in and lie down by his side and hold his hand, maybe he'd go to
sleep. He's half sick, and I don't want Mamsie to come home and
find him so."
"I've got to sew, Polly," said Phronsie, with an important air,
and holding up her mangy bit of calico, where all but one corner
was in a pucker, "so I must stay right here and finish it. Truly,
I must, Polly."
"O dear me!" exclaimed Polly, quickly, "then I don't know what
is to be done. And Mamsie will come home, and then what will she
say?" with another worried glance at David's flushed cheeks.
Phronsie drew a long breath and set another crooked stitch.
"I'll go, Polly," at last she said, with a long sigh, putting the
puckered calico bit, with the needle hanging, carefully on the
floor by her side. Then she got slowly out of her little wooden chair.
"Now, that's a good girl," cried Polly, reaching out her arms to
catch her, and nearly smothering her with kisses. "Whatever
should I do without you, Phronsie, pet? I'm sure I don't know."
"You couldn't do without me, could you, Polly?" cried Phronsie,
very much pleased as Polly let her go and flew back to her
sewing again.
"No in-_deed_!" cried Polly, warmly. "There, take Davie's
hand, and both of you go into the bedroom like good children,
and shut the door and go to sleep. That's nice!" and she smiled
approvingly at them as they disappeared.
Joel cried on and on, his tears trailing off into the grass,
till at last, as Polly took no notice of him, he raised his head
to look in at the window at her. She didn't seem to see him, but
sewed on and on quite composedly, as if Joel were not there. So
he finally jumped up, and seeing his tin pail overturned on its
side, he hurried to investigate.
"Oh, my worms have all run off!" he shouted. "Polly, the bad old
things have every single one of 'em run away!" and he beat the
bottom of the pail with the broken iron spoon in his vexation.
"Joel Pepper!" cried Polly, a little red spot coming in either
cheek as she flung down her work on the floor by Phronsie's
calico bit, "that's twice you've made a most awful noise; now
you'll wake Davie up again, you bad, naughty boy," and without
stopping to think, she dashed out doors, and before Joel could
hardly breathe, she seized his shoulders and shook him smartly.
"Oh, what have I done! What have I done!" she exclaimed, and
throwing herself down on the grass, she covered her face with
her hands, waving back and forth in distress.
"You shook me!" cried Joel, his black eyes sparkling in anger.
"Now I'll beat you, Polly Pepper," and he raised the old broken
iron spoon. There they were--two little Peppers--oh, dreadful,
to tell it--and Mamsie away!
"You may, Joe," said Polly, brokenly, and rocking back and forth,
while the big tears dripped down between her fingers, "for I've
been bad to you, and Mamsie away." She could hardly speak for
her sobs. "How could I! Oh, Joey, I'm so sorry. O dear--dear--dear!"
She went off now into such a gust of crying, that Joel forgot
all about his anger. He threw away the spoon, and kneeling
beside her, he put his arms about her neck. "Don't cry, Polly,"
he begged, "please don't."
"I can't help it, Joe," said Polly, struggling with her sobs. "O
dear me! I can't ever forgive myself. I don't see how I came to
do it. O dear me!"
At last Joel, in despair, jumped to his feet. "I'm going to get
Grandma Bascom."
"Oh, no, you mustn't, Joe," cried Polly, bringing a very red
face suddenly to view, the tears running in little rivers down
her nose and cheeks. "There, see! I'm not going to cry any more.
Come back, Joe," for he was starting off at a lively pace.
"Sure?" cried Joel, stopping a minute.
"Yes, I won't cry any more," cried poor Polly, swallowing very
hard--"there, see, Joey dear," and she wiped off the last tear.
"Now I'll help you dig some more worms," she said, racking her
brains to think of something by which to make up to Joel for the
shaking.
"Will you?" cried Joel, in delight. "Oh, Polly, how nice! Here's
the spoon--here's the spoon," and he ran and picked it out of
the long grass.
"Yes, I will," promised Polly, stifling a sigh as she thought of
the work to be made up in some way on the coat seams.
