Five Little Peppers And How They Grew

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"I don't think he was sitting on the stairs, father," said Jasper, who,
when he saw that Dicky was really unhurt, began to vindicate his
dog. "He never does that; do you Sir?" he said patting the head that
was lifted up to him, as if to be defended.

"And I expect we shall all be killed some day, Jasper," said Mr.
King, warming with his subject; and forgetting all about the brown
paper and water which he had ordered, and which was now
waiting for him at his elbow, "just by that creature."

"He's the noblest"--began Jasper, throwing his arms around his
neck; an example which was immediately followed by the
Whitney boys, and the two little Peppers. When Dick saw this, he
began to struggle to get down to add himself to the number.

"Where's the brown paper?" began Mr. King, seeing this and
whirling around suddenly. "Hasn't any body brought it yet?"

"Here 'tis sir," said Jane, handing him a generous supply. "Oh, I
don't want to," cried little Dick in dismay, seeing his grandfather
advance with an enormous piece of paper, which previously wet in
the bowl of water, was now unpleasantly clammy and wet--"oh,
no, I don't want to be all stuck up with old horrid wet paper!"

"Hush, dear!" said his mamma, soothingly. "Grandpapa wants to
put it on--there"--as Mr. King dropped it scientifically on his head,
and then proceeded to paste another one over his left eye.

"And I hope they'll all drop off," cried Dick, savagely, shaking his
head to facilitate matters. "Yes, I do, every single one of 'em!" he
added, with an expression that seen under the brown bits was
anything but benign.

"Was Prince on the stairs, Dick?" asked Jasper, coming up and
peering under his several adornments. "Tell us how you fell!"

"No," said little Dick, crossly, and giving his head another shake.
"He was up in the hall--oh, dear, I want to get down," and he began
to stretch his legs and to struggle with so much energy, that two or
three pieces fell off, and landed on the floor to his intense delight.

"And how did you fall then?" said Jasper, perseveringly. "Can't you
remember, Dicky, boy?"

"I pushed Princey," said Dick, feeling, with freedom from some of
his encumbrances, more disposed for conversation, "and made him
go ahead--and then I fell on top of him-- that's all."

"I guess Prince has saved him, father," cried Jasper, turning around
with eyes full of pride and love on the dog, who was trying as hard
as he could to tell all the children how much he enjoyed their
caresses.

And so it all came about that the consultation so summarily
interrupted was never held. For, as Mrs. Whitney was about
retiring that evening, Mr. King rapped at her door, on his way to
bed.

"Oh," he said popping in his head, in response to her invitation to
come in, "it's nothing--only I thought I'd just tell you a word or two
about what I've decided to do."

"Do you mean what you wanted to see me about this afternoon?"
asked Mrs. Whitney, who hadn't thought of it since. "Do come in,
father."

"It's no consequence," said the old gentleman; "no consequence at
all," he repeated, waving his hand emphatically, "because I've
made up my mind and arranged all my plans-- it's only about the
Peppers--"

"The Peppers?" repeated Mrs. Whitney.

"Yes. Well, the fact of it is, I'm going to have them here for a
visit--the whole of them, you understand; that's all there is to it.
And I shall go down to see about all the arrangements-- Jasper and
I--day after to-morrow," said the old gentleman, as if he owned the
whole Pepper family inclusive, and was the only responsible
person to be consulted about their movements.

"Will they come?" asked Mrs. Whitney, doubtfully.

"Come? of course," said Mr. King, sharply, "there isn't any other
way; or else Mrs. Pepper will be sending for her children--and of
course you know, Marian, we couldn't allow that----well, that's all;
so good night," and the door closed on his retreating footsteps.

And so Polly and Phronsie soon knew that mamsie and the boys
were to be invited! And then the grand house, big as it was, didn't
seem large enough to contain them.

"I declare," said Jasper, next day, when they had been laughing and
planning till they were all as merry as grigs, "if this old dungeon
don't begin to seem a little like 'the little brown house,' Polly."

"Twon't," answered Polly, hopping around on one toe, followed by
Phronsie, "till mamsie and the boys get here, Jasper King!"

"Well, they'll be here soon," said Jappy, pleased at Polly's
exultation over it, "for we're going to-morrow to do the inviting."

"And Polly's to write a note to slip into Marian's," said Mr. King,
putting his head in at the door. "And if you want your mother to
come, child, why, you'd better mention it as strong as you can."

"I'm going to write," said Phronsie, pulling up after a prolonged
skip, all out of breath. "I'm going to write, and beg mamsie dear.
Then she'll come, I guess."

