Ben Pepper

  XVIII

  TELLING ALL THE NEWS

  "Here, Polly and Ben," little Doctor Fisher met them racing along thehall the next morning, "I want you both," and he led them into hisoffice and closed the door. "Now then, I have some good news for you.You are to go up to see Jasper!"

  "Oh, Papa Fisher!" cried Polly, in a tremor of delight. She seized hishand and began to dance up and down, while Ben said, "Whew!" and stoodquite still. But the color flew all over his round cheeks.

  "I thought Jasper would have to rest all day," said Polly, still hoppingabout and clinging to the long fingers.

  "So I thought," said Doctor Fisher, with a wise little nod. Then he sethis big spectacles straighter on his nose, and took a sharp look firstat one flushed face and then the other. "I can trust you both," he said."The truth is, Jasper wants you, and I don't believe it will hurt him."

  "Can we go now?" cried Polly, impatiently. "Can we, Papa Fisher?"

  "There, there," said the little doctor, "not so fast, Polly, my child.You see, Jasper isn't really sick now, only I didn't want him to getabout too fast after his journey. But it's dull for him alone, that's afact, and he's been asking for you both. The fact is, he teased," andDoctor Fisher burst out laughing at the recollection of Jasper's face."So you can go up, but don't for goodness' sake let the children know.If Joel were--" and he broke off, quite alarmed, and mopped his facewith his big silk handkerchief.

  "We'll creep up the back stairs," said Polly, tiptoeing to the door."Come, Ben. Oh, do hurry!"

  "That isn't saying you are safe from Joel," said Doctor Fisher, grimly,"by any means. Well, go along and be careful."

  So Polly and Ben, peering on either hand, hurried up the back stairs,softly. "There isn't so very much danger," said Ben, under his breath,"that Joel will hear us, because he's got Pip somewhere."

  "We better be careful, though," whispered Polly, who knew by experienceJoel's capacity for finding out things.

  "Yes, that's so," said Ben, "you never can tell where Joe will pop up.Well, here we are," as they hurried into Jasper's room.

  "Well, I thought you never would come," cried Jasper, popping up hishead from the pillows at the back of the big easy-chair, and beaming atthem affectionately. "Oh, now it's good to be home, and have you, Polly.Isn't it, Ben?"

  "I should say so," said Ben, in huge satisfaction, dragging up a chairfor Polly.

  "Oh, I'm going to sit down here," said Polly, running after a hassock,to pull it up in front of Jasper's big chair.

  "So will I get another," said Ben, discarding the chair.

  "That's good," said Jasper, rubbing his hands together in delight. "Odear me! I wish I could get out of this old chair. I'm going to," and hethrew back the sofa-blanket from his knees.

  "Oh, don't, Jasper, you mustn't," cried Polly and Ben, deserting theirhassocks to run either side of the easy-chair, and lay a restraininghand on him. "You'll hurt yourself."

  "And then Doctor Fisher will blame us," finished Ben.

  "That's so," said Jasper, twitching the sofa-blanket up. "O dear me!"and he leaned back against the pillow. "Well, do go on and tell mesomething. I suppose I've just got to stay here like an old log."

  "Yes, you must stay here," said Polly, tucking the blanket in with deftlittle pats; "but you are not an old log, Jasper."

  "Yes, I am," said Jasper, guilty of contradicting, and making a very wryface, "a stiff horrible old log," and he gave a little kick that sentone end of the sofa-blanket flying out again.

  "I should call you a slippery eel," said Ben, while Polly ran around tothe other side to tuck the blanket-end in again.

  "Oh, beg your pardon," said Jasper, while the color went flying over hispale face. "I didn't mean to make you so much trouble, Polly, I reallydidn't."

  "It isn't any trouble, Jasper," said Polly, with a final little pat,"only you mustn't get cold, for then I'm sure I don't know what weshould do."

  "Oh, I couldn't get cold," said Jasper, with a glance over at the brighthickory fire on the hearth, "I couldn't possibly, Polly."

  "Well, you aren't going to kick off the blanket like that again," saidBen, with a bob of his head, "or we'll go straight off like a shot,Polly and I will, so there, sir!"

  "Oh, I won't, I won't," cried Jasper, bursting into a laugh, "so do sitdown, both of you. I'll be just as good as--what is it Candace alwayssays--pie!"

  "See that you are then," said Ben, with another laugh.

  "Well, now Polly, you begin," said Jasper, hungry for news, as the twowere seated on their hassocks, "and tell everything straight through,what you've all been doing since Ben was away."

  "O dear me!" cried Polly, drawing a long breath, "I couldn't telleverything, Jasper."

  "You must," said Jasper, decidedly. "I want to hear every single thing;so begin, Polly."

  "Well," said Polly, folding her hands in her lap, and plunging in atonce on the most interesting part of the story, "in the first place, youknow Ben went out shopping with Madam Van Ruypen."

  "Ugh!" exclaimed Ben, "don't tell about that, Polly; that's no good."