"And I'll sit here and see you," remarked Joel, doubling up in
an easy position on the grass, "'cause you see there isn't but
one spoon, Polly. Now dig a good lot," he said with a restful
stretch.
So Polly dug and dug away, being careful to select long, fat
worms. And presently there was a good number all wriggling away
in the bottom of the pail. And at last Joel hopped up and peered
in. "Oh, Polly, what a lot! An' they're juicy ones, and a great
deal better'n mine. Now I guess I'll catch some fish, an' you
shall fry 'em for supper." He seized the pail, and slung the
pole over his shoulder again, and trudged off.
"All right," said Polly, with a loving little pat, "and oh, Joey,
I'm so sorry I was cross and shook you."
"I don't care," said Joel, pleasantly, "'cause you dug my worms
for me, Polly," and he raced off.
But Polly went into the little brown house with a very sober
face. And it wasn't till all the children, Ben and all, were
abed that night, and she crept into Mamsie's arms and sobbed it
all out on her breast, that she felt better and like being Polly
again.
Joel rushed through the undergrowth and tangle of berry bushes,
breaking through the wild grape vines that slapped him in the
face and caught his pole; and, creeping and ducking under them,
at last he struck the little path to the Cherry Brook, that
gurgled its way along Farmer Brown's meadow. Underneath the cool
trees it was dank and mossy, and he flung himself down to rest,
first carefully setting his precious pail up against a big stone.
"I'm just goin' to catch the biggest fish you ever saw, Joel
Pepper," he exclaimed to himself, for want of company. "Yes
sir-_ree_," untwisting the string which, for want of a fishing
line, he had tied to his pole. "Then I guess, when Polly sees it,
she'll be glad. Now I'll get the very juiciest worm in the pail."
So he went to the pail, and was just leaning over to investigate
its depths, when he heard voices.
Joel knew in a minute whose they were, and he tried to scrabble
his things together and run and hide them in the thick bushes,
when the boys to whom the voices belonged broke through the
undergrowth on the other side of the brook.
"It's the Pepper boy," said one of them in an awful whisper.
Then they stood still a minute, all three staring at each other.
At last Joel picked up his pole and started to march away.
"Hold on," called one of the boys, the biggest and dirtiest, and
he jumped across the brook. Joel went steadily along as well as
he could for the vines and stubby trees, determined not to turn
back for anybody's call, at any rate that dirty Jim Belden.
But Jim gave him no chance to think, and the first thing he knew,
Joel was seized roughly by the shoulder. "Gimme them worms," and
Jim tugged at the handle of the pail.
"I won't; they're my worms," screamed Joel, hanging on for dear
life; "so there, now! you go right away. Polly dug 'em, Polly
dug 'em," he kept saying. But the scuffle was short, as the other
boy raced up, and pulled too, so that pretty soon Joel was tumbled
heels over head, into the brook, and the pail was in the hands of
the biggest boy, who cried out joyfully, "Oh, see what a lot! now
we'll go up to th' 'Pool.'" This was a deep spot a half mile or
so away, where the stream widened. Mrs. Pepper never allowed the
two boys to go there, unless Ben could go too, which was seldom
indeed, and only looked upon as a very great treat.
Joel burst out in a great passion, as soon as he could scramble
out of the brook, "Give me back my pail!" and he looked so very
fierce, although he was so small, that without another word the
other two ran away as fast as they could. Joel plunged after them,
angrier every minute, and instead of turning off to the "Pool,"
Jim and the other boy ran straight across Deacon Brown's field.
"Oh, now he'll catch 'em," thought Joel, joyfully, without a
thought of giving up the race. There was a man off in the
further corner of the field. "Mr. Br-own," screamed Joel,
shrilly. "Mr. Br-own!"
Jim and the other boy, seeing their mistake, turned off to the
undergrowth. "Hold on there!" commanded Deacon Brown, in a dreadful
voice. So there was nothing to do but stop.
[Illustration: "'GIVE ME BACK MY PAIL!'"]
