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"To be sure I can't; but you are going to tell me," declared Ben with assurance. "O, Bensie, I'd so much rather you would guess," said Phronsie, clasping her hands. "Well, then, you have a new cat," said Ben at a hazard, while he disposed of his coat and hat. "O, Ben," cried Phronsie in reproach, "why, I've given up having new cats; indeed I have." "Since when?" asked Ben. "Why, last week.
"Here, give us your note, Polly. Of course you'll make me do as you say." "You're just as splendid as you can be," cried Polly joyfully. "There, now, Bensie," pushing the note into his hand, "do hurry, that's a good boy." And in a quarter of an hour, Ben rushed in, meeting Polly in the hall, kis face aglow, and eyes shining. "Here, Polly, catch it," tossing her a note; "that's from Pick."
But he never did. At last one day, Ben came home very late to supper, so late that Polly ran to the window ever so many times, exclaiming, "Bensie never was so late before." Phronsie had long been in bed, and the boys were anxiously looking up at the clock to see if it were anywhere near half-past seven, when Ben came in. "Why, Ben Pepper!" exclaimed Polly, aghast, "whatever is the matter?"
Why didn't you have whole ones?" cried Alexia. "Why, we couldn't," said Polly, "and we were glad enough to get these. Oh! the Tree looked just beautifully with them, I tell you." "You see," said Phronsie, drawing near to look into Alexia's face, "we were very, very poor, Alexia. So Polly and Bensie made the Tree. Don't you understand?"
"Bensie Pepper!" cried Polly, taking hold of his jacket, and spinning him round, "I told you so! I told you so!" "I know you did," said Ben, as she gave him a parting whirl, "an' I wish you'd say so about other things, Polly, if you can get 'em so easy." "Oh Ben," cried Jasper, overtaking him by a smart run as he was turning in at the little brown gate one morning three days after, "do wait."
Ben neglected his work a little, but then visitors didn't come every day to the Peppers; so while Polly worked away at her bread, which she was "going to make like biscuits," she said, the audience gathered in the little old kitchen was in the merriest mood, and enjoyed everything to the fullest extent. "Do put in another stick, Bensie dear," said Polly; "this bread won't be fit for anything!"
Such a time as we've had to make it!" "I know it," laughed Polly; "don't that cotton wool look just like bits of fur, Ben?" "Yes," said Ben, "and when the flour's shaken over me it'll be Santa himself." "We've got to put back the hair into mamsie's cushion the first thing to-morrow," whispered Polly anxiously, "and we mustn't forget it, Bensie." "I want to keep the wig awfully," said Ben.
"Ye es," said Ben, also gazing at the rosy face and anxious eyes, "it can go as padding, I suppose." "Oh! I am so glad," exclaimed Polly in glee, and dancing around the room. "And you won't be sorry, I know, Bensie; the audience will applaud that very thing I'm almost sure," which made Jasper sternly resolve something on the spot.
"Oh, Phronsie, I don't believe you know what you're dancing for," cried Ben with a laugh, and seizing her as the bustle died down a bit. "Yes, I do, Bensie," said Phronsie, struggling to get down to dance again. "Well, what is it then?" "Joel and Davie said 'O-oh' and 'Goody'!" hummed Phronsie, beginning to dance harder than ever. "I thought so," laughed Ben.
"Really, Bensie?" said Phronsie, the sunlight breaking all over the gloomy little visage, and setting the brown eyes to dancing. "Real, true, splendid pictures?" "Yes, the splendidest," said Ben, "the very splendidest pictures, Phronsie Pepper, you ever saw!"
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