Five Little Peppers Midway

  VIII

  SOME BADGERTOWN CALLS

  "Well, I declare!" exclaimed Grandma Bascom, opening the door andlooking in, "I never!"

  "Come in," cried Mr. King sociably. His night over at the parsonage hadbeen a most fortunate experiment. "I haven't slept so finely in tenyears," he confided to Mrs. Whitney as they met at breakfast at theminister's table. So now, his face wreathed with smiles, he repeatedhis invitation. "Come in, do, Mrs. Bascom; we're glad to see you."

  "I never!" said Grandma Bascom once more, for want of something betterto say, and coming close to the center of operations.

  Jasper, attired in one of Mrs. Pepper's long aprons, which was fastenedin the style of the old days, by the strings around his neck, wasbusily engaged in rolling out under Polly's direction, a thin paste,expected presently under the genial warmth of the waiting stove, toevolve into most toothsome cakes. Ben was similarly attired, andsimilarly employed; while Joel and David were in a sticky state,preparing their dough after their own receipt, over at the cornertable, their movements closely followed by the three Whitneys.

  Phronsie, before a board laid across two chairs, was enlightening oldMr. King who sat by her, into the mysteries of baking day.

  "Do bake a gingerbread boy," he begged. "I never had anything half sogood as the one you sent over to Hingham."

  "You were my poor sick man then," observed Phronsie, with slow, evenpats on her bit of dough. "Please, the rolling-pin now, Grandpapa dear."

  "To be sure," cried the old gentleman; "here, Jappy, my boy, be so goodas to hand us over that article."

  "And you see," continued Phronsie, receiving the rolling-pin, andmaking the deftest of passes with it over the soft mass, "I couldn'tsend you anything better, though I wanted to, Grandpapa dear."

  "Better?" cried Mr. King. "I should think not; you couldn't have mademe anything that pleased me more, had you tried a thousand times."

  Phronsie never tired of hearing this, and now humming a soft note ofthanks, proceeded with her task, declaring that she would make the bestgingerbread boy that could possibly be achieved.

  Grandma Bascom was still reiterating "I never," and going slowly fromone group to another to inspect operations. When she came to Phronsie,she stopped short, raising her hands in surprise. "Seems as ef 'twasonly yesterday when the Peppers went away, though land knows I'vemissed 'em all most dretfully, 'an there sets that blessed childbaking, as big as any of 'em. I never!"

  "Have you any more raisins to give us, Grandma?" shouted Joel acrossthe kitchen. "They were terribly hard," he added in his natural voice;"almost broke our teeth."

  "Hey?" called Grandma back again.

  "Raisins, Grandma, or peppermints," cried Joel.

  "Oh, Joe, for shame!" called Ben.

  "I'm going to have the fun of going after them," declared Joel,throwing down his dough-pat, and wiping his sticky fingers on hisapron; "just like old times--so there!"

  "I'll go over and get 'em," said Grandma; "you come along with me,"looking admiringly up at the tall boy; so the two, Joel laughing andhopping by her side as if he were five years younger, disappeared,well-pleased with each other.

  "Now I shall take his dough," declared Dick, rushing around the end ofthe table to Joel's deserted place.

  "No such thing," declared Van, flying out of his chair. "Leave yourhands off, youngster! that's to be mine."

  Polly looked up from the little cookies she was cutting with the top ofa tin baking powder box and their eyes met.

  "I didn't promise not to have it out with Dicky," said Van stoutly."He's a perfect plague, and always under foot. I never thought of sucha thing as not making him stand around, Polly."

  But the brown eyes did not return to their task, as Polly mechanicallystamped another cooky.

  "I only promised not to have a bout with Percy," Van proceededuncomfortably. And in the same breath, "Go ahead, If you want it,Dicky, I don't care."

  "I do want it," declared Dick, clambering into Van's chair, while Vanreturned to his own, "and I'm going to have it too. I guess you thinkyou'd better give it up now, sir; I'm getting so big."

  "Softly there, Dicky," said Mrs. Whitney, over in the window-seat withher fancy work; "if Van gives up, you should thank him; I think he isvery good to do it." And the bigger boy's heart warmed with the radiantsmile she sent him.

  Dick gave several vicious thrusts to his dough, and looked up at lastto say very much against his will, "Thank you," and adding brightly,"but you know I'm getting big, sir, and you'd better give up."

  "All right," said Van, with that smile in his heart feeling equal toanything.

  "Now," cried Jasper, with a flourish of his baking apron, "mine areready. Here goes!" and he opened the oven door and pushed in a pan ofbiscuit.

  "Jappy's always ahead in everything," grumbled Percy, laboring away athis dough. "How in the world do you make the thing roll out straight?Mine humps up in the middle."