"I guess she will," said Mr. King, looking at her. "You go on,
Phronsie, and write; and that letter shall go straight in my coat
pocket alone by itself."

"Shall it?" asked Phronsie, coming up to him, "and nobody will
take it out till you give it to mamsie?"

"No, nobody shall touch it," said the old gentleman, stooping to
kiss the upturned face, "till I put it into her own hand."

"Then," said Phronsie, in the greatest satisfaction, "I'm going to
write this very one minute!" and she marched away to carry her
resolve into immediate execution.

Before they got through they had quite a bundle of invitations and
pleadings; for each of the three boys insisted on doing his part, so
that when they were finally done up in an enormous envelope and
put into Mr. King's hands, he told them with a laugh that there was
no use for Jappy and himself

to go, as those were strong enough to win almost anybody's
consent.

However, the next morning they set off, happy in their hopes, and
bearing the countless messages, which the children would come up
every now and then to intrust to them, declaring that they had
forgotten to put them in the letters.

"You'd had to have had an express wagon to carry the letters if you
had put them all in," at last cried Jasper. "You've given us a bushel
of things to remember."

"And oh! don't forget to ask Ben to bring Cherry," cried Polly, the
last minute as they were driving off although she had put it in her
letter at least a dozen times; "and oh, dear! of course the flowers
can't come."

"We've got plenty here," said Jasper. "You would not know what to
do with them, Polly."

"Well, I do wish mamsie would give some to kind Mrs. Henderson,
then," said Polly, on the steps, clasping her hands anxiously, while
Jasper told Thomas to wait till he heard the rest of the message,
"and to grandma--you know Grandma Bascom; she was so good to
us," she said impulsively. "And, oh! don't let her forget to carry
some to dear, dear Dr. Fisher; and don't forget to give him our
love, Jappy; don't forget that!" and Polly ran down the steps to the
carriage door, where she gazed up imploringly to the boy's face.

"I guess I won't," cried Jasper, "when I think how he saved your
eyes, Polly! He's the best fellow I know!" he finished in an
impulsive burst.

"And don't let marnsie forget to carry some in to good old Mr. and
Mrs. Beebe in town--where Phronsie got her shoes, you know; that
is, if mamsie can," she added, remembering how very busy her
mother would be.

"I'll carry them myself," said Jasper; "we're going to stay over till
the next day, you know."

"O!" cried Polly, radiant as a rose, "will you, really, Jappy? you're
so good!"

"Yes, I will," said Jasper, "everything you want done, Polly;
anything else?" he asked, quickly, as Mr. King, impatient to be off,
showed unmistakable symptoms of hurrying up Thomas.

"Oh, no," said Polly, "only do look at the little brown house,
Jasper, as much as you can," and Polly left the rest unfinished.
Jasper seemed to understand, however, for he smiled brightly as he
said, looking into the brown eyes, "I'll do it all, Polly; every single
thing." And then they were off.

Mamsie and the boys! could Polly ever wait till the next afternoon
that would bring the decision?

Long before it was possibly time for the carriage to come back
from the depot, Polly, with Phronsie and the three boys, who,
improving Jasper's absence, had waited upon her with the grace
and persistence of cavaliers of the olden time, were drawn up at
the old stone gateway.

"Oh, dear," said Van with an impatient fling; "they never will
come!"

"Won't they, Polly?" asked Phronsie, anxiously, and standing quite
still.

"Dear me, yes," said Polly, with a little laugh, "Van only means
they'll be a good while, Phronsie. They're sure to come some time."

"Oh!" said Phronsie, quite relieved; and she commenced her
capering again in extreme enjoyment.

"I'm going," said little Dick, "to run down and meet them."
Accordingly off he went, and was immediately followed by Percy,
who started with the laudable desire of bringing him back; but
finding it so very enjoyable, he stayed himself and frolicked with
Dick, till the others, hearing the fun, all took hold of hands and
flew off to join them.

"Now," said Polly, when they recovered their breath a little, "let's
all turn our backs to the road; and the minute we hear the carriage
we must whirl round; and the one who sees 'em first can ask first
'Is mamsie coming?"

"All right," cried the boys.

"Turn round, Dick," said Percy, with a little shove, for Dick was
staring with all his might right down the road. And so they all flew
around till they looked like five statues set up to grace the
sidewalk.

"Suppose a big dog should come," suggested Van, pleasantly, "and
snap at our backs!"

At this little Dick gave a small howl, and turned around in a fright.

"There isn't any dog coming," said Pofly. "What does make you say
such awful things, Van?"

"I hear a noise," said Phronsie; and so they all whirled around in
expectation. But it proved to be only a market wagon coming at a
furious pace down the road, with somebody's belated dinner. So
they all had to whirl back again as before. The consequence was
that when the carriage did come, nobody heard it.

