Five Little Peppers Midway | Page 6

to do with you. Now, if you are going to stay, Eunice, say so at once, and proceed to your room. If not, why you must go, and understand it is no one's fault but your own."
He drew himself up and looked long and hard into the thin pale face before him. Phronsie pulled at his hand.
"I want to ask the lady to stay, Grandpapa dear."
"She doesn't need urging," said old Mr. King quite distinctly, and not moving a muscle.
"But, Grandpapa dear, she isn't glad about something."
"No more am I."
"Grandpapa," cried Phronsie, moving off a bit, though not deserting his hand, and standing on her tiptoes, "I want her to stay, to see me. Perhaps she hasn't any little girls."
"To see you?" cried Mr. King irately. "Say no more, child, say no more. She's been abusing you right and left, like a pick-pocket."
"What is a pickpocket?" asked Phronsie, getting down from her tiptoes.
"Oh! a scoundrel who puts his hands into pockets; picks out what doesn't belong to him, in fact."
Phronsie stood quite still, and shook her head gravely at the tall figure. "That was not nice," she said soberly.
"Now do you want her to stay?" cried the old gentleman.
"Insufferable!" repeated Mrs. Chatterton between her teeth, "to mix me up with that chit!"
"Yes, I do," said Phronsie decidedly, "I do, Grandpapa. Now I know she hasn't any little girls--if she had little girls, she wouldn't say such very unnice things; I want the poor lady to stay with me."
Mrs. Chatterton turned and went abruptly off to the door, hesitated, and looked back.
"I see your household is in a very chaotic state, Cousin Horatio. Still I will remain a few days," with extreme condescension, "on condition that these Peppers are not thrust upon my attention."
"I make no conditions," said the old gentleman coolly. "If you stay, you must accept my household as you find it."
"Come, Marian," said Mrs. Chatterton, holding out her hand to Mrs. Whitney. "You may help me to my apartments if you like. I am quite unstrung by all this," and she swept out without a backward glance.
"Has she gone?" cried Jasper, hurrying in with Polly running after. "It's 'stay,' isn't it, father?" as he saw the old gentleman's face.
"Yes," said Mr. King grimly, "it is 'stay' indeed, Jasper."
"Well, now then, you've a piece of work on your hands about the biggest you ever did yet, Polly Pepper!" cried Jasper, "to make things comfortable in this house. I shall be just as cross as can be imagined, to begin with."
"You cross!" cried Polly.
"Cross as a bear; Marian will fight against the prevailing ill wind, but it will finally blow her down to a state of depression where her best friend wouldn't recognize her, and"--
"You don't mention me, my boy," said Mr. King dryly.
Jasper looked into his father's eyes, and they both laughed.
"And if you, Polly Pepper, don't keep things bright, why, we shall all go to the dogs," said the old gentleman, sobering down. "So mind you do, and we'll try to bear Cousin Algernon's relict."
"I will," said Polly stoutly, though "relict" sounded very dreadful to begin with.
"Give us your hand, then," said Jasper's father, putting out his palm. "There!" releasing it, "now I'm much more comfortable about matters."
"And give me your hand, Polly," cried Jasper, his own brown hand flying to meet hers. "There! and now I'm comfortable too! So it's a compact, and a sure one!"
"And I want to give my hand," cried Phronsie, very much aggrieved. "Here, Jasper."
"Bless my soul, so you must!" cried old Mr. King; "to think we didn't ask you first. There--and there!"
"And, Phronsie darling," cried Polly in a rapture, "you must promise with me, after you have with the others. I couldn't ever get along in all this world without that."
So the ceremony of sealing the compact having been observed with great gravity, Phronsie drew a long breath, and now felt that the "poor lady" might come down at any time to find all things prepared for her.
"Now tell our plan," cried Jasper to Polly, "and put this disagreeable business out of our heads. It's a fine one," he added to his father.
"Of course it is," cried the old gentleman.
"Well, you know Joel and Davie and Van and Percy are coming home from school next week for the Christmas holidays," began Polly, trying to still the wild beating of her heart.
"Bless me! so they are," said Mr. King. "How time flies, to be sure! Well, go on, Polly."
"And we ought to do something to celebrate," said Polly, "at least don't you think so?" she asked anxiously, looking up in his face.
"To be sure I do," cried the old gentleman heartily. "Well, what would you do, Polly child, to show the youngsters we're proud of them, and glad to get them back--hey?"
"We want