Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

by Margaret Sidney

  POLLY IS COMFORTED

  Yes, it must be confessed. Polly was homesick. All her imaginations ofher mother's hard work, increased by her absence, loomed up before her,till she was almost ready to fly home without a minute's warning. Atnight, when no one knew it, the tears would come racing over the poor,forlorn little face, and would not be squeezed back. It got to benoticed finally; and one and all redoubled their exertions to makeeverything twice as pleasant as ever!

  The only place, except in front of the grand piano, where Pollyapproached a state of comparative happiness, was in the greenhouse.

  Here she would stay, comforted and soothed among the lovely plants andrich exotics, rejoicing the heart of Old Turner the gardener, who sincePolly's first rapturous entrance, had taken her into his good graces forall time.

  Every chance she could steal after practice hours were over, and afterthe clamorous demands of the boys upon her time were fully satisfied,was seized to fly on the wings of the wind, to the flowers.

  But even with the music and flowers the dancing light in the eyes wentdown a little; and Polly, growing more silent and pale, moved aroundwith a little droop to the small figure that had only been wont to flythrough the wide halls and spacious rooms with gay and springing step.

  "Polly don't like us," at last said Van one day in despair. "Then,dear," said Mrs. Whitney, "you must be kinder to her than ever;think what it would be for one of you to be away from home even amongfriends."

  "I'd like it first rate to be away from Percy," said Van, reflectively;"I wouldn't come back in three, no, six weeks."

  "My son," said his mamma, "just stop and think how badly you would feel,if you really couldn't see Percy."

  "Well," said Van, and he showed signs of relenting a little at that;"but Percy is perfectly awful, mamma, you don't know; and he feels sosmart too," he said vindictively.

  "Well," said Mrs. Whitney, softly, "let's think what we can do forPolly; it makes me feel very badly to see her sad little face."

  "I don't know," said Van, running over in his mind all the possible wayshe could think of for entertaining anybody, "unless she'd like my newbook of travels--or my velocipede," he added.

  "I'm afraid those wouldn't quite answer the purpose," said his mamma,smiling--"especially the last; yet we must think of something."

  But just here Mr. King thought it about time to take matters into hishands. So, with a great many chucklings and shruggings when no one wasby, he had departed after breakfast one day, simply saying he shouldn'tbe back to lunch.

  Polly sat in the drawing-room, near the edge of the twilight, practicingaway bravely. Somehow, of all the days when the home feeling was thestrongest, this day it seemed as if she could bear it no longer. If shecould only see Phronsie for just one moment! "I shall have to give up!"she moaned. "I can't bear it!" and over went her head on the music rack.

  "Where is she?" said a voice over in front of the piano, in thegathering dusk--unmistakably Mr. King's.

  "Oh, she's always at the piano," said Van. "She must be there now,somewhere," and then somebody laughed. Then came in the loudest ofwhispers from little Dick, "Oh, Jappy, what'll she say?"

  "Hush!" said one of the other boys; "do be still, Dick!"

  Polly sat up very straight, and whisked off the tears quickly. Up cameMr. King with an enormous bundle in his arms; and he marched up to thepiano, puffing with his exertions.

  "Here, Polly, hold your arms," he had only strength to gasp. And then hebroke out into a loud burst of merriment, in which all the troop joined,until the big room echoed with the sound.

  At this, the bundle opened suddenly, and--out popped Phronsie!

  "Here I'm! I'm here, Polly!"

  But Polly couldn't speak; and if Jasper hadn't caught her just in time,she would have tumbled over backward from the stool, Phronsie and all!

  "Aren't you glad I've come, Polly?" asked Phronsie, with her little faceclose to Polly's own.

  That brought Polly to. "Oh, Phronsie!" she cried, and strained her toher heart; while the boys crowded around, and plied her with suddenquestions.

  "Now you'll stay," cried Van; "say, Polly, won't you."

  "Weren't you awfully surprised?" cried Percy; "say, Polly, awfully?"

  "Is her name Phronsie," put in Dick, unwilling to be left out, and notthinking of anything else to ask.

  "Boys," whispered their mother, warningly, "she can't answer you; justlook at her face."

  And to be sure, our Polly's face was a study to behold. All its oldsunniness was as nothing to the joy that now transfigured it.

  "Oh!" she cried, coming out of her rapture a little, and springing overto Mr. King with Phronsie still in her arms. "Oh, you are the dearestand best Mr. King I ever saw! but how did you make mammy let her come?"

  "Isn't he splendid!" cried Jasper in intense pride, swelling up. "Fatherknew how to do it."

  But Polly's arms were around the old gentleman's neck, so she didn'thear. "There, there," he said soothingly, patting her brown, fuzzy head.Something was going down the old gentleman's neck, that wet his collar,and made him whisper very tenderly in her ear, "don't give way now,Polly; Phronsie'll see you."

  "I know," gasped Polly, controlling her sobs; "I won't--only--I can'tthank you!"

  "Phronsie," said Jasper quickly, "what do you suppose Prince said theother day?"