Jasper, looking out, was considerably astonished to see, drawn up
in solemn array with their backs to the road, five children, who
stood as if completely petrified.

"What in the world!" he began, and called to Thomas to stop,
whose energetic "Whoa!" reaching the ears of the frozen line,
caused it to break ranks, and spring into life at an alarming rate.

"Oh, is she coming Jappy? Is she? Is she?" they all screamed
together, swarming up to the carriage door, and over the wheels.

"Yes," said Jasper looking at Polly.

At that, Phronsie made a little cheese and sat right down on the
pavement in an ecstasy.

"Get in here, all of you;" said Jasper merrily; "help Polly in first.
For shame Dick! don't scramble so."

"Dick always shoves," said Percy, escorting Polly up with quite an
air.

"I don't either," said Dick; "you pushed me awful, just a little while
ago," he added indignantly.

"Do say awfully," corrected Van, crowding up to get in. "You
leave off your lys so," he finished critically.

"I don't know anything about any lees," said little Dick, who,
usually so good natured, was now thoroughly out of temper; "I
want to get in and go home," and he showed evident symptoms of
breaking into a perfect roar.

"There," said Polly, lilting him up, "there he goes! now-- one, two,
three!" arid little Dick was spun in so merrily that the tears
changed into a happy laugh.

"Now then, bundle in, all the rest of you," put in Mr. King, who
seemed to be in the best of spirits. "That's it; go on, Thomas!"

"When are they coming?" Polly found time to ask in the general
jumble.

"In three weeks from to-morrow," said Jasper. "And everything's
all right, Polly! and the whole of them, Cherry and all, will be here
then!"

"Oh!" said Polly.

"Here we are!" cried Van, jumping out almost before the carriage
door was open. "Mamma; mamma," he shouted to Mrs. Whitney in
the doorway, "the Peppers are coming, and the little brown house
too!--everything and everybody!"

"They are!" said Percy, as wild as his brother; "and everything's
just splendid! Jappy said so."

"Everything's coming," said little Dick, tumbling up the steps--"and
the bird--and--and--"

"And mamsie!" finished Phronsie, impatient to add her part --while
Polly didn't say anything--only looked.

Three weeks! "I can't wait!" thought Polly at first, in counting over
the many hours before the happy day would come. But on Jasper's
suggesting that they should all do something to get ready for the
visitors, and have a general trimming up with vines and flowers
beside--the time passed away much more rapidly than was feared.

Polly chose a new and more difficult piece of music to learn to
surprise mamsie. Phronsie had aspired to an elaborate pin-cushion,
that was nearly done, made of bits of worsted and canvas, over
whose surface she had wandered according to her own sweet
will, in a way charming to behold.

"I don't know what to do," said Van in despair, "cause I don't know
what she'd like."

"Can't you draw her a little picture?" asked Polly. "She'd like that."

"Does she like pictures?" asked Van with the greatest interest.

"Yes indeed!" said Polly, "I guess you'd think so if you could see
her!"

"I know what I shall do," with a dignified air said Percy, who
couldn't draw, and therefore looked down on all Van's attempts
with the greatest scorn. "And it won't be any old pictures either,"
he added.

"What is it, old fellow?" asked Jasper, "tell on, now, your grand
plan."

"No, I'm not going to tell," said Percy, with the greatest secrecy,
"until the very day."

"What will you do, sir?" asked Jasper, pulling one of Dick's ears,
who stood waiting to speak, as if his mind was made up, and
wouldn't be changed for anyone!

"I shall give Ben one of my kitties--the littlest and the best!" he
said, with heroic self-sacrifice.

A perfect shout greeted this announcement.

"Fancy Ben going round with one of those awful little things,"
whispered Jappy to Polly, who shook at the very thought.

"Don't laugh! oh, it's dreadful to laugh at him, Jappy," she said,
when she could get voice enough.

"No, I sha'n't tell," said Percy, when the fun had subsided; who,
finding that no one teased him to divulge his wonderful plan, kept
trying to harrow up their feelings by parading it.

"You needn't then," screamed Van, who was nearly dying to know.
"I don't believe it's so very dreadful much, anyway."

"What's yours, Jappy?" asked Polly, "I know yours will be just
splendid."

"Oh, no, it isn't," said Jasper, smiling brightly, "but as I didn't know
what better I could do, I'm going to get a little stand, and then beg
some flowers of Turner to fill it, and--"

"Why, that's mine!" screamed Percy, in the greatest
disappointment. "That's just what I was going to do!"

