But 'twas all of no use. The day seemed to be always just racing ahead of her, and turning a corner, before she could catch up to it, and Ben and the other boys only caught dissolving views of her as she flitted through halls or over stairs.
"Where's Polly?" said Percy at last, coming with great dissatisfaction in his voice to the library door. "We've called her, Iguess a million times, and she won't hurry."
"What do you want to have her do?" asked Jasper, looking up from the sofa where he had flung himself with a book.
"Why, she said she'd make Van and me our sails you know," said Percy, holding up a rather forlorn looking specimen of a boat, but which the boys had carved with the greatest enthusiasm, "and we want her now.""Can't you let her alone till she's ready to come?" said Jasper quickly. "You're always teasing her to do something," he added.
"I didn't tease," said Percy indignantly, coming up to the sofa, boat in hand, to enforce his words. "She said she'd love to do 'em, so there, Jasper King!""Coming! coming!" sang Polly over the stairs, and bobbing into the library, "Oh--here you are, Percy! I couldn't come before; mamsie wanted me. Now, says I, for the sails." And she began to~p out a long white piece of cotton cloth on the table to trim into just the desired shape.
"That isn't the way," said Percy, crowding up, the brightness that had flashed over his face at Polly's appearance beginning to fade.
"Hoh! those won't be good for anything-- those ain't sails.""I haven't finished," said Polly, snipping away vigorously, and longing to get back to mamsie. "Wait till they're done; then they'll be good--as good as can be!""And it's bad enough to have to make them," put in Jasper, flinging aside his book and rolling over to watch them, "without having to be found fault with every second, Percy.""They're too big," said Percy, surveying them critically, and then looking at his boat.
"Oh, that corner's coming off," cried Polly cheerfully, giving it a sharp cut that sent it flying on the floor. "And they won't be too big when they're done, Percy, all hemmed and everything. There," as she held one up for inspection, "that's just the way I used to make Ben's and mine, when we sailed boats.""Is it?" asked Percy, looking with more respect at the piece of cloth Polly was waving alluringly before him. "Just exactly like it, Polly?""Yes," said Polly, laying it down again for a pattern--"oh, how does this go--oh--that's it, there--yes, this is just exactly like Bensie's and mine--that was when I was ever so little; and then I used to make Joel's and Davie's afterwards and"-- "And were theirs just like this?" asked Percy, laying his hand on the sail she had finished cutting out.
"Pre-cisely," said Polly, with a pin in her mouth. "Just as like as two peas, Percy Whitney.""Then I like them," cried Percy, veering round and regarding them with great satisfaction--as Van bounded in with a torrent of complaints, and great disappointment in every line of his face.
"Oh now, that's too bad!" he cried, seeing Polly fold up the remaining bits of cloth, and pick up the scraps on the floor. "And you've gone and let her cut out every one of 'em, and never told me a word! You're a mean, old hateful thing, Percy Whitney!""Oh don't!" said Polly, on her knees on the floor.
"I forgot--" began Percy, "and she cut 'em so quick--and--""And I've been waiting," said Van, in a loud wrathful key, "and waiting--and waiting!""Never mind, Van," said Jasper consolingly, getting off from the sofa and coming up to the table.
"They're done and done beautifully, aren't they?" be said, holding up one.
But this only proved fresh fuel for the fire of Van's indignation.
"And you shan't have 'em, so 1" he cried, making a lunge at the one on the table, "for I made most of the boat, there!""Oh no, you didn't!" cried Percy in the greatest alarm, hanging on to the boat in his hand. "I cut--all the keel--and the bow--and--""Oh dear!" said Polly, in extreme dismay, looking at Jasper.
"Come, I'll tell you what I'll do, boys."
"What?" said Van, cooling off a little, and allowing Percy to edge into a corner with the beloved boat and one sail. "What will you, Polly?""I'll make you another pair of sails," said Polly groaning within herself as she thought of the wasted minutes, "and then you can see me cut 'em, Van.""Will you really," he said, delight coming all over his flushed face.
"Yes, I will," cricd Polly, "wait a minute till I get some more cloth." And she started for the door.
"Oh now, that's too bad!" said Jasper. "To have to cut more of those tiresome old things! Van, let her off!""Oh no, I won't! I won't!" he cried in the greatest alarm, running up to her as she stood by the door. "You did say so, Polly! You know you did!""Of course I did, Vanny," said Polly, smiling down into his eager face, "and we'll have a splendid pair in just--one----minute!" she sang.
And so the sails were cut out, and the hems turned down and basted, and tucked away into Polly's little work-basket ready for the sewing on the morrow. And then Mr. King came in and took Jasper off with him; and the two Whitney boys went up to mamma for a story; and Polly sat down in mamsie's room to tackle her French exercise.