But when he got to the spot where they stood rooted to the
ground, there were no worms in the pail, they having been
jiggled out in the chase. So Joel had to go back, and pick up
his pole with the string hanging to it, and carry that home and
his empty pail. "But that Jim Belden didn't have the worms,
anyway," he said, with great satisfaction.
VIII
WHY THEY SAID NO
Ben came in and hung his cap up on its peg behind the door.
Polly didn't see his face, for she was tying on Phronsie's
eating apron, and Mother Pepper was in the pantry, else some one
would have discovered that he was strangely excited.
"Come," said Polly, "we can't wait any longer for those boys.
Can we, Mamsie?" she called.
"No, we better sit down," said Mrs. Pepper, coming out with a
plate in her hand. "I'm sorry they're late, for I've got a
surprise for you all to-night." She set the plate on the table,
and her black eyes sparkled. "Now, then, see that!"
"Ooh!" cried Polly, her brown eyes very wide, while Phronsie
stopped climbing into her chair to precipitate herself into the
midst of the group. "See, Ben! See!" exclaimed Polly, "it's
white cake with real frosting on top. Oh, Mammy, where did you
get it?"
Ben looked at the six big slices lying across the plate, but he
didn't seem to see them. However, Polly didn't notice, for she
was dancing around the table with Phronsie, to see which side
the cake looked the best.
"White on top--real white on top!" sang Phronsie, beating her
little hands together.
"I know it," cried Polly, almost as much excited. "Oh, how I
wish those two boys were here! Mamsie, where _did_ you get
it? from dear Mrs. Henderson, I s'pose."
"No, guess again," said Mrs. Pepper, cheerily. Then she looked
at Ben steadily out of her black eyes. "I was going past Miss
Barber's, and she knocked on the window, and when I stopped she
ran out, and gave it to me all done up. 'I've been watching for
you,' she said, 'for I knew you were helping at Deacon Brown's
to-day. We had comp'ny last night, and I want you to have some
of sister's cake. She's had real good luck.' So that's all the
story about the cake, Polly." Mother Pepper still looked at Ben,
though she spoke as cheerily as ever.
"I'm so glad Miss Barber did have company last night," said
Polly, her mouth watering for the taste of "sister's cake."
"I want a piece," said Phronsie, stopping her dance suddenly,
to hold out both hands.
"Oh, no, Phronsie," said Polly, with a little laugh, "you must
eat your bread first. Folks don't ever eat cake first."
"Don't they?" asked Phronsie.
"No, indeed; there, hop up into your chair." Polly flew into her
own. "Why don't those boys come?" she cried in a vexed little
way.
"It won't make them come any quicker to fret over it," observed
Mother Pepper, composedly, and getting into her chair. "Come,
Ben, sit down, and we'll begin."
So the grace was said, and the bread was passed. "Oh, Ben!"
exclaimed Polly, in dismay, "you didn't wash your hands!" as he
was going to take a piece.
"I forgot it," said Ben, looking down at them. Then he got out
of his chair and went out into the woodshed, where a tin basin
and a towel and soap were always ready, for Mother Pepper said
they might be poor, and that they couldn't help, but they could
keep clean and nice.
Polly nibbled at her dry bread, but she couldn't keep her eyes
off the cake, and Phronsie bit little pieces all around the edge
of her slice. Then she laid it down. "Now I'm ready for the
cake," she said, holding out both hands again. "Please give it
to me, Mammy."
"Oh, no, Phronsie," said Mrs. Pepper, shaking her head, "Mother
can't give it to you till you've eaten all your slice. Besides,
you must wait till Polly is through, and I will pass it to her
first."
"I don't want any more bread, Mammy dear," said Phronsie,
gravely.
"You must eat it," said Mrs. Pepper, firmly.
"See, Phronsie, mine's going fast," cried Polly, with another
bite that rapidly diminished her slice. "Oh, you can't think how
soon it will be gone, if you begin to eat." And Polly munched
away determinedly, but she kept looking at the cake. Ben came in,
and slid into his chair, and took a piece of bread.
