his big easy-chair. "I've been watching that door as a cat does a mouse
for the last hour."
"Hulloa!" said Ben, advancing to the chair. "And nonsense! You've only
just about finished your luncheon, I'll be bound."
"Well, it seems ages ago," said Jasper, with a little laugh. "I tell
you, Ben, it's awfully dull to be kept in bed all the morning," and he
made a grimace at his canopied resting-place.
"Well, you sat up so late last night; and just think of all that fun!"
said Ben.
"Oh, I know I'm an ungrateful wretch," said Jasper, bursting into a
laugh. "Well, I don't care now, as long as Doctor Fisher allows me to
have you. Where are all the others, Ben?" he asked suddenly, as Ben
hurried to draw up a chair.
"Oh, they are going to be with Madam Van Ruypen," said Ben, carelessly,
making a great deal of unnecessary noise over getting the chair in
place.
"Oh!" said Jasper.
"You know those mountain children," said Ben, feeling something else was
expected.
"Yes," said Jasper, "I know. Is Polly going?"
"Oh, yes, of course," said Ben, with wide eyes. "Why, they couldn't do
without Polly, you know."
"Of course not," said Jasper, then he twisted uneasily in his big chair.
"It's an awful nuisance to Polly," he broke out.
Ben said nothing, not thinking of anything that seemed just the right
thing to say.
"And that girl--that Elvira. O dear me!" Jasper pulled himself up
quickly.
"So you'll just have to put up with this person this afternoon," said
Ben.
"And I'm sure I'll be glad to," cried Jasper, affectionately. "Oh, Ben!"
He leaned over so that both of his pillows immediately tumbled out. "And
I was going to give you a regular bear hug," he said ruefully, as Ben
hopped up to put them in place again.
"I'll be willing to put it off till you get well," said Ben, laughing.
"Now, then, see that you don't knock those out again," and he drew a
long breath. "Well, what do you want to do now?"
"Oh, I tell you," said Jasper, and his dark eyes sparkled, "let us play
chess. And do get the new ones that Father gave me last night at our
Christmas. We'll christen the set this afternoon."
"We shall go twisted all the year, shan't we," said Ben, as he hurried
over to the table for a box of chessmen, in the midst of the overflow of
gifts, "because we had such a belated Christmas? Aren't these just
fine?" coming back with it in his hand.
"Aren't they so?" cried Jasper, seizing the box eagerly. "And isn't
Father good to give me a new set? And such beauties!" He emptied the box
on the sofa blanket across his knees, while Ben went to draw up a small
table to set them on.
"Oh, not that one," cried Jasper, looking up from his delighted
examination of his new treasure. "Do you suppose for an instant that I'm
going to play on that old table when I have a brand-new one that Sister
Marian gave me last night? Why, Ben Pepper, what are you thinking of?
No-sir-ee! Not by a long shot!"
"Excuse me, your high mightiness," said Ben, pushing back the old table
and hurrying over to get the new gift. "Will that suit your Majesty?" he
asked, setting it down in front of Jasper's chair.
"Perfectly," said Jasper, setting a good handful of the chessmen on the
table, and Ben, bunching the others up from the little hollow in the
sofa blanket, they were soon all there in a heap.
"Now which do you choose?" asked Jasper, putting a red and a white piece
in either hand, and thrusting them behind him.
"O dear me!" said Ben. "It won't make any difference, for you'll beat me
all to death, just as usual."
"Nonsense," laughed Jasper, "you know as much about the game as I do,
Ben Pepper!"
"Indeed I don't," said Ben, stoutly contradicting. "Why, you knock the
life out of me every time we play. Just think of that last score, Jasper
King!"
"Oh, well, a beat doesn't always signify who's the cleverest," said
Jasper, quickly.
"Doesn't it?" said Ben, with a little laugh. "Well, I always thought it
did."
"Well, which do you choose?" said Jasper, impatiently. "We never shall
get to playing if you don't make haste."
