Five Little Peppers Midway

by Margaret Sidney

  IV

  WELCOME HOME!

  "Marian," said old Mr. King, putting his head in at the door of herlittle writing-room, "can't you get her comfortably out of the way thismorning? I want your services without interruption."

  "She's going down to Pinaud's," said Mrs. Whitney, looking up from thenote she was writing.

  "Capital! when she once gets there, she'll stay the morning," declaredMr. King, greatly pleased. "Now, then, after she's cleverly off, youmay come to me."

  "I will, father," said Marian, going back with a smile to hercorrespondence.

  Half an hour later Thomas, with the aid of the horses and the shoppingcoupe having carried off Mrs. Chatterton, Mrs. Whitney pushed aside hernotes, and ran down to her father's study.

  She found him in his velvet morning-gown seated before his table, busywith a good-sized list of names that was rapidly growing longer underhis pen.

  "Oh! I forgot," he said, looking up; "I intended to tell you to bringsome of your cards and envelopes. I want some invitations written."

  "Are you going to give a dinner?" asked Marian, looking over hisshoulder. "Oh, no! I see by the length of your list it's an eveningaffair, or a musicale."

  "You run along, daughter," said the old gentleman, "and get what I tellyou. This is my affair; it's a musicale and something else combined. Idon't just know myself." And he laughed at the sight of her face.

  "If father is only pleased, I don't care what it is," said Mrs. Whitneyto herself, hurrying over the stairs and back again, never oncethinking of Polly's and Jasper's surprise for the boys.

  "You see, Marian," said Mr. King as she sat down by the table, and laidthe cards and envelopes in front of him, "that I'm going to help outthat affair that Jasper and Polly are getting up."

  "Oh, father! how good of you!" exclaimed Mrs. Whitney in a delightedtone, which immensely pleased the old gentleman, to begin with.

  "They've been working very hard, those two, at their studies thisautumn. I've seen them," cried Mr. King with a shrewd air, "and I'mgoing now to give them a little pleasure."

  Marian said nothing, but let him have the comfort of doing all thetalking, which he now enjoyed to his heart's content.

  "Whether the other chaps have done well, I don't know. Davie may havekept at it, but I suspect the rest of the boys haven't killedthemselves with hard study. But they shall have a good home-coming, atany rate."

  Mrs. Whitney smiled, and he proceeded:

  "Now I'm going to send out these invitations"--he pushed the listtoward her--"I shall have the drawing-room and music-room floorscovered, and all extra seats arranged, give Turner carte blanche as toflowers, if he can't furnish enough out of our own conservatories--andthe evening will end with a handsome 'spread,' as Jasper calls it. Inshort, I shall recognize their attempt to make it pleasant for theboys' holiday, by helping them out on the affair all I can." The oldgentleman now leaned back in his big chair and studied his daughter'sface.

  "And you'll never regret it, father," she cried, with an enthusiasmthat satisfied him, "for these young people will all repay you athousand-fold, I do believe, in the time to come."

  "Don't I know it?" cried Mr. King, getting out of his chair hastily topace the floor. "Goodness me! they repay me already. They're fine youngthings, every one of them--Whitneys, Peppers and my boy--as fine asthey are made. And whoever says they're not, doesn't know a good pieceof work when it's before his eyes. Bless me!" pulling out hishandkerchief to mop his face violently, "I don't want to see any finer."

  "I hope I shall have a sight of Jasper's and Polly's faces when youtell them what you intend to do," said Mrs. Whitney; "where are yourcards, father?"

  "Tell them? I shan't tell them at all," cried the old gentleman; "I'mgoing to have a surprise, too. No one must know it but you and Mrs.Pepper."

  "Oh!" said Mrs. Whitney. "It was very stupid in me not to understandthat. It will be all right, father; Mrs. Pepper and I will keep oursecret, you needn't fear."

  "If you can only keep HER out of the way," exclaimed Mr. King, pointingirascibly in the direction of Mrs. Chatterton's apartments, "all willbe well. But I doubt if you can; her meddlesome ears and tongue will beat work as usual," he added in extreme vexation.

  "Here comes Jasper," exclaimed Mrs. Whitney, which had the satisfactoryresult of bringing her father out of his irritation, into a flutterover the concealment of the party preparations.

  "Jasper," cried Polly that evening, as they ran into the music-room toplay a duet, "we're all right about everything now, as your father sayswe may invite the girls and your friends."