"Why don't those boys--" began Polly. "Oh, I forgot, Mamsie,"
with a little laugh, and the door opened, and in burst Joel and
David with very red faces, and talking at once.
"Oh, it's comin'!"
"Over at Hillsbury--"
"Horses and--"
"Monkeys--"
"And a big elephant and--"
"A band--" this from Joel, who screamed it above Davie's faint
treble.
"And a bear, and a hippi--hoppi--"
Polly dropped her bread-slice in astonishment, and Mrs. Pepper
sat quite straight in her chair. Phronsie had just concluded to
try again and do like Polly, so she sat quite still and stared,
with her bread halfway to her mouth. Ben's head drooped over his
plate, and he pushed his bread in rapidly, nearly choking
himself.
"Boys," said Mrs. Pepper, "don't both talk together. Joel, you
may begin, because you are the oldest." But it was impossible to
stop them, as they rushed up to her and threw their arms around
her.
"Oh, Mammy," cried little Davie, his cheeks aflame, "you can't
think--there's monkeys!"
At that Phronsie gave a little squeal, and before Polly could
stop her, she slipped out of her chair and plunged over to her
mother. "Oh, Mammy, I want a monkey, I do."
"And bears--and horses," shouted Joel, winding both arms around
Mother Pepper's neck.
"Whatever in all this world!" exclaimed Mrs. Pepper, looking
over their heads. Then her eyes fell on Ben. "Do you know
anything of all this?" she asked.
"Yes'm," said Ben, his head dropping lower yet, while Joel and
David howled on, and Phronsie screamed to be taken up in her
mother's lap, and that she wanted a monkey too. Polly sat as if
paralyzed.
"What is it?" asked Mrs. Pepper.
"The circus," said Ben, slowly, "coming over to Hillsbury."
Polly sprang from her chair, upsetting it, and plunged over to
Mrs. Pepper. "Oh, Mamsie!" she screamed, as loud as the others,
"the circus! the circus! Oh, oh! Can't we go? We must!"
Poor Mrs. Pepper sank back in her chair, with the four little
Peppers swarming all around her, and all pleading together, till
the kitchen seemed fairly to ring with the noise.
"We can't, Polly," said Ben, hoarsely. "You know we can't. And
Joel and David ought not to have told."
Polly turned a deaf ear, and kept on, "Oh, Mamsie, we've never
seen one, 'cept the pictures. We must go!" On hearing this from
Polly, Joel and David made as much worse clamor as was possible,
drowning Phronsie's voice.
"Aren't you ashamed, Polly!" cried Ben over at her. "You know we
can't go, so what's the use?"
"We can go," cried Polly, passionately, back at him, "if
Mamsie'll only say so. We've never seen one, and we _must_
go."
"Now, children," said Mother Pepper, in a firm voice that rose
above the din, "stop, every one of you, at once, and go and sit
down."
When Mamsie spoke like that, the five little Peppers always knew
that she meant to be obeyed, so they drew off from her and
tumbled into their chairs; all but Phronsie. "I'll take you into
my lap," said Mother Pepper, so Phronsie snuggled, well-contented,
in her usual nest, and folded her small hands.
"Now, then," said Mrs. Pepper, "as it is quiet enough so I can
think, I'll hear the story. Ben, you may begin."
"Oh, let me--let me, Mamsie," begged Joel. "You said I might,
'cause I'm the oldest."
"That was because it was between you and David to tell it, and
you didn't take the chance," said Mother Pepper, coolly. "Now
Ben must do it."
"Why, there's a big yellow paper down to the store," began Ben,
slowly, and trying to make it as short as possible, "and--"
"It's got pictures of all the horses," interrupted Joel,
springing up from his seat, his black eyes dancing, "and--"
"Joel, sit down," said Mrs. Pepper, sternly, "and don't
interrupt. Go on, Ben."
Joel dropped, as if shot, back into his chair.
"And it's comin' to Hillsbury next week Wednesday," went on Ben,
unwillingly, "and that's all, Mamsie. Only Joe and David
shouldn't a-told."
