XIX THE GRAND ENTERTAINMENT
"Ought we to, Mamsie?" asked Polly. Jasper and she were in Mrs. Fisher'sroom, and they both waited for the reply anxiously.
"Yes, Polly, I think you ought," said Mother Fisher.
"Oh dear me! Phronsie can't have only a little bit of it," said Polly.
"I know it. But think, Polly, the boys have to go back to school so soonthat even if other people didn't care if it were postponed, they wouldlose it. Besides, Tom is to be one of the chief people on the program.No, no, Polly, there are others to think of outside of ourselves. Youmust have your entertainment just as it is planned," Mrs. Fisher broughtup very decidedly.
"Well," sighed Polly, "I am glad that Papa Fisher says that Phronsie canhear a little part of it, anyway."
"Yes," said her mother cheerfully, "and Helen Fargo is to sit next toher. Mrs. Fargo is to take her home early, as she has not been verywell. So you see, Polly, it will all turn out very good after all."
"But I did so want Phronsie to be there through the whole," mournedPolly.
"So did I," echoed Jasper. Then he caught Mother Fisher's eye. "But,Polly, the boys would lose it then," he added quickly.
"Oh!" cried Polly, "so they would; I keep forgetting that. Dear me! whyisn't everything just right, so that they all could hear it?" And shegave a little flounce.
"Everything is just right, Polly," said Mrs. Fisher gravely; "don't letme hear you complain of things that no one can help."
"I didn't mean to complain, Mamsie," said Polly humbly; and she crept upto her, while Jasper looked very much distressed.
"Mother knows you didn't," said Mrs. Fisher, putting her arm around her,"but it's a bad habit, Polly, to be impatient when things don't gorightly. Now run away, both of you," she finished brightly, "and work upyour program," and she set a kiss on Polly's rosy cheek.
"Jasper," cried Polly, with happiness once more in her heart as theyraced off, "I tell you what we can do. We must change the program, andput those things that Phronsie likes, up first."
"That's so," cried Jasper, well pleased. "Now, what will they be,Polly?"
"Why, Mr. Dyce's story of the dog," said Polly, "for one thing; Phronsiethinks that's perfectly lovely, and always asks him for it when he tellsher stories."
"All right," said Jasper. "What next?"
"Why, Tom must sing one of his funny songs."
"Yes, of course. That will please her ever so much," cried Jasper."Don't you know how she claps her hands when he's rehearsing, Polly?"
"Yes; oh, I wouldn't have her miss that for anything, Jasper," saidPolly.
"No, indeed," cried Jasper heartily. "Well, Polly, then what ought tocome next? Let's come into the den and fix it up now."
So they ran into the den; and Jasper got out the long program all readyto be pinned up beside the improvised stage, on the evening of the greatevent, and spread it on the table, Polly meanwhile clearing off thebooks.
"Let's see." He wrinkled up his brow, running his finger down the wholelength. "Now, when I make the new program, Mr. Dyce goes first."
Polly stood quite still at that. "Oh, Jasper, we can't do it--no, neverin all this world."
"Why, Polly,"--he turned suddenly--"yes, we can just as easily. See,Polly."
"We can't spoil that lovely program that took you so long to make, foranything," said Polly, in a decisive fashion. "Phronsie wouldn't wantit," she added.
"Phronsie isn't to know anything about it," said Jasper, just asdecidedly.
"Well, but Jasper, you can't make another; you haven't the time," saidPolly in great distress, and wishing she hadn't said anything about thechanges. "I didn't think there would have to be a new program made."
"Oh, Polly, I think we'd better have a new one," said Jasper, who wasvery particular about everything.
"I thought we were going to have changes announced from the stage," saidPolly. "Oh, why can't we, Jasper? I'm sure they do that very often."
"Well, that's when the changes come at the last moment," said Jasperreluctantly.
"Well, I'm sure this is the last moment," said Polly. "The entertainmentis to-morrow night, and we've ever so much to do yet. _Please_, Jasper."That "please, Jasper," won the day.
"All right, Polly," he said. "Well, now let's see what ought to comeafter Tom's song."
"Well, Phronsie is very anxious to hear Pickering's piece; I know,because I heard her tell Mamsie so."
"Why, she has heard Pick recite that ever so many times since he learnedit for our school exhibition," said Jasper.
"And don't you know that's just the very reason why she wants it again?"said Polly, with a little laugh.
