Five Little Peppers Grown Up

by Margaret Sidney

  CHAPTER IX.

  POLLY'S RECITAL.

  Charlotte Chatterton stood back of the portiere pulling a refractorybutton of her glove into place, as a gay group precipitated themselvesinto the dressing-room of The Exeter.

  "Now remember, girls," cried Alexia, rushing at the toilet table tobestow frantic twitches at the fluffy waves of hair over her forehead,"that we must applaud the very minute that she gets through singing. Ohdear me, just look at my bangs; they are perfect frights. Hatefulthings!" with another pull at the offending locks.

  "It's a swell house," exclaimed one of the girls delightedly.

  "Just let Miss Salisbury catch you saying 'swell,'" warned Alexia. "Takecare now, Sally Moore, this is a very proper and select occasion."

  "Well, do let some of us have that glass a minute," retorted Sally, "andmend your manners before you take occasion to correct my speech."

  "My bangs are worse than yours, Sally," cried another girl, crowding up;"do let me get one corner of that glass," trying to achieve a view ofher head over Alexia's shoulder.

  Alexia calmly picked at the fluffy bunch of hair on her brow, giving ita little quirk before she said, "Don't fight, girls; it quite spoilsone's looks; I never do when I'm dressed up."

  "Of course not," said Sally Moore, "for you get everything you wantwithout fighting."

  "The idea!" exclaimed Alexia, with an injured expression, "when I neverhave my own way. Why, I give up and give up the whole time to somebody.Well, never mind; let's talk about the Recital. Oh, it's going to bequite elegant for Polly Pepper. There's a regular society cram in theHall."

  "Well, I don't think 'society cram' is a bit better than a 'swellaffair,'" said Clem Forsythe, slipping out of her opera cloak.

  "Nor I either," cried three or four voices.

  "Oh, I don't object to 'swell affair' myself," said Alexia; "I have usedthe words on more than one occasion, unless my memory is treacherous. Ionly wanted to spare Miss Salisbury's nerves."

  "Pity you didn't give more attention to Miss Salisbury's nerves five orsix years ago," said Sally. "Do get away from that glass."

  "It's no time to talk about me now," observed Alexia. "All our mindsshould be on Polly, and her Recital. Girls, _did_ you see JackLoughead down at the door?"

  "Didn't we?" cried the girls.

  "He's as handsome as a picture, isn't he?" cried Alexia, with anotherlittle pull at her rebellious hair.

  "Isn't he?" hummed the girls.

  "Well, he won't look at you, for all your fussing over those bangs,"said Sally vindictively.

  "Did you suppose I thought he would?" cried Alexia coolly. "Why, it'sPolly Pepper, everybody knows, that brings him here."

  "What's become of Mr. Bayley?" asked one of the girls suddenly.

  "Hush--sh! you mustn't ask," cried Alexia mysteriously, and turning awayfrom the mirror, with a lingering movement; "there, it looks shockingly,but it is as good as I can fix it."

  "Your hair always does look perfectly horrid," declared Sally Moore,deftly slipping into the vacated place.

  "Well, do tell all you know about Mr. Bayley and Polly," begged the girlwho had raised the question, "I'm just dying to know."

  "Alexia Rhys doesn't know a thing more than we do, Frances," said Clem,"only she pretends she's in the secret."

  "I was down at Dunraven at the Christmas splurge," said Alexia, "and youwere not, Clem. That's all I shall say," and she leisurely disposedherself in a big chair, and began to draw on her gloves, with the air ofone who could reveal volumes were she so disposed.

  "Polly wouldn't ever send him off," said one of the girls, "I don'tbelieve. Why, he's horribly rich; and just think of marrying into theBayley family--oh my!"

  "I should think the shock of being asked to enter that family, wouldkill any girl, to begin with," said Clem. "Why, he goes back to Williamthe Conqueror, doesn't he? And there's an earl in the family, and Idon't know what else. And then beside, there's his mother; the idea ofsitting opposite to her at the table every single day--oh dear me! Iknow I should drop my knife and fork and things, from pure fright."

  "I'm sure I don't see why anybody is proud to have his family go backall the time," said Alexia Rhys; "for my part I should want to startthings forward a little myself."

  "Well, who does know anything about it, why Mr. Bayley has gone offsuddenly?" demanded Frances.

  "No one knows," said Clem.

  Alexia hummed a tune provokingly.

  "We all guess, and it's easy enough to guess the truth; but Polly won'tever let it out, so that's all there is about it."

  "Well, now, girls," said Alexia suddenly, "we must remember what wepromised each other."

  "What do you mean?" asked Frances; "I didn't promise anything toanybody."

