Five Little Peppers Midway

by Margaret Sidney

  XVIII

  THE GIRLS HAVE POLLY AGAIN

  "Phronsie shall have a baked apple this morning," said Mother Fisher,coming into the sunny room where Phronsie lay propped up against thepillows.

  "Did Papa-Doctor say so?" asked Phronsie, a smile of supreme contentspreading over her wan little face.

  "Yes, he did," said her mother; "as nice an apple, red and shiny as wecould find, is downstairs baking for you, Phronsie. When it's done,Sarah is to bring it up."

  "That will be very nice," breathed Phronsie slowly. "And I want mylittle tea-set--just the two cups and saucers--and my own little potand sugar-bowl. Do let me, Mamsie, and you shall have a cup of milkwith me," she cried, a little pink color stealing into either cheek.

  "Yes, yes, child," said Mother Fisher. "There, you mustn't try to leanforward. I'll bring the little table Grandpapa bought, so;" she hurriedover across the room and wheeled it into place. "Now isn't that fine,Phronsie?" as the long wing swung over the bed. "Did you ever see sucha tea-party as you and I'll have?"

  "Breakfast party, Mamsie!" hummed Phronsie; "isn't that just lovely?"wriggling her toes under the bed-clothes. "Do you think Sarah'll everbring that apple?"

  "Yes, indeed--why, here she is now!" announced Mrs. Fisher cheerily."Come in, Sarah," as a rap sounded on the door. "Our little girl is allready for that good apple. My! what a fine one."

  "Bless honey's heart!" ejaculated Sarah, her black face shining withdelight. "Ain't he a beauty, though?" setting down on the table-wing apink plate in the midst of which reposed an apple whose crackling skindisclosed a toothsome interior. "I bring a pink sasser so's to matchhis insides. But ain't he rich, though!"

  "Sarah," said Phronsie, with hungry eyes on the apple, "I think he isvery nice indeed, and I do thank you for bringing him."

  "Bless her precious heart!" cried Sarah, her hands on her ample hips,and her mouth extended in the broadest of smiles.

  "Do get me a spoon, Mamsie," begged Phronsie, unable to take her gazefrom the apple. "I'm so glad he has a stem on, Sarah," carefullypicking at it.

  "Well, there," said Sarah, "I had the greatest work to save that stem.But, la! I wouldn't 'a' brung one without a stem. I know'd you'd wantit to hold it up by, when you'd eat the most off."

  "Yes, I do," said Phronsie, in great satisfaction fondling the stem.

  "And here's your spoon," said her mother, bringing it. "Now, child,enjoy it to your heart's content."

  Phronsie set the spoon within the cracked skin, and drew it outhalf-full. "Oh, Mamsie!" she cried, as her teeth closed over it, "dojust taste; it's so good!"

  "Hee-hee!" laughed Sarah, "I guess 'tis. Such works as I had to bakedat apple just right. But he's a beauty, ain't he, though?"

  Phronsie did not reply, being just at that moment engaged in conveyinga morsel as much like her own as possible, to her mother's mouth.

  "Seems to me I never tasted such an apple," said Mother Fisher, slowlyswallowing the bit.

  "Did you, now?" cried Sarah.

  Downstairs Polly was dancing around the music-room with three or fourgirls who had dropped in on their way from school.

  "Give me a waltz now, Polly," begged Philena. "Dear me, I haven't had asight of you hardly, for so long, I am positively starved for you. Idon't care for you other girls now," she cried, as the two wentwhirling down the long room together.

  "Thank you, Miss Philena," cried the others, seizing their partners andwhirling off too.

  "I feel as if I could dance forever," cried Polly, when Amy Garrettturned away from the piano and declared she would play no more--and shestill pirouetted on one foot, to come up red as a rose to the group.

  "Look at Polly's cheeks!" cried Amy.

  "You've been a white little minx so long," said Alexia, putting a fondarm around Polly; "I went home and cried every day, after I would stealaround the back way to see how Phronsie was"--

  "Won't Phronsie be downstairs soon?" asked Amy.

  "I don't know," said Polly. "Papa-Doctor is going to be dreadfullycareful of her, that she doesn't get up too soon."

  "Say, Polly," cried another girl, "don't you have to take a lot ofpills and stuff, now that Dr. Fisher is your father?"

  Polly threw back her head and laughed merrily. It sounded so strangelyto her to hear the sound echoing through the room so long silent, thatshe stopped suddenly.

  "Oh, girls! I can't hardly believe even yet that Phronsie is almostwell," she cried.

  "Well, you'd better," advised Alexia philosophically, "because she is,you know. Do laugh again, Polly; it's good to hear you."

  "I can't help it," said Polly, "Cathie asked such a funny question."

  "Cathie's generally a goose," said Alexia coolly.

  "Thank you," said Cathie, a tall girl, with such light hair and sallowface that she looked ten years older than her fourteen summers. "Isometimes know quite as much as a few other people of my acquaintance,"she said pointedly.