"Yes, of course," said Jasper, laughing too. "Well, she must have itthen. So down goes Pick." He ran to the table drawer and drew out a bigsheet of paper. "First, Mr. Dyce, then Tom Beresford, then PickeringDodge," writing fast.
"And then," said Polly, running up to look over his shoulder, "Phronsiewants dreadfully to hear Tom play on his banjo."
"Oh, Polly,"--Jasper threw back his head to look at her--"I don'tbelieve there'll be time for all that; you know the music by Miss Taylorcomes first as an overture. We can't change that."
"Why," exclaimed Polly in dismay, "we must, Jasper, get Tom's banjo in;and there's Percy's piece. Phronsie wouldn't miss that for _anything_."
"Why, we shall have the whole program in if we keep on," said Jasper,looking at her in dismay.
"Oh, Jasper, Papa Fisher says that Phronsie may stay in twenty minutes.Just think; we can do a lot in twenty minutes."
"But somebody is bound to be late, so we can't begin on time. Nobodyever does, Polly."
"We must," said Polly passionately, "begin on time to-morrow night,Jasper."
"We'll try," said Jasper, as cheerfully as he could manage.
"And there's your piece. Why, Jasper, Phronsie told me herself that she_must_ hear yours."
"Well, and so she told me that she'd rather hear you play your piece,"said Jasper; "but you and I, Polly, as long as we change the program,can't come in among the first."
"No, of course not," said Polly. "But, oh, Jasper," and she gave a sigh,"it's too bad that you can't recite yours, for it is most beautiful!"Polly clasped her hands and sighed again.
"Well, that's not to be thought of," said Jasper. "Now I tell you howwe'll fix it, Polly," he said quickly.
"How?" asked Polly gloomily.
"Why, we have twenty minutes that Phronsie can stay in. Now, let's markoff all those things that she wants, except yours and mine, even if theycome beyond the time; and then we'll draw just those that will get intothe twenty minutes."
"Oh, Jasper, what a fine idea!" exclaimed Polly, all her enthusiasmreturning.
"Well, mark off half of 'em, and I'll write the others," said Jasper,tearing off strips from his big sheet of paper. So Polly and he fell towork; and presently "Pick," and "Tom" ("that's for the song," saidPolly), and "Banjo," and "Mr. Dyce," and "Percy," went down on thelittle strips.
"Oh, and I forgot," said Polly, raising her head from her last strip,"Phronsie wanted to hear Clare very much indeed."
"OH, I DO HOPE I SHALL DRAW THE RIGHT ONE, JASPER."]
"Well, we should have had the whole program with a vengeance," saidJasper, bursting into a laugh. "Well, put him down, Polly."
So "Clare" went down on another strip, and then they were all jumbled upin a little Chinese bowl on the bookcase.
"Now, you draw first, Polly," said Jasper.
"Oh, no, let us choose for first draw," said Polly; "that's the way tobe absolutely right."
So she ran back to the table and tore off two more strips, one short andthe other long, and fixed them in between her hands.
"You didn't see?" she asked over her shoulder.
"Not a wink," said Jasper, laughing.
So Polly ran back, and Jasper drew the short one. "There; you have it,Polly!" he cried gleefully. "Oh, that's good!"
"Oh, I do hope I shall draw the right one, Jasper," she said, st
andingon tiptoe, her fingers trembling over the bowl.
"They are all of them good," said Jasper encouragingly. So Pollysuddenly picked out one; and together they read, "Tom."
"Fine!" they shouted.
"Oh, isn't that perfectly splendid?" cried Polly, "because, you see,Phronsie did so very much wish to hear Tom sing," just as if she hadn'tmentioned that fact before. "Now, Jasper."
"I'm in much the same predicament as you were," said Jasper, pausing,his hand over the bowl. "If I shouldn't choose the right one, Polly!"
"They are all of them good," said Polly, laughing at his face.
"Oh, I know, but it is a fearful responsibility," said Jasper, wrinklinghis brows worse yet. "Well, here goes!"
He plunged his fingers in, and out they came with the strip, "Percy."
"Now, Jasper, you couldn't possibly have chosen better," declared Polly,hopping up and down, "for Phronsie did so want to hear Percy speak. Andit will please Percy so. Oh, I'm so glad!"
"Well, I'm thankful I haven't to draw again," declared Jasper, "for wecan't have but three pieces beside the overture, you know. So it's yourturn now, Polly."