  "You weren't with us when we promised, my dear," answered Alexia, "andI'll rise and explain. You see we don't any of us like that CharlotteChatterton; not a single one of us. She's a perfect stick, I think."

  "So do I," said another girl; "this is the way she walks." Thereuponfollowed a representation given to the life, of Charlotte Chatterton'smethod of getting her long figure over the ground, which brought subduedpeals of laughter from the girls looking on.

  "And she has no more feeling than an oyster," pursued Alexia, when shehad recovered her breath, "or she might see that Polly was just givingup all her fun and ours too, by dragging her into everything that isgoing on."

  "I know it," said the girls.

  "And I'm so sick of her taking in everything so as a matter of course,"observed Alexia; "oh! she's quite an old sponge."

  "It's bad enough to be called an oyster, without having old spongefastened to one," said Sally Moore, coming away from the mirror, therebyoccasioning another rush for that useful dressing-room appointment.

  "Well, she is both of those very things," declared Alexia, "neverthelesswe must applaud her dreadfully when she's finished singing. That's whatwe promised each other, Frances. It will please Polly, you know."

  "You better hurry, or you will lose your seats," announced a friendlyvoice in the doorway, which had the effect to send the whole bevy out asprecipitately as they had hurried in.

  When she was quite sure that no one remained, Charlotte Chatterton shookherself free from the friendly portiere-folds, and stepped to the centerof the deserted room.

  "I'll not sing one note!" she declared, standing tall, "not one singlenote!" Just then, in ran Amy Loughead.

  "Oh dear, and oh dear!"

  "What is the matter?" asked Charlotte, not moving.

  "Oh, I'm so frightened," gasped Amy, shivering from head to foot, "thereare so many people in there, oh--oh! I can't play!" beating her handstogether in terror.

  "You must," said Charlotte unsympathizingly.

  "I can't--I can't. Oh, I shall die! The hall is full, and they keepcoming in. Oh--Miss Pepper!"

  For Polly, in her soft white gown, was coming quickly into thedressing-room.

  "Your hands are just as cold as ice," said Polly, gathering up Amy'sshaking little palms into her own. "There now, we'll see if we can'tcoax them into playing order," rubbing them between her own warm ones.

  "Oh, I can feel all those people's eyes staring through me," cried Amy,huddling up against Polly.

  "You mustn't think of their eyes, child," laughed Polly. But there was alittle white line around her mouth. Just then a messenger came in with anote.

  "Any answer?" asked Polly. "Oh, stay; I would better read it before yougo." And she tore it open.

  "I am so sorry that I cannot keep my engagement to play the duet withMiss Porter, but the doctor has just been here, and he says I must notgo out. I should have written this morning that I had a sore throat, butI thought I could manage to go. I'm so sorry--oh, Miss Pepper, I'm sosorry!

  "JULIA ANDERSON."

  "I'LL NOT SING A NOTE!"]

  The note fell to Polly's lap, and for a minute she could not speak."There is no answer," at last she said to the messenger.

  "Oh, Miss P
epper, what is it?" cried Amy Loughead, brought out of herown fright, by the dread of a new trouble.

  "Julia Anderson is sick and cannot be here," said Polly.

  "Oh, dear! and she was going to play with Miss Porter. What will youdo?" cried Amy in consternation.

  "Why, I shall have to take her place," said Polly, forcing herself tospeak.

  "Oh, dear--dear!" exclaimed Amy, trying not to burst into tears."Everything is just as bad and horrid as it can be. Oh, dear, dear, andI can't play; I should disgrace you!"

  "Oh, no, no, Amy," said Polly, trying to smile, "that you'll never do."She threw the note on the floor now, and began to rub the cold littlehands again.

  "But--but, I'm so frightened," gasped Amy.

  Charlotte Chatterton walked to the window.

  "I may be a stick, and an oyster, and an old sponge, and everybody wishme out of the way, but I'm not such a villain as to bother her now bytelling her I won't sing. If they only won't applaud!" She shut herteeth tightly, and turned back again.

  "I wouldn't, Miss Loughead," she began. But her voice sounded cold andunsympathetic, and Amy clung to Polly tighter than ever.

  Ben now looked in. "Come, Polly," he said. "You really ought to be outhere, and it's almost three o'clock."

  Amy gave a gasp. "What shall I do?"

  "You may stay in here, if you really wish," said Polly in a low voice,Charlotte Chatterton looking on with all her eyes, "and I will excuseyou."

  "And will--will you be disappointed in me?" Amy brought out the questionshamefacedly.

  "Very much," said Polly.

  "And will you never try me again--and never give me music lessons?"asked Amy fearfully.