  "What?" asked Phronsie in intense interest slipping down out of Polly'sarms, and crowding up close to Jasper's side. "What did he, Jasper?"

  "Oh-ho, how funny!" laughed Van, while little Dick burst right out,"Japser!"

  "Be still," said Jappy warningly, while Phronsie stood surveying themall with grave eyes.

  "Well, I asked him, 'Don't you want to see Phronsie Pepper, Prince?' Anddo you know, he just stood right upon his hind legs, Phronsie, and said:'Bark! yes, Bark! Bark!'"

  "Did he really, Jasper?" cried Phronsie, delighted beyond measure; andclasping her hands in rapture, "all alone by himself?"

  "Yes, all alone by himself," asserted Jasper, vehemently, and winkingfuriously to the others to stop their laughing; "he did now, truly,Phronsie."

  "Then mustn't I go and see him now, Jasper? yes, pretty soon now?"

  "So you must," cried Jasper, enchanted at his success in amusing; "andI'll go with you."

  "Oh, no," cried Phronsie, shaking her yellow head. "Oh no, Jasper; Imust go by my very own self."

  "There Jap, you've caught it," laughed Percy; while the others screamedat the sight of Jasper's face.

  "Oh Phronsie!" cried Polly, turning around at the last words; "how couldyou!"

  "Don't mind it, Polly," whispered Jasper; "twasn't her fault."

  "Phronsie," said Mrs. Whitney, smilingly, stooping over the child,"would you like to see a little pussy I have for you?"

  But the chubby face didn't look up brightly, as usual: and the nextmoment, without a bit of warning, Phronsie sprang past them all, evenPolly, and flung herself into Mr. King's arms, in a perfect torrent ofsobs. "Oh! let's go back!" was all they heard!

  "Dear me!" ejaculated the old gentleman, in the utmost amazement; "andsuch a time as I've had to get her here too!" he added, staring aroundon the astonished group, none of whom had a word to say.

  But Polly stood like a statue! All Jasper's frantic efforts at comfort,utterly failed. To think that Phronsie had left her for any one!--evengood Mr. King! The room seemed to buzz, and everything to turn upsidedown--and just then, she heard another cry--"Oh, I want Polly, I do!"

  With a bound, Polly was at Mr. King's side, with her face on his coat,close to the little tear-stained one. The fat, little arms unclaspedtheir hold, and transferred themselves willingly to Polly's neck; andPhronsie hugged up comfortingly to Polly's heart, who poured into herear all the loving words she had so longed to say.

  Just then there was a great rush and a scuffling noise; and somethingrushed up to Phronsie "Oh!" And then the next minute, she had her armsaround Prince's neck, too, who was jumping all over her and trying ashard as he could,
to express his overwhelming delight.

  "She's the cunningest little thing I ever saw," said Mrs. Whitney,enthusiastically, afterward, aside to Mr. King. "Such lovely yellowhair, and such exquisite brown eyes--the combination is very striking.How did her mother ever let her go?" she asked impulsively, "I didn'tbelieve you could persuade her, father."

  "I didn't have any fears, if I worked it rightly," said the oldgentleman complacently. "I wasn't coming without her, Marian, if itcould possibly be managed. The truth is, that Phronsie had been piningfor Polly to such an extent, that there was no other way but for herto have Polly; and her mother was just on the point, although it almostkilled her, of sending for Polly--as if we should have let her go!" hecried in high dudgeon; just as if he owned the whole of the Peppers, andcould dispose of them all to suit his fancy! "So you see, I was just intime; in the very nick of time, in fact!"

  "So her mother was willing?" asked his daughter, curiously. "Oh, shecouldn't help it," cried Mr. King, beginning to walk up and down thefloor, and beaming as he recalled his successful strategy; "there wasn'tthe smallest use in thinking of anything else. I told her 'twould juststop Polly from ever being a musician if she broke off now--and so'twould, you know yourself, Marian, for we should never get the childhere again, if we let her go now; and I talked--well, I had to talksome; but, well--the upshot is I did get her, and I did bring her--andhere she is!" And the old gentleman was so delighted with his success,that he had to burst out into a series of short, happy bits of laughter,that occupied quite a space of time. At last he came out of them, andwiped his face vigorously.

  "And to think how fond the little girl is of you, father!" said Mrs.Whitney, who hadn't yet gotten over her extreme surprise at the oldgentleman's complete subjection to the little Peppers: he, whom allchildren had by instinct always approached so carefully, and whom everyone found it necessary to conciliate!

  "Well, she's a nice child," he said, "a very nice child; and,"straightening himself up to his fullest height, and looking so veryhandsome, that his daughter could not conceal her admiration, "I shallalways take care of Phronsie Pepper, Marian!"

  "So I hope," said Mrs. Whitney; "and father, I do believe they'll repayyou; for I do think there's good blood there; these children have a lookabout them that shows them worthy to be trusted."

  "So they have: so they have," assented Mr. King, and then theconversation dropped.