"Oh, the right hand," said Ben.
So the red queen was placed in Ben's hand, and the two boys fell to work
to set the pieces. And the game began.
"The same old story," said Ben, at its close. "There you go checkmating
me, and I haven't even begun to move half my men."
"Oh, well, you'll have better luck next time," said Jasper, beginning to
set his men again.
"I'm going to get a paper and pencil for the score," said Ben, hurrying
over to the desk in the corner. "There now, game number one, 'J' beats.
I might as well mark ditto down for game number two and all the rest."
"Nonsense!" exclaimed Jasper, who was now setting Ben's men. "You'll
probably beat me out of sight next time."
"Probably," said Ben, sarcastically. And they fell to work again. And it
was ditto, and number three also. But on game number four the luck
turned, and Jasper's men, after a long fight, were routed.
"What did I tell you?" cried Jasper, who, although he had put up as good
a game as he could, was greatly pleased at Ben's success.
"Oh, well, once," said Ben, leaning back in his chair. His round face
was very red and he mopped it with his handkerchief. "I worked harder
than I used to chopping wood," he said.
"Well, we won't play any more," said Jasper, yet he looked longingly at
the men he was setting.
"Oh, yes, we will; that is, when I've rested a minute," said Ben,
getting out of his chair to walk up and down the big room and swing his
arms. "You set my men, and I'll be ready then."
"Oh, walk away and swing all you want to," said Jasper, "I'll set your
men. Oh, I say, Ben!"
"What?" answered Ben, from the other end of the room.
"Wouldn't it be good fun to go up to the mountains, where those poor
children came from, next summer?" said Jasper. "That minister says there
is a capital camp up there."
"Wouldn't it!" cried Ben, flying around. Then he came up to Jasper's
chair, "And he's an awfully good sort of man," he declared, bringing his
hand down on the chess-table so that all the red and white men danced.
"Take care," warned Jasper, putting up both hands to the table-edge,
"you'll have them all off. Yes, he is a splendid chap."
"And the camp is a big one," Ben went on, his blue eyes alight, and
raising his hand again.
"Ow! Look out!" cried Jasper. But too late; down came Ben's hand, and
away flew half the chessmen, running off to all quarters.
"O dear me!" exclaimed Ben, ruefully. "Now I have done it! Whatever did
you speak of that mountain camp for now, Jasper King?"
"Well, I didn't suppose you'd think it necessary to knock over the whole
thing into flinders," said Jasper, and lying back against the pillows.
"You'll have a perfectly sweet time, now, Ben Pepper, picking all those
up."
"I rather guess I shall," said Ben, getting down on his hands and knees.
When at last he placed the last one on the table he was quite ready to
sit down and rest by beginning a new game.
"And Father and Sister Marian could stay at the hotel, if they couldn't
stand camp life," Jasper was saying, as he set his men. "And--"
"But I don't believe Grandpapa will want to," Ben was guilty of
interrupting. "Mr. St. John says its splendid up at that camp. Oh,
Jasper, don't you suppose we can go?" Ben was quite carried away now,
and he got the king and queen all mixed up, while his knight and bishop
had concluded to change places.
"Oh, what a chap you are!" chaffed Jasper, pointing to them. "See what a
mess you've made!"
"Well, I tell you, you mustn't talk about that camp, if you want me to
play," said Ben, desperately.
"Oh, well, let's drop the camp," said Jasper, turning his dark eyes on
the chess-table, and revolving his plan, for it was his move.
"But I can't. I've just got to talk camp," said Ben, stubbornly.
"Well, you can't. We mustn't either of us talk," said Jasper, "when we
are playing. Dear me, what a game that would be!"
"Well, I've got to think camp, then," said Ben.
"All right," said Jasper, "go ahead and think camp, if you must. Then I
will beat you all around Robin Hood's barn."