  "I do not seem to teach you successfully," said Polly very slowly, "soit would be no use to continue the lessons." And she put aside theclinging hands. "You may stay here, Amy; I am coming, Ben," looking overat him.

  "I'll play," cried Amy Loughead desperately. "I'd rather, oh, dear me,if they were bears and gorillas looking on--and I just know I shalldie--but I'd rather, Miss Pepper, than to have you give me up."

  Charlotte Chatterton drew a long breath.

  "What's the matter?" asked Ben in dismay.

  "Miss Loughead was a little scared, I believe," said Charlotte, with atouch of scorn in her manner.

  Ben gave an uneasy exclamation. "Everything seems to be all right now,"he said, in a relieved way, looking off at Polly and Amy.

  "Oh, yes; a scare don't amount to much if one has a mind to put itdown," said Charlotte.

  "I should think you'd be scared," said Ben, looking at her admiringly,"to stand up and sing before all those people. But I suppose you neverare; you don't seem to mind things like the rest of us."

  Charlotte shrugged her shoulders, but said nothing.

  "We are all ready," said Polly cheerfully coming up with Amy. "Oh,Charlotte, you are such a comfort," she found time to whisper.

  Charlotte clasped her hands tightly together so that an ominous rentappeared in one of her pretty gloves. "I'll sing," she kept saying toherself all the way out to the platform, "oh, I'll sing--I'll sing." Andlater on, while looking down into the eyes of the girls waiting toapplaud, "I'll sing--I'll sing," she had to declare to herself till hername was announced.

  As the last note died away, "Who is that girl?" went around the hall.Charlotte Chatterton had made a sensation.

  Alexia Rhys, angry at the effect of the song, still clapped steadilytogether her soft-gloved hands, looking at Polly with the air of amartyr all the while.

  "Charlotte--oh, I'm glad!" whispered Polly radiantly, "they want you tosing again," trying to pull her forward, as the storm of applause wenton.

  "I'll not sing!" cried Charlotte passionately. "Never! Don't ask it,Polly."

  "Why, Charlotte!" implored Polly, astonished at the passion in the girlusually so cold and indifferent. Still the applause continued, Polly'sset keeping at it like veterans.

  Ben ran up the platform steps with shining eyes. "Grandpapa requestsCharlotte to sing again," he whispered to Polly.

  "There, you hear, Charlotte." said Polly. "Grandpapa wishes it."

  "Very well," said Charlotte, resuming her ordinary manner, and lookingas if it really made no difference to her whether she sang or was quiet,she walked to her place.

  Polly slipped back of the piano, and began the accompaniment, and againCharlotte's singing carried all by storm.

  Polly, looking down into Jasper's face, saw him smile over to hisfather, and nod in a pleased surprise; and she was aghast to feel afaint little wish begin to grow in her heart, that Charlotte Chattertonhad not been asked to sing.

  "Of course Jasper is surprised, as he has never heard her sing," saidPolly to herself, "and her voice is so beautiful in this big hall, oh,it's so very beautiful!" as Charlotte came back, apparently not hearingthe expressions of delight that rang over the concert-room.

  "That Chatterton girl will be all the rage now," whispered Alexiasavagely to Clem who sat next to her. "Look at Mrs. Cabot. She has her'I'll-take-you-up-and-patronize-you air' on, and I know she's making upher mind to give Charlotte a musicale."

  Other people also, scattered here and there in the hall, were making uptheir minds to introduce Miss Chatterton to their friends; as a girlwith such a wonderful voice, it would be quite worth one's while tobring out.

  Polly, by this time, explaining to the audience, the failure of MissAnderson to take her part in the duet, caught little ends of thewhispers going on beneath her, such as "Perfectly exquisite." "Mostwonderful range." "Shall certainly ask her to sing." And again she sawJasper's beaming face, while Ben took no pains to conceal his delight.And she sat down to the piano mechanically, and began in a dazed way tohelp Miss Porter through with the duet that was to have been one of thefinest things on the carefully prepared programme.

  "FOR SHAME, POLLY, IF THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE TEACHINGSARE FORGOTTEN LIKE THIS"]

  Suddenly, in the midst of a slow movement, Polly glanced down and caughther mother's eye.

  "Polly," it said, just as plainly as if Mrs. Fisher had spoken, "is thismy girl? For shame, if the Little Brown House teachings are forgottenlike this."

  Polly straightened up, sent Mamsie down a bright smile that made Mrs.Fisher nod, and flash back one in return, then bent all her energies tomaking that duet speak its message through the concert-room. People whohad rather languished in their chairs, now gathered themselves up withfresh interest, and clapped their hands at the brilliant passages, andexclaimed over the ability of the music teacher who could change anapparent failure to such a glorious success. Everybody said it waswonderful; and when the duet was over, the house rang with the charmingnoise by which the gratified friends tried to express their delight. ButPolly saw only Mamsie's eyes, filled with joy.