  "And he said when I asked him if we ought not to have cake and coffee,'I'll attend to that,'" said Jasper, "so everything is all straight asfar as I can see, Polly."

  "The private boxes trouble me, I must confess," said Polly, drummingabsently on the keys, while Jasper spread the sheet of music on therack. "You know there must be two; one for dear Mr. King and one forthe boys as guests of honor. Now how shall we manage them?"

  She took her hand off suddenly from the keys and folded it over itsfellow on her knee, to study his face anxiously.

  "It's pretty hard to get them up, that's a fact," said Jaspertruthfully, "but then, you know, Polly, we've always found that when athing had to be done, it was done. You know the little brown housetaught us that."

  "So it did," said Polly, brightening up. "Dear little old brown house,how could I ever forget it! Well, I suppose," with a sigh, "it willcome to us as an inspiration when it's time to fix them."

  "I suppose so too," said Mrs. Pepper, passing the door, as usual withher mending basket, "and when two people start to play a duet, I thinkthey much better put their minds on that, and not waste precious timeon all sorts of questions that will take care of themselves when thetime comes."

  "You are right, Mrs. Pepper," cried Jasper with a laugh, and seatinghimself before the piano. "Come, Polly!"

  "Mamsie is always right, isn't she, Jasper?" cried Polly with pride,putting her hands down for the first chords.

  "Indeed she is," responded the boy heartily. "Here now, Polly,remember, you slipped up a bit on that first bar. Now!"

  The twenty-first of December came all too soon for Polly and Jasper,whose school duties had engrossed them till two days before, but afterhard work getting up the stage properties, and the many rehearsals,everything was at last pronounced ready, the drawing-room andmusic-room locked, the keys given to Mrs. Whitney who promisedfaithfully to see that no one peeped in who should not, and Pollyhurried into her hat and jacket, to go to the station with Jasper tomeet the boys.

  Thomas drove furiously, as they were a bit late, and they arrived onlya minute before the train puffed in.

  "Here they are!" cried Polly, and "Here they are!" cried Jasper,together, in great excitement, on the platform.

  "Halloo, Polly!" cried Joel, prancing out of the car first, and "Howd'ye do, Polly?" as they all hurried after. "Halloo, Jasper!"

  "Oh, Polly! it's good to see you!" This from Davie, not ashamed to seta kiss on her red lips.

  Van and Percy looked as if they wanted to, but contented themselveswith wringing her hand nearly off, while Joel declared he would lookafter the luggage.

  "No, I will," cried Van, dropping Polly's hand.

  "You forget," said Percy quietly, "I hold the checks, I'll attend to itmyself." He unclosed his brown traveling glove, and Van, at sight ofthem, turned back.

  "Go along, do, then," he cried; "I don't want to, I'm sure; I'd muchrather stay with Polly. How d'ye do, Thomas?" he called carelessly tothe coachman on his box, who was continually touching his hat andindulging in broad smiles of content.

  Polly was tiptoeing in very delight, holding Davie's hand closely whileher eyes roved from one to the other of the boys, and her tongue ranfast indeed. A group of girls, who had also come down to the station tomeet friends, stopped a bit as they came laughing and chatting by.

  "How d'ye, boys?" they said carelessly to the three home-comers. "Oh,Polly! wo
n't it be entrancing to-night?" cried one of them, seizing herarm as she spoke.

  "Hush!" said Polly, as she tried to stop her.

  "May I bring Elsie Fay? she's come on the train to stay over Christmaswith her aunt. May I, Polly?" begged another girl eagerly.

  "Yes, yes," said Polly in a paroxysm of fear lest Joel, who wascrowding up between them, should catch a word; "do be still," shewhispered. "Bring anybody; only stop, Alexia."

  "He won't hear," said Alexia carelessly; "that boy doesn't mind ourtalking; his head's full of skating and coasting."

  "You're going to have something to-night that you don't want me to knowabout," declared Joel, his chubby face set defiantly, and crowdingcloser; "so there; now I'm going to find out what it is."

  "If we don't want you to know, you ought not to try to find out, JoelPepper," cried Alexia. "And you shan't, either."

  "There, now you see," cried Polly, unable to keep still, while her facegrew red too. "O dear! what shall we do?"

  "You are--you are," cried Joel, capering up and down the platform, hisblack eyes shining with delight. "Now I know for certain, and it's atour house, too, for you asked Polly if you might bring some other girl,Elsie somebody or other, so! Oh! I'll soon know."

