Ben Pepper Part 49

XXIII

THE SLEIGHING PARTY

"Oh, yes, Pip," said Ben, "you must go."

"Oh, I don't want to," cried Pip, in great alarm, and, clinging to Ben's hand, he huddled up closer than ever. "Don't make me go to that old woman's; don't," he pleaded.

"Why not?" asked Ben, whirling him around to let his blue eyes search keenly the distressed little face.

"She looks at me so," said Pip, squirming uncomfortably; "she's always looking at me."

"Well, supposing she does, she won't bite you," said Ben, with a little laugh. Then he stopped suddenly. "Now then, Pip," and he put his hand on the small shoulder, "it's best for you to go; there's to be a jolly good time. Just think, Madam Van Ruypen is to give you all a sleigh-ride! And off you'll go into the country and have a supper and come home by moonlight. Why, everybody's going!"

"Are you going?" asked Pip, suddenly, his face emerging a little from its wrinkles.

"Well, no, I'm not," said Ben, "but everybody else is; I'm going to stay with Jasper."

"Oh, I won't go! I won't go!" screamed Pip, wholly beside himself with distress. "I'm going to stay with you, I am." With that he wound his wiry little arms around one of Ben's, and beat his feet nervously on the floor.

"See here now, Pip," Ben lifted him clear from the floor, and set him down on the window-seat, then he stood in front of him, "now just look at me," which Pip did, swinging miserable little feet and twisting his hands.

"It is best for you to go on this party, and so you must go. Why, you'd have to stay with Jocko if you didn't," added Ben, "or else amuse yourself."

"Oh, I don't want to stay with Jocko," replied Pip, who had good reasons, after his introduction to the monkey by Joel, for this decision.

"Well, you needn't," said Ben, bursting into a laugh, "but you must go on the sleighing party, and without me. Do you understand, Pip?"

Pip did, after he had carefully scanned Ben's face. At first he snivelled softly, but at last even that died away.

"Very well," said Ben. "Now then, you are to go with Joel. He'll see that you have a good time, for he said so. Here he comes now," as hasty feet scampering down the back stairs proclaimed Joel's approach.

"Where's Pip? I can't find him," cried Joel, rushing up with a very red face. "Oh, here he is! Well, come on, Pip," and he plunged toward the door.

"Hold on!" roared Ben. "Pip has got to go up to Mamsie; she's going to put some extra things on him so he won't get cold."

"Oh, bother!" said Joel, beating his feet impatiently on the floor.

"Why, there isn't any need for such a tremendous hurry, Joe," said Ben.

"Now then, Pip, step lively upstairs to Mamsie's room; she wants to fix you up herself."

So Pip slowly got off from the window-seat, and, with many a backward glance at Ben, he crept upstairs.

"Go ahead, old snail," sang out Joel beneath. "O dear me! He'll never be ready, Ben," and now he beat his woollen mittens together as he pranced up and down the hall.

"Oh, yes, he will," said Ben, soothingly. "Don't rage so, Joel."

"And he's such a m.u.f.f," said Joel, but he said it under his breath and with one eye on Ben.

"Hush up, Joe," said Ben, "there's no use in talking that way. And what are you in such a hurry to get to Madam Van Ruypen's for? Why, she doesn't expect you till three o'clock, and its only"--Ben pulled out his silver watch--"twenty-five minutes past two. What a silly thing you are, Joe!"

Joel dug the toes of his shoes into the rug. "Larry'll get there first if I don't," he whined; "you know he will."

"Nonsense! And what if he does; you aren't invited till three o'clock.

Wait and go with Polly."

"Oh, I'm not going with a lot of girls," cried Joel, in a dudgeon, and extricating his toes from the rug. "You know they're always coming for her, Ben Pepper."

"Well, go with Percy and Van," said Ben. "Don't fly off in such a tangent."

But this suggestion only added fresh fuel to Joel's fire to be off.

"Oh, do make Pip hurry." He fairly howled it now. "Percy and Van have started already, I most know. They said they'd get ahead of me." And he rushed up and nipped Ben's arm.

"Goodness me! What a crab you are, Joe!" cried Ben, shaking him off, and then feeling of his arm.

"Well, do make him hurry," begged Joel. "O dear me, all the boys will get ahead of me!"

"Well, let them for once," said Ben, coolly. "And Aunty Whitney won't allow the boys to go now, you may be sure. So rest easy, Joe. And one thing more, you are not to race Pip over there at lightning speed. Do you understand, Joe?"

"O dear!" said Joel, wrinkling his round cheek in great disdain, "he's such a--"

"Yes, yes, I know," said Ben, hastily. "Well, now, I'm off to Jasper."

"Oh, Ben," Joel flew after him, "I wish you were going, I do."

"Well, I'm not," said Ben, "so good-by." He pulled his jacket away from Joel's detaining hand, got around the corner of the hall, and hurried up the front stairs.

Meantime, Polly was having a perfectly dreadful time in little Doctor Fisher's office. There he sat behind his big table, rolling up some powders in tiny papers, and looking at her over his spectacles.

"Oh, please, papa Doctor," begged Polly, clasping her hands, "do let me stay at home."

"That wouldn't ever do in all this world." Doctor Fisher shook his head gravely, and the big spectacles seemed to blink so much displeasure at her, that Polly felt very wicked indeed. "It would stop the party at once, Polly."

"Well, it's no fun at all," said Polly, mournfully, "without Jasper and Ben." She could hardly keep the tears from streaming down her cheeks.

"I don't suppose there'll be so much fun in it as if Jasper and Ben could go," said the little Doctor, quietly, "but that isn't the question just at present. It seems to be the best thing that this sleighing party should be carried out. Think of those poor children, Polly."

Polly twisted uneasily on her feet.

"And how they've never in all their lives had any pleasure like this,"

the little doctor proceeded artfully.

"O dear me!" said Polly.

"And what such a thing in Badgertown would have meant to you children, Polly," said the little man, softly. He laid down his powder papers and looked at her.