Five Little Peppers at School

by Margaret Sidney

  XXI AT THE PLAY

  "Oh, Cathie!" Polly rushed out to meet the girl that Johnson was justushering in. "I _am_ so glad you've come!"

  A pleased look swept over the girl's face, but she didn't say anything.

  "Now come right upstairs; never mind the bag, Johnson will bring thatfor you."

  "I will take it up, Miss," said Johnson, securing it.

  "Mamsie is waiting to see you," cried Polly, as they ran over thestairs, Cathie trying to still the excited beating of her heart at thethought that she was really to visit Polly Pepper for three whole days!"Oh, Mamsie, here she is!"

  "I am glad to see you, Cathie," said Mrs. Fisher heartily, taking hercold hand. "Now, you are to have the room right next to Polly's."

  "Yes, the same one that Alexia always has when she stays here," saidPolly. "See, Cathie," bearing her off down the hall. "Oh, it is so goodto get you here," she cried happily. "Well, here we are!"

  "You can't think," began Cathie brokenly; then she turned away to thewindow--"it's so good of you to ask me, Polly Pepper!"

  "It's so good of you to come," said Polly merrily, and running over toher. "There, Johnson has brought your bag. Aren't you going to unpackit, Cathie?--that is, I mean"--with a little laugh--"after you've gotyour hat and jacket off. And then, when your things are all settled, wecan go downstairs, and do whatever you like. Perhaps we'll go in thegreenhouse."

  "Oh, Polly!" exclaimed Cathie, quite forgetting herself, and turningaround.

  "And can't I help you unpack?" asked Polly, longing to do something.

  "No," said Cathie, remembering her plain clothes and lack of the prettytrifles that girls delight in; then seeing Polly's face, she thoughtbetter of it. "Yes, you may," she said suddenly.

  So Polly unstrapped the bag, and drew out the clothes, all packed veryneatly. "Why, Cathie Harrison!" she exclaimed suddenly.

  "What?" asked Cathie, hanging up her jacket in the closet, and puttingher head around the door.

  "Oh, what a lovely thing!" Polly held up a little carved box of Chineseworkmanship.

  "Isn't it?" cried Cathie, well pleased that she had anything worthy ofnotice. "My uncle brought that from China to my mother when she was alittle girl, and she gave it to me."

  "Well, it's too lovely for anything," declared Polly, running to put iton the toilet table. "I do think Chinese carvings are so pretty!"

  "Do you?" cried Cathie, well pleased. "My mother has some really fineones, I'll show you sometime, if you'd like to see them, Polly."

  "Indeed, I should," said Polly warmly. So Cathie, delighted that shereally had something that could interest Polly Pepper, hurried throughher preparations; and then the two went downstairs arm in arm, and outto the greenhouse.

  "Polly Pepper!" exclaimed Cathie on the threshold, "I don't think Ishould ever envy you living in that perfectly beautiful house, becauseit just scares me to set foot in it."

  "Well, it needn't," said Polly, with a little laugh. "You must justforget all about its being big and splendid."

  "But I can't," said Cathie, surprised at herself for being socommunicative, "because, you see, I live in such a little, tucked-upplace."

  "Well, so did I," said Polly, with a bob of her brown head, "before wecame here to Grandpapa's; but oh, you can't think how beautiful it wasin the little brown house--you can't begin to think, Cathie Harrison!"

  "I know," said Cathie, who had heard the story before. "I wish you'dtell it all to me now, Polly."

  "I couldn't tell it all, if I talked a year, I guess," said Pollymerrily, "and there is Turner waiting to speak to me. Come on, Cathie."And she ran down the long aisle between the fragrant blossoms.

  But Cathie stopped to look and exclaim so often to herself that she madeslow progress.

  "Shall I make her up a bunch, Miss Mary?" asked old Turner, touching hiscap respectfully, and looking at the visitor.

  "Oh, if you please," cried Polly radiantly; "and do put some heliotropein, for Cathie is so fond of that. And please let her have a bunch everymorning when I have mine, Turner, for she is to stay three days."

  "It shall be as you wish, Miss Mary," said Turner, quite delighted atthe order.

  "And please let it be very nice, Turner," said Polly hastily.

  "I will, Miss; don't fear, Miss Mary, I'll have it as nice as possible,"as Polly ran off to meet Cathie.

