Five Little Peppers Grown Up

by Margaret Sidney

  CHAPTER III.

  CHRISTMAS AT DUNRAVEN.

  "Grandpapa," cried Phronsie, flying down the platform, "the box of dollsisn't here!"

  "Goodness me!" exclaimed old Mr. King, whirling around, "'tisn'tpossible, child, that we've come off without that. It must be with theother luggage."

  "O, no, Grandpapa dear!" declared Phronsie in great distress, andclasping her hands to keep the tears back, "it really, surely hasn'tcome; Polly says so."

  "Well, then, if Polly says so, it must have been left at home," said theold gentleman, "and there's no use in my going to look over theluggage," he groaned.

  "What's the matter?" cried Joel, rushing up, his jolly face aglow.

  "The worst thing that could possibly happen," said Mr. King irritably;"Phronsie's box of dolls is left behind." Then he began to fume up anddown the platform, wholly lost to everything but his indignation.

  "Whew!" ejaculated Joel, "that is a miss!" and he looked down atPhronsie, but her broad hat had drooped, the brown eyes seeking theplatform floor. "See here, Phronsie."

  Phronsie didn't speak for a breathing-space. "What is it, Joey?" thenshe said, not looking up.

  "I'll go back after it; don't you worry, child."

  "Oh, but you can't," cried Phronsie, throwing her head back quickly,"the train will come, and then you won't be here."

  "I'll take the next train; of course I can't get back for this," saidJoel, swallowing hard. "I'll bring the box all right," and he dashedoff.

  "Joel--oh, Joel!" cried Phronsie, running after him, "don't go!" sheimplored.

  "Here! here! what's the matter?" cried old Mr. King, forgetting hisindignation to hurry after her. "Phronsie, wait; what is it, dear?"

  "Joel's gone," panted Phronsie, flying back, her broad hat falling offto her shoulders, "oh, do stop him, Grandpapa dear! I'd rather not takethe dolls than to have Joel left."

  "Stop him? I can't. Bless me, here--somebody!" turning off to the littleknots of his party scattered over the platform, "where are you all?"

  Polly came running up at this, with a pale face. "Oh, Grandpapa!" shebegan at sight of him.

  "Joel's gone home," announced Phronsie, clasping her hands in distress,"after the box of dolls, and"--

  "Joel's gone home!" echoed Polly, standing quite still.

  "Yes," said Phronsie, "oh, Polly, do stop him and bring him back."

  "She can't," cried the old gentleman; "that boy's legs have carried himhalf over the town by this time. Nobody could stop him, child."

  And then, most of the little knots heard the commotion, and camehurrying up with "What is it?" and "Oh dear, what's the matter?" in timeto hear Polly groan, "And Joe thought so much of going down to Dunravenwith us!"

  "JOEL'S GONE," PANTED PHRONSIE, FLYING BACK.]

  "Well, where is he?" cried Jasper, whirling around to look in alldirections; while Ben took a few long strides to peer around thestation, and David and the other "Harvard Fresh." who had been invitedto keep him company, ran, one up, and the other down, the long platform.

  "See here now," shouted old Mr. King so sharply that all the flying feetwere arrested at once, "every one of you come back! Goodness me, theidea of the Bedford party being scattered to the four winds in thisfashion!"

  "I'd help if I could," said Mr. Hamilton Dyce, "but I really don't knowwhat it's all about yet."

  "Oh dear--dear!" Polly was yet wailing. Then she remembered, and threwher arms around Phronsie who was standing quite still by her side."Phronsie, precious pet," and she picked up her pretty stuff gown tokneel on the platform-floor to look into the little face, "don't feelbadly, dear. Joel will come on the next train."

  "But he won't be with us," said Phronsie slowly, and turning her browneyes piteously to Polly.

  "I know it," Polly smothered a sigh, "but we can't help it now.Grandpapa is feeling dreadfully; oh, Phronsie, you wouldn't make himsick, dear, for all the world!"

  Phronsie unclasped her hands, and went unsteadily over to the oldgentleman. "Joel will come on the next train, Grandpapa," she said.