Which he did. And then, as so many things occurred to both of them that
had to be uttered about that mountain camp, the chessmen were shut up in
their box, the new Christmas game table set back carefully in the
corner, and the two boys gave themselves up without reserve to the grand
plan for next summer.
XXIV
JASPER AND BEN
"Oh," cried Jasper, "what fun! Polly could have all the fishing she
wanted. Mr. St. John says the mountain brooks are just full of trout."
Ben's eyes glistened. To go fishing had always been one of the longings
of his heart that the busy Badgertown days had given little chance to
enjoy, when every minute that could earn a few pennies had to be devoted
to helping Mamsie keep the wolf from the door of the little brown house.
"You and I would have some sport, eh, Ben?" Jasper leaned over to bring
his dark eyes nearer.
"Yes," said Ben. He couldn't for his life get out another word.
"We _must_ go," said Jasper to himself, "after that look. Father will
say 'yes,' I almost know. And just think of Joel let loose in those
woods," he said aloud.
This brought Ben to. "Yes, I know," he said, "Joe would run wild."
"Wouldn't he?" laughed Jasper. "Well, it would be the best thing for
Percy and Van and all the rest of us," he added. "Oh, Ben, we _must_
go!" He brought his right hand down on Ben's with a slap.
"Yes," said Ben, "but perhaps we better not think too much about it,
'cause if we couldn't, you know," he turned his face away to look out of
the window.
"Well, we must," persisted Jasper. "And then, you know, just think of
the tramps you and I would have over the mountains."
"And Polly, too," said Ben, "she can walk as good as we can, you know,
Jasper."
"Oh, yes, of course," assented Jasper. "Why, Polly would go on
everything the same as we did. Did you think I meant to leave Polly
out?" he asked in distress at the very idea.
"No," said Ben, "I didn't think so, Jasper."
"And Doctor Fisher would go; you know he's crazy to walk. If he had
time, he wouldn't ever ride to see his sick people. Oh, wouldn't it be
perfectly splendid, Jasper King! But we mustn't talk about it," and he
pulled himself up quickly.
"Oh, let's talk," said Jasper, "it's half the fun of making plans
beforehand. Oh, I wish Polly was here," and he gave a long sigh.
"No," said Ben, "it isn't best to talk about it any more, for if we
can't go, we'd have an awful tumble from the clouds, and I can tell you
that would hurt."
"Well, what shall we do?" said Jasper, with a long face. "It will have
to be something pretty absorbing to keep my mind off that camp, and our
tongues as well."
Ben rubbed his forehead and thought a bit. "I can't think of anything
more absorbing than Jocko," he said at last.
"Well, Jocko it is," said Jasper, laughing. "Oh, I wish we had some
peanuts to give him," he said suddenly.
"I'll run down town and get some," said Ben.
"Don't be gone long," begged Jasper.
"No, sir," said Ben, and he was off.
Polly and all the others must be just about midway to the country town
where they were to stop for supper--Ben couldn't help but think of it as
he dashed down the frozen driveway that gave out such a delightful
"scrunch, scrunch" to his hurrying feet. He drew his breath hard, thrust
his hands in his pockets, and whistled. Oh, how gloriously the winter
sunshine glistened across the snow on the lawn, and how the gay
equipages with their merry loads swept by him, as he turned into the
thoroughfare! He whistled harder than ever until he remembered that
Mamsie didn't like him to do such things on the street; then he stopped
and set out on a run, that presently brought him up to the little store
where Polly always bought her bird-seed. Hurrying in he bought a bagful
of peanuts; then out again and home--unchained Jocko in the small room
over the stable, and dashed upstairs.
Jocko, who seemed to know at once there were peanuts in the bag dangling
from Ben's other hand, got between Ben's legs at every possible chance,
thus impeding the progress seriously.
"Oh, you rascal!" exclaimed Ben, shaking the bag at him, "you shan't
have one if you don't behave," and he shortened his grip on the chain to
keep Jocko on one side if possible.