  Meantime, Charlotte Chatterton had hurried out to the dressing-room,tossing on her walking things with a quick hand; and held fast for aminute as she crept out into the broad passage, by the duet now in fullprogress, she went softly down the stairs.

  When it was all over, everybody crowded around Polly.

  "Oh, Miss Pepper, your Recital is lovely! oh, how beautifully MissChatterton sang!" and,

  "Oh, Miss Pepper, I am delighted with your pupils' progress; and what anexquisite voice Miss Chatterton has!"

  And then it was, "Oh, it must have been so hard, Miss Pepper, for you toexcuse Miss Anderson at the last minute; and we can't thank you enoughfor letting us hear Miss Chatterton sing."

  "Oh, I shall fly crazy to hear them go on," cried Alexia to a littlebunch of girls back of the crowd; "will nothing stop them?" wringing herhands angrily together. "It's all Chatterton, Chatterton now; and afterPolly's magnificent playing too. Oh dear me, I knew it would be so!"

  Polly turned, with a happy face, to pull Charlotte forward to hear thekind things. "Why, where"--

  "Oh, she's gone home," answered Alexia, stepping forwardhastily--"Hasn't she, girls?" appealing to them. "She must have; shewent out like a shot. Don't, Polly
, how can you?" she begged, turningback to twitch Polly's arm, "you've done enough, I should think."

  "What did she run off for?" cried Jasper, scaling the platform steps.Polly glanced quickly up into his beaming face.

  "Oh, Jasper, she has gone home--I couldn't help it," and her face fell.

  He looked annoyed. "Never mind, Polly," he said, his brow clearing,"father wanted to introduce her to some friends, that's all. Well, andwasn't it a grand success, though!" and he beamed at her.

  "Yes," said Polly, settling Amy's music with an unsteady hand.

  "And Charlotte really surprised us all," he went on gaily. "Why, Polly,who would think that we have--or you rather, for you have done itall--the honor to bring out a nightingale! Here, let me do that foryou." He was fairly bubbling over with delight, and as he essayed totake the music out of Polly's hand, he laughed again. "Dear me, howstupid I am," as a piece fluttered to the floor.

  "And didn't Amy do nicely?" asked Polly beginning to feel a bit tirednow.

  "Yes, indeed," assented Jasper enthusiastically, as he recovered thepiece. "Just splendidly! I didn't know she had so much music in her. Oh,here comes a horde of congratulations, Polly." He threw her thebrightest of smiles as he moved to make way for a group of friendshurrying up to shower Polly with compliments, and every one hadsomething delightful to add of Charlotte Chatterton's singing.

  "Jasper couldn't help but be happy over Charlotte's singing," said Pollyto herself, and looking after him, "it's so beautiful," as they came up.

  "Where are you going, Polly?" called Alexia at last, when it was allover, and the janitor was closing the big outer door, as Polly ran aheadof the girls and down the long steps of The Exeter.

  POLLY TURNED AND WAVED HER MUSIC-ROLL AT THEM]

  Polly turned and waved her music-roll at them for a reply.

  "Now somebody is going to carry her off," grumbled Alexia; "hurry up,girls, let's see who it is." So they ran as lightly as Polly herself,after her, down the steps, only in time to see old Mr. King help herinto the carriage with Mrs. Fisher and Phronsie, and drive rapidly off.

  "Whatever in the world is the matter?" cried Alexia, running up toJasper who was watching them speed away.

  "Why, Polly thinks Charlotte is sick," explained Jasper, "because shewent home before the Recital was out."

  "Stuff and nonsense!" exclaimed Alexia angrily. "What is the matter withPolly, Jasper? She grows worse and worse. Why can't she let CharlotteChatterton alone, pray tell. I, for one, should think mischief enoughhad been done by that girl."

  "You should think mischief enough had been done by Charlotte?" repeatedJasper in astonishment. "I must say, Alexia, that I fail to understandyou."

  "To hear people praise to the very skies that Chatterton girl," criedAlexia in a passion--she was actually stamping her foot now--"oh, oh!why don't some of you say something?" she cried, appealing suddenly tothe girls. "You all feel as I do about Polly's pushing forward thatgirl; and there you stand and make me do all the talking."

  Jasper looked grave at once. "There is no occasion for any one to exertherself to talk over this," he said. "It is Polly's affair, and hersalone." He raised his hat to her, and to the rest of the group, andwalked off.