Phronsie Pepper

“ Beebe and dear Mr. Beebe sick to have you feel badly and go home."
"Would it?" asked Phronsie, swallowing hard.
"Yes," said Polly, decidedly, "it would. People never go to a party, and then say they must go home."
"Don't they, Polly?" asked the little girl.
"No," said Polly, decidedly, "I never heard of such a thing. And just think, Phronsie Pepper, how Mamsie would look! Oh, you can't mean to be a naughty girl."
"I--won't--be a naughty--girl, Polly," promised Phronsie, battling with her tears, "an' I won't look at the big woman, nor the boy. Then I'll stay." ”

“ Do you mean Prince, Phronsie?”
“No, I don't mean Princey,” said the child decisively; “I mean my sick man.”
“It's Jasper's father, I guess she means,” said Mrs. Pepper over in the corner; “but what in the world!”
“Yes, yes,” cried Phronsie, perfectly delighted at being at last understood, and hopping on one toe; “my sick man.”
“I shall give up!” said Polly, tumbling over in a chair, with the cake spoon in her hand, from which a small sticky lump fell on her apron, which Joel immediately pounced upon and devoured. “What do you want to bake, Phronsie?” ”

“ And you’ve frightened this blessed child;” as Algernon [263] put up his little lip, and scuttled over like a rabbit to the side of the bed next to his mother.
“I can’t help it—I can’t help it,” cried Grace wildly, and spinning around the room on her toes; “to think that my dear Miss Phronsie Pepper loves my cousin Roslyn May—oh, oh!”
“Do stop!” cried Alexia, picking off her boy from the bed to go after her and pluck her by the sleeve. “Hush, hush—Bonny will hear. And besides, it can’t ever be—no, never in all this world, I tell you; so what’s the use of hopping so.”
“Can’t ever be?” ”

“ Algernon, would you tell her?” asked his mother.
“Ar-goo!” said Algernon, having recovered himself, and finding it very pleasant to pull at the pillow-shams.
“There, since that blessed child says so, I believe I ought to tell you, Grace!” said Alexia; “and besides, all our set, the old friends I mean, [262] know it. Why, Phronsie Pepper and Roslyn May are lovers.”
Grace gave a squeal that entirely threw Algernon’s into the shade, as she hopped off from the bed, and ran around into Alexia’s arms. “Oh, say that again—do say it again, dear Mrs. Dodge!” she cried with blazing cheeks. ”

“ Grace Tupper sat down on the first thing that she could see, which proved to be the scrap-basket. “Doesn’t old Mr. King love Miss Phronsie?” she gasped.
“Yes, yes,” gasped Alexia, running to pull at her; “but get out of that scrap-basket. Polly Pepper made that for me years ago, and you are mussing all the ribbons.” And calling to Bonny, who came without a ripple on her placid countenance, she bundled the baby into her arms, and began to pull out the big pink bows from which Grace gave a bound. ”

“ Miss Sally composing a neat little piece that would tell Mr. King how thankful they were for the old home saved to them, and that would supplement nicely Miss Belinda’s stiff note, written after the first shock of finding the check was over. For the old Scrannage pride had somehow melted away, in a fashion that probably would have surprised the old squire, who had not much else to hand down to them but his crotchety disposition and the mortgage. And Bella Drysdale was invited to stay a few days with Grace, who was in the seventh heaven of delight that Phronsie Pepper was now really her cousin. ”

“ Pepper, with a keen glance from her black eyes on Phronsie’s troubled face; “but never mind that now,” she added quickly, seeing Polly’s own. “Come here, Phronsie,” she cleared her sewing out of her lap, and held out her arms.
Phronsie ran into them like a frightened rabbit. “What is it, Mamsie?” she cried, lifting her face.
“See here, Phronsie,” said Mrs. Pepper, holding her very close; “look up at Mother,” which really wasn’t very necessary to say, as Phronsie hadn’t taken her blue eyes from Mamsie’s face. “Everything is all right; I want you to understand that, child. ”

“ And as Phronsie appeared to have something to say on her own account, that the public, ever kind and attentive to the Peppers, desired to hear, it was thought best to let her speak, to make her appearance as “grown-up,” and then to draw the curtain over the “little brown house” and the “Five Little Peppers,” never more to rise. ”

