the aisle. "I think we'll start soon," she said. But her eyes looked
worried.
"What is it--oh, Miss Baker, what is the reason we're stopping?" cried
two or three of the girls.
"I don't know," said the governess.
A man coming in from outside, where a lot of gentlemen were pouring out
of the cars to investigate, furnished the information.
"Driving wheel broken," he said, being sparing of words.
"Oh, can't we go out to see?" cried Alexia, hopping out of her seat.
"Come on," and she was prancing down the aisle.
"No, indeed," said Miss Baker in displeasure, "and do you come directly
back," she commanded.
"Oh dear me!" grumbled Alexia to Sally, who had tumbled out after her,
"she's worse than Miss Anstice--stiff, precise old thing!" She came
slowly back.
"That a young lady under my care," said Miss Baker, lifting her black
gloves in amazement, "should so far forget herself as to want to run
out on that track with a lot of men! I _am_ astonished."
"There's a girl out there," said Alexia, sinking into her seat crossly,
and peering over Polly Pepper's head.
"And there's another," proclaimed Sally triumphantly.
"Well, if they've forgotten themselves so far as to go out there under
such circumstances, I shall not let any young lady in my care do it,"
said Miss Baker emphatically.
So, swallowing their disappointment at not being allowed to see all that
presented itself, the girls settled back and made themselves as
comfortable as possible. Meantime almost everybody else poured out of
their car. But it seemed to Polly Pepper as if she never could keep
still in all this world. And she clasped her hands tightly together and
hoped nobody would speak to her just yet.
"Polly,"--Alexia gave a little push, as she leaned over,--"isn't it
perfectly dreadful to be mewed up here in this way? Say, Polly, do
talk."
"Go right away, Alexia." Polly gave a little flounce, and sat quite
straight.
"Oh dear me!" exclaimed Alexia in astonishment, and falling back.
"And I wish you would let me alone," cried Polly, quite aghast at
herself, but unable to stop.
"Oh dear me!" Alexia kept saying quite faintly, and rolling her eyes.
"Well, I'm glad Polly has made you behave for once," said Clem, who
never could forgive Alexia for getting Polly so much to herself.
Alexia stopped saying, "Oh dear me!" and sat quite still. Just then
Polly turned and saw her face.
"Oh Alexia!" she cried, flying at her, when an awful bump, and then
another much worse, and then a grinding noise, perfectly terrible,--and
everybody who was left in the car, went tumbling out of their seats.
"Oh, we're run into!" screamed half a dozen of the girls. Miss Baker,
who had been standing in the aisle, was down in a heap on the floor.
"Oh, oh!" Polly had her arms around Alexia and was hugging her tightly.
"Are you hurt?" as they wriggled out of the bunch of girls into which
they had been precipitated, up to their feet.
"N--no," Alexia, tried to say. Instead, she wobbled over, and laid her
head on Polly's arm.
"Girls--girls--Miss Baker!" called Polly, not seeing that lady, in the
confusion of the other passengers, staggering along the aisle, her
bonnet knocked over her eyes, and a girl on either hand to help her
along. "Clem--oh, somebody help me! Alexia is hurt." But nobody heard in
the general tumult.
"Oh dear! Alexia, do open your eyes," begged Polly, quite gone now with
distress. "And to think I was so cross to her!" And she turned quite
white.
"Dear, dear Alexia," she cried; and because there was nothing else to
do, she leaned over and dropped a kiss on Alexia's long face, and two
tears dropped down as well.
Alexia opened her eyes. "That's very nice, Polly," she said, "do so some
more."
"Aren't you ashamed!" cried Polly, the rosy color coming back to her
cheek. And then, remembering, she hugged Alexia tightly. "Oh, I'm so
glad you're not hurt, Alexia, so very glad!" she cried gratefully.
"Ow!" exclaimed Alexia, shrinking back.