  "Bless me, yes, of course," said Mr. King, seizing her hand; "I don'tsee what we are making such a fuss for. He'll come on the next train."

  "What's the riot?" asked Livingston Bayley, sauntering up, and whirlinghis walking-stick, "eh?"

  "Joel's absconded," said Mr. Dyce briefly.

  "Eh?"

  "Gone back after Phronsie's box of dolls," explained somebody else.

  "Oh dear me," cried Alexia Rhys, trying to get near Polly, "just likethat boy." She still called him that, in spite of his being a Harvardman, "He's always making some sort of a fuss."

  "Perhaps the train will be late," suggested Mrs. Dyce, who, as MaryTaylor, never could bear to see Phronsie unhappy. "Hamilton, if youdon't do something to help that child, I shall be sorry I married you,"she whispered in her husband's ear.

  "Late? it's late already," said Ben, pulling out his watch, "it's fiveminutes past time."

  "Well, it may be our luck to have it late enough," said Jasper, with aglance at Polly, "as it's Christmas day and a big train; so he maypossibly get here--he'll find a cabby that can make good time," headded, with a forlorn attempt at comfort.

  Jack Loughead sauntered up and down, on the edge of the group, longingto be of service, but feeling himself too new a friend to offer hissympathy.

  "Who the Dickens is that cad?" asked Mr. Bayley in smothered wrath, toMrs. Dyce.

  "Why, don't you know? He's another friend of Polly's," said Mary TaylorDyce, smiling up sweetly into his face, "and he's going down to helpentertain Phronsie's poor children. Isn't he nice?"

  "Nice?" repeated Livingston Bayley with a black look at the tall figurestalking on. "How do I know? Who is the fellow, any way?"

  But there was no time to reply.

  "Here comes the train!" cried Alexia. The warning bell struck, and therush of travelers from the waiting-room, began. "Oh dear me!" Then sheforgot all about her late unpleasantness with Pickering Dodge, andrunning up to him, she seized his arm, "Oh, Pickering, do make theconductor wait for that horrid boy."

  "I can't," said Pickering, "the train's late, any way. There, get on,Alexia," putting out his hand to help her up the steps.

  "Oh, I forgot," she cried, drawing back, "that we'd had a fight. Tisn'tproper for you to help me, Pickering, and you oughtn't to ask it, tillyou've begged my pardon."

  "Then it will be a long day before you receive my assistance," saidPickering, lifting his cap, and turning on his heel at the same time.

  Jasper tried to get up to Polly's side, as she was hurrying Phronsie tothe car, old Mr. King holding fast to Phronsie's other hand, butLivingston Bayley got there first.

  "Allow me, Miss Phronsie," he was saying, with extended hand. "'Pon meword, it's a beastly crowd going to-day, sir."

  "She will do very well with my assistance," said the old gentleman,still holding Phronsie's little glove. "And I suppose Christmas Daybelongs to everybody, eh, Bayley?" hurrying in.

  Polly, her foot on the lower step, turned and sent a despairing glancedown the platform, and Jasper who saw it through the crowd, fell back alittle to give a last look for Joel.

  "All aboard!" sang out the conductor, waving his hand.

  "Come--oh, come!" called Polly with a frantic gesture, from the doorwayof the car, as the train moved off. "Oh, Jasper!" as he swung himself upbeside her.

  "The next train runs down in an hour; don't feel badly, Polly," Jasperhad time to beg before they were drawn into the confusion of the car.

  But no one could pretend, with any sort of success, that Joel wasn'tmissed; and Polly had all that she could do to chase away the sorrowfulexpression of Phronsie's little face. And everybody tried his and herbest to make it as festive a time as possible; and the other passengersnudged one another, and sent many an envious glance at the merry party.

  "It's Mr. King's family going down to Bedford," said the conductor toone inquiring mind. "I take 'em every year," proudly. "He's powerfulrich;
but this ain't his affair. It all b'longs to that little girl withthe big hat." Then he dashed off, and called a station; and after thestopping and moving of the train again, he came back and sat on the armof the seat to finish his account.