“ And she made Bella Drysdale take her. Mrs. Drysdale didn’t know anything about it, but thought she was a parlor boarder at Miss Willoughby’s; and Mrs. Atherton didn’t know either. Grace has told it all to us, and that she alone was to blame. It was the first time that she has ever done such a thing, and she didn’t stop to think before she did it. And now she can’t forgive herself; she must always be sorry to the end of her life: so all of us must help her to bear it.”
“Miss Phronsie Pepper!” ”

“ Miss Fitzwilliam sprang to her feet, and energetically thrust the shutters half way to. “That stupid Eliza!” she ejaculated again. “I hope, Miss Pepper, that you are not troubled as I am with servants. They are really the plague of my life, although I change every fortnight or so.” Then she came back and sat down on the faded red sofa by Phronsie’s side. “What a most beautiful reception your sister’s was, to be sure!” she cried rapturously. “I always make it a point to exert myself to go to Badgertown whenever she [154] gives one. ”

“ Phronsie shivered, and her voice held a miserable little thrill as she begged, "Oh! make her be married just as she wants to be, Polly, do."
"Now that's what I call mean," cried Joel in a loud, vindictive tone back of Polly, "to work on Phronsie's feelings. You can't make me say I don't want Mamsie to have a wedding splurge, so there, Polly Pepper!" ”

“ But as they neared Rome, Polly’s heart sank, and even Joel fidgeted about; and Jasper and the “Pepper boys” had all they could do to keep things bright and cheery. Only [360] now and then had it been possible to hear from Phronsie and the others, and then but scraps of information: that Roslyn May was mending, although the fever was not broken up; that Grandpapa was keeping bravely all his anxiety and distress to himself; and Mamsie wrote how beautiful Phronsie was, till Joel had all he could do to keep from crying outright. He thought he loved Phronsie as much as he could before—they all did ”

“ Higby’s red plaid apron working all up her long figure, as [44] she had tied it by the strings around her neck, “if somebody doesn’t go over and call Polly Pepper home, why I’ll just go myself.” She brandished the big wooden spoon, a few drops of molasses trailing off over the floor.
“I suppose that is meant for me,” said Pickering, placidly eating the big piece he ought to have been pulling, “as I’m the only one she orders round.”
“Horrors!” cried Alexia, glancing along the tip of the spoon, “just see the mischief I’ve done! Now the Peppers won’t ever let me in this kitchen again.” ”

“ Mr. Ferguson looked into his hat, and then gasped out, “N—no; but perhaps it isn’t true, Mrs. King. It said that the Rev. Joel Pepper was among the lost. That’s all.”
Polly ran through the hall, and out the side door. “Jasper, Jasper!” she was saying over and over in her heart, though her white lips did not move. Would she never reach the little brown house! At last she was speeding up the narrow path and over the well-worn flat stone, and through the old doorway and on into the bedroom, where she threw herself on her knees by Mamsie’s big four-poster, just as she had thrown herself years ago. ”

“ Polly set down the bowl of butter, and sped on the wings of the wind for the doctor. Something dreadful was the matter, she felt, for never had a physician been summoned to the hearty Pepper family since she could remember, only when the father died. Fear lent speed to her feet; and soon the doctor came, and bent over poor little Phronsie, who still lay in her mother's arms, in a burning fever. ”

“ And to-day, Polly Pepper, you can’t think”—
“I decidedly object to having my wife called Polly Pepper,” said Jasper, trying to get on a grave look. “Polly Pepper King is all right. But be sure to put on the King.”
“Oh! we girls shall never call her anything [36] else but Polly Pepper—never in all this world, Jasper,” said Alexia carelessly. “Well, you tell what baby did to-day, Pickering. I’m quite tired out with all my trial of getting here, and the disappointment of my surprise spoiled.” ”

“ Pepper was so utterly engrossed with her baby when she came home and heard the account of the accident, that she wouldn't have guessed if there'd been a dozen cakes in the cupboard. Joel was consoled, as his mother assured him in a satisfactory way that she never should think of blaming him; and Phronsie was comforted and coddled to her heart's content. ”

“ Pepper, in such a hearty tone that Polly raised her head a little, “Polly is all right, Phronsie.”
Phronsie drew a long breath. “And is Bensie all right, too?” she asked.
“Yes, Ben is all right, too,” Mother Pepper answered.
“And is Joel all right?” Phronsie regarded her mother closely again, but the look of fear had dropped out of her face, and she put up one little hand to her mother’s cheek. “Is he, Mamsie?”
“Joel is all right, Phronsie.” Then Mother Pepper smiled, “And Davie, too. Everybody and everything is all as it should be, child.” ”

