VI
THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE
They were all sitting around the library fire; Polly under the pretextof holding Phronsie's head in her lap, was sitting on the rug besideher, the boys on either hand; old Mr. King was marching up and down thelong room, and looking at them. The merriest of stories had been told,Polly urging on all the school records of jolly times, and those not soenjoyable; songs had been sung, and all sorts of nonsense aired. Atlast Joel sprang up and ran over to pace by the old gentleman's side.
"Christmas was good enough," said the boy, by way of beginningconversation.
"Hey?" responded the old gentleman, looking down at him, "I shouldthink it was. Well, and how about the wonderful play on thetwenty-first? And that was good enough, too, I dare say."
"That was well enough," said Joel indifferently, "I don't care for suchstuff, though."
"Tut--tut!" cried Mr. King in pretended anger, "now I won't haveanything said against that wonderful production. Not a thing, sir, doyou hear?"
Joel laughed, his chubby face twinkling all over in secret amusement."Well, I know something better, if you'll only let us do it, sir, thana hundred old plays."
"And pray what is it?" demanded Mr. King, "let's have it at once. Butthe idea of surpassing the play! Oh, no, no, it can't be done, sir!"
"It's to go and see the little brown house," said Joel, standing up onhis tiptoes to a level with the old gentleman's ear, and one eyelooking backward to see that nobody heard.
Mr. King started, pulled his handsome moustache thoughtfully, looked atJoel sharply, and then over at the group in the firelight.
"They don't know anything about it," cried the boy in a whisper, "don'ttell them. It's my secret, and yours," he added generously. "Oh! if wemight only go and look at it."
"It's winter," observed the old gentleman, and stepping to the windowhe put aside the draperies, to peer out into the black evening. "Yes,it really is winter," he added with a shiver, to the boy who was closebehind, and as if no longer in doubt about it, he added mostemphatically, "it really is winter, Joel."
"Well, but you never saw anything like it, how magnificent winter is inBadgertown," cried Joel in an excited whisper. "Such hills to coastdown; the snow is always crisp there, sir, not like this dirty townmud. And the air is as dry as punk," he added artfully. "Oh! 'twould besuch a lark;" he actually clasped his hands.
"Badgertown isn't so very far off," said Mr. King thoughtfully, "I'llthink about it and see if we can manage it."
"Ugh-ow!" squealed Joel, utterly forgetful of his caution of secrecy,"we can, we can; we can open the little brown house, and build greatfires there, and"--But he got no further. Into the midst of Van'sliveliest sally, came the words "little brown house," bringing all theyoung people to their feet, Phronsie running to the old gentleman'sside, with, "What is it, Grandpapa? He said the little brown house."
"Get away!" cried Joel crossly to the besiegers, each and all wildlyclamoring. "What is it? What are you talking about? It's my secret," hecried, "and his," pointing with a dismayed finger to Mr. King.
"Well, it isn't a secret any longer," cried Polly, flushing withexcitement. "You said 'little brown house,' we heard you just asplainly; and you re getting up something, I know you are." "Peopledon't usually select a roomful of listeners, and then shout out theirsecrets," said Jasper. "You are in for it now, Joe, and no mistake. Goahead, old fellow, and give us the rest of it."
Joel whirled away from them all in desperation. "You might as well,"laughed the old gentleman, "the mischief is done now, and no mistake."
So Joel, thus set upon, allowed the whole beautiful plan to be wrungfrom him, by slow and torturing installments; how they all were to goto Badgertown, open the little brown house, and stay there--here heglanced at Mr. King--"perhaps a week," he brought out suddenly, fillingthe time with all sorts of frolics, and playing they were there again,and really and truly living in the old home.
At last it was all out, to be received in different ways by thelisteners.
"Oh, Joe!" cried Davie with shining eyes. "We never could come awayagain if we once get there, never!"
Polly stood quite still, a mist gathering before her glad eyes, out ofwhich she dimly saw the little brown house arise and beckon to her.
Phronsie jumped up and down and clapped her hands in glee. "Oh,Grandpapa, Grandpapa!" she screamed, "please take us to the littlebrown house, please!"
That settled it. "I do not think we need to consider it longer," saidMr. King, glancing at Ben, whose face told what he thought, "children,we will go--that is, if Mrs. Pepper says yes.
"I will ask her," cried Joel with a howl, springing off.
"Come on," cried Jasper, "let's all 'be in at the death.'" And thelibrary was deserted in a twinkling.