  "You see, there was an old lady, a cousin of the old gentleman's, andshe made a will in favor of this child with the big hat." The conductorpointed his thumb at Phronsie, leaning over Mr. King's shoulder, thebetter to hear a wonderful story he was concocting for her benefit."Why, she's got some two or three millions."

  "What--that child?" cried the listeners, in amaze.

  JOEL SWINGING A BIG BOX RUSHED INTO DUNRAVEN HALL.]

  "Yes--the old lady was tough, but"--he dashed off again, called astation, slammed the door, and was back in position in less time than ittakes to tell it--"she was took sudden, while Mr. King's folks was inEurope, and now that child has turned a handsome old place downyonder"--he pointed with his thumb in the direction of Bedford--"Dunraven Lodge, the old lady always called it, into a sort of a Home,and she's chucked it full of children, mostly those whose fathers andmothers are dead; and every Christmas Day Mr. King takes down a bigcrowd, and"--

  Here somebody called him off, not to be seen again till he put his headin the doorway, and shouted "Bedford!"

  * * * * *

  Joel, swinging a big box as only Joel could, rushed into the spacioushall at Dunraven Lodge. "How are you all!"

  Phronsie disentangled herself from a group around the big fire-placewhere the long hickory logs snapped and blazed.

  "Oh, Josey!" she cried, precipitating herself into his long arms.

  "Here is the toggery," cried Joel, setting down the doll-box, while hegathered Phronsie up in his arms.

  "And you, Josey," cried Phronsie, with a happy little hum, "you are allhere yourself," as the group left the fire, and surrounded them.

  "Well--well--well!" cried old Mr. King, lifting his head in its velvetlounging cap from the sofa where he had been napping. "Are you reallyhere, Joe!"

  "Just like you," greeted Alexia, running down the broad oaken stairs."Here, he's come!" to Polly, appearing at the head. "We were finishingthe tree, and we heard the noise. Dear me, Joe, I should think it was acyclone," as she joined the group, Polly close behind.

  Joel tossed her a saucy answer, while Polly got on her tiptoes andcaught his crop of short black hair in her two hands. "Oh, Joe," shesaid, dropping a kiss on it, "it was lovely in you to go back."

  Joel felt well repaid for losing the jolly run down, and the grand_entree_ into Dunraven, his soul loved, but he covered up what hethought, by pulling Phronsie into the middle of the hall. "Come on,Phron," he said, "for a spin like old times."

  "See here," cried Alexia, "we ought to get back to that Tree, PollyPepper, or it won't be ready. Dear me, I dropped a box of frost all overthe stairs; Joel made such a noise."

  At the mere mention of such a possibility as the Tree not being ready,everybody started; the last one in the procession, picking up thedoll-box, their movements somewhat quickened, as loud calls were now setup above stairs, for "Polly--Polly!"

  "Come on," sang out Joel, who had paid his respects in a flying fashionto Grandpapa's sofa, and leaping the stairs. "Goodness me, Alexia, Ishould think you did spill this frost. Why didn't you go over moreground?"

  "I don't believe we can save one bit," mourned Alexia, peering up thestair-length, each step sparkling with myriad little frosty gems, as ifJack Frost himself had sprinkled it with a Christmas hand. "Oh, dear,why did you come in with such a noise, Joe Pepper?"

  "Just like a girl," said Joel; "jumps at everything and drops whatevershe has in her hand. You all go up the other stairs; I'll sweep this ina minute, and save what I can."

  "Oh, Joe, don't stop; we want you for the Tree," begged Polly. "Phronsiehas been waiting downstairs all this time for you to come. Let one ofthe maids do it;" Joe already had his head in a closet he knew of old,opening into the big hall.

  "Give me the broom," said a voice close beside him.

  "Eh--what?" cried Joel, pulling out what he wanted--a soft floor brush."Oh, is that you, Loughead?" turning around.

  "I believe so," said Jack, laughing. "Here, give me the broom. I'm nohelp about a Tree; I'll have the stuff up there soon," and before Joelknew it, he was racing over the back stairs, wondering how it was he hadlet that disagreeable Jack Loughead get hold of that broom.