"Oh dear me!" exclaimed Polly, the color dying down in her cheek, "if Ishouldn't draw the right one, Jasper King; and it's the last chance."
She stood so long with her hand poised over the Chinese bowl, thatJasper finally laughed out. "Oh, Polly, aren't your tiptoes tired?"
"Not half so tired as I am," said Polly grimly. "Jasper, I'm going torun across the room, and then run back and draw suddenly withoutstopping to think."
"Do," cried Jasper.
So Polly ran into the further corner, and came flying up, to get on hertiptoes, thrust in her fingers, and bring out the third and last strip.
"The deed is done!" exclaimed Jasper. "Now, Polly, let's see who it is."
"Pick!" he shouted.
And "Pickering!" screamed Polly. And they took hold of hands and spunround and round the den.
"Oh, dear, we're knocking off your beautiful program," cried Polly,pausing in dismay.
"It hasn't hurt it any--our mad whirl hasn't," said Jasper, picking upthe long program where it had slipped off the table to the floor."Polly, you can't think how I wanted Pick to be chosen. It will do himso much good."
"And only think, if I hadn't chosen him out of that bowl!" cried Polly,in dismay at the very thought.
"Well, you did, Polly, so it's all right," said Jasper. "Now everythingis fixed, and it's going to be the finest affair that ever was," headded enthusiastically; "and the best of it is--I can't help it,Polly--that Mrs. Chatterton isn't to come back till next week," hebrought up in great satisfaction.
Mrs. Chatterton had gone to New York for some weeks, but was to returnto finish her visit at "Cousin Horatio's."
"And I am so glad too," confessed Polly, but feeling as if she oughtn'tto say it. "And isn't everything just beautiful, Jasper!"
"I should think it was!" cried Jasper jubilantly. "Just as perfect ascan be, Polly."
And the next afternoon, when the last preparations for the grandentertainment were made, and everybody was rushing off to dress fordinner, a carriage drove up the winding driveway. There were big trunkson the rack, and two people inside.
Joel, racing along the hall with Tom at his heels, took one look. "Oh,whickets!" he ejaculated, stopping short, to bring his feet down with athud.
"What's the row?" asked Tom, plunging up to him in amazement.
"That person." Joel pointed a finger at the carriage. "I must tellPolly," and off he darted.
Tom, not feeling at all sure that he ought to wait to see "that person,"wheeled about and followed.
"Polly," roared Joel, long before he got to her. "She's come!"
"Has she?" Polly called back, supposing he meant Alexia. "Well, tell herto come up here, Joe, in my room."
Joel took the stairs two at a time, Tom waiting below, and dashed intothe blue and white room without ceremony.
"Polly, you don't understand," he blurted out; "she's come!"
Polly had her head bent over a drawer, picking out some ribbons. At thesound of Joel's voice she drew it out and looked at him.
"Why, how funny you look, Joe!" she said. "What is the matter?"
"I guess you'd look funny," said Joel glumly, "if you'd seen Mrs.Chatterton."
"_Not Mrs. Chatterton!_" exclaimed Polly aghast; and jumping up, herface very pale, and upsetting her box of ribbons, she seized Joel'sarm.
"Tell me this very minute, Joel Pepper," she commanded, "what do youmean?"
"Mrs. Chatterton has just come. I saw her coming up the drive. There'sJohnson now letting her in." Joel had it all out now in a burst, readyto cry at sight of Polly's face, as the bustle in the hall below and thethin, high voice proclaimed the worst.
"Oh, Joel, Joel!" mourned Polly, releasing his arm to wring her hands."What _shall_ we do?"
"She's an old harpy," declared Joel; "mean, horrid, old thing!"
"Oh, stop, Joel!" cried Polly, quite horrified.
"Well, she is," said Joel vindictively, "to come before we'd got back toschool."
"Well, don't say so," begged Polly, having hard work to keep back herown words, crowding for utterance. "Mamsie wouldn't like it, Joey."
Joel, with this thought on his mind, only grumbled out something sofaintly that really Polly couldn't hear as she ran out into the hall.
"Oh, Jasper!"
"Polly, did you know? What _can_ we do?" It was impossible for him toconceal his vexation. And Polly lost sight of her own discomfiture, inthe attempt to comfort him.
