Five Little Peppers and their Friends | Page 9

King, and he said, "Now for the rest of the milk, Phronsie," and the
glass was put into her happy hand.
And then more toast, and more laughing, for Grandpapa by that time
told a funny story, and everything got so very merry that the gayety
brought all the rest of the houseful of children up to see if Phronsie
were really awake.
"Why didn't you tell us before?" cried Joel, in a dudgeon, revolving
around the table. "She's been eating ever so long, and we thought she
was asleep."

"That's the reason she's had a little peace," retorted the old gentleman.
"Catch them telling you, Joe!" said Percy Whitney, glad to pitch in with
a word.
"Well, you didn't know it, either," said Joel, in great satisfaction. "Say,
Phronsie, where were you all this morning?"
"Ugh!" cried Van, with a warning dig in his ribs.
"Let me alone," cried Joel, squaring around on him savagely.
"Look at Phronsie's face," said Percy, with a superior manner, as if no
one needed to tell him when to speak.
Polly was on her knees cuddling up Phronsie's toes, and begging to
feed her, when she felt her give a shiver, and try to hide her face on her
neck.
"Don't, Joey," begged Polly. But Joel, not hearing her, and hating to be
dictated to by Percy, cried out persistently:
"Say, Phron, what were you doing all the morning?"
Phronsie at this gave a loud sob. "Take me, Polly," was all she said. So
Polly sat down on the floor, and Phronsie snuggled up closer into her
neck, and was rocked back and forth to her heart's content, while Joel,
perfectly aghast at the mischief he had done, was taken in tow by
Mother Fisher, to sob out, his head in her lap, that he "didn't mean to,
he didn't mean to."
"Oh, dear me!" exclaimed old Mr. King, in dismay, "this is a pretty
state of things! Polly, my child"--he leaned over her--"can't you think
up something to get us out of it?"
"I'm going to talk about the garden party," cried Polly, an inspiration
seizing her. "Oh, Phronsie, now you must sit up; you can't think what
plans we have for it." But Phronsie burrowed deeper in her nest.

"If you don't sit up, Phronsie," said Polly quite decidedly, "I shall have
to put you off from my lap, and go out of the room."
"Oh, no, no, Polly!" cried Phronsie, clutching her around the neck.
"Yes, I shall, Phronsie," declared Polly, in her most decided fashion,
"so you must sit right up, and hear all about it. Now, Jasper, you
begin."
So Phronsie sat up and let Polly wipe her face; and then she folded her
hands in her lap, while Jasper began:
"You see that we thought that we'd take the Wistaria arbor, Father, if
you'd let us, for our post office. May we?"
"Yes, yes, certainly," said the old gentleman, who would have been
quite willing to promise anything just then.
"Oh, that's no end jolly!" cried Jasper, throwing back his dark hair from
his forehead with a quick thrust. "Now we can do splendidly. Polly,
only think!" His eyes shone, and Polly screamed out, "Oh, Grandpapa,
how lovely!" and the others joined in, not quite knowing what they
were so happy about, until Joel popped up his head from his mother's
lap to hear what all the noise was about over there.
"I'm going to be postmaster," he announced, wiping the tears off with
the back of his hand, and plunging across the room.
"No, sir-ee!" declared Ben, seizing his jacket-end, "don't think it, Joe.
Jasper is going to fill that important office."
"Yes, Jasper is," shouted Percy and Van together, delighted at anything
that could keep Joel out. Davie stood perfectly still in the midst of the
uproar.
"Why couldn't Joey be a letter carrier, to help give out the letters?" he
said at last, in the midst of the noise. "Couldn't he, Ben?" and he ran to
twitch that individual's sleeve.

"Hey--what?"
"Couldn't he be the one to give out some of the letters, and help
Jasper?" asked David anxiously.
"I don't know--yes, maybe"--as he saw David's face fall. "You best ask
Jasper, he's to be the postmaster."
So David ran over and precipitated himself into the middle of the group,
with his question; when immediately the rest began to clamor to help
Jasper give out the letters, so the babel was worse than at first.
Phronsie by this time was begging with the others, while she sat
straight in Polly's lap, with very red cheeks and wide eyes. Now she
slipped out, and rushed up to Jasper.
"And I, too, Japser; I want to give out letters, too," she cried, dreadfully
excited.
"So you shall, Pet," he