom of relatives. You 
 and I, Alexia, are left out." 
 
 And the next thing Alexia knew somebody 
 unceremoniously helped her from the steamer 
 with a " Beg pardon. Miss, but you must get 
 off," and she was standing on the wharf in a
 
 512 AWAY. 
 
 crowd of people, looking in a dazed way at 
 Polly Pepper's fluttering handkerchief, while 
 fast-increasing little ripples of greenish water 
 lay between them. 
 
 And Phronsie was running up to Mr. King : 
 " Here, Grandpapa, Mrs. Chatterton wanted 
 me to give you this," unclasping her warm lit- 
 tle palm where the bit of white paper lay. 
 
 "The Dickens she did," exclaimed the old 
 gentleman ; " so she has had a last word with 
 you, has she ? Well, she won't get another for 
 a long spell ; so never mind. Now, let's see what 
 Cousin Eunice says. Something interesting, no 
 doubt." He spread the crumpled bit straight 
 and read, Phronsie standing quite still by his 
 side : 
 
 COUSIN' HORATIO : 
 
 I have made Phronsie Pepper my sole heir. You may 
 like it or not, as you please. The thing is done, and 
 may God bless Phronsie. 
 
 EUNICE CHATTERTON
 
 BY TCHRGKRBT SIDNEY. 
 12ino, illustrated, $1.5O. 
 
 " Was there ever a more charming story for children than 
 the ' Five Little Peppers ' ? That book at onCe took its place 
 among the classics for children." Golden Rule, 
 
 " A book of home life and love. It tells the story of a poor 
 family, obliged to pinch and plan and scrimp from day to day ; 
 but the members are so imbued with the home-spirit as to 
 make the little brown house in which they live a genuine 
 paradise." Chicago Interior. 
 
 " It is not one of the professed Christmas books, but there 
 is enough Christmas feeling in it for six." Boston Budget. 
 
 " Of all books for juvenile readers not one possesses more 
 of the peculiar qualities which go to make up a perfect story. 
 It ought, for the lesson it teaches, to be in the hands of every 
 boy and girl in the country." Boston Transcript. 
 
 " If the book had no other worth, it would be valuable as a 
 refutation of the cynical old saying, that, ' when want comes 
 in at the door, love flies out at the window.' The little Pep- 
 pers were very poor, but very happy and affectionate in spite 
 of it." Boston Journal. 
 
 " The author shows inventive power and much insight into 
 the mysterious depths of child nature." Western Christian 
 Advocate. 4 
 
 " It cannot but have a beneficial influence on the disposition 
 of every little reader." Chicago Journal. 
 
 " This story abounds in amusing incidents to please the 
 children, and at the same time instills lessons of unselfish love 
 and attention to duty." Boston Times. 
 
 " It is one of the brightest, breeziest, most natural and most 
 enjoyable of the portraitures of children's home life in America 
 the paradise of childhood.' 1 Christian Observer, Louisville. 
 
 " There is so strong a love of humanity impelling the pen of 
 Margaret Sidney that in whatever she writes she makes inter- 
 esting the homeliest and most ordinary aspects of daily life, 
 and imparts to duty the glory of doing and to virtue its own 
 reward." Chicago Inter-Ocean. 
 
 Illustrated Quarto Edition now ready, only 25 cts. 
 At the Bookstores, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by 
 
 D. LOTHROP COMPANY, Publishers, Boston.
 
 FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS Ml IIP 
 
 Sequel to Five Little Teppers Midway 
 
 By MARGARET SIDNEY. 
 
 12mo, illustrated, $2.50. 
 
 " Five Little Peppers and How They Grew " and " Five 
 Little Peppers Midway " had gone forth to delight all children 
 and those who love children. But these did not satisfy the 
 vast audience that hang waiting on Margaret Sidney's written 
 words. " And then what ? " " What happened next? " they 
 cried. And so the third " Peppers " book was written, and 
 now we have " Five Little Peppers Grown Up." It is almost 
 a pity that they must grow up, but that is what children do in 
 real life, and this story can but follow. Even Phronsie is 
 getting to be a big girl now, though not losing her childlike 
 innocence and trust. She is the same " Phronsie Pepper " and 
 always will be. Her nose is a little " out of joint," for there is 
 a new baby now to be catered to, a little King-Fisher, who 
 is nearly spoiled with pettings. But Phronsie is not spoiled, 
 nor Polly either, though everybody conspires to do it. But 
 the mother's teaching and their own good sense keep them 
 simple and true. Polly bravely starts out as music-teacher, 
 
 and not only succeeds in the technique of her work, but also, 
 
 ing her young pupils to lar^ 
 Of course she has hosts of admirers,~and it is a matter of 
 
 in stimulating her young pupils to larger and nobler efforts. 
 
 intense interest which one of her eager lovers thg little maiden 
 will accept. 
 
 Ben and Jasper begin their business careers, and Joel and 
 Dave are college students with the usual experiences of young 
 collegians. There are some graphic descriptions of the book 
 publishing business in which Jasper engages. Various new 
 characters are introduced, and the story' winds in and out 
 among them all with that bright sparkle of animated life which 
 marks all of Margaret Sidney's stories. 
 
 Throughout the book, there is a realization not only of 
 physical growth, but of the growth of noble character. And 
 yet there is no preaching, save what comes indirectly by 
 example ; and the young people are bright and rollicking, 
 healthy and heartv, and enjoy life without stint. It is books 
 like these which inspire and encourage young people to be 
 brave and true, manly and womanly in all the relations of life. 
 For sale at the bookstores, or tent postpaid, on receipt of price, by 
 
 D. LOTHROP COMPANY, Publishers, Boston, Mass.
 
 THE POT OF GOLD. 
 
 BV 7USHRY E. 
 