But mother was nowhere to be found. "Upstairs, downstairs, and in thelady's chamber," they sought her wildly.
"Oh! I forgot," exclaimed Polly, when at last they gathered in the widehall, disposing themselves on the chairs and along the stairs, alltired out. "She has gone to evening meeting with Auntie. How stupid ofme not to remember that."
"Well, I declare!" cried a voice above them, and looking up they metthe cold blue eyes of Mrs. Chatterton regarding them over the railing."Cousin Horatio, do you keep a menagerie, or a well-ordered house, Ibeg to inquire?"
"A menagerie," said Mr. King coolly, leaning on the balustrade at thefoot of the stairs, and looking up at her. "All sorts of strangeanimals wander in here, Cousin."
"Hum; I understand. I'm not so dull as you think. Well, you've changed,let me tell you, vastly, and not for the better either, in the last sixyears. Who would ever suppose I see before me fastidious Horatio King!"she exclaimed, lifting her long thin hands to show him theirhorror-stricken palms.
"I dare say, I dare say, Cousin Eunice," assented Mr. King carelessly,"but I consider all you say as a compliment."
"Compliment?" she repeated disdainfully, and added with a rising noteof anger, forgetting herself, "there's no fool like an old fool."
"So I think," said Mr. King in the same tone as before. "Children, comeinto my room now, and close the door." And Cousin Eunice was left toair further opinions to her own ear.
But when Mother Pepper and Mrs. Whitney did come home from the meeting,oh! what a time there was. They all fell upon her, as soon as the dooropened, and the whole air was filled with "little brown house." "Maywe--may we?" "A whole week." "Two days, Mamsie, do say yes," andPhronsie's glad little chirp "Grandpapa wants to go, he does!" endingevery other exclamation.
"What a babel," cried Mrs. Pepper, her black eyes roving over theexcited group. "Now what is it all about? Baby, you tell mother first."
Phronsie was not too big to jump into the comfortable lap, and whileher fingers played with the bonnet strings, she laid the wholedelightful plan open, the others hanging over them in ill-suppressedexcitement.
"Well, you see, Mamsie," she began deliberately.
"Oh! you are so slow, Phronsie," exclaimed Polly, "do hurry."
"Let her take her own time," said Mr. King, "go on, child."
"Dear Grandpapa," proceeded Phronsie, turning her yellow head to lookat him, her hand yet among the bonnet strings, "is going to take usall, every single one, to see the little brown house, and just touch itonce, and be sure it's there, and peek in the doors and windows and"--
"No, no," roared Joel, "we're going to stay, and a week too," hoppingconfidently up and down.
"Oh, Joe! not a week," corrected Polly with glowing cheeks, "perhapstwo days; we don't know yet."
"Three--three," begged Van, pushing his head further into the center ofthe group. "Mrs. Pepper, do say you want to stay three days," he begged.
"I haven't said I wanted to go yet," she answered with a smile.
"Now, every one of you keep quiet," commanded Mr. King, raising hishand, "or you'll spoil the whole thing. Phronsie shall tell her storyas she likes."
Thereupon the rest, with the shadow of his warning that the
whole mightbe spoiled, fell back to a vigorous restraint once more.
"Perhaps," cried Phronsie with shining eyes, and grasping the stringstighter she leaned forward and pressed her red lips on the mother'smouth, "we'll go in and stay. Oh, Mamsie!"
That "Oh, Mamsie!" carried the day, and every one hanging on theconversation knew as soon as they heard it that a victory had been won.
"It's no use to contend against the Fates," said Mrs. Whitney,laughing, "Mrs. Pepper, you and I know that."
"That's so," cried old Mr. King, "and whoever finds it out early inlife, is the lucky one. Now, children, off with you and talk it over,"he cried, dismissing them as if they were all below their teens. "Iwant to talk with Mrs. Pepper now."
And in two days they were ready to go. Mrs. Chatterton with nose highin the air, and plentiful expressions of disgust at such a mid-winterexpedition, taking herself off to make a visit of corresponding lengthto some distant relatives.
"I hope and pray this may not get into a society paper," she cried atthe last, as she was seated in the carriage, "but of course it will;outre things always do. And we shall be disgraced for life. One comfortremains to me, I am not in it."
Mr. King, holding the carriage door, laughed long and loudly. "No,Cousin Eunice," he said, "you are not in it. Take comfort in thatthought. Good-by," and the carriage rolled off.
