Five Little Peppers and How They Grew Part 46

"Oh, father!" cried Jasper, rushing up to him; and flinging his arms around his neck, he gave him such a hug as he hadn't received for many a day.

"Goodness, Jasper!" cried his father, feeling of his throat. "How can you express your feelings so violently! And, besides, you interrupt."

"Beg pardon, sir," said Jasper, swallowing his excitement, and trying to control his eagerness.

"Do you say yes, Mrs. Pepper?" queried the old gentleman impatiently.

"I must get this thing fixed up to-day. I'm really too ill to be worried ma'am."

"Why sir," stammered Mrs. Pepper, "I don't know what to say. I couldn't think of imposing all my children on you, and--"

"Imposing! Who's talking of imposing!" said Mr. King in a loud key.

"I want my house kept; will you live here and keep it? That is the question."

"But sir," began Mrs. Pepper again, "you don't think--"

"I do think; I tell you, ma'am, I do think," snapped the old gentleman.

"It's just because I have thought that I've made up my mind. Will you do it Mrs. Pepper?"

"What are you goin' to do, mamsie?" asked Joel quickly.

"I don't know as I'm going to do anything yet," said poor Mrs. Pepper, who was almost stunned.

"To come here and live!" cried Jasper, unable to keep still any longer--and springing to the children. "Don't you want to, Joe?"

"To live!" screamed Joel. "Oh whickety, yes! Do ma, do come here and live--do!"

"To live?" echoed Phronsie, over in the old gentleman's lap. "In this be-yew-ti-ful place? Oh, oh!"

"Oh, mamsie!" that was all Polly could say.

And even Ben had his arms around his mother's neck, whispering "Do" into her ear, while little Davie got into her lap and teased her with all his might.

"What shall I do!" cried the poor woman. "Did ever anybody see the like?"

"It's the very best thing you could possibly do," cried the old gentleman. "Don't you see it's for the children's advantage? They'll get such educations, Mrs. Pepper, as you want for them. And it accommodates me immensely. What obstacle can there be to it?"

"If I was only sure 'twas best?" said Mrs. Pepper doubtfully.

"Oh, dear Mrs. Pepper," said Mrs. Whitney, laying her hand on hers. "Can you doubt it?"

"Then," said Mr. King, getting up, but still holding on to Phronsie, "we'll consider it settled. This is your home, children," he said, waving his hand at the five little Peppers in a bunch. And having thus summarily disposed of the whole business, he marched out with Phronsie on his shoulder.

POLLY'S DISMAL MORNING

Everything had gone wrong with Polly that day. It began with her boots.

Of all things in the world that tried Polly's patience most were the troublesome little black b.u.t.tons that originally adorned those useful parts of her clothing, and that were fondly supposed to be there when needed. But they never were. The little black things seemed to be invested with a special spite, for one by one they would hop off on the slightest provocation, and go rolling over the floor, just when she was in her most terrible hurry, compelling her to fly for needle and thread on the instant. For one thing Mrs. Pepper was very strict about--and that was, Polly should do nothing else till the b.u.t.tons were all on again, and the boots b.u.t.toned up firm and snug.

"Oh dear!" said Polly, sitting down on the floor, and pulling on her stockings. "There now, see that hateful old shoe, mamsie!" And she thrust out one foot in dismay.

"What's the matter with it?" said Mrs. Pepper straightening the things on the bureau. "You haven't worn it out already, Polly?"

"Oh no," said Polly, with a little laugh. "I hope not yet, but it's these dreadful hateful old b.u.t.tons!" And she twitched the boot off from her foot with such an impatient little pull, that three or four more went flying under the bed. "There now--there's a lot more. I don't care!

I wish they'd all go; they might as well!" she cried, tossing that boot on the floor in intense scorn, while she investigated the state of the other one.

"Are they all off?" asked Phronsie, pulling herself up out of a little heap in the middle of the bed, and leaning over the side, where she viewed Polly sorrowfully. "Every one, Polly?"