 12mo, 81.50. Fully Illustrated. 
 
 A new book by Miss Wilkins is 'an event in literature, and 
 an announcement of the first volume of her juvenile stories 
 will be welcomed not only by young people but by all who 
 have come to love and honor her for her wonderfully faithful 
 pictures of New England life. 
 
 The realistic element which is so marked a feature of her 
 storres for adults is blended with another style of writing in 
 the collection which makes up " The Pot of Gold." Hereto- 
 fore we have seen Miss Wilkins at her best in her simple, 
 natural portraitures of plain, homely country folk, whose hum- 
 ble joys and sorrows she has painted with wonderful skill. 
 But there is another side to her nature, in which she fairly 
 revels in the fanciful, the humorous and the romantic, and de- 
 lights in giving the reins to her imagination. Nothing can be 
 more delicious than these flights of fancy and the fun and 
 drollery with which they abound. 
 
 The last part of the volume is made up of stories of child 
 life in the olden days of New England, and describes some of 
 the customs of those earlier times, when childhood was not 
 the paradise it now is. These have the flavor of the soil, and 
 are as quaint and old-fashioned as the characters themselves. 
 Many an older reader will delight in these quaint, old-time 
 pictures of Puritan days. 
 
 The book is beautifully gotten up, printed on superfine 
 paper, with illustrations by W. L. Taylor, Childe Hassam, 
 Barnes, Bridgman and other popular artists. The binding, in 
 robin's-egg blue with gold and silver design, is simply exquisite. 
 
 * At the bookstores, or sent postpaid on receipt of price, by 
 
 D. LOTHROP COMPANY, Boston, Mass.
 
 THE 
 
 bUOKS. 
 
 (A r ranged A Iphabcticaliy. ) 
 
 Each volume 
 
 1. Aunt Hannah, Martha and John 
 
 2. Chautauqua Girls at Home 
 
 3. Christie's Christmas 
 4- Chrissy's Endeavor 
 
 5. Divers Women 
 
 6. Echoing and Re- Echoing 
 
 7. Eighty-Seven 
 
 8. Endless Chain (An) 
 
 9. Ester Reid 
 
 Ester Reid Yet Speaking 
 
 Four Girls at Chautauqua 
 
 From Different Standpoints 
 
 Hall in the Grove (The) 
 
 Her Associate Members 
 
 Household Puzzles 
 
 Interrupted 
 
 John Remington, Martyr 
 
 Judge Burnham's Daughters 
 9. Julia Ried 
 o. King's Daughter (The) 
 
 . Cunning Workmen 
 . . Dr. Deane's Way 
 43. Grandpa's Darlings 
 
 21. Little Fishers and their Nets 
 
 22. Links in Rebecca's Life 
 
 23. Miss Dee Dunmore Bryant 
 
 24. Mrs. Solomon Smith Looking on 
 
 25. Modern Exodus (A) 
 
 26. Modern Prophets 
 
 27. Man of the House 
 
 28. New Graft on the Fam.ly Tree (A 
 
 29. One Commonplace Day 
 
 30. Pocket Measure (The) 
 
 31. Profiles 
 
 32. Ruth Erskine's Crosses 
 
 33. Randolph's (The) 
 
 34. Sevenfold Tiouble (A) 
 
 35. Sidney Martin's Christmas 
 
 36. Spun from Fact 
 
 37. Those Boys 
 
 38. Three People 
 
 39. Tip Lewis and his Lamp 
 
 40. Wise and Otherwise 
 
 ^^mo, $1.25. 
 
 44. Miss Priscilla Hunter 
 
 45. Mrs. Deane's Way 
 46 What She Said 
 
 Each volume iimo, $1.00. 
 
 47. At Home and Abroad 
 
 48. Bobby's Wolf and other Stories 
 
 49. Five Friends 
 
 50. In the Woods and Out 
 
 51. Mrs. Harry Harper's Awakenin 
 
 52. New Year's Tangles 
 
 53. Next Things 
 
 54. Pansy's Scrap Book 
 
 55. Some Young Heroine 
 
 56. Young Folks Worth Knowing 
 
 Each volume i2mo, 75 cents. 
 White Chicken 64. Monteagle 
 
 57. Bernie 
 
 58. Couldn't be Bought 
 
 59. Docia's Journal 
 
 60. Getting Ahead 
 
 61. Helen Lester 
 
 62. Jessie Wells 
 
 63. Mary Burton Abroad 
 
 Each 
 
 71. A World of iittle People 
 
 e Girls 
 
 from the Life of Jesus 
 Stories Told for a Purpose 
 "' Boy Bob 
 Boys 
 
 A Dozen of Then 
 Exact Truth (The) 
 
 74. Gertrude's Diary 
 
 75. Glimpses of Boyhood. 
 R. Alden. 
 
 76. Glimpses of Girlhood 
 
 77. Hedge Fence 
 
 78. Helen the Historian 
 
 il mo, 50 cents. 
 
 79. Her Mother's Bible 
 
 80. Six O'Clock in the Evening 
 
 81. Stories of Great Men 
 
 82. Stories of Remarkable Women 
 By Mr. G. 83. Storv of Puff ' 
 
 84. Side' by Side 
 
 85. The Browning Boys 
 
 86. The Kaleidoscope 
 
 87. We Twelve Girls 
 
 Any of the above at the bookstores, or will be sent postpaid, on receipt of 
 price, by 
 
 D. LOTHROP COMPANY, BOSTON, MASS.
 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 
 Y 
 
 ) O 
 
 KJO RHONE 
 
 "* This book " DU 
 
 book " DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 ... 
 
 JUN 1 7 1987 
 
 JUN231987 
 
 OCT ? 
 
 '394 
 
 . 9.
 
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