  "It makes me think of our first Tree, in some way," said Polly softly,with glistening eyes, looking up at the beautiful branching spruce, itscountless arms shaking out brilliant pendants, and gay with streamersand candles, wherever a decoration could be placed, the whole tippedwith a shining star. "Oh, Bensie, can you ever forget that?"

  Ben looked down from the top of the step-ladder where he was adjustingsome last bit of ornament.

  "Never, Polly," he said, his eyes meeting hers.

  "That was so beautiful," cried Polly. "And we had it in our 'ProvisionRoom,' and Mrs. Henderson brought my bird over, and the other things thelast minute, and"--

  "I had to," broke in Mrs. Henderson with a laugh, and shaking the snipsof green from her white apron, "for you and Ben would have discoveredthe whole surprise. You were dreadful that day."

  "I'm glad somebody else was dreadful in those times, besides me,"observed Joel from among the branches, where he was tying on the severalpresents Alexia handed to him.

  "Well, you see," said Polly, with rosy cheeks, "it was our first Tree,and we were so afraid the children would find it out, and spoil all thesurprise."

  "And did we?" cried Phronsie, in intense excitement, emerging from thedepths of the Tree, the better to look at Polly, "did we, Polly, andspoil it all?"

  "No, Pet," cried Polly, "you were just as good as could be."

  "I remember," said Joel, "you told us stories, Polly, in the kitchen,and"--

  "We tooted on our tin horns," finished David; "oh, Joe, do you rememberthose horns?"

  "And that molasses candy," said Joel, smacking his lips, "I remember Iate mine up before breakfast."

  "And did I have any?" asked Phronsie, turning from one to the other.

  "Yes, indeed, you did," answered Joel.

  "Why, did you think we'd forget you, Phronsie?" asked Polly, a bitreproachfully.

  "And don't you remember it?" said David.

  "No," said Phronsie. "I don't; but I remember Seraphina's bonnet."

  "It was trimmed with some of Grandma Bascom's chicken's feathers," saidJoel.

  "And Mamsie made it out of an old bonnet string," said Polly. "Oh dear,if only Mamsie were here to-day!" And a cloud came over her face.

  "But we've Baby Fisher now," said Ben cheerfully, looking down at her."He's worth staying at home for, Polly."

  "Of course he is," said Polly, her gayety returning. "And dear PapaFisher was master of ceremonies then; but he wouldn't enjoy it to-daywithout Mamsie. So we oughtn't to wish him here."

  "And did we," cried Phronsie "find it out,Polly, and spoil it all?"]

  "I wish you wouldn't begin about that Little Brown House, and whatelegant times you had in it," exclaimed Alexia, twitching at a presentJoel had just tied on, to be sure it was secure; "I shall think thisTree is perfectly horrid, if you do, Polly Pepper."

  "Go on--do go on," begged several voices. Meanwhile, Jack Loughead hadcome silently up into the long hall, and deposited a neat boxful of thegleaming frost on the table, without any comments.

  "Dear me, there is so much to tell," cried Polly, with a little laugh,"if we begin about Jappy's Tree."

  "Who's Tree?" cried Livingston Bayley, who had been wrinkling his browsin great perplexity all through the recital.

  "Why, Jasper's," said Polly and Ben together; Joel and David coming inas echoes.

  "You see," said Phronsie distinctly, "that Jasper and dear Grandpapasent the beautiful things to us."

  "Mrs. Pepper and Polly and Ben had gotten the Tree ready before," saidJasper hastily. "Oh! didn't I want to be there!" he added
.

  "Yes; Polly almost cried because you couldn't be," said Joel in amongthe branches.

  "But she couldn't quite cry," said Davie, "because you see we childrenwould have found it out. Polly always sang in those days."

  "Do you remember how we used to run behind the wood-pile when we wantedto plan the Tree, Polly," asked Ben, "to get away from Joel and Dave?"

  "You spent most all your time in the Little Brown House in sneaking offfrom us," said Joel vindictively.