  "I should stay here every single minute I was at home if I lived here,Polly Pepper," declared Cathie. "Oh, oh!" sniffing at each discovery ofa new blossom.

  "Oh, no, you wouldn't, Cathie," contradicted Polly, with a laugh; "notif you had to get your lessons, and practise on the piano, and go outriding and driving, and play with the boys."

  "Oh dear me!" cried Cathie, "I don't care very much for boys, because,you see, Polly, I never know what in this world to say to them."

  "That's because you never had any brothers," said Polly, feeling howvery dreadful such a state must be. "I can't imagine anything withoutBen and Joel and Davie."

  "And now you've such a lot of brothers, with Jasper and all thoseWhitney boys; oh, Polly, don't they scare you to death sometimes?"

  Polly burst into such a merry peal of laughter, that they neither ofthem heard the rushing feet, until Cathie glanced up. "Oh dear me! therethey are now!"

  "Well, to be sure; we might have known you were here, Polly," criedJasper, dashing up with Clare. "How do you do, Cathie?" putting out hishand cordially.

  Clare gave her a careless nod, then turned to Polly. "It's to be fine,"he said.

  "What?" asked Polly wonderingly.

  "Hold on, old chap." Jasper gave him a clap on the back. "Father isgoing to tell her himself. Come on, Polly and Cathie, to his room."

  "Come, Cathie," cried Polly. "Let's beat those boys," she said, whenonce out of the greenhouse. "We're going to race," she cried over hershoulder.

  "Is that so?" said Jasper. "Clare, we must beat them," and they dashedin pursuit.

  But they couldn't; the two girls flew over the lawn, and reached thestone steps just a breathing space before Jasper and Clare plunged up.

  "Well done," cried Jasper, tossing back the hair from his forehead.

  "I didn't know you could run so well," observed Clare, with some showof interest in Cathie.

  "Oh, she runs splendidly," said Polly, with sparkling eyes. "Let's try arace sometime, Jasper; we four, down the Long Path, while Cathie'shere."

  "Capital! We will," assented Jasper, "but now for father's room."

  There sat old Mr. King by his writing table. "Well, Polly--how do youdo, Cathie? I am glad to see you," he said, putting out his hand kindly.

  As well as she could for her terror at being actually in that statelyMr. King's presence, Cathie stumbled forward and laid her hand in his.

  "Now, Polly," said the old gentleman, turning off to pick up a littleenvelope lying on the table, "I thought perhaps you would like to takeyour young friend to the play to-night, so I have the tickets for usfive," with a sweep of his hand over to the two boys.

  "Grandpapa!" cried Polly, precipitating herself into his arms, "oh, howgood you are!" which pleased the old gentleman immensely.

  "Isn't that no-end fine!" cried Jasper in delight. "Father, we can'tthank you!"

  "Say no more, my boy," cried the old gentleman. "I'm thanked enough. Andso, Polly, my girl, you like it," patting her brown hair.

  "Like it!" cried Polly, lifting her glowing cheeks,--"oh, Grandpapa!"

  "Run along with you then, all of you. Clare, be over in time."

  "Yes, sir," cried Clare. "Oh, thank you, Mr. King, ever so much!" asthey all scampered off to get their lessons for the next day; for goingto a play was always a special treat, on condition that no studies wereneglected.

  "Oh, Cathie," cried Polly, before she flew into the window-seat to curlup with her books, her favorite place for studying her lessons,"Grandpapa is taking us to the play because you are here."

  "And I've never been to a play, Polly," said Cathie, perfectlyoverwhelmed w
ith it all.

  "Haven't you? Oh, I'm so glad--I mean, I'm glad you're going with us,and that Grandpapa is to take you to the first one. But, oh me!" andPolly rushed off to attack her books. "Now, don't let us speak a singleword, Cathie Harrison," as Cathie picked out a low rocker for her choiceof a seat; and pretty soon, if Miss Salisbury herself had come into theroom, she would have been perfectly satisfied with the diligentattention the books were receiving.

  But Miss Salisbury was not thinking of her pupils this afternoon. Shewas at this moment closeted with Miss Anstice, and going over aconversation that they frequently held, these past days, without muchvariation in the subject or treatment.

  "If there were anything we could do to repay him, sister," said MissAnstice mournfully, "I'd do it, and spend my last cent. But what isthere?" Then she paced the floor with her mincing little steps, nowquite nervous and flurried.

