Ben Pepper

  X

  "I'LL LOVE HER JUST FOREVER!"

  "I'm going home," cried Alexia, hoarsely, and rushing blindly down thehall.

  "Alexia!" Polly deserted Phronsie and raced after her. "You can't meanit; do come back. It isn't any matter that lace was torn," she addedbreathlessly, as she gained her side.

  "Polly Pepper," gasped Alexia, "how can you say so? It's the mostdreadful thing!" and she turned wide eyes of amazement at her.

  "I mean it isn't near as bad as for you to run home," said Polly,hastily; "that would make Mrs. Whitney feel ever so much worse."

  At the mention of Mrs. Whitney's name, Alexia's long figure shook allover. "Horrors! I can't ever see her again!" and she buried her face inher hands.

  "Now, Alexia, aren't you ashamed to act so?" said Polly. "Dear me, overa bit of lace that can be mended, I most know; and we've had so muchtrouble," and she sighed.

  "And I've made a mess of it ever since those boys came home, and nowI've gone and torn that lace," mumbled Alexia, between her fingers, thesigh making her nearly frantic. "Polly Pepper, I _shall_ go home,"--withthat she sprang away from Polly, and ran upstairs to Polly's room to gether things.

  Polly, with only one thought to get Mamsie, who alone seemed to be theperson to manage this new trouble, hurried off to find her. But Mrs.Fisher, happy in the success of the little luncheon party, haddisappeared to some unknown house duty, and couldn't at this very momentbe found. So Polly had the distress to hear, before she could run overthe stairs herself, the big front door bang, and, hurrying to thewindow, she saw Alexia running down the driveway and pulling her coataround her as she ran.

  For the first moment Polly had wild thoughts of flying off after her.Then, remembering what Mamsie had once said, "If you want to help,Polly, take time to think what would be the best way," and that Mamsiewould say now, in this trouble, "Don't go, for the boys are justhome,"--"O dear me!" she cried as Joel rushed in and up to the window,and without a bit of warning seized her about the waist and spun herinto the middle of the floor.

  "Oh, Joey, what is it?" she gasped when she could get her breath.

  "He's going to bring Pip," cried Joel, bobbing his black head at her."Come on, Polly, whoopity la!" and he held out his hands for another wardance.

  "Oh, Joel,"--Polly seized his hands and stood quite still,--"you don'tmean Jasper is coming soon?" The color flew into her cheeks till theywere rosy red.

  "Yes, I do, too," said Joel, prancing off by himself, since Pollywouldn't dance; "he's coming to-morrow; no, I guess next week--anyway,he's coming." With that he executed some remarkable steps as only Joelcould.

  "How did you know, Joel? Stop and tell me." Polly flew after him aroundand around the room.

  "A letter," said Joel; "whoopity la! and he's going to bring Pip."

  "A letter?" Now she must find Mamsie or Aunty Whitney, and Polly leftJoel dancing away and got over the stairs with her best speed to findMrs. Whitney just coming to call her. She held in her hand an openletter, scraps of which she was reading aloud to the two boys hanging oneither arm, little Dick, unable to attract attention to his torn lace,pulling at her gown impatiently.

  "Is it true--is Jasper coming home?" cried Polly, breathlessly rushingup.

  "Yes, dear," Mrs. Whitney tore off her gaze from the letter, and turnedshining eyes on her. "Oh, Polly, this has just come and I was going tofind you. Yes, yes, Dick, Mamma will attend to you presently; he isreally coming home."

  "When is he coming?" asked Polly, clasping her hands impatiently.

  "Oh, not until next week, but it is, oh, so much, to have the doctor seta time. Just think, Polly," and she turned her face, now almost as rosyas Polly's own, upon her affectionately.

  "She tore my lace," said little Dick, thinking it a good time to beginagain on the announcement he had been trying to make ever since he hadarrived, and he held up the frayed end.

  "Yes, yes, dear," said Mrs. Whitney, indifferently without even a glanceat it; "and he is to bring Pip, and he wants us all to make him have thebest time in the world. Oh, won't we, children! for it will pleaseJasper." Her eyes glowed as she looked around at them all. At thislittle Dick deserted his lace. "Oh, I will, Mamma," he promised, "and heshall have my rocking-horse, and that'll please Jasper, I guess," and hebegan to march up and down the hall in great importance.

  "And now, Polly," said Mrs. Whitney, "and, boys, we must think up whatwe are to do for the real Christmas, when Jasper and father and Ben gethome; oh, and Pip--we mustn't forget Pip."

  "Oh, no, we won't forget Pip," they cried, as they all hurrieddownstairs to bring the good news to Mother Fisher and the others.

  And so, although Polly did not forget about Alexia, it was some timebefore she could get Mrs. Whitney's ear to tell her about it.