"Hoh, hoh!" shouted Van; "I thought you wouldn't tell, Mr. Percy!
hoh, hoh!"

"Hoh, hoh!" echoed Dick.

"Hush," said Jappy. "Why, Percy, I didn't know as you had thought
of that," he said kindly. "Well, then, you do it, and I'll take
something else. I don't care as long as Mrs. Pepper gets 'em."

"I didn't exactly mean that," began Percy; "mine was roots and
little flowers growing."

"He means what he gets in the woods," said Polly, explaining;
"don't you, Percy?"

"Yes," said the boy. "And then I was going to put stones and things
in among them to make them look pretty."

"And they will," cried Jasper. "Go ahead, Percy, they'll look real
pretty, and then Turner will give you some flowers for the stand, I
know; I'll ask him to-morrow."

"Will you?" cried Percy, "that'll be fine!"

"Mine is the best," said Van, just at this juncture; but it was said a
little anxiously, as he saw how things were prospering with Percy;
"for my flowers in the picture will always be there, and your old
roots and things will die."

"What will yours be, then, Jappy?" asked Polly very soberly. "The
stand of flowers would have been just lovely! and you do fix them
so nice," she added sorrowfully.

"Oh, I'll find something else," said Jappy, cheerfully, who had
quite set his heart on giving the flowers. "Let me see--I might
carve her a bracket."

"Do," cried Polly, clapping her hands enthusiastically. "And do
carve a little bird, like the one you did on your father's."

"I will," said Jasper, "just exactly like it. Now, we've got something
to do, before we welcome the 'little brown house' people--so let's
fly at it, and the time won't seem so long."

And at last the day came when they could all say--To-morrow
they'll be here!

Well, the vines were all up; and pots of lovely climbing ferns, and
all manner of pretty green things had been arranged and
re-arranged a dozen times till everything was pronounced perfect;
and a big green "Welcome" over the library door, made of laurel
leaves, by the patient fingers of all the children, stared down into
their admiring eyes as much as to say, "I'll do my part!"

"Oh, dear," said Phronsie, when evening came, and the children
were, as usual, assembled on the rug before the fire, their tongues
running wild with anticipation and excitement, "I don't mean to go
to bed at all, Polly; I don't truly."

"Oh, yes, you do," said Polly laughing; "then you'll be all fresh and
rested to see mammy when she does come."

"Oh, no," said Phronsie, shaking her head soberly, and speaking in
an injured tone. "I'm not one bit tired, Polly; not one bit."

"You needn't go yet, Phronsie," said Polly. "You can sit up half an
hour yet, if you want to."

"But I don't want to go to bed at all," said the child anxiously, "for
then I may be asleep when mamsie comes, Polly."

"She's afraid she won't wake up," said Fercy, laughing. "Oh, there'll
be oceans of time before they come, Phronsie."

"What is oceans," asked Phronsie, coming up and looking at him,
doubtfully.

"He means mamsie won't get here till afternoon," said Polly,
catching her up and kissing her; "then I guess you'll be awake,
Phronsie, pet."

So Phronsie allowed herself to be persuaded, at the proper time, to
be carried off and inducted into her little nightgown. And when
Polly went up to bed, she found the little pin-cushion, with its
hieroglyphics, that she had insisted on taking to bed with her, still
tightly grasped in the little fat hand.

"She'll roll over and muss it," thought Polly; "and then she'll feel
bad in the morning. I guess I'd better lay it on the bureau."

So she drew it carefully away, without awaking the little sleeper,
and placed it where she knew Phronsie's eyes would rest on it the
first thing in the morning.

It was going on towards the middle of the night when Phronsie,
whose exciting dreams of mamsie and the boys wouldn't let her
rest quietly, woke up; and in the very first flash she thought of her
cushion.

"Why, where--" she said, in the softest little tones, only half awake,
"why, Polly, where is it?" and she began to feel all around her
pillow to see if it had fallen down there.

But Polly's brown head with its crowd of anticipations and busy
plans was away off in dreamland, and she breathed on and on
perfectly motionless.

"I guess I better," said Phronsie to herself, now thoroughly awake,
and sitting up in bed, "not wake her up. Poor Polly's tired; I can
find it myself, I know I can."

So she slipped out of bed, and prowling around on the floor, felt
all about for the little cushion.

"'Tisn't here, oh, no, it isn't," she sighed at last, and getting up, she
stood still a moment, lost in thought. "Maybe Jane's put it out in
the hail," she said, as a bright thought struck her. "I can get it
there," and out she pattered over the soft carpet to the table at the
end of the long hail, where Jane often placed the children's
playthings over night. As she was coming back after her fruitless
search, she stopped to peep over the balustrade down the
fascinating ffight of stairs, now so long and dark. Just then a little
faint ray of light shot up from below, and met her eyes.