  "Sister," said Miss Salisbury, doing her best to be quite calm, "itisn't a matter of payment; for whatever we did, we never could hope toreplace that exquisite little vase. Miss Clemcy had pointed out to methe fact that it was quite the gem in his collection."

  "I know; I thought my heart would stop when I heard the crash." MissAnstice wrung her little hands together at the memory. "Oh, thatcareless Lily!"

  "Sister, pray let us look at this matter--"

  "I am looking at it. I see nothing but that vase, smashed to pieces; andI cannot sleep at night for fear I'll dream how it looked in those verylittle bits."

  "Sister--pray--pray--"

  "And if you want me to tell you what I think should be done, I'm sure Ican't say," added Miss Anstice helplessly.

  "Well, then, I must think," declared Miss Salisbury, with sudden energy,"for some repayment must surely be made to him, although they utterlyrefused it when you and I called and broached the subject to them."

  "It was certainly a most unfortunate day from beginning to end," saidMiss Anstice, with a suggestion of tears in her voice, and a shiver atthe remembrance of the front breadth of her gown. "Sister, I hope andpray that you will never have another picnic for the school."

  "I cannot abolish that annual custom, Anstice," said Miss Salisburyfirmly, "for the girls get so much enjoyment out of it. They are alreadytalking about the one to come next year."

  "Ugh!" shuddered Miss Anstice.

  "And anything that holds an influence over them, I must sustain. Youknow that yourself, sister. And it is most important to give them somerecreations."

  "But _picnics!_" Miss Anstice held up her little hands, as if quiteunequal to any words.

  "And I am very sorry that we were out when Mr. Clemcy and his sistercalled yesterday afternoon, for I am quite sure I could have arrangedmatters so that we need not feel under obligations to them."

  Miss Anstice, having nothing to say, kept her private reflectionsmournfully to herself; and it being the hour for the boarding pupils togo out to walk, and her duty to accompany them, the conference broke up.

  "Polly," called Mrs. Chatterton, as Polly ran past her door, her operaglasses Grandpapa had given her last Christmas in the little plush bagdangling from her arm, and a happy light in her eyes. Cathie had gonedownstairs, and it was getting nearly time to set forth for thatenchanted land--the playhouse!

  Polly ran on, scarcely conscious that she was called. "Did you not hearme?" asked Mrs. Chatterton angrily, coming to her door.

  "Oh, I beg pardon," said Polly, really glad ever since that dreadfultime when Mrs. Chatterton was ill, to do anything for her. "For I nevershall forget how naughty I was to her," Polly said over to herself nowas she turned back.

  "You may well beg my pardon," said Mrs. Chatterton, "for of all ill-bredgirls, you are certainly the worst. I want you." Then she disappearedwithin her room.

  "What is it?" asked Polly, coming in. "I shall be so glad to help."

  "Help!" repeated Mrs. Chatterton in scorn. She was standing over by hertoilet table. "You can serve me; come here."

  The hot blood mounted to Polly's brow. Then she thought, "Oh, what did Isay? That I would do anything for Mrs. Chatterton if she would onlyforgive me for those dreadful words I said to her." And she went overand stood by the toilet table.

  "Oh, you have concluded to come?" observed Mrs. Chatterton scornfully."So much the better it would be if you could always learn what yourplace is in this house. There, you see this lace?" She shook out herflowing sleeve, glad to display her still finely moulded arm, that hadbeen one of her chief claims to distinction, even if nobody but thislittle country-bred girl saw it.

  Polly looked at the dangling lace, evidently just torn, with dismay;seeing which, Mrs. Chatterton broke out sharply, "Get the basket, girl,over there on the table, and sew it as well as you can."

  "Polly!" called Jasper over the stairs, "where are you?"

  Polly trembled all over as she hurried across the room to get the sewingbasket. Grandpapa was not ready, she knew; but she always ran down alittle ahead for the fun of the last moments waiting with Jasper, whenold Mr. King was going to take them out of an evening. And in theturmoil in her mind, she didn't observe that Hortense had misplaced thebasket, putting it on the low bookcase, and was still searching all overthe table as directed, when Mrs. Chatterton's sharp voice filled herwith greater dismay.

  "_Stupid!_ if you would put heart into your search, it would be easyenough to find it."

  "_Polly_, where _are_ you!" Polly, in her haste not to displease Mrs.Chatterton by replying to Jasper before finding the basket, knocked overone of the small silver-topped bottles with which the dressing tableseemed to be full, and before she could rescue it, it fell to thefloor.