"Oh, now you are hurt," cried Polly. "Oh Alexia!" And she turned very
white again. "Tell me where it is." And just then some of the girls
rushed up with the news, corroborated by the other passengers, that the
down express had run into them,--been signalled, but couldn't stop in
time, etc., etc.,--till Polly thought she should go wild before the
babel could be stopped. "Don't crowd around so," she cried hoarsely.
"Alexia is hurt."
"Alexia?" The noise, as far as Miss Salisbury's girls were concerned,
stopped at once; and at last the other passengers were made to
understand how it was. And Alexia, quite faint now, but having sense
enough to hang to Polly Pepper's hand, was laid across an improvised bed
made of two seats, and a doctor who happened to be on the train, one of
the party going in to the theatre, came up, and looked her over
professionally.
"It's my arm," said Alexia, opening her eyes again; "it was doubled up
someway under me. Oh dear me! I'm so silly to faint."
"You're not silly at all," cried Polly warmly, and holding her well
hand, while her eyes searched the doctor's face anxiously. "Oh, is it
broken?" they asked, as plainly as possible.
"Not a bit of it," said the doctor cheerfully, feeling it all over again
to make quite sure, while Alexia set her teeth together, trying not to
show how very much it hurt. "It's badly strained,--the ligaments
are;--but fortunately no bones are broken."
"Oh dear!" groaned Alexia. "Now why can't it be broken?"
"Oh Alexia!" cried Polly. And now the tears that had been kept back,
were rolling down her cheeks. "I'm so happy, I can't help it," she said.
"And the very idea, Alexia Rhys," exclaimed Clem, "to wish your arm had
been broken!" and she gave a little shiver.
"It hurts just as much," said Alexia, trying to sit up straight, and
making an awful face, "so it might as well be. And I've never been in a
railroad accident. But a sprained arm isn't anything to show; any baby
can have that--oh dear me!"
"Well, you better lie still," counselled Miss Baker tartly. "Dear me! I
little thought when I took charge of you young ladies that any such
thing would occur."
"She acts as if she thought we did it on purpose," said Alexia, turning
her face over to hide it on Polly's arm again, and wishing her own
needn't ache so dreadfully. "Oh dear! such a time as we've had, Polly
Pepper, with those dreadful Briggses,--I mean Mrs. Briggs,--and now to
be all banged up, and this cross old thing to see us home! And now I
never'll be able to get through the term, 'cause I'll have to stay at
home with this old arm, and aunt will scold." She was quite out of
breath with all her woes.
"Oh, yes, you will," cried Polly reassuringly, "I'll run over every day,
and study with you, Alexia. And you'll soon be all well again. Don't try
to talk now, dear," and she patted the poor cheeks, and smoothed her
hair. All the while she was trying to keep down the worry over the
home-circle who would be thrown into the greatest distress, she knew, if
news of the accident should reach their ears.
"Can't somebody telephone them?" she cried; "Oh, Miss Baker"--the doctor
had rushed off to other possible sufferers--"and tell them no one is
hurt;--I mean seriously?"
"There is," said the governess, quite calmly; "a man has been killed."
"Oh dear!"
"A brakeman," Miss Baker hastened to add. "Don't be frightened. None of
the passengers."
"Now I know he was brave, and trying to do something to save us," cried
Polly, with kindling eyes.
"Yes," said a passenger, coming up to their group, "he was running back
with a lantern to signal the train, and he slipped and fell, and the
express went over him. But it stopped just in time for us."
"Oh the poor, poor man!" Polly was quite gone by this time, and Alexia
forgot her pain in trying to comfort her.
"But suppose he had children," cried Polly, "just suppose it, Alexia."
"I don't want to suppose it," said Alexia, wriggling. "Ugh! you do say
such uncomfortable things, Polly Pepper."
"I know it." Polly swallowed hard, and held Alexia's hand tighter than
ever. "Well, I won't talk of it any more."