  "Put some more flour on the board," said Polly, running over to him."There, now see, Percy, if that doesn't roll smooth." "It does withyou," said Percy, taking the rolling-pin again, to send it violentlyover the long-suffering dough, "and--I declare, it's going to do withme," he cried, in delight at the large flat cake staring up at him fromthe board. "Now, says I, I'll beat you, Jappy!" And presently the wholekitchen resounded with a merry din, as the several cakes and biscuitswere declared almost ready for their respective pans.

  "But, I can tell you, this gingerbread boy is going in next," declaredMr. King from Phronsie's baking-board. "It's almost done, isn't it,child?"

  "Not quite, Grandpapa," said Phronsie; "this eye won't stay in justlike the other. It doesn't look the same way, don't you see?" pointingto the currant that certainly showed no inclination to do its duty, asany well-bred eye should. "Wait just a moment, please; I'll pull it outand stick it in again."

  "Take another," advised the old gentleman, fumbling over the littleheap of currants on the saucer. "There, here's a good round one, andvery expressive, too, Phronsie."

  "That's lovely," hummed Phronsie, accepting the new eye with verysticky fingers. "Now, he's all ready," as she set it in its place, andtook the boy up tenderly. "Give me a pan, do, Polly."

  "Did you cut that out?" cried Dick, turning around in his chair, andregarding her enviously, "all alone by yourself? Didn't Grandpapa helpyou just one teeny bit to make the legs and the hands?"

  "No; she made it all herself," said the old gentleman, with justifiablepride. "There, Phronsie, here's your pan," as Polly set it down beforeher with a "You precious dear, that's perfectly elegant!"

  Phronsie placed the boy within the pan, and gave it many a loving pat."Grandpapa sat here, and looked at it, and smiled," she said, turningher eyes gravely on Dick, "and that helped ever so much. I couldn'tever have made it so nice alone. Good-by; now bake like a good boy. Letme put it in the oven all by myself, do, Polly," she begged.

  So Phronsie, the old gentleman escorting her in mortal dread that shewould be burned, safely tucked her long pan into the warmest corner,shut the door, and gravely consulted the clock. "If I look at it intwenty-one minutes, I think it will be done," she said, "quite brown."

  In twenty-one minutes the whole kitchen was as far removed from beingthe scene of a baking exploit as was possible. Everything was clearedaway, and set up primly in its place, leaving only a row of fine littlebiscuits and cookies, with Phronsie's gingerbread boy in the midst, totell the tale of what had been going on. Outside there was a greatcommotion.

  Deacon Brown's old wagon stood at the gate, for the Peppers and theirfriends; and, oh! joy, not the old horse between the shafts, but anewer and much livelier beast. And on the straw laid in the bottom ofthe wagon, the seats being removed, disported all the merry group, Mr.King alone having the dignity of a chair.

  Deacon Brown, delighted with his scheme of bringing the wagon over as asurprise for the Peppers to take a drive in, was on the side of thenarrow foot-path, chuckling and rubbing his hands together. "You wo
n'thave to drive so easy as you used to, Ben," he called out, "thisfellow's chirk; give him his head. Sho! what you goin' that way for?"as Ben turned off down the lane.

  "To Grandma Bascom's," shouted two or three voices.

  "Joel's over there," sang out Polly.

  "We couldn't go without him, you know," chirped Phronsie, poking adistressed little face up from the straw heap.

  "'Twould serve him just right if we did," said Van. "He's a great chapto stay over there like this."

  "No--no," cried Dick in terror, "don't go without Joel; I'd rather havehim than any of you," he added, not over politely.

  Phronsie began to cry piteously at the mere thought of Joel's beingleft behind.

  "He wanted to see Mr. Beebe," she managed to say, "and dear Mrs. Beebe.Oh! don't go without him." So Mr. King made them hand her up to him,and at the risk of their both rolling out, he held her in his lap untilthe wagon, stopping at the door of Grandma Bascom's cottage, broughtJoel bounding out with a whoop.

  "Jolly! where'd you get that, and where are you going?" all in onebreath, as he swung himself up behind.

  "Deacon Brown brought it over just now," cried Polly.

  "As a surprise," furnished Percy. "Isn't he a fine old chap? Here's forthe very jolliest go!"

  "We're going to see dear Mr. Beebe, and dear Mrs. Beebe," announcedPhronsie, smiling through her tears, and leaning out of the oldgentleman's lap to nod at him.