  "Go out of this room," commanded Mrs. Chatterton, with blazing eyes. "Iought to have known better than to call upon a heavy-handed, low-borncountry girl, to do a delicate service."

  "I didn't mean--" began poor Polly.

  "Go out of this room!" Mrs. Chatterton, now thoroughly out of temper, sofar forgot herself as to stamp her foot; and Polly, feeling as if shehad lost all chance in her future encounters with Mrs. Chatterton, ofatoning for past short-comings, went sadly out, to meet, just beside thedoor, Jasper, with amazement on his face.

  "Oh, Polly, I thought you were never coming." Then he saw her face.

  "That old--" he said under his breath. "Polly, don't ever go into herroom again. I wouldn't," as they hurried off downstairs.

  "She won't let me," said Polly, her head drooping, and the brightnessall gone from her face. "She won't ever let me go again, I know."

  "Won't let you? Well, I guess you'll not give her a chance," criedJasper hotly. "Polly, I do really wish that father would tell her to goaway."

  "Oh, Jasper," cried Polly, in alarm, "don't say one word to Grandpapa.Promise me you won't, Jasper."

  "Well, father is tired of her. She wears on him terribly, Polly," saidJasper gloomily.

  "I know," said Polly sadly. "And oh, Jasper, if you say one word, hewill really have her go. And I was so bad to her, you know," and thetears came into Polly's brown eyes.

  "Well, she must have been perfectly terrible to you," said Jasper.

  "Polly--Jasper--where are you?" came in old Mr. King's voice.

  "Here, father," and "Here, Grandpapa," and Clare running up the steps,the little party was soon in the carriage.

  "Promise me, Jasper, do," implored Polly, when Grandpapa was explainingto Cathie about the great actor they were to see, and Clare waslistening to hear all about it, too.

  "Oh, I won't," promised Jasper, "if you don't wish me to."

  "I really wouldn't have you for all the world," declared Polly; and nowthat this fear was off from her mind, she began to pick up her old,bright spirits, so that by the time the carriage stopped at the theatre,Polly was herself again.

  Jasper watched her keenly, and drew a long breath when he saw hertalking and laughing with Grandpapa.

  "You are going to sit next to me, Polly," said the old gentleman,marshalling his forces when well within. "And Jasper next. Then, Cathie,you
will have a knight on either side."

  "Oh, I can't sit between two boys," cried Cathie, forgetting herself inher terror.

  "I won't bite you," cried Clare saucily.

  "I will see that Clare behaves himself," said Jasper.

  "You'll do nicely, my dear," said Mr. King encouragingly to her; thenproceeded down the aisle after the usher. So there was nothing to do butto obey. And Cathie, who would have found it a formidable thing to bestranded on the companionship of one boy, found herself between two, andPolly Pepper far off, and not the least able to help.

  "Now, then," said Jasper, taking up the program, "I suppose father toldyou pretty much all that was necessary to know about Irving. Well--" Andthen, without waiting for a reply, Jasper dashed on about the splendidplays in which he had seen this wonderful actor, and the particular onethey were to enjoy to-night; and from that he drifted off to the finepoints to be admired in the big playhouse, with its strikingdecorations, making Cathie raise her eyes to take it all in, until Clareleaned over to say:

  "I should think you might give Cathie and me a chance to talk a little,Jasper."

  "Oh, I don't want to talk," cried Cathie in terror. "I don't knowanything to say."

  "Well, I do," said Clare, in a dudgeon, "only Jasper goes on in such astreak to-night."

  "I believe I have been talking you both blue," said Jasper, with alaugh.

  "You certainly have," said Clare, laughing too.

  And then Cathie laughed, and Polly Pepper, looking over, beamed at her,for she had begun to be worried.

  "The best thing in the world," said old Mr. King, "was to turn her overto those two boys. Now, don't give her another thought, Polly; she'llget on."

  And she did; so well, that before long, she and Clare were chatting awaymerrily; and Cathie felt it was by no means such a very terribleexperience to be sitting between two boys at a play; and by the timethe evening was half over, she was sure that she liked it very much.

  And Polly beamed at her more than ever, and Jasper felt quite sure thathe had never enjoyed an evening more than the one at present flying byso fast. And old Mr. King, so handsome and stately, showed such evidentpride in his young charges, as he smiled and chatted, that more than oneold friend in the audience commented on it.