The governess, who had moved away a bit, now came back with vexation
plainly written all over her face. "I must go and see if there isn't
some way to get a message to Grandpapa King, Alexia," said Polly. "I'll
be back as soon as I can." She dropped a kiss on the nearest cheek.
"Don't be gone long," begged Alexia.
"I will go with you," said the governess, stepping off after her.
"Very well," said Polly, going swiftly down the aisle, to see below the
car steps a crowd of passengers all in a tumult, and vociferating
angrily. In the midst of them, Polly saw the face of the doctor who had
just fixed Alexia's arm.
"Oh sir," she began.
He looked up, and caught sight of the brown eyes. "Is the little girl
worse?" And he sprang over toward her.
Polly, not stopping to think how furious Alexia would be, who was quite
the tallest of their set, to be designated as a little girl, made haste
to say, "Oh no, sir; but oh, could you tell me how to let my grandpapa
and my mother know we are safe? Could you, sir?" Poor Polly, who had
held up so bravely, was clasping her hands tightly together, and the
brown eyes were full of tears.
"Well, you see," began the doctor, hating to disappoint her, "it's a
difficult matter to get in communication with them at once. We are only
five miles out, but--"
"Five miles?" echoed Polly. "Oh then, some one can go to the nearest
station, and telephone, can't they, sir?"
"To be sure; and that's been done. But your family, little girl--how can
we reach them?"
"Oh, I can run," cried Polly happily, "to the station myself, sir," and
she began to clamber down the car steps.
"Come back," commanded the governess, lifting her hands in horror. "I
never heard of such a thing. The very idea! What would your grandfather,
Mr. King, say to such a thing, Polly Pepper?"
"Mr. who?" cried the doctor. "Stay, little girl," seizing her arm. "Mr.
who?" he demanded, looking up to the governess on the car steps.
"Mr. Horatio King," she replied with asperity, "and you'd better be
occupied with something else, let me tell you, sir, instead of
encouraging his granddaughter to run off on such a wild-goose errand as
this."
"I certainly shall take pleasure in performing the wild-goose errand
myself," he said. "Now Polly, I'll send the message; don't you worry,"
and he sped off down the track.
VII THE SALISBURY GIRLS
And then somebody rushed in, saying, "We've another locomotive; now
we're going!" And everybody else who was outside hurried into the cars;
the new propelling power was attached to the other end of the train, and
after a deal of switching, there they were at last--off on the way home!
Polly gave a long breath of relief, and clasped Alexia's hand closely.
"Oh, by this time they know at home it's all right," she cried.
The doctor came smilingly down the aisle. "Well," he nodded to Polly.
"Yes, it's all right," he said. "I must really call you Polly Pepper
now, for I know your grandfather, and Dr. Fisher--well there! indeed I
know him."
"Do you?" cried Polly with blooming cheeks, well pleased to find a
friend at such a time.
"Yes, indeed. I'm fortunate enough to meet him in hospital work. Now
then, how is our little friend here?" He leaned over, and touched
Alexia's arm lightly.
"Oh, I'm all right," she said.
"That's good," in a gratified tone. "Now keep plucky, and you'll get out
of this finely." Then he sat down on the arm of the seat, and told such
a funny story that no one supposed it could be the home station when the
train came to a standstill, and he was helping Alexia out.
"There now--drop Polly's hand, if you please," the doctor was saying;
"I'll assist you."
"But I don't want to," said Alexia, hanging to it for dear life. "I want
Polly."
"I presume so," laughed the doctor, "but I think it's best for me to
help you." Miss Baker and all the girls crowded up in a bunch. "Easy
there," he said. "Don't hurry so; there's plenty of time." And he got
between them and Alexia's lame arm.
And there, down by the car steps--Polly could see him as he waited for
the stream of passengers to get out--was Jasper, his eyes eagerly
searching every face, with an impatience scarcely to be controlled. And
back of him were Dr. Fisher's big glasses, shining as the little doctor
pranced back and forth, unable to keep still.