  "Now I'll tell you what we'll do, Polly," said Mrs. Whitney, when shehad heard it all; "I'll have the carriage right away, and you and I willdrive over and get Alexia to come back to dinner."

  "Oh, and can't she stay over night, Aunty?" cried Polly, hopping up anddown in great excitement.

  "Yes, indeed, if her Aunt will let her," said Mrs. Whitney, delighted tohave everything coming out so nicely; "so now run off and get on yourthings, child."

  No need to tell Polly that. She was soon ready, and before long therethey were, Aunty Whitney and she, driving off to bring Alexia home andcomfort her up.

  "She isn't home," said the maid, who answered the door-bell of Mrs.Cummings's aristocratic boarding-house on the Avenue.

  "Isn't home?" repeated Polly, faintly.

  "No'm."

  "What is it, Polly?" asked Mrs. Whitney, from the carriage.

  "Alexia isn't home," said Polly, disconsolately, and feeling as if thewhole world were out of joint.

  "Miss Rhys took her away," said the maid, who, beginning to becommunicative, saw no reason why she shouldn't tell the whole, "and shedidn't want to go, either."

  "O dear me!" exclaimed Polly.

  "No, she didn't; but Miss Rhys wouldn't leave her alone 'cause she wascrying so, and she was going to Miss Barnard's to tea, and so she madeher go, too."

  "Aunty,"--Polly flew down the steps,--"oh, can't we," she crieddesperately, "go over and get Alexia; can't we, Aunty?"

  "At Miss Barnard's, is she?" asked Mrs. Whitney, who had heard only partof the maid's information.

  "Yes, and Alexia does hate to go there," said Polly, in a burst, "andshe was crying. Oh, Aunty!"

  That "Oh, Aunty!" settled it. "Yes, child, tell Thomas to drive to MissBarnard's, and get in."

  So Polly, seeing a little light on what had been so dark and miserable,hopped into the carriage, and off they went to Miss Barnard's.

  Miss Hetty Barnard was a maiden lady upon whose company Miss Rhys placedherself whenever the dull routine of boarding-house life, or a newstitch in knitting or crochet, gave her a desire for the society of herfriend. All such visits Alexia carefully avoided if a possible thing.And Polly, knowing full well the details of those enforced upon her byher aunt, as Alexia, the day after, poured the miseries of each in herear, sat forward on the green leather seat and clasped her hands,impatient to get there.

  "Oh, if they only haven't gone in to tea," she breathed.

  "It's early yet, child," said Mrs. Whitney, reassuringly, "scarcely halfafter five o'clock," glancing at the little silver watch in the carriagepocket before her; "so don't worry, Polly."

  "But Miss Barnard has tea so very early," said Polly, in a small panic."Oh, here we are!" she brought up gleefully, as the carriage rolled upto the Barnard door and stopped.

  "Yes, here we are," laughed Mrs. Whitney, just as well pleased, as Pollyjumped out and ran up the steps.

  Polly hadn't half finished, "Is Alexia Rhys here, and can I see her?"before a rustle began in the stuffy little parlor, and out rushed theobject of her search.

  "Oh, Polly, Polly!" exclaimed Alexia, seizing her with both hands todraw her down the hall; her head sank on Polly's shoulder and she beganto cry as hard as she
could.

  "Ow!" said Polly, as the tears ran down her neck; "O dear me, Alexia, dostop!"

  "Oh, I can't," said Alexia, "and do take me away, Polly, for it's toodreadful here, and we're just going out to tea, and I never can livethrough it. O dear!"

  "Well, I'm going to," said Polly, as soon as she could be heard.

  "What!" exclaimed Alexia, bounding away to look at her.

  "Yes, if your Aunt will let you come," said Polly, with happy littlethrills.

  "Oh, Aunt will let me quick enough," said Alexia; "but do you reallymean it? O dear, it'll be 'most as bad at your house, for there's Mrs.Whitney, and I tore that lace,--oh, I can't go!"

  "You must come; Aunty Whitney is out in the carriage, and we've come foryou, and you are to stay all night," explained Polly; "don't you see,Alexia, she wants you?"

  "Does she? Oh, goody," and, "O dear, how can she?" was jumbled all up byAlexia, who was now hugging and kissing Polly at a great rate.

  "Tea is ready." A thin little woman, who was alternately feeling of herbrooch and smoothing down her plaid silk gown as she came along thehall, announced it so suddenly that both girls jumped.

  "Oh, I can't stay, Miss Barnard," said Alexia, recovering herself; "I'mgoing home with Polly Pepper," and without another word she ran backinto the stuffy little parlor to announce that fact to her Aunt.

  "And whom have we here?" demanded little Miss Barnard, who hadn't halfheard Alexia, and peering out of small, near-sighted eyes into thecorner where Polly stood.