Mother Pepper and the five little Peppers were going back to the littlebrown house. "Really and truly we are," as Phronsie kept saying overand over again with every revolution of the car-wheels, in a crooningfashion, and making it impossible for Mr. King to shiver inapprehension at the step he was taking. Were not two cases of blanketsand household comforts safely packed away in the luggage car? "It's notsuch a dreadful risk," said the old gentleman gruffly to himself, "it'squite a common occurrence nowadays to take a winter outing in thecountry. We're all right," and he re-enforced himself further byfrequent glances at Mrs. Pepper's black bonnet, two seats off.
It was to be a three-days' frolic, after all. Not that the whole partywere to stay in the little brown house. O dear, no! how could they? Itwas only big enough for the Peppers. So Mrs. Whitney and her threeboys, with Mr. King, and Jasper, who concealed many disappointedfeelings, planned to settle down in the old hotel at Hingham.
And before anybody imagined they could reach there so soon, there theywere at Badgertown Center, to find Mr. Tisbett waiting there on hisstage-box as if he had not stirred from it for five years.
"Sho, now!" he called out from his elevated position to Mrs. Pepper, asshe stepped down from the car, "it's good to see you, though. Land! howmany of ye be there? And is that Phronsie? Sho, now!"
"Did you get my letter?" exclaimed Mother Pepper to Mrs. Henderson, whowas pressing up to grasp her hand, and preparing to fall on the youngfolks separately. The parson stood just back, biding his time with asmile.
"Is it possible?" he exclaimed; "are these tall boys and girls the fivelittle Peppers? It can't be, Mrs. Pepper," as at last he had her hand."You are imposing on us."
And then the village people who had held back until their pastor andhis wife paid their respects, rushed up and claimed their rights, andit was high holiday indeed for Badgertown.
"My goodness!" exclaimed Mr. King at a little remove and viewing thescene with great disfavor, "this is worse than the danger of takingcold. Have they no sense, to carry on like this?"
"They're so glad to see the Peppers again, father," said Mrs. Whitneywith bright eyes. "You took them away from all these good people, youknow; it's but fair to give them up for one day."
The old gentleman fumed and fretted, however, in a subdued fashion; atlast wisely turning his back, he began to stalk down the platform,under pretense of examining the landscape.
"Your friends will stay with us," Mrs. Henderson was saying in a gentlydecisive manner, "the old parsonage is big enough," she added with alaugh.
"Oh! you are so good and thoughtful, dear Mrs. Henderson," cried Mrs.Pepper with delight at the thought of the homelike warmth of theparsonage life awaiting the old gentleman, for whom she was dreadingthe dreary hotel.
"I'm good to ourselves," declared the parson's wife gaily.
Jasper gave a shout when the new arrangement was declared, as itpresently was by Percy and Van, who flung themselves after him as hewas seeing to the luggage with Ben, and his face glowed with thegreatest satisfaction.
"That is jolly," he exclaimed, "and that's a fact! Now, Ben, we're buta stone's throw apart. Rather different, isn't it, old fellow, from thetime when I used to race over from Hingham with Prince at my heels?"
Dr. Fisher's little thin, wiry figure was now seen advancing upon thecentral group, and everybody fell away to let him have his chance towelcome the Peppers.
"I couldn't get here before," he cried, his eyes glowing behind hisspectacles. "I've left a very sick patient. This is good," he took themall in with a loving glance, but his hand held to Polly. "Now I'm goingto drive you down in my gig," he said to her at last. "Will you come?"
"Yes, indeed," cried Polly in delight, as her mother smiled approval,and she ran off to let him help her in. "It's only yesterday since youtook me to drive, Dr. Fisher, and you gave me my stove--is it?" And soshe rambled on, the little doctor quite charmed to hear it all.
But Mr. Tisbett had a truly dreadful time placing his party in the oldstage, as the townsfolk, fearful that so good a chance for seeing thePeppers would not happen during the three days' stay, insisted oncrowding up close to the ancient vehicle, and getting in everybody'sway, thereby calling forth some exclamations from Mr. King that couldnot be regarded as exactly complimentary. And quite sure that he was afrightful tyrant, they fell back with many a pitying glance at thePepper family whom he was endeavoring to assist into their places.
At last it was all accomplished in some way, and Mr. Tisbett crackedhis whip, Mrs. Pepper and Phronsie leaned out of the window to bowright and left into smiling faces, Ben and Davie did the same overtheir heads.
"Good-by," sang out Joel, whom the stage driver had taken up besidehim. "Here we are, off for the little brown house. G'lang!"