  "Joel," exclaimed Jasper suddenly, clapping him on the shoulder, "I'mgoing round to the gymnasium; want to go with me?"

  Joel stopped his capering at once, this new idea thrusting out the oldone.

  "Don't I, though!" he cried, with a nod at Polly and her friends. "ButI'll find out when I do get home," the nod declared plainly.

  But Jasper also nodded. He said, "He won't get home till late; dependon me." And then "Come on, Joe," he cried; "I'm going to walk," andthey were off.

  Alexia pinched Polly's gray woolen jacket sleeve convulsively. "What anescape," she breathed.

  "Here comes Percy," cried Polly nervously, and she broke away from herand the other girls, and ran to meet him, and the two boys following.

  "Where's Jasper?" asked Percy, rendered quite important in air andstep, from his encounter with the baggage officials.

  "Oh! he isn't going home with us," said Polly. "Come, do let us getin," and she scampered off to the carriage and climbed within.

  "That's funny," said Percy, jumping in after.

  Van opened his lips to tell where Jasper had gone, but rememberingPercy's delight in such an expedition, he closed them quickly, andadded himself to the company in the carriage. Davie followed, andclosed the door quickly.

  "Stop! where's Joel?" asked Percy. "Thomas, we've forgotten Joe,"rapping on the glass to the coachman.

  "No, we haven't; he isn't going to drive," said Polly.

  "Oh!" and Percy, thinking that Joel had stolen a march on them on hisgood strong legs, now cried lustily, "Go on, Thomas; get ahead as fastas you can," and presently he was lost in the babel of laughter andchatter going on in the coach.

  "I've a piece of news," presently cried Van in a lull. "Davie'sbringing home a prize; first in classics, you know."

  "Oh, Davie!" screamed Polly, and she leaned over to throw her armsaround him; "Mamsie will be so glad. Davie, you can't think how gladshe'll be!"

  Davie's brown cheek glowed. "It isn't much," he said simply, "therewere so many prizes given out."

  "Well, you've taken one," cried Polly, saying the blissful over andover. "How perfectly elegant!"

  Van drummed on the carriage window discontentedly. "I could have takenone if I'd had the mind to."

  "Hoh-oh!" shouted Percy over in his corner. "Well, you didn't have themind; that's what was wanting."

  "You keep still," cried Van, flaming up, and whirling away from hiswindow. "You didn't take any, either. Polly, his head was under waterall the time, unless some of the boys tugged him along every day. Wehardly got him home at all."

  "No such thing," contradicted Percy flatly, his face growing red."Polly, he tells perfectly awful yarns. You mustn't believe him, Polly,You won't, will you?" He leaned over appealingly toward her.

  "Oh! don't, don't," cried Polly, quite dismayed, "talk so to eachother."

  "Well, he's so hateful," cried Van, "and the airs he gives himself! Ican't stand them, Polly, you know"--

  "And he's just as mean," cried Percy vindictively. "Oh! you can'tthink, Polly. Here we are," as Thomas gave a grand flourish through thestone gateway, and up to the steps.

  "I'll help you out," and he sprang out first.

  "No, I will," declared Van, opening the door on the other side, jumpingout and running around the carriage. "Here, Polly, take my hand, do."

  "No, I got here first," said Percy eagerly, his brown glove extendedquite beyond Van's hand.

  "I don't want any one to help me, who speaks so to his brother," saidPolly in a low voice, and with her most superb air stepping down alone,she ran up the steps to leave them staring in each other's faces.

  Here everybody came hurrying out to the porch, and they were soon drawninto the warm loving welcome awaiting them.

  "Oh, Felicie! I don't want that dress," said Polly as she ran into herroom after dinner, to Mrs. Whitney's French maid, "I'm going to wear mybrown cashmere."

  "Oh, Mademoiselle!" remonstrated Felicie, adjusting the ruffle in theneck of the white nun's veiling over her arm.

  "Oh, no, Polly! I wouldn't," began Mrs. Pepper, coming in, "the whiteone is better for to-night."

  "Mamsie!" cried Polly, breaking away from the mirror where she waspulling into place the bright brown waves over her forehead, "howlovely! you've put on your black silk; and your hair is just beautiful!"

  "Madame has ze fine hair," said Felicie, "only I wish zee would gif itto me to prepaire."

