Five Little Peppers and their Friends

!" There was a little cl

ie loo

little mother's arms, and the sharp, black eyes peered down upon the two. "I've brung you

e had a five-o'clock tea, and now you're home

" She thrust out one flapping shoe, then the other, gave a scornful laugh, and brushed her hand across the sharp eye

onsie, hugging

shut her teeth tightly and was

llow hair slipped closer over her flushed cheek. She tried to say, "Clorinda, we've got home, and my foots are tired," swa

e afternoon. "How fine," she cried to herself, "our garden party will be!-and we've gotten on splendidly with our fancy things this afternoon. It will be too perfectly eleg

Why, Phronsie, just look at your pinafore!" But Phronsi

on, "whatever in the world has she been do

voice. Polly flew up to h

h a good many flying lea

been looki

Polly, pointing tragic

is eyes fell on the soiled pinafore and the lit

ver in all this world, Jasper! What

, unwilling to worry Polly; "don't look so,

t Phronsie was beyond the charms of "lady-chair" or "pick-a-back," her yellow head bobbing so disma

g the dol

his side with Clorin

oon as he got home, viewed her critically through his big spectacles, and said, "The child is all right. Let her sleep." Which she did, until every

she asked, for about the fiftieth tim

and really there seemed to be nothing amiss with Phronsie, who was sleeping peacefully, wit

ired her so?" said Pol

, diving into her basket for another of Van's stockings.

, deserting the little bed to fling herself down on the

said Mother F

relief, "because you know, Mamsie, she might go off aga

with Joanna; and you needn't be afraid that Phronsie will ever be left again, until we do get just the

and stretching her arms. "I haven't done a bit t

ent downstairs and into the big drawing-room, wishing that Phronsie was there, as usual, where she dearly loved to stay, tuc

was so thankful that she had no time to question her, if, indeed, she had considered it wise to do so. And Sarah was called, and laughed with delight at the su

as frequent as Polly's own, that Phronsie was really awake and sitting up,

here, there! Grandpapa will take care o

Phronsie, looking up int

dear, ve

"Where is that Sarah? Can't some one get this

Fisher, coming up with a dainty white gown over her

d her toes under

Grandpapa dear," she sa

ed up and down the room. "There, there, dear! Oh, why doesn't that Sarah hurry!"-when in walked that individual with a big tray,

ght of it, "Sarah's got me some milk

of these good things," and, Mrs. Fisher drawing up a big easy chair in front of the tab

the milk?" she begged, ho

." He put the glass in

don't drin

larm, holding up warning black fingers. "Oh,

nsie!" Grandpapa to

d that took the glass away from the eager lips. "Y

milk," said Phronsie,

ting up the toast, and now held up a morse

to bring the smiles into her face. Phronsie turned and gave him one loo

te hair bent over her face, his hand patting her back gently. "Don't cry, poor little lamb." An

ing off from the round cheeks till they fell on t

her mouth obediently, and after the first mouthful she smiled: "I like it, I do." And Mother Fisher smiled too, and said, "I knew you would, Phronsie." And Grandpapa laughed, he was so happy, and Sar

unny story, and everything got so very merry that the gayety brought all th

dudgeon, revolving around the table. "She's been e

had a little peace," re

oe!" said Percy Whitney, g

, either," said Joel, in

e were you all

, with a warning

d Joel, squaring aro

y, with a superior manner, as if no

s, and begging to feed her, when she felt her giv

not hearing her, and hating to be dicta

t were you doing

up closer into her neck, and was rocked back and forth to her heart's content, while Joel, perfectly aghast at the mischief

s a pretty state of things! Polly, my child"-he leaned ov

ion seizing her. "Oh, Phronsie, now you must sit up; you can't think

y quite decidedly, "I shall have to put yo

ried Phronsie, clutchi

most decided fashion, "so you must sit right up

e her face; and then she folded her

e the Wistaria arbor, Father, if you'd

entleman, who would have been quite w

. Polly, only think!" His eyes shone, and Polly screamed out, "Oh, Grandpapa, how lovely!" and the others joined in, not quite knowin

ed, wiping the tears off with the back o

en, seizing his jacket-e

to fill that i

elighted at anything that could keep Joel out. Davi

letters?" he said at last, in the midst of the noise. "Coul

y-w

out some of the letters, and hel

be"-as he saw David's

s to be the

up, with his question; when immediately the rest began to clamor to h

she sat straight in Polly's lap, with very red cheeks and

to give out letters, too," s

in the air, the others all circling around them, Phronsi

t office, we'll have to work pretty hard to write the

imace, "I'm not going to wr

ody has absolutely got to write some lett

cried the others, "a

announced Polly firmly-"the very idea! So we must all