XXIV
THE ROUND ROBIN
"Dear me, how the summer is going!" mourned Polly, as they caught onthe return journey the last glimpse of the roaring, tumbling Visp, andnot all the craning of the necks could compass another view, as thecars drew them away from the rushing river.
"Never mind, Polly," said Jasper, "there's all next summer; and afterour winter in Dresden, and all our hard work over music, won't it befine, though, to jaunt round again?" and his eyes glistened.
"Dresden!" echoed Polly, sitting quite straight with very redcheeks;--"oh, Jasper!"
The magic word, "Dresden," had unlocked visions of months of futuredelight, bringing back every word of dear Herr Bauricke; all theinstruction he had given her, on those happy days at Lucerne, thatPolly felt quite sure were engraven deep on her heart to last foreverand ever.
"And won't I study, though!" exclaimed Polly, to herself, "and make theprofessor that Herr Bauricke has engaged for me, glad that he teachesme, oh, won't I!"
"Well, I'm sorry the summer is going," said Adela, "because then I'vegot to leave you at Paris, and go into school."
"But you like your school," said Polly, brightly, "you've said so adozen times, Adela."
"Yes, I do," said Adela, "and I've got some sketches to take back, andMademoiselle will be glad of that."
"And you'll go on drawing and painting until you get to be a greatartist," ran on Polly, enthusiastically, "and then we'll see somethingyou've done, in the Louvre, maybe."
"The Louvre!" cried Adela; "O dear me, Polly Pepper."
"I don't care," said Polly, recklessly, pushing back the little ringsof brown hair from her brow, "they'll be good enough, the pictures youare going to do, to put into the Louvre, anyway, Adela Gray."
Tom Selwyn had been very sober during all this merry chatter; and nowin his seat across the narrow aisle, he drummed his heels impatientlyon the floor. His mother looked over at him, and slipping out of herseat, went over to him. "Any room here, Tom, for mother?" she said.
"Oh,--ah,--I should say so!" Tom slipped out, gave her the window seat,then flew back.
"Now, this is comfy," observed Mrs. Selwyn, as the train sped on. "Tom,see here!"
"What's up, little mother?" asked Tom, in surprise, at her unusualmanner.
"It's just this, Tom. You know we are going to Chamonix and up the _Merde Glace_ with Mr. King's party."
Tom bobbed his head, not allowing himself to exclaim, "But that will beonly a short journey, now, and we must soon say 'good-by.'"
"Well, I've been thinking that I should like to go on to Geneva, and toParis," continued Mrs. Selwyn, "only you dislike Paris so much, Tom,"she added.
"Oh, you're the bulliest--I mean--excuse me--you're no end a brick--oh,I mean--I can't say what I mean," brought up Tom, in despair. And heran one long arm around her neck very much to the detriment of her neatcollar.
"Then you can overcome your dislike to Paris enough to go there?" askedhis mother, with a little twinkle in her eye.
"My dislike!" roared Tom, "O dear me!" as everybody looked around."Why, I just love Paris!" he finished in an awful whisper, close to theplain, black bonnet.
When the news was circulated, as it was pretty soon, that the party wasnot to be broken into at all till Paris was a completed story, thejubilation was such as to satisfy even Tom. And as this particularparty had the car entirely to themselves, it wasn't so very dreadful asit seems, and the elder members allowed indulgent smiles at it all.
That night in the market-place at Martigny, Jasper, who was ahead withhis father, ran back to Polly, and the others lingering behind. "Oh, dohurry," he begged, "it's the prettiest sight!"
"Oh, what is it?" cried Polly, as they scampered off.
There, in the centre of the market-place, was a ring of little girls,hand-in-hand, singing a little French song, and going round and roundin a circle. They were of all ages and sizes, the littlest one in ablue pinafore, being about three years of age, and so chubby she had tobe helped along continually by a big girl, evidently her sister. Thisbig sister stopped the ring game, every now and then, to kiss the roundface by the side of her gown; an example that was followed by so manyof the other girls, that the game seemed to be never quite finished.And once in a while, big sister would pick up the chubby, little,blue-pinafored maiden and carry her through a considerable portion ofthe game, then down she would put her on her two chubby feet, and awaythey all circled without any break in the proceedings at all.
