_Peter Pan Uses the Telephone._
VERY early next morning Sally was wakened by Rough House, who was
standing up on his hind legs beside her bed, licking her face and
occasionally uttering a short, sharp bark.
As soon as he saw that she was wide awake he ran toward the door and
then back to the bed, pulling at Sally’s nightgown, and plainly begging
her to follow him.
Sally jumped out of bed at once, hastily stuck her little pink toes
into her red bedroom slippers, a new pair, kept carefully in a
convenient hidie-hole where the dog’s greatest ingenuity could never
discover them, and threw over her nightie a dainty silk kimono on which
were embroidered a succession of smiling Japanese ladies, each one
sitting under a cherry tree in full bloom and holding over her head a
wonderful Japanese umbrella, which seemed to be entirely unnecessary
in view of the shade that must have been cast by the cherry tree. It
was, moreover, faced with pink satin, and was quite the most delightful
article in Sally’s wardrobe.
The little girl hastily followed the dog, who had started downstairs,
pausing now and then to look back and make sure that Sally was
following.
Down the stairs they hastened and as they reached the lower flight
sounds of woe were wafted to them from the kitchen. Thither they
hastened to find cook crying and wringing her hands over the dreadful
outlook.
[Illustration]
Immediately Sally thought of Marius at the ruins of Carthage, and
Herculaneum and Pompeii, stories that she had learned from her
governess; but she forbore to mention them, as cook was not exactly in
a frame of mind just then to absorb ancient history.
The little girl longed to rush forward and comfort her friend whom
she had remembered from babyhood. But the kitchen floor was in such a
fearfully sticky mess with jam and pickles and scraps of cake and pie
that she could only hover on the outskirts, calling out her condolences
to cook, who for once in her life failed to pay the smallest attention
to her little favorite.
Just then John, the man who did all the chores about the house, came
stumping up the cellar stairs. He had gone down to attend to the
furnace, but had found something in the coal bin that sent him straight
back again as fast as his rheumatic leg would allow.
He now appeared in the doorway with his arms full of Peter Pan and his
family, all of which he proceeded to solemnly deposit in the middle of
the floor. And a more demoralized, disreputable looking bunch one could
never conceive or imagine.
Sticky with the cider in which they had wallowed and covered with a
fine layer of coal dust acquired in the quarters in which they had
passed the night, they presented an appalling vision, and poor Sally
lifted up her voice and wept in unison with cook.
Just then Rough House appeared at the kitchen door, having made a trip
upstairs and succeeded in arousing papa, mamma and nurse, who now
came hurrying down half-dressed. And Sally was forthwith borne off to
the nursery, where she was coddled and comforted and dressed by the
crackling wood fire.
Mamma condoled with cook and papa decided that a private detective
should henceforth look after the house during the night.
Rough House was the last one to leave for the upper regions and as
he followed mamma upstairs he cocked his eye knowingly at Peter Pan,
sitting disconsolately in the midst of his crocked and begrimed family.
That besmeared worthy glared sullenly back without being able to hurl
defiance at his enemy in any more emphatic manner.
Breakfast was late that morning and very scrappy, but nobody cared for
anything much, so much troubled were they all over the affair in the
kitchen. And after the doleful meal was concluded papa departed to find
Pinkerton and mamma and Sally drove down town carrying the Teddy Bears
to the cleaners, where, owing to their dreadful condition, they were
obliged to remain for at least a couple of weeks.
It is needless to say that during their absence everything progressed
smoothly and the man from Pinkerton’s found himself, like Othello, with
his occupation gone. And when they finally returned fresh and fine and
several shades lighter from the cleaning process, they were greeted
with rapture by their little mistress.
Only the dogs were sorry to see them return. If ever a dog mourned his
inability to talk, that dog was Rough House as he watched Sally while
she hugged and kissed the returned prodigals.
The dog had always been Peter Pan’s especial detestation, and now his
hatred was increased immeasurably. From his coign of vantage on Sally’s
knee he watched the dog sulkily, as he lay at the little girl’s feet,
his beautiful red coat glistening like satin in the winter sunshine and
his sharp, black nose between his two paws, apparently asleep, but in
reality watching everything through half-closed eyelids.
Peter Pan had added considerably to his already varied store of
knowledge during his stay at the cleaning establishment, and had
learned, for one thing, that a telephone is a very handy thing to
have in the house. He had seen the employees at the cleaners use it
frequently and was fairly itching to get his mischief making paws on
the receiver of the extension phone that hung up in the nursery.
Mrs. Peter Pan had been carrying on worse than ever, and sulked most
of the time, for she had grown very lonely and did not get on at all
well with the rest of the toys in the nursery. She boxed the cubs and
snapped at her husband and altogether made life so unbearable that
after deep and prolonged meditation Peter Pan concocted a scheme which
he now only awaited a favorable opportunity to put into execution.
His chance came on a certain night, when, the dogs having gone to the
farm for a few days, the coast in the nursery was quite clear.
Dragging a chair to the telephone he joyfully mounted upon it and
pulled down the receiver. In another moment the night watchman at
Schwartz’s was more than astonished to be called to the phone and to
hear a queer little growling voice send in a large order for Teddy
bears to be delivered the first thing next morning at the North
residence.
[Illustration]
The order was so large that it completely cleaned up the stock of Teddy
bears, which were duly packed, and at an early hour a big delivery
wagon drew up in front of Sally’s home, and out of it the driver
lifted a huge box, which he proceeded to deposit in the front hall.
[Illustration]
Mamma was not at home, having gone to aunty’s for luncheon, but Sally
immediately sent for John, who opened the box at once. When what should
tumble out but a whole multitude of Teddy bears, of all sizes, colors
and descriptions?
Sally was rendered quite speechless with delight and astonishment. And
when mamma arrived at home, late in the afternoon, she was more than
surprised to find her little daughter sitting on the nursery floor
literally surrounded by Teddy bears, that swarmed all over the nursery
and overflowed into her own room beyond.
In the midst of them and wearing a most delighted expression sat
Bedelia, no longer sulky but literally beaming and appearing the very
jolliest of bears.
Immediately there was a good deal of telephoning, first to papa and
then to Schwartz’s; the latter, when they learned of the practical joke
that had been perpetrated, readily agreed to take back the Teddy bears.
Sally was of course dreadfully disappointed, and although she could
not refrain from a few tears that reddened her poor little nose, she
was, on the whole, so sweet about it that papa allowed her to select
several bears which were kept in the nursery when the rest of the tribe
journeyed away in the big delivery wagon.
[Illustration]