  "I didn't say but that you did," said Alexia composedly. "I said youwere generally a goose. And so you are. Why, everybody knows that,Cath."

  "Come, come, girls, don't fight," said Polly. "How can you whenPhronsie is getting better? Alexia didn't mean anything, Cathie."

  "Yes, she did," declared Cathie with a pout; "she's always meaningsomething. She's the hatefullest thing I ever saw!"

  "Nonsense!" said Polly, with a gay little laugh. "She says perfectlydreadful things to me, and so I do to her, but we don't either of usmind them."

  "Well, those are in fun," said Cathie; "that's a very differentmatter"--

  "So you must make these in fun," said Polly. "I would if I were you."But she drew away from Alexia's arm.

  "Polly, don't be an idiot and fight with me," whispered Alexia in herear.

  "Go away," said Polly, shaking her off.

  "Polly, Polly, I'll say anything if you won't look like that. See here,Cathie, let's make up," and she ran over, seized the tall girl by thewaist and spun her around till she begged to stop.

  "Is that your way of making up?" cried Cathie, when she had the breathto speak.

  "Yes; it is as good as any other way. It spins the nonsense out of you.There!" with a last pat on the thin shoulder, she left her, and ranback to Polly.

  "It's all done," she cried. "I'm at peace with the whole world. Nowdon't look like an ogre any longer."

  "Phronsie's actually hungry now all the time," confided Polly in aglow, "and we can't get enough to satisfy her."

  "Good--good!" cried the girls.

  "I'm going to send her some of my orange jelly," declared Alexia. "I'llmake it just as soon as I go home. Do you think she will like it,Polly?" she asked anxiously.

  "Yes, I do believe she will," said Polly, "because she loves orangesso."

  "Well, I shan't make any old orange jelly," cried Cathie, her nose inthe air. "Faugh! it's insipid enough!"

  "But 'tisn't when it's made the way Alexia makes it," said Polly,viewing in alarm the widening of the breach between the two. "I'veeaten some of hers, and it's too splendid for anything."

  "I don't know anything about hers, but all orange jelly I have tastedis just horrid. I hate it! I'm going to make almond macaroons. They'relovely, Polly."

  "Oh! don't, Cathie," begged Polly in distress.

  "Why not, pray tell," whirling on one set of toes. "You needn't beafraid they won't be good. I've made them thousands of times."

  "But she couldn't eat them," said Polly. "Just think, almond macaroons!Why, Papa-Doctor would"--

  "Now I know the doctor makes you take perfectly terrible things, andwon't let you eat anything. And macaroons are the only things I canmake. It's a shame!" and down sat Cathie in despair on an ottoman.

  "What's the matter?" Dr. Fisher put his head in at the doorway, hisspectacled eyes sending a swift glance of inquiry around.

  "O dear me!" exclaimed Cathie in a fright, jumping up and clutching thearm of the girl next to her. "Don't let Polly tell him what Isaid--don't."

  "Polly won'
t tell," said the girl, with a superb air; "don't you knowany better, Cathie Harrison, you goose, you!"

  To be called a goose by two persons in the course of an hour was toomuch for Cathie's endurance, and flinging off the girl's arm, she criedout passionately, "I won't stay; I'm going home!" and rushed out thedoor.

  Dr. Fisher turned from a deliberate look at the girl's white cheeks, asshe ran past, to the flushed ones before him.

  "I'm very sorry that anything unpleasant has happened. I dropped in totell you of a little surprise, but I see it's no time now."

  "Oh, Papa-Doctor!" cried Polly, flying up to him from the center of thegroup, "it was nothing--only"--

  "A girl's quarrel is not a slight thing, Polly," said little Dr. Fishergravely, "and one of your friends has gone away very unhappy."

  "Oh! I know it," said Polly, "and I'm so sorry."

  "We can't any of us help it," said Alexia quickly. "Cathie Harrison hasthe temper of a gorilla--so there, Dr. Fisher."

  Dr. Fisher set his spectacles straight, and looked at Alexia, but hedid not even smile, as she hoped he would do. "I can't help it," shesaid, tracing the pattern of the carpet with the toe of her boot, "shemakes us all so uncomfortable, oh! you can't think. And I wish she'dstay home forever."

  Still no answer from the doctor. He didn't act as if he heard, butbowing gravely, he withdrew his head and shut the door.

  "O dear, dear!" cried Alexia, when they had all looked at each other abreathing space. "Why didn't he speak? I'd much rather he'd scold likeeverything than to look like that. Polly, why don't you say something?"

  "Because there isn't anything to say." Polly got no further, and turnedaway, suspiciously near to tears. Was this the first meeting with thegirls to which she had looked forward so long?

  "To think of that Cathie Harrison making such a breeze," cried Alexiaangrily; "a girl who's just come among us, as it were, and we only lether in our set because Miss Salisbury asked us to make things pleasantfor her. If it had been any one else who raised such a fuss!"

