Five Little Peppers And How They Grew [80]
father!" he cried in excitement, "see!"
"And they put up their hand--one man did," went on Phronsie. "And the other said 'Stop!'--oh, Polly, you hurt me!" she cried, as Polly, unable to bear the strain any longer, held her so tightly she could hardly breathe.
"Go on," said Jasper, "how did they look?"
"All black," said the child, pushing back her wavy hair and looking at him, "very all black, Japser."
"And their faces, Phronsie?" said Mr. King, getting down on his old knees on the floor beside her. "Bless me! somebody else ask her, I can't talk!"
"How did their faces look, Phronsie, dear?" asked Jasper, taking one of the cold hands in his. "Can't you think?"
"Oh!" said Phronsie--and then she gave a funny little laugh, "two big holes, Japser, that's all they had!"
"She means they were masked," whispered Jasper.
"What did you get up for?" Mrs. Whitney asked. "Dear child, what made you get out of bed?"
"Why, my cushion-pin," said Phronsie looking worried at once. "I couldn't find it, and--"
But just at this, without a bit of warning, Polly tumbled over in a dead faint.
And then it was all confusion again.
And so, on the following afternoon, it turned out that the Peppers, about whose coming there had been so many plans and expectations, just walked in as if they had always lived there. The greater excitement completely swallowed up the less!
WHICH TREATS OF A GOOD MANY MATTERS
"Phooh!" said Joel a few mornings after the emptying of the little brown house into the big one, when he and Van were rehearsing for the fiftieth time all the points of the eventful night, "phooh! if I'd been here they wouldn't got away, I guess!"
"What would you have done?" asked Van, bristling up at this reflection on their courage, and squaring up to him. "What would you have done, Joel Pepper?"
"I'd a-pitched right into 'em--like--everything!" said Joel valiantly; "and a-caught 'em! Yes, every single one of the Bunglers!"
"The what?" said Van, bursting into a loud laugh.
"The Bunglers," said Joel with a red face. "That's what you said they were, anyway," he added positively.
"I said Burglars," said Van, doubling up with amusement, while Joel stood, a little sturdy figure, regarding him with anything but a sweet countenance.
"Well anyway, I'd a-caught 'em, so there!" he said, as Van at last showed signs of coming out of his fit of laughter, and got up and wiped his eyes.
"How'd you caught 'em?" asked Van, scornfully surveying the square little country figure before him. "You can't hit any.
"Can't?" said Joel, the black eyes flashing volumes, and coming up in front of Van. "You better believe I can, Van Whitney!"
"Come out in the back yard and try then," said Van hospitably, perfectly delighted at the prospect, and flying alone towards the door. "Come right out and try."
"All right!" said Joel, following sturdily, equally delighted to show his skill.
"There," said Van, taking off his jacket, and ffinging it on the grass, while Joel immediately followed suit with his little homespun one. "Now we can begin perfectly splendid! I won't hit hard," he added patronizingly, as both boys stood ready.
"Hit as hard as you've a-mind to," said Joel, "I'm a-going to."
"Oh, you may," said Van politely, "because you're company. All right--now!"
So at it they went. Before very many minutes were over, Van relinquished all ideas of treating his company with extra consideration, and was only thinking how he could possibly hold his own with the valiant little country lad. Oh, if he could only be called to his lessons--anything that would summon him into the house! Just then a window above their heads was suddenly thrown up, and his mamma's voice in natural surprise and distress called quickly: "Children what are you doing? Oh, Van, how could you!"
Both contestants turned around suddenly. Joel looked up steadily. "We're a-hitting, ma'am; he said I couldn't, and so we came out and--"
"Oh, Vanny," said Mrs. Whitney reproachfully, "to treat a little guest in this way!"
"I wanted to,"
"And they put up their hand--one man did," went on Phronsie. "And the other said 'Stop!'--oh, Polly, you hurt me!" she cried, as Polly, unable to bear the strain any longer, held her so tightly she could hardly breathe.
"Go on," said Jasper, "how did they look?"
"All black," said the child, pushing back her wavy hair and looking at him, "very all black, Japser."
"And their faces, Phronsie?" said Mr. King, getting down on his old knees on the floor beside her. "Bless me! somebody else ask her, I can't talk!"
"How did their faces look, Phronsie, dear?" asked Jasper, taking one of the cold hands in his. "Can't you think?"
"Oh!" said Phronsie--and then she gave a funny little laugh, "two big holes, Japser, that's all they had!"
"She means they were masked," whispered Jasper.
"What did you get up for?" Mrs. Whitney asked. "Dear child, what made you get out of bed?"
"Why, my cushion-pin," said Phronsie looking worried at once. "I couldn't find it, and--"
But just at this, without a bit of warning, Polly tumbled over in a dead faint.
And then it was all confusion again.
And so, on the following afternoon, it turned out that the Peppers, about whose coming there had been so many plans and expectations, just walked in as if they had always lived there. The greater excitement completely swallowed up the less!
WHICH TREATS OF A GOOD MANY MATTERS
"Phooh!" said Joel a few mornings after the emptying of the little brown house into the big one, when he and Van were rehearsing for the fiftieth time all the points of the eventful night, "phooh! if I'd been here they wouldn't got away, I guess!"
"What would you have done?" asked Van, bristling up at this reflection on their courage, and squaring up to him. "What would you have done, Joel Pepper?"
"I'd a-pitched right into 'em--like--everything!" said Joel valiantly; "and a-caught 'em! Yes, every single one of the Bunglers!"
"The what?" said Van, bursting into a loud laugh.
"The Bunglers," said Joel with a red face. "That's what you said they were, anyway," he added positively.
"I said Burglars," said Van, doubling up with amusement, while Joel stood, a little sturdy figure, regarding him with anything but a sweet countenance.
"Well anyway, I'd a-caught 'em, so there!" he said, as Van at last showed signs of coming out of his fit of laughter, and got up and wiped his eyes.
"How'd you caught 'em?" asked Van, scornfully surveying the square little country figure before him. "You can't hit any.
"Can't?" said Joel, the black eyes flashing volumes, and coming up in front of Van. "You better believe I can, Van Whitney!"
"Come out in the back yard and try then," said Van hospitably, perfectly delighted at the prospect, and flying alone towards the door. "Come right out and try."
"All right!" said Joel, following sturdily, equally delighted to show his skill.
"There," said Van, taking off his jacket, and ffinging it on the grass, while Joel immediately followed suit with his little homespun one. "Now we can begin perfectly splendid! I won't hit hard," he added patronizingly, as both boys stood ready.
"Hit as hard as you've a-mind to," said Joel, "I'm a-going to."
"Oh, you may," said Van politely, "because you're company. All right--now!"
So at it they went. Before very many minutes were over, Van relinquished all ideas of treating his company with extra consideration, and was only thinking how he could possibly hold his own with the valiant little country lad. Oh, if he could only be called to his lessons--anything that would summon him into the house! Just then a window above their heads was suddenly thrown up, and his mamma's voice in natural surprise and distress called quickly: "Children what are you doing? Oh, Van, how could you!"
Both contestants turned around suddenly. Joel looked up steadily. "We're a-hitting, ma'am; he said I couldn't, and so we came out and--"
"Oh, Vanny," said Mrs. Whitney reproachfully, "to treat a little guest in this way!"
"I wanted to,"