and I had to put it in my handkerchief. You couldn't expect me, girls,
to keep my wits after that."
"Well, you needn't have spilt it all over Miss Anstice's bonnet," said
Philena, laughing.
"Mrs. Clemcy's, you mean," corrected Jasper.
"Oh dear me! I never shall get used to her new name," declared Philena.
"And I think I got my rice deposited as well as some of the rest of you
girls," declared Alexia airily.
"Mine struck Mr. Clemcy full in the eye," said Silvia; "then I ducked
behind Polly Pepper."
"Oh, that was a great way to do!" exclaimed Jasper.
"Oh, I saw her," said Polly, with a little laugh, "and I jumped away;
and Mr. Clemcy saw her, too."
"Horrors!" cried Silvia. "Did he? Oh, I'm frightened to death! What did
he look like, Polly?"
"Oh, he laughed," said Polly.
Just then came a ring at the doorbell, sharp and sudden.
"What is going to happen?" cried Polly, her face like a rose.
"Everything has been beautiful to-day; and now I just know something
perfectly lovely is coming to finish off with."
"A telegram, sir." Johnson held out a long yellow envelope to Mr. King.
"It's for Mrs. Fisher," said the old gentleman.
So the yellow envelope went down the table-length, the color going out
of Polly's cheek; and she didn't dare to look at Mamsie's eyes.
"Oh--the boys!" gasped Polly. "Jasper, do you suppose?"--What, she
didn't finish; for Mother Fisher just then cried out, and passed the
yellow sheet to the little doctor. "Read it aloud," was all she said.
But how her black eyes shone!
"David took first prize classics. I'm picking up a bit. JOEL PEPPER."
THE END.
[Transcriber's Note: Page 115, last paragraph, added the word "it".
"and bring up to my house" "and bring it up to my house"]
End of Project Gutenberg's Five Little Peppers at School, by Margaret Sidney