"And father--it will just make him as miserable as can be," said Jaspergloomily. "And he was so happy over the beautiful time we were going tohave this evening." He was so vexed he could do nothing but prance upand down the hall.
"Well, we must make him forget that she is here," said Polly, swallowingher own distress at the change of all the conditions.
"How can we, Polly?" Jasper stopped for a minute and stared at her.
"I mean," said Polly, feeling that it was a very hopeless case afterall, "that we mustn't show that we mind it, her coming back, and mustact as if we forgot it; and then that will keep him happy perhaps."
"If you only will, Polly," cried Jasper, seizing both of her hands, "itwill be the best piece of work you ever did."
"Oh, I can't do it alone," exclaimed Polly, in consternation. "Never inall this world, Jasper, unless you help too."
"Then we'll both try our very best," said Jasper. "I'm sure I ought to;'twould be mean enough to expect you to go at such a task alone."
"Oh, you couldn't be mean, Jasper," declared Polly, in horror at thevery thought.
"Well, I should be if I left you to tackle this by yourself," saidJasper, with a grim little laugh. "So Polly, there's my hand on it. I'llhelp you."
And Polly ran back to pick up her ribbons and dress for dinner, feelingsomehow very happy after all, that there was something she could do fordear Grandpapa to help him bear this great calamity.
Tom Beresford, meanwhile, withdrew from the great hall when Johnsonushered in the tall, stately woman and her French maid, and took shelterin the library. And Mrs. Whitney, coming over the stairs, saying, "Well,Cousin Eunice, did you have a pleasant journey?" in the gentle voice Tomso loved, gave him the first inkling of the relationship. But hewrinkled his brows at Joel's exclamation, and his queer way of rushingoff.
"You know journeys always tire me, Marian. So that your question isquite useless. I will sit in the library a moment to recover myself.Hortense, go up and prepare my room," and she sailed into the apartment,her heavy silk gown swishing close to Tom's chair.
"Who is that boy?" she demanded sharply. Then she put up her lorgnette,and examined him closely as if of a new and probably dangerous species.
Tom slipped off from his chair and stiffened up.
"It's one of Joel's friends," said Mrs. Whitney, slipping her handwithin the tall boy's arm. "The boys are at home from school for aweek."
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"Joel's friends," repeated Mrs. Chatterton, paying scant attention tothe rest of the information. Then she gave a scornful cackle. "Haven'tyou gotten over that nonsense yet, Marian?" she asked.
"No; and I trust I never shall," replied Mrs. Whitney with a happysmile. "Now, Cousin Eunice, as you wish to rest, we will go," and shedrew Tom off.
"My boy," she said, releasing him in the hall, to give a bright glanceup at the stormy, astonished face above her, "I know you and Joel willget dressed as rapidly as possible for dinner, for my father will notwant to be annoyed by a lack of promptness to-night." She did not say,"because he will have annoyance enough," but Tom guessed it all.
"I will, Mrs. Whitney," he promised heartily. And, thinking he would goto the ends of the earth for her, to be smiled on like that, he plungedoff over the stairs.
"I've seen the old cat," he cried in smothered wrath to Joel, rushinginto his room.
Joel sat disconsolately on the edge of his bed, kicking off his heavyshoes, to replace with his evening ones.
"Have you?" said Joel grimly. "Well, isn't she a--" then he rememberedMamsie, and snapped his lips to.
"'A,'" exclaimed Tom, in smothered wrath, as he closed the door. "Sheisn't 'a' at all, Joe. She's 'the.'"
"Well, do be still," cried Joel, putting on his best shoes nervously,"or you'll have me saying something. And she's visiting here; and Mamsiewouldn't like it. Don't, Tom," he begged.
"I won't," said Tom, with a monstrous effort, "but--oh dear me!" Then herushed into his own room and banged about, getting his best clothes out.
"Shut the door," roared Joel after him, "or you'll begin to fume, and Ican't stand it, Tom; it will set me off."
So Tom shut the door; and with all these precautions going on over thehouse, all the family in due time appeared at dinner, prepared as bestthey could be to bear the infliction of Mrs. Chatterton's return.
And after the conclusion of the meal, why, everybody tried to forget itas much as possible, and give themselves up to the grand affair of theevening.
