Five Little Peppers at School Part 38

Tom could get no further, but hung his head for the reaction sure to set in against him by all this household that had welcomed and entertained him so handsomely.

"Has he got through? has the beggar finished?" cried Joel l.u.s.tily.

"Yes," said Polly, in a low voice, "I think he has, Joel."

"Then I want to say"--Joel threw himself over by Tom, his arms around him--"that he's the biggest fraud to spring such a trap on me, and plan to get off that yarn here."

"I didn't intend to when I came," said Tom, thinking it necessary to tell the whole truth. "I hadn't the courage."

"Pity you had now!" retorted Joel. "Oh, you beggar!" He laid his round cheek against Tom's. "Mamsie, Grandpapa, Polly," his black eyes sweeping the circle, "if I were to tell you all that this chap has done for me,--why, he took me to the place where Jenk hid the racket."

"Pshaw! that was nothing," said Tom curtly.

"Nothing? Well, I got it in time for the tournament. You saw to that.

And when Jenk and I were having it out in the pine grove that night, Tom thought he better tell Dave; though I can't say I thank you for that,"

brought up Joel regretfully, "for I was getting the best of Jenk."

Old Mr. King had held himself well in check up to this point. "How did you know, Tom, my boy, that Joel and er--this--"

"Jenk," furnished Joel.

"Yes--er--Jenk, were going to settle it that night?"

"Why, you see, sir," Tom, in memory of the excitement and pride over Joel's prowess, so far recovered himself as to turn to answer, "Joel couldn't very well finish it there, for the dormitory got too hot for that sort of thing; although it would have been rare good sport for all the fellows to have seen Jenk flat, for he was always beating other chaps--I mean little ones, not half his size."

"Oh dear me!" breathed Polly indignantly.

"Yes; well, Joe promised Jenk he would finish it some other time; and Jenk dared him, and taunted him after the tournament. He was wild with rage because Joel won; and he lost his head, or he would have let Joe alone."

"I see," exclaimed Grandpapa, his eyes shining. "Well, and so you sat up and watched the affair."

"I couldn't go to bed, you know," said Tom simply.

"And he would have saved us, Dave and me, if that Jenk hadn't locked the door on us when he slipped in."

"Cad!" exclaimed Tom, between his teeth. "He ought to have been expelled for that. And then Joe shinned up the conductor--and you know the rest."

Mother Fisher shivered, and leaned over involuntarily toward her boy.

"Mamsie," exclaimed Joel, "you don't know what Tom is to me, in that school. He's just royal--that's what he is!" with a resounding slap on his back.

"And I say so too," declared Mother Fisher, with shining eyes.

"_What_?" roared Tom, whirling around so suddenly that Van this time got out of the way only by rolling entirely off from the rug. "Mrs.

Fisher--you _can't_, after I've told you this, although I'm no-end sorry about the racket. I didn't want to tell,--fought against it, but I had to."

"I stand by what I've said, Tom," said Mrs. Fisher, putting out her hand, when Tom immediately laid his big brown one within it. At this, Joel howled with delight, which he was unable to express enough to meet his wishes; so he plunged off to the middle of the library floor, and turned a brace of somersaults, coming up red and shining.

"I feel better now," he said; "that's the way I used to do in the little brown house when I liked things."

XIX THE GRAND ENTERTAINMENT

"Ought we to, Mamsie?" asked Polly. Jasper and she were in Mrs. Fisher's room, and they both waited for the reply anxiously.

"Yes, Polly, I think you ought," said Mother Fisher.

"Oh dear me! Phronsie can't have only a little bit of it," said Polly.

"I know it. But think, Polly, the boys have to go back to school so soon that even if other people didn't care if it were postponed, they would lose it. Besides, Tom is to be one of the chief people on the program.

No, no, Polly, there are others to think of outside of ourselves. You must have your entertainment just as it is planned," Mrs. Fisher brought up very decidedly.

"Well," sighed Polly, "I am glad that Papa Fisher says that Phronsie can hear a little part of it, anyway."

"Yes," said her mother cheerfully, "and Helen Fargo is to sit next to her. Mrs. Fargo is to take her home early, as she has not been very well. So you see, Polly, it will all turn out very good after all."

"But I did so want Phronsie to be there through the whole," mourned Polly.

"So did I," echoed Jasper. Then he caught Mother Fisher's eye. "But, Polly, the boys would lose it then," he added quickly.

"Oh!" cried Polly, "so they would; I keep forgetting that. Dear me! why isn't everything just right, so that they all could hear it?" And she gave a little flounce.

"Everything is just right, Polly," said Mrs. Fisher gravely; "don't let me hear you complain of things that no one can help."

"I didn't mean to complain, Mamsie," said Polly humbly; and she crept up to her, while Jasper looked very much distressed.

"Mother knows you didn't," said Mrs. Fisher, putting her arm around her, "but it's a bad habit, Polly, to be impatient when things don't go rightly. Now run away, both of you," she finished brightly, "and work up your program," and she set a kiss on Polly's rosy cheek.

"Jasper," cried Polly, with happiness once more in her heart as they raced off, "I tell you what we can do. We must change the program, and put those things that Phronsie likes, up first."

"That's so," cried Jasper, well pleased. "Now, what will they be, Polly?"

"Why, Mr. Dyce's story of the dog," said Polly, "for one thing; Phronsie thinks that's perfectly lovely, and always asks him for it when he tells her stories."

"All right," said Jasper. "What next?"

"Why, Tom must sing one of his funny songs."

"Yes, of course. That will please her ever so much," cried Jasper.

"Don't you know how she claps her hands when he's rehearsing, Polly?"

"Yes; oh, I wouldn't have her miss that for anything, Jasper," said Polly.

"No, indeed," cried Jasper heartily. "Well, Polly, then what ought to come next? Let's come into the den and fix it up now."