"Oh! isn't it 'Oats, Peas, Beans, and Barley grow'?" cried Polly, asthey watched them intently.
"Ever so much like it," said Tom. "See those boys; now they are goingto make trouble."
"Oh, they sha'n't!" declared Polly. "O dear me!" as one boy drew near,on the side next to the travellers, and watching his chance, picked ata flying apron or two. But the ring of girls paid no more attention tohim, than they had to any other outside matters, being wholly absorbedin the game. So Polly and the others breathed freely again.
But up came another boy. "O dear me!" cried Polly, aghast. When numberthree put in an appearance, she gave up all hope at once.
"They're jealous chaps," cried Tom, "and are vexed because they can'tget into the game! Hear them jeer!" And his long arm went out andpicked a jacket-end of an urchin, who, incautiously regarding suchquiet travellers as not worth minding, had hovered too near, whiletrying to tease the girls.
"Here, you, sir," cried Tom, with a bit of a shake, and a torrent ofremarkably good French not to be disregarded; then he burst into alaugh. And the urchin laughed too, thinking this much better fun totussle with the tall lad, than to hang around a parcel of girls. Andpresently a woman came and took little blue pinafore off, and then therest of the girls unclasped their hands, and the ring melted away, andthe game was over.
"I'm glad the girls over here have fun," said Polly, as Grandpapa andhis party moved off. "Isn't it nice to think they do?"
"It isn't much matter where you live, there's a good deal to be gottenout of life; if you only know how," said the parson, thinking busily ofthe little brown house.
Two or three days of rest at Martigny put everybody in good shape, andgave them all a bit of time to pick up on many little things that werebehindhand. Tom looked over all his floral treasures, with their lastadditions made at the Riffelalp, and discarded such as hadn't pressedwell. And Jasper and Polly rushed up to date with their journals, andwrote letters home; and Adela worked up her studies and sketches.
Tom looked on silently when Polly and Jasper were scraping their pensin a lively fashion in the little writing room of the hotel. "That's mythird letter, Polly," announced Jasper, on the other side of the table."Now, I am going to begin on Joel's."
"One, two," said Polly, counting, "why, I thought I'd written three;well, this one is most finished, Jasper."
"Yes," said Jasper, glancing over at her, "is that your last page,Polly?"
"Yes," said Polly, hurrying away. Then she thought of what Mamsie hadsaid, and slackened her speed.
Tom cleared his throat, and tried to speak, but the words wouldn't comenicely, so he burst out, "I say, I wish you'd write to my granddaddy,both of you," and then he stood quite still, and very red in the face.
Polly looked up quickly, her pen dropping from her fingers, and Jasperdeserted his fourth letter and stared.
"Why," said Polly, finding her tongue, "we wouldn't dare, Tom Selwyn."
"Dare!" said Tom, delighted to think that no terrible result had reallyensued from his words, that after they were out, had scared himmightily. "Oh, if you knew granddaddy!" And he sank into a chair by thetable, and played with the heap of picture postal cards that Polly wasgoing to address next.
"We might," said Polly, slowly, "write a letter, all of us. A kind of aRound Robin thing, you know, and send that."
"So we could," cried Jasper; "how would that do, Tom?"
"The very thing!" exclaimed Tom, striking his hand so heavily on thetable, that for a minute it looked as if the in
k-bottle hopped.
"Take care, there's no reason you should knock things over because youare overjoyed," cried Jasper, gaily. "Well, let's leave our lettersto-day, Polly, and set to on the Round Robin."
"All right," said Polly, glad to think there was anything she couldreally do to please the little old earl, "but would your mother likeit, Tom?" She stopped slowly in putting her unfinished letter into thelittle writing-case, and looked at him.