"Why!" she said in gentle surprise, "they're all down-stairs! I guess
they're making something for mamsie--I'm going to see."

So, carefully picking her way over the stairs with her little bare
feet, and holding on to the balustrade at every step, she went
slowly down, guided by the light, which, as she neared the bottom
of the flight, she saw came from the library door.

"Oh, isn't it funny!" and she gave a little happy laugh. "They won't
know I'm comin'!" and now the soft little feet went pattering over
the thick carpet, until she stood just within the door. There she
stopped perfectly still.

Two dark figures, big and powerful, were bending over something
that Phronsie couldn't see, between the two big windows. A lantern
on the floor flung its rays over them as they were busily occupied;
and the firelight from the dying coals made the whole stand out
distinctly to the gaze of the motionless little figure.

"Why! what are you doing with my grandpa's things?"

The soft, clear notes fell like a thunderbolt upon the men. With a
start they brought themselves up, and stared--only to see a little
white-robed figure, with its astonished eyes uplifted with childlike,
earnest gaze, as she waited for her answer.

For an instant they were powerless to move; and stood as if frozen
to the spot, till Phronsie, moving one step forward, piped forth:

"Naughty men, to touch my dear grandpa's things!"

With a smothered cry one of them started forward with arm
uplifted; but the other sprang like a cat and intercepted the blow.

"Stop!" was all he said. A noise above the stairs--a rushing sound
through the hail! Something will save Phronsie, for the household
is aroused! The two men sprang through the window, having no
time to catch the lantern or their tools, as Polly, followed by one
and another, rushed in and surrounded the child.

"What!" gasped Polly, and got no further.

"STOP, THIEF!" roared Mr. King, hurrying over the stairs. The
children, frightened at the strange noises, began to cry and scream,
as they came running through the halls to the spot. Jasper rushed
for the men-servants.

And there stood Phronsie, surrounded by the pale group. "Twas
two naughty men," she said, lifting her little face with the grieved,
astonished look still in the big brown eyes, "and they were
touching my grandpa's things, Polly!"

"I should think they were," said Jasper, running over amongst the
few scattered tools and the lantern, to the windows, where, on the
floor, was a large table cover hastily caught up by the corners, into
which a vast variety of silver, jewelry, and quantities of costly
articles were gathered ready for flight. "They've broken open your
safe, father!" he cried in excitement, "see!"

"And they put up their hand--one man did," went on Phronsie.
"And the other said 'Stop!'--oh, Polly, you hurt me!" she cried, as
Polly, unable to bear the strain any longer, held her so tightly she
could hardly breathe.

"Go on," said Jasper, "how did they look?"

"All black," said the child, pushing back her wavy hair and looking
at him, "very all black, Japser."

"And their faces, Phronsie?" said Mr. King, getting down on his
old knees on the floor beside her. "Bless me! somebody else ask
her, I can't talk!"

"How did their faces look, Phronsie, dear?" asked Jasper, taking
one of the cold hands in his. "Can't you think?"

"Oh!" said Phronsie--and then she gave a funny little laugh, "two
big holes, Japser, that's all they had!"

"She means they were masked," whispered Jasper.

"What did you get up for?" Mrs. Whitney asked. "Dear child, what
made you get out of bed?"

"Why, my cushion-pin," said Phronsie looking worried at once. "I
couldn't find it, and--"

But just at this, without a bit of warning, Polly tumbled over in a
dead faint.

And then it was all confusion again.

And so, on the following afternoon, it turned out that the Peppers,
about whose coming there had been so many plans and
expectations, just walked in as if they had always lived there. The
greater excitement completely swallowed up the less!

WHICH TREATS OF A GOOD MANY MATTERS

"Phooh!" said Joel a few mornings after the emptying of the little
brown house into the big one, when he and Van were rehearsing
for the fiftieth time all the points of the eventful night, "phooh! if
I'd been here they wouldn't got away, I guess!"

"What would you have done?" asked Van, bristling up at this
reflection on their courage, and squaring up to him. "What would
you have done, Joel Pepper?"

"I'd a-pitched right into 'em--like--everything!" said Joel valiantly;
"and a-caught 'em! Yes, every single one of the Bunglers!"

"The what?" said Van, bursting into a loud laugh.

"The Bunglers," said Joel with a red face. "That's what you said
they were, anyway," he added positively.

"I said Burglars," said Van, doubling up with amusement, while
Joel stood, a little sturdy figure, regarding him with anything but a
sweet countenance.

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