Five Little Peppers Abroad | Page 8

that had been worrying him--how to get Tom into good
shape, and to keep him there--seemed fixed in the best way possible.
But Tom wouldn't go. Nothing that Jasper could do or say would move
him out of the gloom into which he was cast, and at last Jasper ran
down for a hurried game with the party awaiting him, to whom he
explained matters in the best way he could.
At last, old Mr. Selwyn was able to emerge from his state-room. Mr.
King and he were the best of friends by this time, the former always,
when Polly read aloud, being one of the listeners. At all such hours,
indeed, and whenever Polly went to sit by the invalid, Phronsie would
curl up at Polly's side, and fondle the doll that Grandpapa gave her last,
which had the honour to take the European trip with the family.
Phronsie would smooth the little dress down carefully, and then with
her hand in Polly's, she would sit motionless till the reading was over.
Mamsie, whose fingers could not be idle, although the big mending
basket was left at home, would be over on the sofa, sewing busily; and
little Dr. Fisher would run in and out, and beaming at them all through
his spectacles, would cry cheerily, "Well, I declare, you have the most
comfortable place on the whole boat, Mr. Selwyn." Or Dr. Jones, whom
Polly thought, next to Papa Fisher, was the very nicest doctor in all the
world, would appear suddenly around the curtain, and smile approval
through his white teeth. At last on the fifth day out, the old man was
helped up to sun himself in his steamer chair on deck. And then he had
a perfect coterie around him, oh-ing and ah-ing over his illness, and
expressing sympathy in every shape, for since Mr. King and his party
took him up, it was quite the thing for all the other passengers to follow
suit.
When a few hours of this sort of thing had been going on, the old man
called abruptly to Polly Pepper, who had left him, seeing he had such
good company about him, and had now skipped up with Jasper to toss
him a merry word, or to see if his steamer rug was all tucked in snugly
around him.
"See here, Polly Pepper, do you play chess?"

"What, sir?" Polly thought she had not heard correctly.
"Do you play chess, I say?" demanded old Mr. Selwyn, bringing his
sharp little eyes to bear on her.
"No, sir, that is--only a little," stammered Polly.
"Well, that will do for a start," the old gentleman nodded in satisfaction.
"And I'll give you some points later on about the game. Well, and you
play backgammon, of course." He didn't wait for her to answer, but
finished, "These people here drive me almost crazy, asking me how I
feel, and what was the matter with me, and all that rubbish. Now, I'm
going into the library, and you shall go too, and we'll have a game of
backgammon."
He flung back his steamer rug with a determined hand.
Jasper began, "Oh, Polly!" in dismay, but she broke in, "Yes, indeed, I
do play backgammon, Mr. Selwyn, and it will be fine to have a game."
And together they helped him up and into a cosey corner of the library.
"There, now," said Polly, with a final little pat on the sofa pillows
tucked up at his back. "I believe you are as comfortable as you can be,
Mr. Selwyn."
"Indeed I am," he declared.
"And now, Jasper, do get the backgammon board," cried Polly. "There
it is over there," spying it on a further table.
Old Mr. Selwyn cast a hungry glance on it as it was brought forward,
and his sharp little eyes sparkled, as Polly threw it open. He even
chuckled in delight as he set the men.
Tom Selwyn came up to the door, and standing in its shadow, looked in.
Jasper flung himself down on the sofa by the old gentleman's side to
watch the game. Suddenly he glanced up, caught sight of Tom,
although the latter's head was quickly withdrawn, and jumping up, he
dashed after him.
"Here--see here, Tom!" he called to the big figure before him, making
good time down the stairs. "I can't go chasing you all over the boat in
this fashion. Stop, will you?"
"What do you want?" demanded Tom, crossly, feeling it impossible to
elude such a pursuer, and backing up against a convenient angle.
"I want you to come up into the library and watch the game. Do, it'll be
the best time,"--he didn't say "to make it all up."
"Can't," said Tom, "he won't see me."

"Oh, yes, he will; I almost