"If you think there's a shadow of doubt on that score, I'd best run andask her now." Tom got himself out of the chair, and himself from theroom, and in an incredibly short space of time, back there he was. "Mymother says, 'Thank Polly for thinking of it; it will do father moregood than anything else could possibly do.'"
"I don't suppose you want any more answer," said Tom, quite radiant,and looking down at Polly.
"No, only I didn't think first of it," said Polly, in a distressedlittle tone.
"Why, Polly Pepper!" exclaimed Tom, "I certainly heard you say 'RoundRobin,' when I'll venture to say not a soul of us had even thought ofit; we certainly hadn't said so."
"Well, you spoke of the letter first," said Polly, unwilling to takethe credit for all the comfort going to the little old earl, "and Ishall tell your mother so, Tom."
"But I didn't say 'Round Robin,'" persisted Tom, "wasn't smart enoughto think of it."
"And let's get to work," cried Jasper, huddling up his three letters."I'll post yours, too, Polly; give them here."
"O dear, my stamps are all gone," said Polly, peering into the littlebox in one corner of her writing-case.
"I've plenty," said Jasper, hurrying off; "I'll stick on two for you."
"Oh, no, Jasper," cried Polly, after him, "you know Mamsie would notallow me to borrow."
"It isn't borrowing," said Jasper, turning back slowly. "I'll give themto you, Polly."
"But Mamsie said when we started I should get my stamps when I neededthem," said Polly. "You know she did, Jasper."
"Yes, she did," said Jasper, uncomfortably. Then his face brightened,and he said, "And she's right, Polly," while Polly fished a franc outof Joel's little money-bag that hung at her belt. "Do get the stamps,please, Jasper, and put them on," as he took up her two letters. Andshe gave the bag a little pat for Joel's sake, wishing it was hisstubby black hair that her fingers could touch.
"Dear me, you are dreadfully particular about taking two postagestamps, seems to me," said Adela, who had taken that time, as shehadn't any letters to write, to work up one of her studies from memoryof the Visp.
Tom's blue eyes flashed dangerously, then he cleared his throat,whistled, and walked to the window.
"I don't know where we are going to get nice white paper for our 'RoundRobin,'" said Polly, leaning her elbows on the table, and her chin inher hands.
"I know!" ejaculated Tom, whirling on his heel, and dashing out. In hecame, swinging three or four goodly sheets. "Filched 'em out of the oldwoman's room," he said.
"Oh, Tom!" began Polly.
"I mean, the housekeeper--matron--conciergerie--whatever you call thegentle lady who runs this house--was fortunately at our desk where shehas the pleasure of making up our bills, and I worked on her feelingstill she parted with 'em," explained Tom.
"Oh!" said Polly; "well, I'm glad she gave them."
"Never you fear but what they'll be in our bills, Polly," said Tom, whocouldn't believe by this time that he hadn't always known Polly Pepper.
"It's dreadfully thin paper," said Adela, critically, getting off fromthe sofa to pick at one corner of the sheet Polly was beginning todivide.
"I'm glad we have any," hummed Polly, happily.
"Thank your stars you have," said Tom, as gaily. And Jasper running in,the table was soon surrounded by the makers of the Round Robin, Adeladeserting her sketch-book and pulling up a chair.
"And Phronsie must come," said Polly, snipping away to get the paperthe right width. "O dear me, I can't cut it straight. Do you pleasefinish it, Jasper."
"That's all right," said Jasper, squinting at it critically,"only--just this edge wants a little bit of trimming, Polly." And hesnipped off the offending points.
"I'll fetch Phronsie," cried Tom, springing off.
"And hurry," cried Polly and Jasper, together, after him.
"Polly," said Phronsie, as Tom came careering in with her on hisshoulder. "I want to write, too, I do," she cried, very much excited.
"Of course, you shall, Pet. That's just what we want you for," criedPolly, clearing a place on the table; "there, do pull up a chair,Jasper."