  "It's Polly Pepper," said Polly, coming out into the light, "and I'vecome for Alexia; that is--"

  "To be sure, to be sure, now I know you," Miss Barnard raised her hands,"and how you grow, Polly,"--a remark the little maiden lady never failedto make when seeing any of the young folks at close enough, range tospeak to. "Well, and do you want to take Alexia away? Why can't you stayto tea with her? I wish you would; my maid has quite enough prepared.Quite enough, indeed," and Miss Barnard waved her hands to indicate theextent of her larder.

  "Oh, I can't, indeed, Miss Barnard," cried Polly, hastily. "And AuntyWhitney is waiting out in the carriage. Would you please tell Alexia tohurry?"

  "Is Mrs. Whitney out in the carriage?" cried Miss Barnard, catching atthis desirable information and letting everything else slip. "Oh, then,I must speak to her; surely I must, for I wouldn't be so rude as to lether be at my door without a word from me. Elvira," she thrust her headinto the small parlor to throw a word over to Miss Rhys, who was justsaying "Yes" to Alexia, "I'll be with you in a bit; I must first speakto my dear friend, Mrs. Whitney."

  "It's very cold," said Polly, as the little maiden lady laid her hand onthe knob of the front door. Alexia was frantically throwing on her hatand coat in the dim recesses of the back hall.

  "That may be, but I wouldn't neglect my duty," said Miss Barnard, withthe air of knowing what was required of her; "but perhaps I had best becareful," pausing with her hand on the knob, "so would you mind, mydear, handing my shawl; you will find it on the hat-rack at the end ofthe hall."

  So Polly had nothing to do but to go down after it.

  "The very idea," exclaimed Alexia, in smothered wrath, "to ask you toget her old shawl!"

  "Hush!" begged Polly, with a warning pinch.

  "And just think of her going out to see Mrs. Whitney! Come on, Polly, Iknow the way to the back door," and she seized Polly's arm.

  But Polly got away, and carried the shawl down to Miss Barnard and laidit over the wiry little shoulders; and at last the front door wasopened.

  "My dear Mrs. Whitney," exclaimed the little maiden lady, skipping outto the carriage step, and holding out both hands, "you don't know howvery glad I am to see you here; now do get out and have tea with MissRhys and me."

  "Oh, it is quite impossible, Miss Barnard," said Mrs. Whitney, "thankyou. Now, girlies," with a smile over the little maiden lady's head toPolly and Alexia, "step in, both of you, for we must hurry home."

  "O dear, I am so sorry," cried Miss Barnard, as the girls rushed toobey; then she gave a little cackle, intended to be very winning,"perhaps some time you will come, my dear Mrs. Whitney, I should _so_admire to have you--hee-hee."

  "How Aunt can--" began Alexia, as the good-bys were said and thecarriage door slammed and away they went. "Polly Pepper, I've justkilled your foot, I know, but I couldn't help stepping all over you, forthat dreadful woman fluttered me so. O dear, and I haven't said anythingto Mrs. Whitney," and Alexia could feel her sallow cheek grow hot andred.

  "I'll forgive you," said Mrs. Whitney, with a little laugh.

  "And how Aunt can take up with her," finished Alexia in vexation, "Odear me, I can't see."

  "She has some good qualities," said Mrs. Whitney, kindly; "we mustremember that."

  "Well, I don't know where they are," fumed Alexia. "She's quite the mostodious person I ever saw, and I'm so tired of her everlastingly comingto see Aunt. Oh, Polly!" She gave such a cry of distress that both Pollyand Mrs. Whitney turned in dismay. "I can't go, I can't go; I forgot mynose and eyes. I cried so, see how they look!" She leaned forward in thecarriage to display them the better.

  "Is that all?" exclaimed Mrs. Whitney, with a sigh of relief; whilePolly cried, "Oh, Alexia, that's no matter," comfortingly, "and theydon't show so very much; really they don't."

  "And then that lace." Alexia, now that she was really on the way to becomforted, began to feel all the first distress of the accidentover-whelming her again. "O dear, I am so sorry, Mrs. Whitney!" shemumbled shamefacedly.

  "Now, Alexia," and Mrs. Whitney leaned over and put both hands on theanxious face, then she drew it down and set a kiss where a stream oftears had run, "do you know, dear, you will make me feel badly if youever speak of that lace again, or worry about it, child." She turned theother cheek, and dropped a soft kiss on it. "Promise now, say you willnot."

  "I won't," mumbled Alexia, looking up into the blue eyes, and she didn'tspeak another word till safe up in Polly's room.

  Then she shut the door and marched up to her.

  "She kissed me, she really did, and twice, and just as if she reallywanted to! And no one has ever done that but you, Polly Pepper, and I'lllove her just forever!"