"There they are--there they are!" Polly exclaimed. "Oh, if we could
hurry and let them know we're all right!" But they were wedged in so,
there was nothing to do but to take their turn and let the passengers in
front descend.
"Jasper--oh, Papa Fisher!" At last Polly was out on the platform where
she stood on her tiptoes and waved her hand.
"Are you all right?" asked Jasper eagerly, craning his neck to see for
himself.
"Yes--yes!" cried Polly. And then presently they had her on either hand!
"Oh, help Alexia," she cried, turning back.
Dr. Fisher took one look through his big glasses. "Well, well, Pennell,"
he exclaimed, "you here?" and he skipped over to them.
"I really believe so," laughed Dr. Pennell.
"Dear me!" Little Dr. Fisher glanced at Alexia quickly.
"Nothing but sprained," the other doctor said quickly. "Still, it needs
careful attention."
And then it came out that Alexia's aunt had heard a chance word dropped
about the accident, and had run down to Mr. King's in her distress, so
she was there awaiting them; and the fathers and brothers of the rest of
the "Salisbury girls" took off their charges, much to the relief of the
governess. So presently Jasper had his party all settled in the
carriage, Dr. Pennell saying, "Well, I resign my responsibility about
that arm to you, Dr. Fisher." He lifted his hat, and was off.
"Oh, wait!" cried Polly in great distress as Thomas was just starting
off with a dash, "I must speak to him."
"Polly--what is it?" cried Jasper. "Wait, Thomas!" So Thomas pulled up.
"I must--I must," declared Polly. Her foot was on the step, and she was
soon out.
"I'll go with you," said Jasper, as she sped down through the streams of
people pouring along the platform, to thread her way after the tall
figure, Jasper by her side. "Dr. Pennell--oh, please stop."
"Hey?" The doctor pulled up in his brisk walk. "Oh dear me! what is it?"
"Will you please tell me--do you know who the poor man was who was
killed?" she gasped.
"Oh Polly," cried Jasper, "was there some one killed?"
"Yes, he was a brakeman, Polly," said Dr. Pennell.
"Oh, I know--but where did he live?" cried Polly, "and had he any
children?" all in one breath.
"A big family, I understand," said the doctor gravely.
"Oh dear me!" exclaimed Polly with a sorry droop to the bright head, and
clasping her hands, "could you, Dr. Pennell, tell me anything more?"
"That's all I know about the poor fellow," said the doctor. "The
conductor told me that."
"I'll find out for you to-morrow, Polly," said Jasper quickly; "I'll run
down to the railroad office, and get all the news I can."
"And I'll go with you," said Polly, "for I most know Grandpapa will let
me. He was so very good to us all--that poor man was," she mourned.
"Yes, Polly, there's no doubt of that," Dr. Pennell said abruptly. "You
and I maybe wouldn't be standing here if it were not for him."
Jasper shivered, and laid hold of Polly's arm. "Well now, run along and
get home," finished the doctor cheerily, "and look out for that plucky
little friend of yours, and I'll try and find out, too, about that
brakeman, and we'll talk the thing over." So Polly and Jasper raced back
again down over the platform, clambered into the carriage, and away they
went home to Grandpapa and Mamsie!
And Alexia and her aunt staid all night. And after the whole story had
been gone over and over, and Grandpapa had held Polly on his knee, all
the time she was not in Mamsie's lap, and Alexia had had her poor arm
taken care of, and all bandaged up, Dr. Fisher praising her for being so
cool and patient, why then it was nearly eleven o'clock.
"Dear me! Polly," cried Mother Fisher in dismay, looking over at the
clock--they were all in the library, and all visitors had been
denied--"the very idea! you children must get to bed."
"Yes--or you won't be cool and patient to-morrow," said Dr. Fisher
decidedly, and patting Alexia's bandages. "Now run off, little girl, and
we'll see you bright as a button in the morning."
