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She had nearly stumbled over Phronsie Pepper's little body, lying just where it fell when hope was lost. "I have had nothing to do with it," repeated Mrs. Chatterton to herself, following Mr. King and Jasper as they bore Phronsie downstairs, her yellow hair floating from the pallid little face. "Goodness! I haven't had such a shock in years. My heart is going quite wildly.
"I'm so very glad of that," said Polly, with a sigh of relief, "because you know, Mamsie, she might go off again and leave Phronsie when she ought to be watching her." "Say no more about it, Polly," said her mother, setting even, firm stitches, "for Mr.
One thing Phronsie always insisted on, and kept to it pertinaciously and that was to go into the drawing-room with Polly when she went to practice, and there, with one of her numerous family of dolls, to sit down quietly in some corner and wait till she got through.
Polly always knew when these were donned that something unusual was to be expected from the daily routine of the household. "Are you really and truly home, Polly?" asked Phronsie, taking the music-roll to tuck it under her own arm. "Yes, Pet;" Polly set a kiss on the red lips. "And I am as hungry as a beaver, Phronsie."
She pointed up and off, but in the wrong direction. "Oh, no, Phronsie, that isn't the way we are going. The Montanvert is over here, child," corrected Jasper.
The picture that this brought up, of Dunraven without a Christmas, threw such a shadow over Phronsie's face, that Polly hastened to say reassuringly: "Oh, Grandpapa! we wouldn't ever think of not carrying a Christmas to Dunraven, would we, Pet?" and she threw her arms around Phronsie. "Of course not," chimed in Jasper and Joel, in a way to bring back the smiles to the little downcast face.
"It's right, Phronsie dear; I'd do it if I were you," he said in a low voice. "Do you want it, Grandpapa?" asked Phronsie softly. "I do, child; but not unless you are willing" "Then I do," declared Phronsie, sitting quite straight on his knee. And she gave a relieved sigh. "Oh, Grandpapa, if we only had the poor children now!" she exclaimed, dreadfully excited. "Come, then." Old Mr.
So over the wall he went, and slunk in through the tall grass, just as Polly was marshalling her forces on the greensward in front and saying, "Now, children, what shall we play?" "Tag tag!" screamed Joel, crowding up in front. "Now begin, Polly, do, and let me be it." "I'd rather have the Muffin Man," said Davie, wistfully. "Muffin Man Muffin Man," echoed Phronsie, beating her small hands.
"How that would look!" exclaimed Adela, with such a face that Polly burst out into a merry laugh, and Phronsie, joining with her little crow of delight and clapping her hands at the idea of such fun, brought pretty much the whole party around them. "What's up?" cried Tom to Jasper, on the way to the girls with some fear, for he didn't dare even yet to talk much to Polly.
He twitched his knife out suddenly, sprawled off from the railing, and took several hasty strides up and down the piazza. "Well, that's all right, Phronsie," he said, coming back to get astride the railing again; this time he turned a cold shoulder on Phronsie's "white needle." "Now, to-morrow, we'll have no end of fun."
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