Five Little Peppers and their Friends

  There was an awful pause, for everybody caught the last words. Joel slid tothe floor in a little heap. Mrs. Chatterton spoke up quickly.

  "It's easy enough to see where it went," and she gave a little laugh.

  "Come on, Joe." Jasper sprang up and shook Joel's arm. "We'll go and huntfor it."

  "I'll go, too." Van and Percy screamed it together. Now that any troublehad come to Joel, each vied with the other to see which could work thefaster to help matters.

  "I laid it--right down. Oh, dear me!" Joel was pretty far gone in distressby this time, and blubbered miserably, as they all raced across thegreensward, Polly and Alexia following swiftly. "Hold on there, James,"ordered Jasper, to one of the three men busy dismantling the post office ofits improvised trimmings of pine branches.

  "Eh--eh, sor? Stop, boys," said James to the workmen within the arbor.

  "We have lost something," panted Jasper, as the whole group precipitatedthemselves up to the spot.

  "Is that so, sor?" said James, in great concern. "Well, if I'd 'a' knownit, I'd 'a' kept a sharp eye out for it, sor." Polly and Alexia werealready in the arbor in the thickest of the green branches scattered overthe floor, and the boys were picking and pulling wildly, everywhere abanknote could be supposed to hide. "What was it, sor?"

  "A banknote," said Jasper, down on his knees, prowling over the floor withboth hands, while Joel, who could scarcely see for the tears that streameddown his chubby cheeks, searched desperately on all sides.

  "Is that so, sor?" said James, in great distress. "Well now, that's toobad. We've taken off two loads already, sor."

  "Where have you put them?" demanded Jasper, springing to his feet.

  "Down in the dump, sor."

  "We must look that over," said Jasper decidedly. "Send your men withlanterns; don't touch a single thing here, James, I'll come back," and hesprang off.

  "No, no, sor," said James, touching his cap. "Now, boys," to the workmen,"you can leave this here; get your lanterns and help the master."

  "All right," said the men.

  "Polly, you and Alexia keep on hunting, won't you?" called Jasper over hisshoulder, as the boys flew off.

  "Yes, we will," called back Polly, who would very much have preferred thepleasures of "the dump," a big dell in process of filling up with just suchdebris as had now been added.

  "Oh, dear me!" exclaimed Alexia discontentedly, "now we're mewed up herewhen we might be in that dear old sweet dump, Polly Pepper; and all becausewe're girls."

  "Well, we can't help it," said Polly, with a sigh, who wished very muchsometimes that she might be a boy, "so we'd much better keep at workhunting for that ten-dollar bill, Alexia."

  "And Joel is so dreadfully careless," said Alexia, determined to grumble atsomething, and poking aimlessly at the green branches scattered on thefloor. "I don't suppose we'll ever find it in all this world, in such amess."

  "We must," said Polly, a little white line coming around her mouth.

  "Well, we can't, so what's the use of saying that?" and Alexia gave arestful stretch to her long arms. "Oh, me! oh, my! I'm so tired, PollyPepper!"

  "You know we must find that ten-dollar bill, Alexia," repeated Pollyhoarsely, working busily away for dear life.

  "Well, we can't; it's perfectly hopeless--so do keep still. Just look atall this." Alexia waved her arms at the green draperies. "I'm going to pullthe rest down anyway, though; that'll be fun," and she made a dash at it.

  "No, no," said Polly, on her knees on the floor, "we must leave all thattill Jasper comes back. Come, Alexia, help me look over these."

  "Oh, bother!" cried Alexia, in great disdain, "I don't want to poke overthose old things. You know yourself it's no earthly use; we'll never findit in all this world, Polly Pepper."

  There was a queer little sound, and Alexia, whirling around, saw PollyPepper in a little heap down in the middle of the green branches.

  "Oh, misery! what have I done?"--rushing over to her and shaking her arms."Oh, Polly, do get up, we _will_ find it, I'm positively sure; do getup, Polly." But Polly didn't stir.

  "Oh, dear me!" wailed Alexia. "Polly, _please_ get up." She ran allaround her, wringing her hands. "Oh, what did I say it for! Polly, PollyPepper, we'll find it, as sure as anything. We can't help but find it.Polly, do get up."

  She flung herself down on her knees and began to pat the white face. Pollyopened her eyes and looked at her.

