"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; "Iwant 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.