Jocko wrinkled up his eyelids and teased and whined, sending out a brisk
paw to snatch the bag if possible.
"Be still," said Ben, giving him a cuff with the bag, "and come on and
don't dance all over those stairs. Oh, such a piece of work!" he
declared, at last going into Jasper's room.
"Have you come at last!" said Jasper, turning an eager face to him.
"Have I?" said Ben, the monkey and he coming in together with a rush up
to Jasper's chair, Jocko making a last dash at the paper bag; "well,
yes, I should say I had. There are your peanuts," throwing them into
Jasper's lap. "Look out, or he'll have them," as Jocko immediately
leaped into the centre of the sofa blanket.
"Not much he won't," declared Jasper, setting the bag back of him with a
quick hand. "Hulloa, Jocko!" as the monkey gave a squeal of
disappointment. "Oh, you shall have some peanuts all in good time.
There, don't cry. Hold your paws."
Jocko, hearing this, stopped his lament and extended both paws, his
little eyes shining eagerly.
"Oh, you greedy little thing," said Jasper, laughing, and emptying a
handful into them, when Jocko squatted contentedly on the sofa blanket,
cracked some nuts as fast as he could, spitting out the shells to right
and to left.
"Here, look out, you mustn't do so," said Jasper. "I'll take the peanuts
away if you do."
At the mention of this, Jocko stuffed his nuts with both paws into his
cheeks, reserving one to crack and eat as he blinked first at Jasper and
then at Ben.
"He's making a lot of dirt," said Ben, beginning to pick up the shells.
"I know it," said Jasper, "but he's such fun."
"They stick awfully, those little red skins," said Ben, picking away at
the little pieces, as slap went another shot, this time in his face.
"Well, Jane can shake the blanket," said Jasper. "Stop that, you
beggar!" to Jocko. "And they don't leave any spot," as another shell and
the shower of little red skins came flying out. "Here, I'll take those
away, I say." But easier said than done.
"You can't get those out of his cheeks," said Ben, with a laugh, and
giving up the sofa blanket as a bad job. "Well, we'll just let him
finish them, and then I'll shake the skins out of the bath-room window."
"And you won't have any more," said Jasper, with a bob at Jocko, as he
squatted on his knee. "Those peanuts are gone, sir."
Jocko, who cared very little what was said about peanuts, as long as he
had his cheeks full, picked the nuts out one by one, cracked and threw
away the shells, with the same impartial attention to Jasper and Ben,
and leisurely ate them.
"Here's the bag, Ben," said Jasper, tossing it to him, when the monkey's
cheeks began to flatten out. "Put it up on the shelf, do, for I don't
want him nosing all over me for it."
So Ben caught the bag and set it up high in the place designated,
Jocko's sharp little eyes following every movement.
"Oh, you needn't stare that way, you greedy little thing," said Jasper,
"for you can't get that bag, I'd have you to know. Oh, you are almost
through, are you?" Which was presently without doubt the case,
proclaimed as it was by a loud shout for more peanuts, and the quick
extension of Jocko's long arms.
"No, sir!" said Jasper, shaking his dark hair vehemently; "see what a
muss you've made," pointing to the sofa blanket and to the floor and to
his jacket, and Ben's as well.
Jocko, who didn't care to waste time regarding these trivial things,
redoubled his cries, till the room seemed full of monkeys.
"Goodness me, what a bedlam!" cried Ben. "You can't stand this."
"Well, do put the bag somewhere else than on that shelf," said Jasper.
"If he doesn't see it, he'll stop."
But Jocko, seeing no good reason why he should stop till he had his
peanuts, gave vent to howls in another key, much worse than the first.
"Ow!" said Jasper, with a grimace, "that sets my teeth on edge. Here,
Ben, you may have your monkey," pushing Jocko off from his lap.
"_My_ monkey?" said Ben, running around with the peanut bag, looking for
a place to hide it. "Well, I think that's nice, when you made me bring
him up here."