  "What did you say such dreadful things for, Alexia?" she saidreproachfully.

  "Oh, I couldn't help it," exclaimed Alexia remorsefully. "There! Oh, dearme! you've scared me 'most to death, Polly Pepper. Do get up." So Polly satstraight, and Alexia fussed over her, all the while repeating, "We willfind it, Polly."

  "Dear me!" said Polly, "this isn't hunting for that ten-dollar bill."

  "Well, what's the use?" began Alexia. "Oh, yes, of course we'll find it,"she brought herself up quickly. "Now, Polly, I tell you." She sprang to herfeet. "Let's clear a place in this corner"--and she rushed over to it--"andthen pick up every branch and shake it, and put it over here. Then we'llknow surely whether that horrid thing is on the floor or not."

  "So we shall," cried Polly, getting up on her feet; "that's fine, Alexia!"And they set to work so busily they didn't hear when the boys came backfrom their search. But the first moment she saw Jasper's face, Polly knewthat the hunt was unsuccessful, and the next minute Joel threw himself intoher arms and hugged her closely.

  "Oh, Polly," he sobbed, "it's gone, and it's my fault."

  "Cheer up, old fellow," said Jasper, clapping him on the back; "we'll findit yet."

  Van and Percy stood dismally by, knocking their heels against the arborside, and feeling quite sure they should burst out crying in anotherminute, if Joel didn't stop.

  Polly patted his poor head and cuddled it in her neck. "Oh, Joey, we'llfind it," she said, swallowing a big lump in her throat; "don't cry, dear,"while Alexia sniffed and wrung her hands, fiercely turning her back on themall.

  "Now, boys," said Jasper, in his cheeriest fashion, "we'll all set to workon these vines that are left. Come on, now, and let's see who will work thefastest."

  "I will," announced Van, rushing over to twitch down the green drapery thathad been such a piece of work for the gardeners to put up. Percy saidnothing, but set to work quietly, lifting each branch to peer under it.

  "Take care," warned Jasper, pausing a minute in his own work to look overat Van's reckless fingers; "you must shake each one as you pull it down,before you throw it out on the grass, else we'll have all our work to doover again. Oh, Alexia, are you coming to help?"

  "Of course I am," declared Alexia. "Oh, Van, what a piece of work you aremaking!"

  Polly was whispering to Joel, "We ought to help," when Van gave a shout,"I've found it! I've found it!"

  "Hurrah!" Jasper leapt down from the railing and plunged up in greatexcitement to Polly and Joel. "There, old fellow, what did I tell you?" hecried with glowing face, and clapping Joel on the back again.

  "Phoh!" exclaimed Percy, in great contempt, "he hasn't, either; it's only abit of green paper."

  "I thought I had," said Van, quite crestfallen, and flinging down the dingybit; "it looked just like it."

  It was too much; and Joel, who had hopped out of Polly's lap, flung himselfon the floor and cried as if his heart would break. They couldn't get himout of it, so Jasper just picked him up and marched off to the house withhim to give him to Mother Fisher.

  And the next morning, search as hard as they could--and everybody washunting by that time--not a trace of the ten-dollar bill could bediscovered. And Mrs. Chatterton took pains to waylay Joel in the hall or onthe stairs at all possible opportunities, and ask him, with a smile at hisswollen nose and eyes (for he had cried so he could hardly see), if he hadfound it yet. But these chances became very few, for it was Jasper's andPolly's very especial business to keep guard over Joel, and try to diverthim in every way. Meantime the hunt went on. And the third day, when itbecame perf
ectly apparent to the entire household that the banknote was insuch a clever hiding-place that no one could find it, Joel, his tears allgone, marched into Mr. King's writing-room and up to his big table, andwithout a bit of warning burst out:

  "I want to sell tin!"

  "Eh, what?" exclaimed the old gentleman, looking over his glasses. "What isthat you are saying, Joey, my boy?"

  "I want to sell tin," said Joel bluntly.

  _"Want to sell tin!"_ ejaculated old Mr. King, in amazement.

  "Yes, sir, just like Mr. Biggs; he got lots of money. May I, Grandpapa?Please say I may." Joel ran around the writing-table to plant himself bythe old gentleman's chair.

  "Oh, my goodness!" exclaimed Mr. King, leaning back in dismay, "whatevercan you mean, my boy?"