"No," said Polly, "but I wish they were, mean old things; when I was going down to play a duet with Jasper! We should have had a good long time before breakfast. Oh, mayn't I go just once, mamsie? n.o.body'll see me if I tuck my foot under the piano; and I can sew 'em on afterwards--there'll be plenty of time. Do, just once, mamsie!"

"No," said Mrs. Pepper firmly, "there isn't any time but now. And piano playing isn't very nice when you've got to stick your toes under it to keep your shoes on."

"Well then," grumbled Polly, hopping around in her stocking-feet, "where is the work-basket, mamsie? Oh--here it is on the window-seat." A rattle of spools, scissors and necessary utensils showed plainly that Polly had found it, followed by a jumble of words and despairing e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns as she groped hurriedly under chairs and tables to collect the scattered contents.

When she got back with a very red face, she found Phronsie, who had crawled out of bed, sitting down on the floor in her little nightgown and examining the boot with profound interest.

"I can sew 'em, Polly," she said, holding up her hand for the big needle that Polly was trying to thread--"I can now truly; let me, Polly, do!"

"Dear no!" said Polly with a little laugh, beginning to be very much ashamed. "What could you do with your little mites of hands pulling this big thread through that old leather? There, scamper into bed again; you'll catch cold out here.

"Tisn't very cold," said Phronsie, tucking up her toes under the night-gown, but Polly hurried her into bed, where she curled herself up under the clothes, watching her make a big knot. But the knot didn't stay; for when Polly drew up the long thread triumphantly to the end--out it flew, and away the b.u.t.ton hopped again as if glad to be released. And then the thread kinked horribly, and got all twisted up in disagreeable little snarls that took all Polly's patience to unravel.

"It's because you're in such a hurry," said Mrs. Pepper, who was getting Phronsie's clothes. And coming over across the room she got down on one knee, and looked over Polly's shoulder. "There now, let mother see what's the matter."

"Oh dear," said Polly, resigning the needle with a big sigh, and leaning back to take a good stretch, followed by Phronsie's sympathizing eyes; "they never'll be on! And there goes the first bell!" as the loud sounds under Jane's vigorous ringing pealed up over the stairs. "There won't be time anyway, now! I wish there wasn't such a thing as shoes in the world!" And she gave a flounce and sat up straight in front of her mother.

"Polly!" said Mrs. Pepper sternly, deftly fastening the little b.u.t.tons tightly into place with quick, firm st.i.tches, "better be glad you've got them to sew at all. There now, here they are. Those won't come off in a hurry!"

"Oh, mamsie!" cried Polly, ignoring for a moment the delights of the finished shoe to fling her arms around her mother's neck and give her a good hug. "You're just the splendidest, goodest mamsie in all the world.

And I'm a hateful, cross old bear, so I am!" she cried remorsefully, b.u.t.toning herself into her boots. Which done, she flew at the rest of her preparations and tried to make up for lost time.

But 'twas all of no use. The day seemed to be always just racing ahead of her, and turning a corner, before she could catch up to it, and Ben and the other boys only caught dissolving views of her as she flitted through halls or over stairs.

"Where's Polly?" said Percy at last, coming with great dissatisfaction in his voice to the library door. "We've called her, I guess a million times, and she won't hurry."

"What do you want to have her do?" asked Jasper, looking up from the sofa where he had flung himself with a book.

"Why, she said she'd make Van and me our sails you know," said Percy, holding up a rather forlorn looking specimen of a boat, but which the boys had carved with the greatest enthusiasm, "and we want her now."

"Can't you let her alone till she's ready to come?" said Jasper quickly.

"You're always teasing her to do something," he added.

"I didn't tease," said Percy indignantly, coming up to the sofa, boat in hand, to enforce his words. "She said she'd love to do 'em, so there, Jasper King!"

"Coming! coming!" sang Polly over the stairs, and bobbing into the library, "Oh--here you are, Percy! I couldn't come before; mamsie wanted me. Now, says I, for the sails." And she began to flap out a long white piece of cotton cloth on the table to trim into just the desired shape.