"Oh, well, he's yours now, as long as he's in your care," said Jasper,
coolly. "That's right, Jocko, run after Master Ben;" and he dropped the
chain.
There was no need to tell Jocko that, as long as Ben had the peanut bag.
So he leaped to the broad back and ran down the arm, at the end of which
was the coveted prize.
"No, you don't," said Ben, transferring the bag to the other hand, when
Jocko like lightning ran over the broad back again, and down the other
arm; this pretty game being played with no gain to either party, until
Jasper begged for a pause.
"I should think you'd laugh," said Ben, turning round with a hot, red
face, Jocko sticking to one shoulder, rage in his eye.
"O dear me!" said Jasper, faintly, and wiping his eyes. "Ha! Ha! Ha!"
and he burrowed in the chair-depths, holding his sides.
"To get me into this scrape," exclaimed Ben, flying around with a wild
step. "Stop that," for Jocko in this little diversion nearly gripped the
prize. "There now!" He rushed to the closet, threw the bag in, and
slammed the door. "Now, sir! who's got those peanuts?" and he gazed into
the monkey's little wrinkled face.
Defrauded of his prize and, what was worse, with no hopes of getting it,
for Jocko could see that the closet door was shut, he now set up a
piteous sobbing, putting his paws up to his poor little eyes. And there
he clung on Ben's shoulder, crying like a child.
"Oh, I say!" exclaimed Jasper, coming out of his laugh, "I can't stand
this. Do stuff something into his mouth, Ben," and Jasper thrust his
fingers into his ears.
"He shan't have peanuts," declared Ben, firmly, yet having no heart now
to set the monkey on the floor. "There, there, Jocko, be still," and he
patted him kindly.
"Of course not," said Jasper, taking the finger from one ear long enough
to hear Ben's reply; "but get him something else--anything--"
So Ben set up a hunt for something to appease Jocko, and at last lifted
the lid of the cracker-jar.
When Jocko heard the click of china, he dropped one paw enough to peer
around. Yes, he was going to have something to eat. So down went the
other paw, which shot out to receive the tidbit. When on being conveyed
to his mouth he found that it was nothing but cracker, a thing that
Thomas and Jane and the other maids, who were always running out to pet
him, gave him ever so many times a day, he spit it out disdainfully,
clapped his paws to his eyes, and cried harder than ever.
"For goodness' sake!" cried Jasper, "can't you find some candy? There is
plenty there in that box. I'll come and get it myself." And in another
minute he would have been out of the big chair.
"You stay still," said Ben. "Hush, you beast!" to Jocko. And at last,
after knocking down more things than he supposed was possible in that
short time, the box of candy was found on the table, and a big piece
crammed into Jocko's mouth.
"O dear me! How perfectly lovely not to hear his voice," exclaimed
Jasper, dropping his fingers and sinking back against his pillows.
"Um!" said Ben; then he set Jocko down in the corner, took a big piece
of chocolate, and smeared the wrinkled face from top to bottom, then set
the remainder in one paw. "When you've got through licking your face and
rubbing it clean, why then you'll go downstairs, sir," he declared
grimly. "My goodness me, I _am_ tired," and he threw himself into a
chair.
"Oh, what a scheme," cried Jasper. "O dear me!" and he began to laugh
again, for Jocko, having swallowed as one morsel the big chocolate
piece, was now endeavoring to lick his cheeks clean by running his
tongue as far out as he could. To do this, as he always fancied after
each fresh effort that there was much more up beyond his eyebrows, which
was quite true, as Ben had been very generous in the application, he
turned his back on himself, so to speak, many a time, to achieve the
success he longed for--till he got out of breath, and had to squat and
rest, only to up and at it again.
Just here in came Jane with a small tray, followed by Hobson, the
butler, with a large one.
"You are to have your supper up here, too, Master Ben," said Jane.
"Oh, am I?" cried Ben, in a pleased tone.
"Yes, Mrs. Fisher said so," said Jane, depositing her tray on the table.