"I'm not cool and patient," declared Alexia, abruptly pulling down, with
her well hand, the little doctor till she could whisper in his ear. "Oh,
aunt does fuss so--you can't think; I'm a raging wild animal."
"Well, you haven't been raging to-night, Alexia," said the little
doctor, bursting out into a laugh.
"Oh, hush, do," implored Alexia, who wasn't in the slightest degree
afraid to speak her mind, least of all to Dr. Fisher, whom she liked
immensely; "they'll all hear us," she brought up in terror.
"What is it, Alexia?" cried her aunt from the sofa, where Dr. Fisher had
asked her to be seated, as it was well across the room. "Oh, is she
worse?" she exclaimed, hurrying over nervously.
"There, now, you see," cried Alexia tragically, and sinking back in her
chair; "everything's just as bad as can be now."
"Not in the least, Miss Rhys," the little doctor said in his cheeriest
tones, "only Alexia and I had a little joke all by ourselves." And as he
waited coolly for the maiden lady to return to her seat, she soon found
herself back there. Then he went over to Mamsie, and said something in a
low tone.
"Yes, Adoniram." Mother Fisher nodded over Polly's brown head. "She
ought to have a good night's sleep."
"Polly," said Dr. Fisher, leaning over her, "it's just this: that aunt
of Alexia's--she's a good enough sort of a woman, I suppose," wrinkling
his brows in perplexity to find the right words, "but she certainly does
possess the faculty to rile folks up remarkably well. She sets my teeth
on edge; she does really, wife." He brought out this confession
honestly, although he hated professionally to say it. "And Alexia--well,
you know, Polly, she ought to be kept quiet to-night. So your mother and
I--we do, don't we, dear?" taking Mamsie's hand.
"We certainly do," said Mrs. Fisher, not waiting for the whole story to
be told, "think it's best for you to have Alexia with you to-night."
"Oh, goody!" exclaimed Polly, sitting quite straight in Mamsie's lap.
"You are not to talk, Polly, you know," said Dr. Fisher decidedly.
"Oh, we won't--we won't," promised Polly faithfully.
"You can have the red room, Polly," said Mamsie, "because of the two
beds. And now, child, you must both hop off and get into them as soon as
you can, or you'll be sick to-morrow."
So Polly ran off to bid Grandpapa good night. And then as he held her in
his arms, he said, "Well, now, Polly, you and Jasper and I will take
that trip down to the railroad station to-morrow."
"Oh, Grandpapa!" cried Polly, clasping her hands, while her cheeks
turned rosy red, "I am so very glad. We can go right after school, can't
we?"
"School? Oh, you won't go to school to-morrow," said old Mr. King
decidedly. "Yes, yes, Mrs. Fisher, in just a minute--Polly shall go to
bed in a minute. No, no, Polly, after such an excitement, school isn't
to be thought of for a day or two."
"Perhaps she'll be all right in the morning, father," Jasper hurried to
say, at sight of Polly's face.
"Oh, I shall--I shall." Polly flashed a bright glance at him.
"_Please_, Grandpapa, let me go. I haven't been absent this year."
"And it's so awfully hard to make up lessons," said Jasper.
"Make up lessons? Well, you needn't make them up. Bless me! Such a
scholar as you are, Polly, I guess you'll stand well enough at the end
of the year, without any such trouble. Quite well enough," he added with
decision.
Polly's brown head drooped, despite her efforts to look bravely up into
his face. "Good night, Grandpapa," she said sadly, and was turning
away.
"Oh bless me!" exclaimed old Mr. King hastily, "Polly, see here, my
child, well--well, in the morning perhaps--dear me!--we can tell then
whether it's best for you to go to school or not. Come, kiss me good
night, again."
So Polly ran back and gave him two or three kisses, and then raced off,
Jasper having time to whisper at the door: "I most know, Polly,
father'll let you go; I really and truly believe he will."