  "What is it, Polly?" cried Jasper, eagerly. "Oh, do go on. You be still,Ben," shaking his finger at him; "now go on, Polly; don't mind him, he'sno good."

  "Polly," cried Ben, "tell about how we did our Christmas shopping,that's better. Do, Polly."

  "Polly, don't you mind this chap at all," said Jasper, turning a coldshoulder to Ben; "go on with what you were saying; now then."

  "The Christmas shopping is enough sight better," said Ben, in anotherdesperate attempt to get Polly's attention.

  "Oh, never you mind about the Christmas shopping," said Jasper, coolly,"I'll get that all in good time. Now then, Polly, you said Ben went outshopping with Madam Van Ruypen. Well, what else?"

  "Yes, he did," said Polly, keeping her eyes away from Ben, so that allhis frantic efforts to attract her attention went for nothing. "You seeshe took a great fancy to him, and--"

  "Oh, now, Polly," began Ben, with a very red face. "Don't you believeher, Jasper; it's just because she didn't have any one else to ask."

  "Who, Polly?" cried Jasper, turning back to him.

  "No, no, the old lady, Madam Van Ruypen."

  "Oh, well, let Polly tell that," said Jasper, turning away again. "Well,go on, Polly, she took a great fancy to him--and what then?"

  "And so she invited him to go out with her in her great big carriage tohelp her get her Christmas things."

  "Well, well!" exclaimed Jasper. "I say, Ben Pepper, of all things!"

  "I wish you would stop, Polly," said Ben, in a tone of great vexation,and twisting uncomfortably on his hassock.

  "Oh, I wouldn't stop her for all the world," cried Jasper, in highdelight. "Well, what did they buy, Polly? Fancy Ben out shopping with alady!"

  "Well, you see, Jasper, Madam Van Ruypen goes up in the summer to themountains, and a poor woman does her washing," said Polly, hurryingalong, and not daring to look at Ben. "And she wanted to do somethingfor her. She has ever so many children, you know."

  "Who? Madam Van Ruypen?" asked Jasper, wrinkling his brows.

  "No, the poor woman, the washerwoman," said Polly.

  "There, Polly, you're getting all mixed up," said Ben, quite pleased."You better stop."

  "You be still," said Jasper, with a nudge. "Polly will tell it all rightif you will only let her alone."

  "She doesn't seem to be getting on very well," grumbled Ben.

  "Well, and then, Polly, what next?" Jasper leaned forward to catch everyword.

  "Why, there were boys in the mountains, you know, the poor washerwoman'shome, so Madam Van Ruypen wanted Ben to pick out some things for them."

  "What things?" demanded Jasper, intensely interested.

  "Oh, overcoats and tippets and gloves and jackets and--"

  "Oh, hurrah!" exclaimed Jasper, breaking into the list. Then he whirledaround and bestowed a resounding rap on Ben's back.

  "Whew!" exclaimed Ben. "Well, you don't need to get your streng
th back,"he added ruefully.

  "Don't I though?" said Jasper, with shining eyes, and lifting up hishand. "Now, here's another--to think she chose you to do that, Ben!"

  "No, you don't," said Ben, moving back so hastily that he rolled off hishassock in a heap on the floor.

  "See what you got by deserting your best friend," said Jasper, coolly."Well, go on, Polly; and so Ben bought things?"

  "Yes, she let him pick them out all by himself," said Polly, with greatpride.

  "Polly!" cried Ben, with flaming cheeks.

  "She did; she told me so herself," Polly bobbed her head to emphasizeevery word, "and she said--"

  "Polly, I can't think Papa Fisher would like to have us stay anylonger," burst in Ben, desperately, coming up to lay a hand on Polly'sshoulder.

  "Hoh! Hoh!" cried Jasper, "now go on, Polly, tell the whole--mind I musthave every word."

  "I shall tell," said Polly, twitching away her shoulder from Ben's hand,"and you mustn't think to stop me, Ben, 'cause Jasper shall know. Shesaid that Ben had more sense than anybody she knew," ran on Polly, whileBen stuffed his fingers in his ears and marched to the other side of thelarge room, "and she did everything he said."

  "What, _everything_?" asked Jasper, eagerly.

  "Yes, every single thing," said Polly. "She didn't choose a thing; allshe did was to pay the bill."

  "Whew!" whistled Jasper. "Good for Ben!"

  "And then she sent all the things in a big box to the poor washerwomanin the mountains," said Polly.

  "Polly," said Jasper, and his dark eyes shone, "I think Ben can do justanything, don't you, if he tries?"

  "Yes," said Polly, very much pleased, "I know he can; he always could."

  "Well, so he did at the school," said Jasper; "all the boys were talkingabout it."

  "Oh, Jasper," cried Polly, very much excited, "tell me all about it.Do." Her cheeks were very rosy now, and she beat her foot impatiently onthe floor.

  "Some other time," said Jasper, nodding over at Ben, "when he's not by.Well, old fellow, you must open your ears, we're through with that oldstory," he cried, addressing Ben.