"Tisn't all," declared Polly, defiantly, with very red cheeks;
"we must go! We've never seen a circus, and now it's goin' to be
in Hillsbury, we _must_ go!" She seemed unable to stop herself. Ben
stared at her in amazement.
"Must is a hard word to use, Polly," said Mother Pepper, dryly.
"I mean you'll let us, I 'most know," mumbled Polly, her cheeks
turning scarlet, and twisting her hands together. "Won't you,
Mamsie?"
"Won't you, Mamsie?" piped Phronsie, poking her head up like a
little bird out of her nest, to look into Mother Pepper's face.
"How much does it cost, Ben?" asked Mrs. Pepper, smiling down at
her baby, but not answering.
"Fifteen cents for any one over twelve, and ten cents for boys
and girls under twelve," said Ben.
"Um, that would be one fifteen cents for you, and ten cents for
Polly and Joel, and--"
"Why, you must go, Mamsie," cried Polly; "we shouldn't any of us
want to go without you, should we, Ben?"
"No, indeed," said Ben. "But we ain't any of us going, Polly,"
he finished.
At this there was another howl, breaking out from the two boys.
Polly turned quite pale, but said nothing.
"Be quiet, Joel and David," said Mrs. Pepper, turning her black
eyes on them. "No, children, if I could let you go at all, I
should trust you with such a boy as Ben, and such a girl as
Polly, to look after you." Polly raised her head, that had
drooped at her mother's reproof, and Ben sat quite straight in
his chair. "But I don't see as it's right for me to let you go."
There was a sign of another outbreak, but something in Mamsie's
eyes stopped it halfway.
"In the first place, it's five miles to Hillsbury," said Mrs.
Pepper, slowly, as if trying to put off the final decision as
long as possible; "and you younger children couldn't walk it."
"I could, Mamsie," declared Joel, springing up again.
"Sit down, Joel; well, Davie couldn't. I shouldn't be willing
for him to try, and walk clear back. And Phronsie--" Mrs. Pepper
looked down at Phronsie's yellow head, and smiled. It wasn't
necessary for her to say a word. "Mr. Tisbett'll be goin' over,"
said little Davie, hopefully, "an' he can take us."
"And that would cost money," said Mrs. Pepper.
"Somebody will let us sit in behind," said Joel, confidently;
"there'll be lots of wagons goin'."
"And ever so many people going in them," added Mrs. Pepper. "No,
my children shan't ever be a burden to other folks," and she
lifted her head proudly. "Polly, run into the bedroom and get
the stocking-leg." The stocking-leg, in the upper drawer of the
big bureau that belonged to Father Pepper's mother, always held
the stray quarters and half dollars laid up for a nest-egg
against a rainy day. Polly jumped out of her chair, glad to have
something to do, and ran into the bedroom.
"I sh'd have screamed if I'd sat there another minute longer,"
she said, leaning up against the bureau. "O dear me! We
_must_--I mean, what shall we do if we can't go? I guess
Mamsie will let us go." And she pulled open the upper drawer,
took out the stocking-leg, and ran back to put it in Mrs.
Pepper's hand.
Mrs. Pepper slowly untied the red flannel string and shook out
the contents on the table, the eyes of all five little Peppers
riveted on them. There were six silver quarters, three halves,
two ten-cent pieces, and eight pennies.
"Three dollars and twenty-eight cents," said Mrs. Pepper, slowly,
as she set the pieces in a row. No one dared to speak, except
Joel. "What a lot!" he cried joyfully; "now we can go, Mammy,
can't we? Oh, whickets!" and he clapped David on the back.
"Children," said Mrs. Pepper, and her eyes swept the whole
circle around the table, but they rested on Polly's face, "there
won't anything pay very well, circus or anything else, if we go
when we hadn't ought to. We haven't got a debt, thank the Lord,
but that money--" she pointed to the row--"is all that keeps us
from it."
