TEDDY'S SURPRISE.
PERHAPS before I go any farther I ought to explain to those of my little
friends who have not chanced to read the first book about "The Doings of
a Dear Little Couple" that Polly and Teddy were next-door neighbors in
the pretty village which was their home, and that they had been, during
all their acquaintance with each other, most loving and devoted little
chums. They were each seven years old at the time of my last writing,
but at the time of this story had become eight-year-olders, and Teddy
insisted that because their birthdays came together they were "real
truly twinses." Now I will return to my story.
When Polly finished her breakfast and was excused from the table, she
scampered off as fast as she could down the garden till she came to the
little gap in the fence of which my first book told you, you remember,
and called: "Teddy! Ted-dee! Oh! Teddy Terry!" as loud as she could all
the while she was running.
Now, it happened that Teddy Terry was eating _his_ breakfast at that
time, and he was just putting a piece of potato into his rosy mouth when
he heard Polly's eager voice. He swallowed that piece of potato so fast
that it nearly choked him, and when he had finally gotten it out of the
way, he said: "Please 'scuse me, Mamma, Papa!" and, slipping from his
chair, was off in a jiffy to meet his little chum, Polly.
"Oh, Teddy, come up in our tree!" cried Polly, as Teddy's curly brown
head pushed through the low gap in the dividing hedge fence. "Come
quick, quick, quick! I've got the goodest news in the world to tell you
'bout!" She danced about on her little toes while speaking, and,
Teddy's plump body having speedily followed his head, he left the fence,
and with his little companion ran for the old apple-tree which--as you
remember I told you in the first book--was the "consultation office" of
our dear little couple whenever they had any especially private
conversation with each other.
So up into the stout branches of the old tree they clambered, and
settled comfortably down in a safe fork of limbs amid a thicket of green
leaves, and then, after Teddy had followed his usual loving habit of
kissing Polly on her soft little cheek, and receiving the same sweet
greeting from her, she proceeded to tell her secret.
"I'd ask you to _guess_ it first," she said, "but oh, Teddy Terry, you
never could in the world! It's this: You 'n' I are going to Europe with
my Papa 'n' Mamma! There! what do you think of _that_, Teddy Terry? Oh,
isn't it the very bestest news we could have? Aren't you s'prised most
to pieces?"
Teddy's brown eyes opened so wide that it is a wonder they did not
stretch out of shape. Surprised? well, indeed he was, and when Polly had
told him more about the matter he gave the loudest _whoop-la_! he could,
and then a funny thing happened--he slid off that tree and disappeared
in the wood-shed near by, and--I don't know surely--but I think it
likely he went in there to hide the tears that came to his eyes, the
tears of joy which Polly had had, you know, only Teddy didn't want her
to see him turn "cry-baby," and so he had run quickly away. But Polly
soon found him there, and together they went to see his Mother, and then
he learned more fully all about the pleasure in store for him, and that
Mamma and Papa had consented to let him go because _they_ had been
called unexpectedly away a long distance to see a sick relative, and it
made them glad to know that their little son would be safe and happy
with Polly and her Mother and Father during that time. Afterwards, when
Teddy and Polly were again together, they talked the coming trip over as
children do, and were greatly excited and delighted.
"I promised Mamma solermy, oh, jus' as solermy as could be, that I'd be
the goodest behaving boy your Mamma ever saw!" said Teddy, when he and
Polly, tired of jumping about and shouting "whoop!" at last sat down on
the grass to talk it over, "and--and--she said she wasn't 'fraid to
trus' me at all."
"Course not," responded Polly; "you're the best that ever could be to
keep promises, and if you forget 'bout 'em, it's jus' 'cause you
couldn't truly help it."
The more they talked over the wonderful new surprise, the more excited
the dear little couple were growing, and the number of times Teddy put
soft kisses on his Polly's cheek (one of his sweet little ways of
expressing his joy, at any time, over pleasures they were to share
together) I cannot tell, but you may be sure he did not limit his kisses
in the least, dear loving little chum as he was!
[Illustration]