"Now, Phronsie, I think you would better begin, for you are thelittlest," and she flapped the long strip down in front of her.
"Oh, Polly, you begin," begged Tom.
"No, I think Phronsie ought to," said Polly, shaking her head.
"I want Polly to," said Phronsie, wriggling away from the pen thatPolly held out alluringly.
"But Polly wants you to," said Jasper. "I really would, Phronsie dear,to please her."
To please Polly, being what Phronsie longed for next to pleasingMamsie, she gave a small sigh and took the pen in unsteady fingers.
"Wait a minute, Phronsie!" exclaimed Polly, in dismay, "I believe we'vemade a mistake, Jasper, and got the wrong sheet." And Polly turned offwith him to examine the rest of the paper.
Phronsie, who hadn't heard what Polly said, her small head being fullof the responsibility of beginning the important letter, andconsidering, since it was to be done, it was best to have it over withas soon as possible, fell to scribbling the letters as fast as shecould, all of them running down hill.
"Well, I'm glad to see that we haven't made any mistake," cried Polly,turning back in relief. "Oh, Phronsie, you haven't begun!"
She spoke so sharply that Phronsie started, and a little drop of inktrembling on the point of her pen concluded to hop off. So it did andjumped down on the clean white paper to stare up at them all like avery bad black eye.
"Oh, see what she's written!" cried Polly, quite aghast, and tumblinginto her chair, she pointed at the top.
"Deer Mister Erl," scrawled clear across the top.
"I didn't--mean--oh, you said do it, Polly." Phronsie threw herself outof her chair, and over into Polly's lap, burrowing and wailingpiteously.
"O dear me, how could I say anything?" cried Polly, overcome withremorse and patting Phronsie's yellow hair; "but it is so verydreadful. O dear me! Phronsie, there, there, don't cry. O dear me!"
Tom's mouth trembled. "It's all right. Granddaddy'll like it," he said.
"Oh, Tom Selwyn," gasped Polly, looking up over Phronsie's head, "youdon't suppose we'd let that letter go."
"I would," said Tom, coolly, running his hands in his pockets. "I tellyou, you don't know my granddaddy. He's got lots of fun in him," headded.
"Phronsie," said Jasper, rushing around the table, "you are makingPolly sick. Just look at her face."
Phronsie lifted her head where she had burrowed it under Polly's arm.When she saw that Polly's round cheeks were really quite pale, shestopped crying at once. "Are you sick, Polly?" she asked, in greatconcern.
"I sha'n't be," said Polly, "if you won't cry any more, Phronsie."
"I won't cry any more," declared Phronsie, wiping off the last teartrailing down her nose. "Then you will be all well, Polly?"
"Then I shall be all as well as ever," said Polly, kissing the wetlittle face.
When they got ready to begin on the letter again, it was nowhere to befound, and Tom had disappeared as well.
"He took it out," said Adela, for the first time finding her tongue. "Isaw him while you were all talking."
While they were wondering over this and were plunged further yet indismay, Tom came dancing in, waving the unlucky sheet of the RoundRobin over his head. "My mother says," he announced in triumph, "thatfather will get no end of fun over that if you let it go. It will cheerhim up."
So that ended the matter, although Polly, who dearly loved to beelegant, had many a twinge whe
never her eye fell on the letter at whichPhronsie was now labouring afresh.
"We must put in little pictures," said Polly, trying to make herselfcheery as the work went busily on.
"Polly, you always do think of the best things!" exclaimed Jasper,beaming at her, which made her try harder than ever to smile. "Iwouldn't feel so badly, Polly," he managed to whisper, when Phronsiewas absorbed with her work; "he'll like it probably just as father didthe gingerbread boy."
"But that was different," groaned Polly.
"Pictures!" Tom Selwyn was saying, "oh, there's where I can come infine with assistance. I'm no good in a letter." And again he rushedfrom the room.
"That's three times that boy has gone out," announced Adela, "and hejoggles the table awfully when he starts. And he made me cut clear intothat edge. See, Polly." She was trimming the third strip of paper, forthe Round Robin was to be pasted together and rolled up when it was alldone.