  "Yes, I have good hair," said Mrs. Pepper, "and I'm thankful for it. Noone looks dressed up, in my opinion, with a ragged head. The finer thegown, the worse it makes careless hair look. No, Polly, I wouldn't wearthe brown dress to-night."

  "Why, Mamsie!" exclaimed Polly in surprise, "I thought you'd say it wasjust the thing when only the girls and Jappy's friends are coming tothe play. Besides, I don't want to look too dressed up; the Princessought to be the only one in a white gown."

  "You won't be too conspicuous," said her mother; adding slowly, "youmight wear the nun's veiling well enough as you haven't any part in theplay, Polly," and she scanned the rosy face keenly.

  "I don't want any part," cried Polly; "they all play better than I do.Somebody must see that everything goes off well behind the scenes;that's my place, Mamsie. Besides, you forget I am to play my sonata."

  "I don't forget," said her mother; "all the more reason you should wearthe white gown, then."

  "All right," cried Polly, merrily dashing across the room to Felicie,"put it over my head, do. Well, I'm glad you think it is right to wearit, Mamsie," as the soft folds fell around her. "I just love thisdress. Oh, Auntie! how perfectly exquisite!"

  Mrs. Whitney came in smilingly and put a kiss on the tall girl's cheek."Do I look nicely?" she asked naively, turning around under thechandelier.

  "Nicely?" exclaimed Polly, lifting her hands, "why you are fresh fromfairyland. You are so good to put on that lovely blue moire and yourdiamond cross, just for the boys and girls."

  "I am glad you like it," said Mrs. Whitney hastily. "Now, Polly, don'tyou worry about anything; I'll see that the last things are done."

  "Well, I am worrying," confessed Polly, quite in a tremble; "I must seeto one corner of the private box for the boys. You know the last Indiashawl you lent me wasn't pinned up straight and I couldn't fix it, forVan wanted me just then, and I couldn't get away without his suspectingsomething. Oh, Auntie! if you would see to that."

  "I will," said Mrs. Whitney, not daring to look at Mrs. Pepper, "and toall the other things; don't give a thought to them, Polly."

  "How good you are," cried Polly with a sigh of relief. "Oh, Auntie! wecouldn't do anything without you."

  "And you don't need to go into the drawing-room at all," said Mrs.Whitney, going to the door. "Just keep behind the scenes, and g
et youractors and Phronsie ready, and your mother and I will receive yourfriends. Come, Mrs. Pepper."

  "That is splendid," cried Polly, left behind with the maid, "now I canget ready without flying into a flurry, Felicie; and then for Phronsieand the rest!"

  "There is a dreadful commotion in there among the audience," saidJasper, out in the green room; "I imagine every one who had an'invite,' has come. But I don't see how they can make such a noise."

  "Oh! a few girls and boys make just about as much confusion as a goodmany," observed Polly. "Jasper, wouldn't you like to see Joel's eyeswhen Aunt Whitney leads him into the private box?" she allowed herselftime to exclaim. "Yes," laughed Jasper, pulling out his watch frombeneath his dragon-skin; "well, we have only five minutes more, Polly.We must have the curtain up sharp."

  "O dear, dear!" cried Polly, flying here and there to bestow lasttouches on the different members of her cast. "Now, Clare, you mustremember not to give such a shriek when you go on, mustn't he, Jappy?Just a dull, sullen roar, your part is."

  "Well, I'm nearly dead under here," cried Clare, glaring beneath hisdragon face. "I'll shriek, or roar, just as I like, so!"

  "Very well," said Polly, "I don't know but it's as well, after all,that you are cross; you'll be more effective," she added coolly. "Letme see--oh! the door of the cave wants a bit more of gray moss; itlooks thin where it hangs over. You get it, will you, Hannah?" to oneof the maids who was helping.

  "And just one thing more," scanning hastily the stage setting, "anotherChinese lantern is needed right here," going toward the front of thestage, "and that green bush is tumbling over; do set it straight,somebody; there now, I believe everything is all ready. Now let us peepout of the curtain, and get one good look at the audience. Come,Phronsie, here's a fine place; come, boys!"

  The different members of the cast now applied their eyes to as manycracks in the curtain as could be hastily managed.

  There was a breathing space.

  "What, what?" cried Polly, gazing into the sea of faces, and thedragons nearly knocked the Princess over as Mr. King gave the signalfor the band stationed in the wide hall, to send out their merrieststrains.