It was impossible for Joel not to see by Polly's and Ben's faces,
more than by what Mrs. Pepper had said, that they were not
really to go, and he flung himself out of the chair and face
downward on the floor, breaking into heartrending sobs, little
Davie at once joining him. Polly got out of her seat and hurried
over to them on unsteady feet. "Boys," she said in a broken
little voice, "don't cry so. You make Mamsie feel badly. Look at
her face." But they didn't hear her.
"Boys,"--she got down close to them and put her mouth to Joel's
ear,--"you are making Mamsie sick," she said; "just look at her
face." At the word "sick," Joel stopped screaming, and bobbed up
his head to take a good look at Mrs. Pepper. "Mamsie, don't be
sick," he screamed, now thoroughly frightened. And jumping up,
he ran to throw his arms around her, and hug her tightly.
"Mother won't be sick as long as she's got such good children as
she has," cried Mother Pepper, putting her arms around Joel, to
draw him close to her. But her lips were very white.
"Now, boys," said Ben, "I sh'd think you were two big babies,
you act so. Joel's most a man, he's so big."
"I'm big, too, Ben," said David, getting up from the floor and
wiping off the tears with the back of a grimy hand. "I'm most as
tall as Joel is," and he stood very straight.
"Hoh! he isn't either," contradicted Joel, turning his round
face, all tear-stained and streaky. "Now just look here, Ben,"
and he sprang out from Mother Pepper's arms and rushed up to
David's side. "There, sir!"
"Well, you are both of you big enough to act better," said Ben,
coolly. "Come on, now, to supper."
"You're standing on your tiptoes," cried little David, getting
down on the floor by Joel to investigate. "Isn't he, Polly? Come
and see."
"I'm not either," cried Joel, flatly; "hear my heels." And he
slapped them down on the floor smartly. "Children, don't
quarrel," said Polly, finding her voice, "and come to supper. I
don't b'lieve you know what we've got."
"What?" asked Joel, indifferently, feeling quite sure of the dry
bread and possible molasses.
"Come and see," called Polly, trying to speak gayly.
"I see," piped David, craning his neck. Since he couldn't be as
tall as Joel, it was well to turn his attention to other matters.
"_Cake!_"
"Yes," said Phronsie, poking her head up again to shake it very
gravely, "it's cake. And please may I have some, Mammy?" holding
out her hand.
"So you shall," said her mother; "dear knows, I can't expect you
to wait any longer for it. Polly, give her a good piece."
When Joel saw Polly handing out cake with white frosting on top,
his black eyes stuck out, and he rushed without delay for his
seat, teasing for a piece at once. But on Polly's assuring him
that the bread must be eaten first, he began at once on the
slice she cut for him. And being really very hungry, now that
they had time to think about it, the two boys soon had their
portions eaten, nobody discovering, in the excitement, that the
little hands were grimy, until Phronsie spoke. "See Joey's hands,
Polly," and then everybody looked.
"My!" exclaimed Polly, quite herself, now. "I never saw such
hands, Joel Pepper! Go right away and wash 'em as soon as ever
you can."
"Smutty hands and cake!" exclaimed Mother Pepper.
Joel was so busy cramming the cake into his mouth that he didn't
half hear. "I'm most through," he mumbled.
"Lay down your cake, and go and wash your face and hands at once,
Joel," commanded Mrs. Pepper.
"Dave'll eat it," said Joel, his mouth half full.
"Oh, no, I won't," said little David, "and I'm going too, to
wash mine." So he laid his cake-slice on his plate, and ran into
the woodshed.
"You had a bigger piece than mine," said Joel, getting the tin
basin first, and filling it at the pump.
"No, I didn't," said David; "they were just alike."
"Well, it's bigger now," said Joel, bringing the basin to set
it on the wood bench and thrust his face in. Then he splashed
his hands, and gave them a hasty wipe on the long brown towel
hanging from the rack. "Anyway, it's bigger now. There, I'm done,
and you ought to give me a bite of yours."
Little David gave a sigh. "Well, you may have just one," he said
slowly. Then he threw out the water from the basin, and
carefully filled it again, while Joel dashed back gleefully into
the kitchen.