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"Even Jappy's isn't better, I don't believe!" "I wish Jappy was here," said Polly with a small sigh. "Well, he isn't," said Ben; "come, we must go back into the kitchen, or all the children will be out here. Look your last, Polly; 'twon't do to come again till it's time to light up." "Mammy says she'd rather do the lighting up," said Polly.
"Now I guess we're better'n you," he exclaimed with a triumphant glance over at the little Whitneys, as he began to make the new shoes skip at a lively pace up and down the long room. "Oh, dear!" they both cried in great distress. "Now, papa, Jappy's going to be Joey's brother and he isn't anything but our old uncle! Make him be ours more, papa, do!" And then Polly sprang up. "Oh! oh deary me!"
"I don't believe but she would," cried Polly; "twould be just like Jappy's if she would! Let's ask her now this very same minute!" And they scampered hurriedly to Mrs. Pepper, who to their extreme astonishment, after all, said "yes," and smiled encouragingly on the plan. "Isn't mammy good?" said Polly, with loving gratitude, as they seated themselves again.
"What!" said the gentleman, stopping short in the midst of an immense puddle, and staring at her, "Mr. Jasper King's?" "I don't know sir," said Polly, "what his other name is. Yes it must be Jasper; that's what Jappy's is, anyway," she added with a little laugh, wishing very much that she could see Jappy at that identical moment. "Jappy!" said the stranger, still standing as if petrified.
"You'll see him next summer, Phronsie," sang Polly skipping around the kitchen, "and Jappy's sister Marian, the lovely lady, and all the boys. Won't that be nice?" and Polly stopped to pat the yellow head bending in motherly attentions over her array of dolls. "Ye-es," said Phronsie, slowly; "the whole of 'em, Polly?" "Yes, indeed!" said Polly, gayly; "the whole of 'em, Phronsie!
Here goes!" and he opened the oven door and pushed in a pan of biscuit. "Jappy's always ahead in everything," grumbled Percy, laboring away at his dough. "How in the world do you make the thing roll out straight? Mine humps up in the middle." "Put some more flour on the board," said Polly, running over to him. "There, now see, Percy, if that doesn't roll smooth."
No one looks dressed up, in my opinion, with a ragged head. The finer the gown, the worse it makes careless hair look. No, Polly, I wouldn't wear the brown dress to-night." "Why, Mamsie!" exclaimed Polly in surprise, "I thought you'd say it was just the thing when only the girls and Jappy's friends are coming to the play.
Pepper one day in the last of September as a carriage drawn by a pair of very handsome horses, stopped at their door, "here comes Mr. King I do believe; we never looked worse'n we do to-day!" "I don't care," said Polly, flying out of the bedroom. "Jappy's with him, mamma, and it'll be nice I guess.
"The very nicest place in the whole world!" "Oh dear," broke in Van enviously; "Jappy's always said so. I wish we'd been there, too!" "We didn't want anybody but Jappy," said Joel not very politely. "Oh Joey, for shame!" cried Polly. "Jappy used to bake," cried little Davie; "an' we all made pies; an' then we sat round an' ate 'em, an' then told stories." "Oh what fun!" cried Percy. "Do tell us!"
But the climax was reached when a large wax doll in a very gay pink silk dress, was put into Phronsie's hands, and Dr. Fisher, stooping down, read in loud tones: "FOR PHRONSIE, FROM ONE WHO ENJOYED HER GINGERBREAD BOY." After that, nobody had anything to say! Only Polly peeped into one of her books, and saw in Jappy's plain hand "I hope we'll both read this next summer."
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