  "Well, we had to, if we ever did anything," said Ben coolly.

  "I should think so," remarked Livingston Bayley, delighted to give athrust at somebody.

  "And weren't the gilt balls pretty?" cried Polly, quite gone now in thereminiscences, though her fingers kept on at their task; "you did coverthose nuts beautifully, Bensie. I don't see how you could, with suchsnips of paper."

  "How did he make the balls?" asked Alexia, forgetting herself in herinterest, and coming up to Polly.

  "Why, we had some bits of bright paper, little bits, you know, and Bencovered hickory nuts with them, and pasted them all as smoothly; youcan't think!"

  "Oh, my!" exclaimed Alexia.

  "And Polly strung all the pop-corn, and fixed the candle-ends somebodygave Mamsie, and"--

  "Candle-ends? Why didn't you have whole ones?" cried Alexia.

  "Why, we couldn't," said Polly, "and we were glad enough to get these.Oh! the Tree looked just beautifully with them, I tell you."

  "You see," said Phronsie, drawing near to look into Alexia's face, "wewere very, very poor, Alexia. So Polly and Bensie made the Tree. Don'tyou understand?"

  "It was really Bensie's Tree," said Polly honestly, "for I didn'tbelieve at first we could do it."

  "Oh, yes, you did, Polly," corrected Ben hastily; "at any rate, you sawit in a minute."

  "And it's the first time you didn't believe a thing could be done, Iimagine," declared Jasper, with a bright nod at Polly.

  "Well, Bensie thought of this Tree, and made me see that we could doit," persisted Polly, giving a little quirk to a rebellious pendant.

  Mrs. Henderson put the corner of her white apron to her eyes. "I alwayshave to," she said to Mrs. Dyce, "when the Little Brown House days bringthose blessed children back to me."

  Jack Loughead drew nearer yet; so near that he lost never a word.

  "You ought to have seen what a Santa Claus Ben made!" Polly was saying.

  "I cut your performance yesterday at Baby's Tree, all out, old fellow,"declared Ben, descending from the step-ladder and bestowing anaffectionate clap on Jasper's shoulder.

  "I don't doubt it," Jasper gave back.

  "We made the wig out of Mamsie's cushion hair," laughed Polly. "And wehad such a piece of work putting it all back the next morning."

  "And Polly shook flour all over me, for the snow," said Ben, laughing.

  "Come back, Alexia, and hand me some more gimcracks, do," cried Joel,poking his head out of the branches to look at his late assistant.

  "Well, do go on about your Tree in the Brown House," begged Alexia,tearing herself away to answer Joel's demands, "seeing you have begun.What did you do next, Polly?"

  "Well, we all marched into the 'Provision Room,'" went on Polly, hercheeks aglow, "expecting to see our Tree just as we had left it; all butBen, he was going to jump into the window at the right time, when thefirst thing"--

  "Polly sat right down on the floor, saying, 'Oh!'" cried Joel, takingthe words out of her mouth.

  "I couldn't help it, I was so surprised," said Polly, with shining eyes."There was a most beautiful Tree, full of just everything; and there wasMamsie, almost crying, she was so happy; and there was Cherry singingaway in his cage, and the corner of the room was all a-bloom withflowers, and"--

  "And Grandma Bascom was there--wasn't she funny? She used to give ushard old raisins sometimes," said Joel, afraid to show what he wasfeeling.

  "And Phronsie screamed right out," went on Polly, "and Davie said it wasFairyland."

  By this time, Alexia had dropped the present she was holding, and hadrun back to Polly's side again, and somehow most of the other workersfollowed her example, the circle of listeners closing around the littlebunch of Peppers. "And Jasper sent a Christmas greeting, beside theTree," Polly ended, "and it was perfectly lovely."

  "And Santa Claus and Polly took hold of hands and danced around theTree," said Joel; "I'll never forget that."

  "Well, you would better take hold of hands and dance down to therecitation room," said Parson Henderson's deep voice, as he suddenlyappeared in their midst, "the children are all ready to give theircarols. Come."