  "Did you ever see such a change in any one?" asked a dowager, levellingher keen glances from her box down upon the merry party.

  "Never; it was the one thing needed to make him quite perfect," saidanother one of that set. "He is approachable now--absolutelyfascinating, so genial and courteous."

  "His manners were perfect before," said a third member of the box party,"except they needed thawing out--a bit too icy."

  "You are too mild. I should say they were quite frozen. He never seemedto me to have any heart."

  "Well, it's proved he has," observed her husband. "I tell you thatlittle Pepper girl is going to make a sensation when she comes out,"leaning over for a better view of the King party, "and the best of itis that she doesn't know it herself."

  And Clare made up his mind that Cathie Harrison was an awfully nicegirl; and he was real glad she had moved to town and joined theSalisbury School. And as he had two cousins there, they soon waked up aconversation over them.

  "Only I don't know them much," said Cathie. "You see I haven't been atthe school long, and besides, the girls didn't have much to say to metill Polly Pepper said nice things to me, and then she asked me to go tothe bee."

  "That old sewing thing where they make clothes for the poor littledarkeys down South?" asked Clare.

  "Yes; and it's just lovely," said Cathie, "and I never supposed I'd beasked. And Polly Pepper came down to my desk one day, and invited me tocome to the next meeting, and I was so scared, I couldn't say anythingat first; and then Polly got me into the Salisbury Club."

  "Oh, yes, I know." Clare nodded, and wished he could forget how he hadasked one of the other boys on that evening when the two clubs united,why in the world the Salisbury Club elected Cathie Harrison into itsmembership.

  "And then Polly Pepper's mother invited me to visit her--Polly, Imean--and so here I am"--she forgot she was talking to a dreaded boy,and turned her happy face toward him--"and it's just lovely. I nevervisited a girl before."

  "Never visited a girl before!" repeated Clare, in astonishment.

  "No," said Cathie. "You see, my father was a minister, and we lived inthe country, and when I visited anybody, which was only two or threetimes in my life, it was to papa's old aunts."

  "Oh dear me!" exclaimed Clare faintly, quite gone in pity.

  "And so your father moved to town," he said; and then he knew that hehad made a terrible mistake.

  "Now she won't speak a word--perhaps burst out crying," he groanedwithin himself, as he saw her face. But Cathie sat quite still.

  "My papa died," she said softly, "and he told mamma before he went, totake me to town and have me educated. And one of those old aunts gavethe money. And if it hadn't been for him, I'd have run home from theSalisbury School that first week, it was so perfectly awful."

  Clare sat quite still. Then he burst out, "Well, now, Cathie, I think itwas just splendid in you to stick on."

  "Do you?" she cried, quite astonished to think any one would think shewas "just splendid" in anything. "Why, the girls call me a goose overand over. And sometimes I lose my temper, because they don't say it infun, but they really mean it."

  "Well, they needn't," said Clare indignantly, "because I don't think youare a goose at all."

  "Those two are getting on quite well," said Jasper to Polly. "I don'tthink we need to worry about Cathie any more."

  "And isn't she nice?" asked Polly, in great delight.

  "Yes, I think she is, Polly," said Jasper, in a way that gave Pollygreat satisfaction.

  But when this delightful evening was all over, and the good nights hadbeen said, and Mother Fisher, as was her wont, had come into Polly'sroom to help her take off her things, and to say a few words to Cathietoo, Polly began to remember the scene in Mrs. Chatterton's room; and asorry little feeling crept into her heart.

  And when Mamsie had gone out and everything was quiet, Polly buried herface in her pillow, and tried not to cry. "I don't believe she will everforgive me, or let me help her again."

  "Polly," called Cathie softly from the next room, "I did have the mostbeautiful time!"

  "Did you?" cried Polly, choking back her sobs. "Oh, I am so glad,Cathie!"

  "Yes," said Cathie, "I did, Polly, and I'm not afraid of boys now; Ithink they are real nice."

  "Aren't they!" cried Polly, "and weren't our seats fine! Grandpapadidn't want a box to-night, because we could see the play so much betterfrom the floor. But we ought to go to sleep, Cathie, for Mamsie wouldn'tlike us to talk. Good night."

  "Good night," said Cathie. "A box!" she said to herself, as she turnedon her pillow, "oh, I should have died to have sat up in one of those.It was quite magnificent enough where I was."