“ Pepper took her up firmly in her arms, as if she were Phronsie, and sat down in the old rocking-chair and just patted her back.
“There, there,” she whispered, soothingly, “don't think of it, Polly; mother's got home.”
“Oh, mammy,” said Polly, crawling up to the comfortable neck for protection, “I ought not to mind; but 'twas Miss Jerusha Henderson; and she said—”
“What did she say?” asked Mrs. Pepper, thinking perhaps it to be the wiser thing to let Polly free her mind. ”

“ There was no drawl now in the shrill, thin voice. “O Miss Pepper, save me! save me!” clutching her.
[317] “Take your hands off,” roared Joel at her, pulling Phronsie away from her grasp. “No Bayley, the women and children and old people must go first.”
“Oh, mercy!” shrieked Mrs. Bayley, wild with terror; “oh, save me somebody! I’ll give any one a thousand dollars to save me,” she screamed. She had her jewels in a small bag, which she huddled up to her bosom. But no one heard her, as all rushed on, trampling down the weaker ones, to get at the boats.
“Is Grandpapa in?” ”

“ I remember now; it was about Joel.”
“I was saying it was such a comfort to think that Joey could go with Grandpapa and Phronsie,” said Polly, flying over to the toilet-table to her hair again.
“I should think so,” cried Alexia, between whom and Joel there had always been a great friendship, though nothing could be farther from their thoughts than to show it to each other. “My goodness me! Joel Pepper is just the most splendid man that ever lived, except Pickering and Jasper.”
[296] CHAPTER XX.
FIRE! “MISS PEPPER,” Mrs. Livingston Bayley called sweetly but insistently as Phronsie hurried by. ”

“ I just had to wear it over to show you before Pickering sees it, and to let off steam, because I don’t want to worry him, poor boy. It’s quite bad enough to pay the bills. Oh, that horrible old Miss Flint! Polly Pepper, what shall I do?”
Polly dropped the brush with which she was brushing out her bright brown hair, and ran over. “I’ll tell you what, Alexia,” she said cheerily, “I think it’s these dreadful bows that are not put on rightly, that make half the trouble,” picking out one of them; “and then she has the shoulder-puffs too big.” ”

“ No mother! Polly for her life, couldn't imagine how anybody could feel without a mother, but the very words alone smote her heart; and there was nothing she wouldn't have done to give pleasure to one who had done so much for them.
“I wish you could see our mother,” she said, gently. “Why, here she comes now! oh, mamsie, dear,” she cried. “Do, Joe, run and take her bundle.”
Mrs. Pepper stopped a minute to kiss Phronsie—her baby was dearer than ever to her now. Then her eye fell on Jasper, who stood respectfully waiting and watching her with great interest. ”

“ Yes—no, that is, Phronsie, if we could have 'em at all, we wouldn't ever let 'em go out!”
“Not once?” asked Phronsie, coming up to Polly with a little skip, and nearly upsetting her, potatoes and all—“not once, Polly, truly?”
“No, not forever-an'-ever,” said Polly; “take care, Phronsie! there goes a potato; no, we'd keep 'em always!”
“No, you don't want to,” said Mrs. Pepper, coming out of the bedroom in time to catch the last words; “they won't be good to-morrow; better have them to-night, Polly.” ”

“ Pepper. "Here, give me your hand, child; we must get up to bed."
"Oh, yes! he is quite really and truly all well," declared Phronsie, breaking into another glad little laugh. "He said he never had such a beautiful time in his life, and he is just as well as he can be. Oh, Polly!" as she picked up her Princess gown and prepared to ascend the stairs, "how funny you look sitting there!" ”

“ And Mrs. Pepper thanked him with a heart overflowing with gratitude, through lips that would tremble even then, for all that Jasper had done for them. And the old gentleman said—“Humph!” but he looked at his son, and something shone in his eye just for a moment.
Phronsie had retreated with “baby” in her arms behind the door on the new arrival. But seeing everything progressing finely, and overcome by her extreme desire to see Jappy and Prince, she began by peeping out with big eyes to observe how things were going on. ”

“ Benson slipped off to her stateroom, Phronsie parted with her at the door. “Now I know, deary, the Lord means me to see my old home once more. Seems as if I could smell the green grass;” she grasped the young girl’s hands eagerly, and there was a world of longing in her quiet eyes. “O Miss Pepper! there’s no grass like the green grass of old England, [304] and there’s no sun like the sun that shines over old England. ”