  "Are you sure you are through?" cried Ben, pulling the finger out of oneear, and glancing at them in suspicion.

  "Quite," said Jasper, coolly. "Come on, Ben, and sit down and behaveyourself, there's a good chap. Now we're going to talk about somethingelse."

  "In that case, I'll come back," said Ben, sitting down on the hassockagain.

  "Well now, Polly, tell some other things," said Jasper, when they wereall settled quietly once more.

  "Oh," said Polly, finding it hard work to pull her mind off from theunknown but splendid things that the boys at Jasper's school had saidabout Ben, "let me see," and she wrinkled up her brows, "where shall Ibegin?"

  "I should think the most natural thing would be to tell about what wedid last night," said Ben, composedly.

  "Oh, what did you do last night?" cried Jasper. "I suppose you had alovely time telling all about your plans for Christmas, and there was I,put to bed like a great baby."

  "No, we didn't," said Ben, "not by a long shot; we went over to MadamVan Ruypen's."

  "You went over to Madam Van Ruypen's!" repeated Jasper in astonishment."Not the first evening you were at home?"

  "Yes, we did," said Ben; "just as I said, we went over there."

  "What for? Oh, Polly, what for?" Jasper flew around, appealing to her."What did you go over to Madam Van Ruypen's for? Tell me, Polly," as shesat lost in thought.

  "Oh, why because," said Polly, coming out of her abstraction, "she hasgot some of the poor mountain children down there, and she didn't knowwhat to do with them."

  Jasper turned a bewildered face over to Ben.

  "You see," said Ben, "she had written up when the box went, you know, tohave the mother let some of the children come, so as to have a goodtime. And they got here yesterday, so she had to have us," and he gave asigh.

  "O dear me!" said Jasper, finding no more words for the occasion.

  "And she wants us to spend our Christmas over there," said Polly, with adismal face. "But we are not going to; oh, no, the very idea, JasperKing!" and she brightened up. "Why, Grandpapa wouldn't allow it."

  "No, indeed," said Jasper, in his most decided fashion, "but we mighthave them here," he added.

  "If you are strong enough," said Ben. "Papa Fisher said it all dependedon you."

  "If that is so," said Jasper, with a long breath, and stretching out hishands, "why, we'll have the whole lot of them. See, I'm as strong as anox!"

  "And oh, Jasper, you can't think," cried Polly, plunging into all thedelights of the coming celebration, "we are going to have the choir boysof St. Stephen's to sing the carol."

  "Not the St. Stephen's boys!" cried Jasper, in great excitement.

  "Yes," said Polly, with dancing eyes, "we surely are, Jasper; Grandpapaengaged them. He wrote from the school."

  "Isn't Father just too splendid for anything!" cried Jasper, withshining eyes.

  "Isn't he!" echoed Polly and Ben together.

  "And oh--" here Polly broke off with a happy little laugh, and clappedher hands together.

  "What is it, Polly? Oh, do tell me," begged Jasper, in a fever for thesecret.

  But Polly laughed on. "Oh, you'll know to-morrow," she said gleefully.

  "Oh, no, tell me now, Polly," begged Jasper. "If you don't I'll be sickagain, I'm afraid. Tell me, Polly, what is it?"

  "Yes, Polly," said Ben, "you ought to tell him now; and if you don't,why I will."

  "Oh, I'll tell," said Polly, much alarmed at the news coming from anyone but herself. "Oh, Jasper," she cried, "Mr. Cabot gave us a present."

  "Mr. Cabot gave us a present?" repeated Jasper.

  "Yes, to all of us; wasn't he dear?"

  "I don't know until you tell me what it is," said Jasper, muchmystified.

  "The sweetest thing," said Polly. "Oh, you'll love it, Jasper."

  "But what is it?" demanded Jasper.

  "And he sent 'way to India for it."

  "To India!" Jasper didn't seem to be able to say anything but the echoof Polly's words.

  "Yes," said Polly, nodding to Ben to keep still; "and it's just toobeautiful for anything."

  "Oh, now I know; it's a vase," said Jasper, "one of those brassthings--that's what it is."

  "A vase!" cried Ben, with a laugh, and slapping his knee. "Well, I guessyou won't say this is much like a vase when you see it, Jasper King."

  "Oh, no, it isn't a vase," said Polly, shaking her brown head. "Guessagain, Jasper."

  "Well, then, it's a curtain--a portiere, one of those embroideredthings."

  "No, no," said Polly and Ben together.

  "Well, a table cover," said Jasper.

  "No, guess again."

  "How can I tell?" cried Jasper, wildly. "It might be anything."

  "But it isn't anything--I mean it is something," said Polly, in her mostdecided fashion.

  Jasper leaned his head back on a pile of pillows, and gave himself up tothinking.

  "Polly," said Ben, "you'd better tell; see, he's getting tired."

  Seeing which, Polly gave a little start of dismay. "I'll tell; don't gettired. Oh, Jasper, it's a monkey."

  "A monkey!" repeated Jasper, faintly.