Five Little Peppers Abroad | Page 2

She could go no further
Phronsie sat opposite him
"Mamsie's got her two bothers," said Polly
"Look at that girl!"
She picked up the skirt of her gown
Phronsie ducked and scuttled in as she could

Five Little Peppers Abroad

I
OVER THE OCEAN
"Dear me," said Polly, "I don't see wherever she can be, Jasper. I've
searched just everywhere for her." And she gave a little sigh, and
pushed up the brown rings of hair under her sailor cap.
"Don't worry, Polly," said Jasper, with a reassuring smile. "She's with
Matilda, of course. Come, Polly, let's you and I have a try at the
shuffle-board by ourselves, down on the lower deck."
"No, we can't," said Polly, with a dreadful longing at her heart for the
charms of a game; "that is, until we've found Phronsie." And she ran
down the deck. "Perhaps she is in one of the library corners, though I
thought I looked over them all."
"How do you know she isn't with Matilda, Polly?" cried Jasper, racing
after, to see Polly's little blue jacket whisking ahead of him up the
companion-way.
"Because"--Polly stopped at the top and looked over her shoulder at
him--"Matilda's in her berth. She's awfully seasick. I was to stay with
Phronsie, and now I've lost her!" And the brown head drooped, and
Polly clasped her hands tightly together.
"Oh, no, she can't be lost, Polly," said Jasper, cheerfully, as he bounded
up the stairs and gained her side; "why, she couldn't be!"
"Well, anyway, we can't find her, Jasper," said Polly, running on. "And
it's all my fault, for I forgot, and left her in the library, and went with
Fanny Vanderburgh down to her state-room. O dear me!" as she sped
on.
"Well, she's in the library now, most likely," said Jasper, cheerfully,

hurrying after, "curled up asleep in a corner." And they both ran in,
expecting to see Phronsie's yellow head snuggled into one of the
pillows.
But there was no one there except a little old gentleman on one of the
sofas back of a table, who held his paper upside down, his big
spectacles on the end of his nose, almost tumbling off as he nodded
drowsily with the motion of the steamer.
"O dear me!" exclaimed Polly; "now we shall wake him up," as they
tiptoed around, peering in every cosey corner and behind all the tables
for a glimpse of Phronsie's little brown gown.
"No danger," said Jasper, with a glance over at the old gentleman; "he's
just as fast asleep as can be. Here, Polly, I think she's probably tucked
up in here." And he hurried over to the farther side, where the sofa
made a generous angle.
Just then in stalked a tall boy, who rushed up to the little old gentleman.
"Here, Granddad, wake up." And he shook his arm smartly. "You're
losing your glasses, and then there'll be a beastly row to pay."
"O dear me!" cried Polly aghast, as she and Jasper whirled around.
"Hey--what--what!" exclaimed the old gentleman, clutching his paper
as he started forward. "Oh,--why, I haven't been asleep, Tom."
"Ha! Ha! tell that to the marines," cried Tom, loudly, dancing in
derision, "You've been sleeping like a log. You'd much better go down
and get into your state-room. But give me a sovereign first." He held
out his hand as he spoke. "Hurry up, Granddad!" he added impatiently.
The old gentleman put his hand to his head, and then rubbed his eyes.
"Bustle up," cried the boy, with a laugh, "or else I'll run my fist in your
pocket and help myself."
"Indeed, you won't," declared the old gentleman, now thoroughly
awake.
"Ha! Ha!" laughed the boy. "You see if I won't, Granddad." Yet he
dropped his imperious tone, and waited, though impatiently, while the
big pocket-book was drawn out.
"What do you want with money on board the boat?" demanded the old
gentleman.
"Give me a sovereign, Granddad," cried Tom, controlling his
impatience as best he might, with many a cross look at the wrinkled old
face under the white hair.

His Grandfather slowly drew out the coin, and Tom twitched it eagerly
from the long, thin fingers.
"I don't see how you can need money on board the boat," repeated the
old gentleman.
"Never you mind what I want it for, Grand-daddy," said Tom, laughing
loudly and shaking the sovereign at him as he ran off; "that's my
business, and not yours."
Polly had not taken her eyes off their faces. Now she turned toward
Jasper. "Oh, how very dreadful!" she gasped--then would have given
everything if she had kept still, for the old gentleman whirled around
and saw them for the first time.
"Hey--who are you--and what are you listening there for--hey?" he
demanded