Five Little Peppers and their Friends

ped on. But not a glimpse of the tall girl's figure met her eyes, and at last she turned in at a gateway a

what a pity that Clem didn't find

w," panted Polly,

s. Forsythe, "you are all ou

that she was on the point of finding her, of what she should say. It was all she could

he had gone over to your house. She wanted you to go down-town with her, to buy some ma

faint voice, and hangin

a piece to do, and she was so discouraged I gave her some more money, and advised her to get

gasped Polly,

was ashamed not to take in something nice, and so she said she didn't mean to do anything. I couldn't bear to have her give it up, for she ought to keep with you girls." Mrs. Forsythe's face fell into anxious lines. "She gets unhappy by herself, with no young people in the

zza steps and buried

her deserted the door-casing and came q

; and not pausing to think, only to get to Mamsie, she sped away on the wings of the wind, not stoppin

e grass-"supposing Mamsie isn't at home! Sh

ensward and plunged into the Wistaria

raised a defiant pair of cheeks, wet and miserable. "Oh, dear, dear!" was all Polly could get

bbered Clem. "Oh, dear!

er hand. "Oh, Clem, if you don't let me go dow

nt to go with me, Polly. But I'm not

clared Polly positivel

syt

aid Clem, beginning to sniffle agai

t forgive me when you say such things. For it was all m

neck that the neat little ruffle Mamsie sewed in that very morning was

feet so suddenly, that Clem started in amazement, and star

e been two goosies-geese, I me

ked Clem h

violet glove case," s

round the arbor. "Oh, Cle

dismally, "and I don't kno

ief case, only long," flung Polly ov

yours," protested Clem, "f

osie! and I've been another, not to think of it before. And oh, such a set! Why, it would sell for a lot of money. And I'll ask Jasper to draw

n't but a moment or two, and she was flying over the grass to meet them. Polly had explained that the little ribbon bag was to be made just as soon as the materials for the new glove case were bought. Polly had run up for her hat, and to get

rth, the new little bag hanging from Phronsie's arm. Jasper went with them as far as the corner, where he turned off to go to Jack

r bunch of violets for Clem," said Polly for about

ed Phronsie, all her eyes on h

ling on your nose, Phronsie."

k stripe in it, Polly," said Phrons

snipped up that very ribbon for little sachet bag

e, "and my cushion-pin is in

ally?" sa

r, and I'm going to work on it," sh

y, you are going to a working bee just

o a mud-puddle. Whereat Jasper picked her up, bag and all, and marc

care now, Phronsie," a

y, and good luc

raned her neck around the corner to say, the last thing. Then she took Phronsi

stone steps was M

afternoon," he said, looking down at them

king away from Polly and holding up he

. Dyce, running down to

u I came partl

inside," said Phronsie con

ast. Let some of these girls race ahead of us; we'll take our

very pink face, as the bevy rushed by, "

two steps at a time, in through the crowd of girls, so that he arrived there first w

be a bee here this aft

's my welcome,

ounced Phronsie from her p

om to take off their things. And presently the big library, with the music-room adjoi

time, naturally felt a bit impatient, as Miss Mary went about inspecting the work, helping to pick out a stitch here and to set a

y, with a little laugh,

ol scholars

," observed Mr. Dyce. "Now why can't you sit down here and amuse me?" He pushed u

e threaded her needle with a strand of violet silk; "he's going to keep M

d with an impatient hand. "Horrors! Now I've gone and gotten that into a precious snar

ng down in the easy-cha

frowned. At which Alex

e about my wor

called Mr. Dyce, as

?" asked Alexia innocently. Polly, next

just the same as you hav

ex

to ask," said Alexia coolly. Then she l

with us girls, we're all your Sunday-school class-t

at the gentleman, which he seemed to see

ink"; for by this time he had her in his lap; and

ied Phronsie, peering out fro

ed to all-fours to peer about for the shining little implem

rted her knitting, and flew out

elf to the group, "to call Miss Mary over there! I should

me, what a plaguey little thing that needle is! Never mind, Phronsie,

uisance you are, Alexia!" All of which she had heard from him so many times before that it failed to disturb her, so she went back to her se

ry," begged Silvia Horne

Amy Garrett, "sh

dly, "when I asked her to come across the r

ughed Mr. Hamilton Dyce, "since there'll be

r, finally settled it by getting her chair into th

ther," she announced. "Now, Mr. D

t in Alexia, who didn't r

hich she was patiently dragging back and forth, with a very long piece of red worsted following it

me catching sight of this, "you can't work with s

ested Phronsie, ed

, in concern; "you better let me take off a

decidedly, "I must hurry a

iggled one of the girls over in the corner. Mr. Dyce turning to fix

pin at the fair," he announced. "I

her hand with the "cushion-pin" in it on his knee. "Then I will sell it to you," she said gravely, "and

d Miss Mary apparently seeing no amusement in it, they all began to beg for the

d over at him from the center of the circ

all this bee for, and this fair? I know just a hint about that, but let me have the who

d Alexia, and "Let Poll

he girls, every one sayi

laid down her violet hand

ted to stop wor

ry said one day i

hat!" said Miss T

. "I'm to be told the whole story; from the very beginning,

Mary said we ought to be doing things, not always talking about them and learning how to be g

tell that. He wants to k

roke in

ting that he was not to be cheated out of a single word of the narration, made her go back and tell over the last thing she said. This was so m

we'd like to' and what could we do, for

't want to," broke

on her cricket to regard her affectionately. "Oh, Mr

"and she's working on some fandango for t

from her needle with anything but favor. "Well, I didn't want it, and nobody wi

sfied that he really understood how Alexia was helping along the work f

ight have it on his grounds; and Auntie Whitney said why not have a garden par

e," piped Phronsie suddenly, her checks all aglo

. Dyce, "only you must h

surely going to buy tha

about some monkeys who were going to give a party in the woods to all the other animal

d itself, and then a full-blown violet. And Alexia's pink shawl took ever so many rows, an

a great bustle, every one trying to see which would get hers into h

es are all running up an

ex

Clem. "Oh, dear me-ow! I haven't s

aughed ano

ing-room. So they all fell into line, and, when there, they forgo

. Hamilton Dyce on the other side as grand helper. Then the girls settled down in pretty groups on the br

with a dance, which was received with a shout of delight. So she

girls play?" asked

ls must dance." So, without waiting fo

." Polly Pepper ran out f

u are going to dance

er first. She's going to dan

o, trying to be heard, but Miss Ma

put his arm around her, and away they w

aven't got this first

m. "So come on, let's dance tog

Dyce, who had absented himself after that first dance

r Phronsie Pe

Mary, and Polly lifted her up and guided her foot over the st

led, his eyes on n

ronsie, in a wail of distress,

going?" Mr. Dyce put forth a rest

ed back, the tears raci

lly from the steps, where she w

ronsie conti

, where Phronsie had left it on her little cricket, Mr. Dyce meanwhile saying, "The

the library, and getting down on her knees to prowl over the floor. "Mi

reen-striped workbag, and Polly danced out with it and handed it up t