"He seems to accomplish something every time he goes," observed Jasper,drily. "Halloo, just look at him now!"
In came Tom with a rush, and turned a small box he held in his handupside down on the table.
"O dear me!" exclaimed Adela, as her scissors slipped, "now you'vejoggled the table again!" Then she caught Polly's eye. "Aren't thosepictures pretty?" she burst out awkwardly.
"Aren't they so!" cried Tom, in satisfaction, while Polly oh-ed andah-ed, and Phronsie dropped her pen suddenly making a second blot; onlyas good fortune would have it, it was so near the edge that they all onanxious examination decided to trim the paper down, and thus get rid ofit.
"I don't see how you got so many," said Jasper, in admiration, hisfingers busy with the heap.
"Oh, I've picked 'em up here and there," said Tom. "I began because Ithought the kids at home might like 'em. And then it struck me I'd makea book like yours."
"Well, do save them now," said Jasper, "and we'll give some of ourpictures, though the prettiest ones are in our books," he addedregretfully.
"Rather not--much obliged," Tom bobbed his thanks. "I want to donatesomething to granddaddy, and I tell you I'm something awful at aletter."
"All right, seeing you wish it so," said Jasper, with a keen look athim, "and these are beauties and no mistake; we couldn't begin to equalthem."
When the letter was finally unrolled and read to Grandpapa, who strayedinto the reading room to see what Phronsie was doing, it certainly wasa beauty. Picture after picture, cut from railroad guide books,illustrated papers, and it seemed to Jasper gathered as if by magic,with cunning little photographs, broke up the letter, and wound in andout with funny and charming detail of some of their journey.
"I wrote that all myself," hummed Phronsie, smoothing her gown, ingreat satisfaction, pointing to the opening of the letter.
"O dear me!" exclaimed Polly, softly, for she couldn't even yet getover that dreadful beginning.
"The rest of it is nice," whispered Jasper, "and I venture to say,he'll like that the best of all."
Mr. King thought so, too, and he beamed at Phronsie. "So you did," hecried; "now that's fine. I wish you'd write me a letter sometime."
"I'm going to write you one now," declared Phronsie. Since Grandpapawanted anything, it was never too soon to begin work on it.
"Do," cried old Mr. King, in great satisfaction. So he put down theRound Robin, Adela crying out that she wanted her grandmother to seeit; and Polly saying that Mamsie, and Papa-Doctor, and the Parson andMrs. Henderson must see it; "and most important of all," said Jasper,breaking into the conversation, "Mrs. Selwyn must say if it is allright to go."
At that Polly began to have little "creeps" as she always called theshivers. "O dear me!" she exclaimed again, and turned quite pale.
"You don't know my mother," exclaimed Tom, "if you think she won't likethat. She's got lots of fun in her, and she always sees the sense of athing."
"But she's so nice," breathed Polly, who greatly admired Mrs. Selwyn,"and so elegant."
Tom bobbed his head and accepted this as a matter of course. "That'sthe very reason she understands things like a shot--and knows how totake 'em," he said; "and I tell you, Polly," he declared with a burstof confidence that utterly surprised him, "I'd rather have my motherthan any other company I know of; she's awful good fun!"
"I know it," said Polly, brightly, with a little answering smile."Well, I hope she'll like it."
"Never you fear," cried Tom, seizing the Round Robin; and waving itover his head, it trailed off back of him like a very long and broadribbon. "Come on, now, all fall into line!"
"Take care!" cried Jasper, as he ran after with Polly and Adela, "ifyou dare to tear that, sir!" while Phronsie at the big table labouredaway on her letter, Grandpapa sitting by to watch the proceedings, withthe greatest interest.
And one look at Mrs. Selwyn's face, as she read that Round Robin, wasenough for Polly! And then to post it.
"Dear me," said Polly, when that important matter was concluded,"suppose anything should happen to it now, before it gets there!"