  Meantime Dr. Fisher strode out to the west porch, intending to walkdown to his office, and buttoning up his coat as he went along. As heturned the angle in the drive, he came suddenly upon a girl who hadthrown herself down on a rustic seat under a tree, and whose shoulderswere shaking so violently that he knew she was sobbing, though he heardno sound.

  "Don't cry," said the little doctor, "and what's the matter?" all inthe same breath, and sitting down beside her.

  Cathie looked up with a gasp, and then crushed her handkerchief overher eyes. "Those girls in there are perfectly horrid." "Softly,softly," said Dr. Fisher.

  "I can't--help it. No matter what I say, they call me names, and I'mtired of it. O dear, dear!"

  "Now see here," said the doctor, getting up on his feet and drawing along breath. "I'm on my way to my office; suppose you walk along withme a bit and tell me all about it."

  Cathie opened her mouth, intending to say, "Oh! I can't"--instead, shefound herself silent, and not knowing how, she was presently pacingdown the drive by the doctor's side.

  "Polly Pepper!" exclaimed Alexia, as a turn in the drive brought thetwo figures in view of the music-room windows, "did you ever see such asight in your life? Cathie is walking off with Dr. Fisher! There isn'tanything her tongue won't say!"

  "Did you tell Polly?" cried Jasper, a half-hour later, putting his headinto Dr. Fisher's office. "Oh! beg pardon; I didn't know you were busy,sir."

  "Come in," said the doctor, folding up some powders methodically. "No,I didn't tell Polly."

  "Oh!" said Jasper, in a disappointed tone.

  "I hadn't a fair chance"--

  "But she ought to know it just as soon as it's talked of," said Jasper,fidgeting at a case of little vials on the table. "Oh! beg pardonagain. I'm afraid I've smashed that chap," as one rolled off to thefloor. "I'm no end sorry," picking up the bits ruefully.

  "I have several like it," said the doctor kindly, and settling anotherpowder in its little paper.

  "There were a lot of girls with Polly when I looked in upon her on myway out. But we'll catch a chance to tell her soon, my boy."

  "Oh! I suppose so. A lot of giggling creatures. How Polly can standtheir chatter, I don't see," cried Jasper impatiently.

  "They've been shut off from Polly for some time, you know," said Dr.Fisher quietly. "We must remember that."

  "Polly doesn't like some of them a bit better than I do," said Jasperexplosively, "only she puts up with their nonsense."

  "It's rather a difficult matter to pick and choose girls who are in thesame classes," said the doctor, "and Polly sees that."

  "Don't I know it?" exclaimed Jasper, in an astonished tone. "Dear me,Dr. Fisher, I've watched Polly for years now. And she's always doneso." He stopped whirling the articles on the office table, and bestoweda half-offended look on the little physician.

  "Softly, softly, Jasper," said Dr. Fisher composedly. "Of course you'veused your eyes. Now don't spoil things by saying anything, but letPolly 'go her own gait,' I beg of you." Then he turned to his powdersonce more.

  "She will, anyway," declared Jasper. "Whatever she makes up her mind todo, Polly does that very thing."

  "Not a bad characteristic," laughed the doctor.

  "I should say not."

  "Now when I come up home for dinner, you and I will find Polly, andtell her the good news. If she's with a lot of those silly girls,I'll--I'll tear her off this time." Dr. Fisher glared so fiercely as hedeclared this determination that Jasper laughed outright.

  "I thought no one was to disturb Polly's good intentions in that line,"he cried.

  "Well, there's an end to all things, and patience ceases to be a virtuesometimes."

  "So I've thought a good many times, but I've borne it like a man."Jasper drew himself up, and laughed again at the doctor's face.

  "Oh! you go along," cried Dr. Fisher, his eyes twinkling. "I'll meetyou just before dinner."

  "All right," as Jasper rushed off.

  Dr. Fisher jumped to his feet, pushing aside the litter of powderpapers, and bottles, and ran his fingers through the shock of gray hairstanding straight on his head.

  "Yes, yes," he muttered, walking to the window, "it will be a goodthing for Polly, now I tell you, Adoniram." He always preferred toaddress himself by his first name; then he was sure of a listener. "Avastly good thing. It's quite time that some of the intimacies withthese silly creatures are broken up a bit, while the child gainsimmensely in other ways." He rubbed his palms gleefully. "Oh!good-morning, good-morning!"

  A patient walking in, looked up at the jolly little doctor. "I wish Icould laugh like that," he ejaculated, his long face working in theunusual effort to achieve a smile.

  "You would if you had a gay crowd of children such as I have," criedthe little doctor proudly. "Why, man, that's better than all my doses."

  "But I haven't the children," said the patient sourly, and sitting downwith a sigh.

  "I pity you, then," said Dr. Fisher, with the air of having been afamily man for years. "Well, besides owning the Peppers, I'm going offwith them to"--there he stopped, for before he knew it, the secret waswell-nigh out.