  "Hurrah!" screamed Joel. "Good-by, Grandma," to the old lady, whosecap-frills were framed in the small window. "I've had a fine time inthere," he condescended to say, but nothing further as to the detailscould they extract from him; and so at last they gave it up, and lenttheir attention to the various things to be seen as the wagon spunalong. And so over and through the town, and to the very door of thelittle shoe-shop, and there, to be sure, was Mr. Beebe the same asever, to welcome them; and Joel found to his immense satisfaction thatthe stone pot was as full of sugary doughnuts as in the old days; andPhronsie had her pink and white sticks, and Mrs. Beebe "Oh-ed" and"Ah-ed" over them all, and couldn't bear to let them go when at last itwas time to say "good-by." And at last they all climbed into the oldwagon, and were off again on their round of visits.

  It was not till the gray dusk of the winter afternoon settled downunmistakably, so that no one could beg to stay out longer, that theyturned Deacon Brown's horse toward the little brown house.

  "It's going to snow to-morrow, I think," observed Jasper, squinting upat the leaden sky, "isn't it, father?"

  "Whoop!" exclaimed Joel, "then we will have sport, I tell you!"

  "It certainly looks like it," said old Mr. King, wrapping his fur-linedcoat closer. "Phronsie, are you sure you are warm enough?"

  "Yes, Grandpapa dear," she answered, curling up deeper in the straw athis feet.

  "Do you remember how you would carry the red-topped shoes home withyou, Phronsie?" cried Polly, and then away they rushed again into "Oh,don't you remember this, and you haven't forgotten that?" Jasper aswildly reminiscent now as the others, for hadn't he almost as good aslived at the little brown house, pray tell? So the Whitneys lookedcuriously on, without a chance to be heard in all the merry chatter;and then they drew up at the gate of the parsonage, where they were allto have supper.

  When Phronsie woke up in the big bed by the side of her mother the nextmorning, Polly was standing over her, and looking down into her face.

  "Oh, Phronsie!" she exclaimed in great glee, "the ground is all coveredwith snow!"

  "O--oh!" screamed Phronsie, her brown eyes flying wide open, "do giveme my shoes and stockings, Polly, do! I'll be dressed in justone--minute," and thereupon ensued a merry scramble as she tumbled outof the big bed, and commenced operations, Polly running out to helpMamsie get the breakfast.

  "Mush seems good now we don't have to eat it," cried Joel, as they allat last sat around the board.

  "'Twas good then," said Mrs. Pepper, her black eyes roving over thefaces before her.

  "How funny," cried Percy Whitney, who had run over from the parsonageto breakfast, "this yellow stuff is." And he took up a spoonful of itgingerly.

  "You don't like it, Percy; don't try to eat it. I'll make you a sliceof toast," cried Polly, springing out of her chair, "in just onemoment."

  "No, you mustn't," cried Dick, bounding in in time to catch the lastwords. "Mamma said no one was to have anything different, if we came tobreakfast, from what the Peppers are going to eat. I like the yellowstuff; give me some, do," and he slid into a chair and passed his plateto Mrs. Pepper.

  "So you shall, Dicky," she said hastily. "And you will never tastesweeter food than this," giving him a generous spoonful.

  "Grandpapa is eating ham and fried eggs over at the minister's house,"contributed Dick, after satisfying his hunger a bit.

  "Ham and fried eggs!" exclaimed Mother Pepper, aghast. "Why, he nevertouches them. You must be mistaken, my boy."

  "No, I'm not," said Dick, obstinately. "The minister's wife said itwas, and she asked me if I wouldn't have some, and I said I was goingover to the Peppers to breakfast; I'd rather have some of theirs. AndGrandpapa said it was good--the ham and fried eggs was--and he took ittwice; he did, Mrs. Pepper."

  "Took it twice?" she repeated, faintly, with troubled visions of thefuture. "Well, well, the mischief is done now, so there is no use intalking about it; but I'm worried, all the same."

  "Hurry up, Percy," called Joel across the table, "and don't dawdle so.We're going to make a double ripper, four yards long, to go down thathill there." He laid down his spoon to point out the window at adistant snow-covered slope.

  Percy shivered, but recalling himself in time, said "Splendid," andaddressed himself with difficulty to his mush.

  "Well, you'll never be through at that speed," declared Joel. "See I'veeaten three saucerfuls," and he handed his plate up, "And now for thefourth, Mamsie."

  "Oh! baked potatoes," cried Ben, rolling one around in his hand beforehe took off its crackling skin. "Weren't they good, though, with alittle salt. I tell you, they helped us to chop wood in the old times!"

  "I really think I shall have to try one," said Percy, who deeply to hisregret was obliged to confess that Indian meal mush had few charms forhis palate.

  "There's real milk in my mug now," cried Phronsie, with long, deepdraughts. "Polly, did I ever have anything but make-believe in thelittle brown house; ever, Polly?"

  Polly was saved from answering by a stamping of snowy boots on the flatdoorstone.

  "Hurrah, there!" cried Van, rushing in, followed by Jasper. "Hoh, youslow people in the little brown house, come on for the double ripper!"