"I believe so too," cried Polly happily.
And sure enough, he did. For the next morning Polly ran down to
breakfast as merry as a bee, brown eyes dancing, as if accidents were
never to be thought of; and Grandpapa pinched her rosy cheek, and said:
"Well, Polly, you've won! Off with you to school." And Polly tucked her
books under her arm, and raced off with Jasper, who always went to
school with her as far as their paths went, turning off at the corner
where she hurried off to Miss Salisbury's select school, to go to his
own.
"Oh, here comes Polly Pepper!" The girls, some of them waiting for her
at the big iron gate, raced down to meet her. "Oh Polly--Polly." At that
a group of girls on the steps turned, and came flying up, too. "Oh,
tell us all about the awful accident," they screamed. "Tell, Polly, do."
They swarmed all over her.
"Give me the books," and one girl seized them. "I'll carry them for you,
Polly."
"And, Polly, not one of the other girls that went out to Silvia Horne's
is here this morning."
"They may come yet," said Polly; "it's not late."
"Oh, I know; we came early to meet you; well, Silvia isn't here either."
"Oh, she can't come, because of her cousin," said Polly, "and----"
"Well, I don't care whether she ever comes," declared Leslie Fyle. "I
can't abide that Silvia Horne."
"Nor I," said another girl, "she's so full of her airs and graces, and
always talking about her fine place at Edgewood. Oh dear me! I'm sick of
Edgewood!"
A little disagreeable laugh went around.
"Oh, I'll tell you of the accident," said Polly; "come, let's sit down
on the steps; we've ten minutes yet."
"Yes, do, do," cried the girls. So they huddled up together on the big
stone steps, Polly in the middle, and she told them the whole story as
fast as she could. Meantime other girls hurrying to school, saw them
from a distance, and broke into a run to get there in time.
And Polly gave Alexia's love all round, as she had been commissioned to
do.
"We'll go up to your house to see her," cried Leslie, "perhaps this
afternoon."
"Oh, no, you mustn't," said Polly. "I'm dreadfully sorry, girls, but
Papa Fisher says no one must come yet, till he sends word by me."
"I thought you said Alexia was all right."
"And if her arm isn't broken I should think we might see her," said a
big girl on the edge of the circle discontentedly. She had private
reasons for wishing the interview as soon as possible, as she and Alexia
had quarrelled the day before, and now it was quite best to ignore all
differences, and make it up.
"But she's had a great strain, and Papa-Doctor says it isn't best,"
repeated Polly very distinctly, "so we can't even think of it, Sarah."
"Polly? is that Polly Pepper?" exclaimed a voice in the hall.
[Illustration: AND SHE TOLD THEM THE WHOLE STORY AS FAST AS SHE
COULD.]
"Oh, yes, Miss Anstice," cried Polly, hopping up so quickly she nearly
overthrew some of the bunch of girls.
Yes, she had on the black silk gown, and Polly fancied she could hear it
crackle, it was so stiff, as Miss Anstice advanced primly.
"I hear that there was an accident, Polly Pepper, last night, which you
and some of the other girls were in. Now, why did you not come and tell
me or sister at once about it?"
"Oh dear me! do forgive me," cried poor Polly, now seeing that she had
done a very wrong thing not to have acquainted Miss Salisbury first with
all the particulars. "I do hope you will forgive me, Miss Anstice," she
begged over again.
"I find it very difficult to overlook it, Polly," said Miss Anstice, who
was much disturbed by the note she held in her hand, just delivered, by
which Professor Mills informed her he should be unable to deliver his
address that morning before her art class. So she added with asperity,
"It would have been quite the proper thing, and something that would
naturally, I should suppose, suggest itself to a girl brought up as you
have been, Polly, to come at once to the head of the school with the
information."
Polly, feeling that all this reflected on Mamsie and her home training,
had yet nothing to do but to stand pale and quiet on the steps.