  "Grandpapa"--Joel laid a brown hand on the velvet morning-jacket, andbrought his black eyes very close to the gentleman's face--"I've got toearn that ten dollars; I've got to, Grandpapa, 'cause I lost it." Joel'svoice broke here, but he recovered it and dashed on, "And I can't do itunless you will let me sell tin. _Please,_ Grandpapa dear. Mr. Biggsused to, in Badgertown, you know, and he took me with him sometimes on hiscart, so I know how; and I can sell a lot. I can wheel it in my expresswagon, and--" Joel by this time was running on so glibly, under theimpression that if he didn't stop, Mr. King would be induced to say yes,that the old gentleman was forced to put up his hand peremptorily.

  "There, there, Joey, my boy," he said, settling his glasses that hadslipped to the end of his nose, and taking Joel's hand. "Now, then, let'shear all about the matter."

  And in a minute or two Joel was perched on the old gentleman's knee, andthey were having the most sociable time possible. And before long Joelforgot he hadn't laughed for oh, such a long while, and lo and behold!Grandpapa said something so very funny that they both burst out into amerry peal, that rang out into the wide hall beyond.

  "Joel is actually laughing," exclaimed Polly, coming soberly down thestairs; and she was so overcome by the joyful sound that she sat right downon the step. "Oh, dear me, how perfectly lovely!" she breathed, folding herhands in delight.

  "Isn't it!" Jasper slipped into a seat on the step by her side. "Noweverything is going to be fine when Joe can laugh!"

  "Just hear him," cried Polly, pricking up her ears to catch the blissfulsound, "and Grandpapa, too. Oh, Jasper!"

  "I know it," said Jasper, in great satisfaction. "Father has been so pulleddown because Joe took it so hard."

  "Well, you see, Joel couldn't help it," cried Polly, "because it wascareless, just as Mamsie said, to leave anything without handing it to theperson."

  "Of course," assented Jasper quickly. "Mrs. Fisher is right; but I'm sureany one is likely to do it, and Joel was in such a hurry that day,everybody pulling at him this way and that to get letters."

  "I know it," said Polly, delighted to hear Joel's part taken, "and justthink how he worked before, Jasper. He helped such a perfect lot gettingthe flower-table ready."

  "He helped everywhere," declared Jasper, bringing down his hand withemphasis on his knee. "I never saw anybody work as Joe did."

  "And now to think that he has lost that money!" mourned Polly, her headdrooping sorrowfully over her closed hands. "Oh, dear me, Jasper!"

  "But just hear him laugh," cried Jasper, springing up; "it's going to beall right now, Polly, I do believe. Come, let's go and hunt some more forthe banknote."

  So they both flew off from the stairs to begin the search for the moneyagain. For no one stopped--dear me, not a bit of it!--the hunt for thehidden ten-dollar bill. Everybody but Phronsie and little Dick searched andprowled in every nook and corner where there was the least possible chancethat the ten-dollar bill could be in hiding. They had both been so sleepyon the evening of the garden party when the loss had been announced, thatit fell unheeded on their ears. And afterward all the household was carefulto keep the bad news from them. So the two children went on in blissfulunconsciousness of Joel's trouble, while the grand hunt proceeded allaround them.

  When Joel emerged from Grandpapa King's writing-room, he was hanging to theold gentleman's hand and looking up into his face and chattering away.

  "You know it means work," said old Mr. King, looking down at him.

  "I know, Grandpapa," said Joel, bobbing his stubby, black head.

  "And you must keep at it," said the old gentleman decidedly, "else no pay.There's to be no dropping the job, once you take it up. If you do, you'llget no money. That's the bargain, Joe?"--with a keen glance into the chubbyface.

  "Oh, I will, Grandpapa, I will," declared Joel eagerly, and hopping up anddown; "I'll do every single speck of the work. Now do let us hurry and getthe book."

  "Yes, we'll hurry, seeing our business arrangement is all settled," laughedthe old gentleman. "Now, then, Joel, my boy, we'll go down-town and buy theblank book, so that I can set you to work at once," and he grasped thebrown hand tightly, and away they went.

  And in ten minutes everybody knew that Joel was going to make a list of allthe books in a certain case in old Mr. King's writing-room, and thatGrandpapa and he were already off down-town to buy a new blank book for thework. And at the end of it--oh, joy!--Joel was to have a crisp ten-dollarbill to replace the one he had lost.