"Oh, that nasty monkey!" she squealed, catching sight of Jocko, who was
just beginning on a fresh attempt to get the sweet stuff off from his
face. "Oh, me!"
"He won't hurt you, Jane," said Ben; "he's too much occupied. And
Hobson, after you have set the table, you can take him downstairs."
"All right, Master Ben," said Hobson, pulling out the tea-table from the
wall, and opening its leaves to deftly lay the cloth, Jane going
gingerly about to help as far as she could, seeing that she must keep a
sharp eye on Jocko.
"It seems so funny to have supper instead of dinner," said Jasper. "I
haven't gotten used to it after all these weeks. And to think of its
being time. Haven't you made a mistake and brought it too early, Hobson?
Do look at your watch, Ben."
"It is a bit early, sir," said Hobson, "but Doctor Fisher ordered it
now."
"It's half-past five o'clock," said Ben, "but it hasn't grown dark
hardly any. Well, we must have the light turned on now," springing off
to do it.
"I know why I'm to have my supper a half-hour sooner," said Jasper;
"it's because I'm to be tucked into bed earlier to-night. Well, I
suppose I must," he added resignedly, as a bright light filled the room.
"Yes, indeed, we had such a good time last night," said Ben, flying
back. "Now this is jolly, isn't it?" his face lighting up.
"Yes," said Jasper, "it's no end jolly!" looking across the tea-table,
as Jane lighted the candles under the red shades, pulled the curtains
together, and Hobson adjusted the tea-things. "Is there anything else
you want, Master Jasper?" he asked.
"No," said Jasper, with a quick eye for details, "thank you, Hobson;
everything is very nice. Now if you will just take Jocko."
"Yes, I will, Master Jasper," said Hobson, going over to Jocko, who was
still working away on his face, supposing he had plenty of time to
attack the tea-table later. Jane gave a wide range to the two on her way
out.
When they were fairly started Jocko gave a loud cry of disappointment,
turning a baffled face to the two boys and the lovely table between
them.
"Oh, do toss the poor beggar a piece of cake, Ben," said Jasper.
Which Ben did, and Jocko, wisely considering it better to take it than
to get nothing, was borne off; the cake having been swallowed before he
reached the bottom of the stairs, his cries pealed up till at last
Hobson had him well out of hearing.
Jane set the little silver bell on the tea-table, and withdrew to the
sitting room as usual, when the two sat a long time over the supper
enjoying it hugely. At last it was time for her to summon Hobson, and
the two trays were carried off.
"And now what?" asked Ben. "Shall I read to you, Jasper?"
"Oh, if you don't mind--are you tired of chess?" Jasper leaned forward
to search the round face.
"No, not a bit; only it can't be any pleasure to you, I'm so stupid,"
said Ben.
"I tell you what it is, Ben Pepper, you are _not_ stupid," declared
Jasper, warmly; "now don't say so again," he begged.
"Oh, I won't if it makes you feel badly," said Ben, laughing, "only I
shall think so."
"You mustn't think so," declared Jasper, decidedly; "and do hurry and
get the table and the men."
So the little game-table, inlaid and beautiful, was carefully brought
out and set in place by Ben, the box of chessmen put in Jasper's hands,
and then Ben sat down to the table.
"You choose this time," said Ben, picking up a red and also a white
piece, to hold back of him, "only, as I said--"
"Ugh!" interrupted Jasper, "you weren't to say that again. You promised,
Ben," he added reproachfully.
"So I did," said Ben. "Well, I won't again."
"See that you don't," said Jasper, laughing. "Well--I choose the left
hand. Oh! You have the first move," as a white pawn came to view.
And after that there was nothing heard in the big room but the ticking
of the French clock, and the crackling of the hickory logs, if we except
Ben's hard breathing when his men were pushed pretty hard.
And the first thing any one knew there was little Doctor Fisher looking
at them through his big spectacles and beaming all over his face.