And old Mr. King, who had been consumed with fear that it would have adisastrous effect on Polly and Jasper, the chief getters-up of theentertainment, came out of his fright nicely; for there they were, asbright and jolly as ever, and fully equal to any demands upon them. Sohe made up his mind that, after all, he could put up with Cousin Eunicea bit longer, and that the affair was to be an immense success and thevery finest thing possible.
And everybody else who was present on the eventful occasion, said sotoo! And it seemed as if Mr. King's spacious drawing-room, famous forits capacity at all such times, couldn't possibly have admitted anotherperson to this entertainment for the benefit of the poor brakeman'sfamily.
And Joel, who wasn't good at recitations, and who detested all that sortof thing, and Van, for the same reason, were both in their element asticket takers. And the little pink and yellow squares came in so thickand fast that both boys had all they could do for a while--which wassaying a good deal--to collect them.
And everybody said that Miss Mary Taylor had never played such abeautiful overture--and she was capable of a good deal along thatline--in all her life; and Phronsie, sitting well to the front, betweenold Mr. King and Helen Fargo, forgot that she ever had a hurt arm, andthat it lay bandaged up in her lap.
And little Dick, when he could lose sight of the fact that he wasn'tnext to Phronsie instead of Helen Fargo, snuggled up contentedly againstMother Fisher, and applauded everything straight through.
And old Mr. King protested that he was perfectly satisfied with thewhole thing, which was saying the most that could be expressed for thequality of the entertainment; and he took particular pains to applaudTom Beresford, who looked very handsome, and acquitted himself well.
"I must," said Tom to himself, although quaking inwardly, "for they'veall been so good to me--and for Joel's sake!" So he sang at his verybest. And he played his banjo merrily, and he was encored and encored;and Joel was as proud as could be, which did Tom good to see.
And Percy--well, the tears of joy came into his mother's eyes, for itwasn't easy for him to learn pieces, nor in fact to apply himself tostudy at all. But no one would have suspected it to see him now on thatstage. And Grandpapa King was so overjoyed that he called"Bravo--bravo!" ever so many times, which carried Percy on triumphantlyover the difficult spots where he had been afraid he should slip.
"If only his father could hear him!" sighed Mrs. Whitney in the midst ofher joy, longing as she always did for the time when the father couldfinish those trips over the sea, for his business house.
Polly had made Jasper consent, which he did reluctantly, to give hisrecitation before she played; insisting that music was really better fora finale. And she listened with such delight to the applause that hereceived--for ever so many of the audience said it was the gem of thewhole--that she quite forgot to be nervous about her own performance;and she played her nocturne with such a happy heart, thinking over thelovely evening, and how the money would be, oh, such a heap to take downon the morrow to the poor brakeman's home, that Jasper was turning thelast page of her music--and the entertainment was at an end!
Polly hopped off from the music stool. There was a great clapping allover the room, and Grandpapa called out, "Yes, child, play again," sothere was nothing for Polly to do but to hop back again and give themanother selection. And then they clapped harder yet; but Polly shook herbrown head, and rushed off the stage.
And then, of course, Grandpapa gave them, as he always did, a fine partyto wind up the evening with. And the camp chairs were folded up andcarried off, and a company of musicians came into the alcove in thespacious hall, and all through the beautiful, large apartments festivityreigned!
"Look at the old cat," said Tom in a smothered aside to Joel, his nextneighbor in the "Sir Roger de Coverley." "Isn't she a sight!"
"I don't want to," said Joel, with a grimace, "and it's awfully mean inyou, Tom, to ask me."
"I know it," said Tom penitently, "but I can't keep my eyes off fromher. How your grandfather can stand it, Pepper, I don't see."
And a good many other people were asking themselves the same question,Madam Dyce among the number, to whom Mrs. Chatterton was just remarking,"Cousin Horatio is certainly not the same man."
"No," replied Madam Dyce distinctly, "he is infinitely improved; soapproachable now."
"You mistake me," Mrs. Chatterton said angrily, "I mean there is thegreatest change come over him; it's lamentable, and all brought about byhis inexplicable infatuation over those low-born Pepper children andtheir designing mother."
"Mrs. Chatterton," said Madam Dyce--she could be quite as stately as Mr.King's cousin, and as she felt in secure possession of the right in thecase, she was vastly more impressive--"I am not here to go over thisquestion, nor shall I discuss it anywhere with you. You know my mindabout it. I only wish I had the Peppers--yes, every single one of them,"warmed up the old lady,--"in my house, and that fine woman, theirmother, along with them."