XXI
JOEL'S CIRCUS
"Joel," cried little David, his cheeks aflame, "Mrs. Beebe hasbrought your animals. Come out to th' wagon." With that David'sheels twinkled down the narrow path to the gate.
Joel dropped the wooden box that was to be the tiger's den, ifDeacon Brown's cat should come back, and ran on the wings of thewind to the big green wagon standing out in the road. His blackeyes roved anxiously over all the various things with which goodMrs. Beebe had loaded the vehicle, as she had many errands onher mind, and his heart beat fast at the sight of two or threeboxes that stuck up above the rest, and an old canvas bag on topof them.
"Here, Joel," said Mrs. Beebe, her face beaming withsatisfaction. "You climb up behind and fetch down that bag."
Joel's black eyes stuck out with delight, and he hopped over theback wheel in a twinkling and laid his hand on the old canvas bag.
"Not that one," said Mrs. Beebe. "Mercy me, them's Pa's oats hetold me to bring home--the other bag, Joel."
"I don't see any other," said Joel, staring around at thevarious things, while his hand fell off from the canvas bag. Hehad been almost sure he heard something stir within it.
"Dear me, child," exclaimed Mrs. Beebe, grasping the old leatherreins in one hand, while she leaned back over the seat, "therethey be," pointing to a paper bag laid nicely in between the twoboxes, so it couldn't fall out.
"Oh!" exclaimed Joel, swallowing hard. Then he wasn't to get oneof those big wooden boxes, after all.
"Yes, an' I guess you'll like 'em." Mrs. Beebe nodded and winkedat him, and smiled all over her round face. "Now you take 'emand git out, that's a good boy, an' be quick, 'cause I've gotsome more arrants to do, an' I'm a-goin' to try to come to yourshow, Joel, seein' you've invited me so pretty." And withanother bob of her big bonnet she twitched the reins smartly,and the old horse fell into a jog-trot, while Joel did as he wasbidden, and with his paper bag in his hand, sat down on thegrass, trying very hard not to cry.
"She _said_ animals," muttered Joel, swallowing somethingthat seemed to stick in his throat.
"Look in and see," whispered little David, with a verydistressed face, and sitting down on the grass to put one armaround Joel.
Joel clutched his bag and stared gloomily. It didn't matter whatit held; Mrs. Beebe had said "animals," and to find that shehadn't spoken the truth, made him feel so dreadfully that helonged to scream out after her, and tell her he didn't like herany more. He wouldn't ever like anybody who told a lie; andMamsie wouldn't ever let him go to see her, and Polly's browneyes would fill with scorn. Oh, he could feel just exactly howPolly would look, and he shivered.
"Don't cry, Joe," said little Davie, feeling the thrill, andhugging him tightly; "and do see what's in it."
Joel gave one plunge at the bag, untwisted it, and thrust in hishand. Suddenly he started back, nearly upsetting David. "Oh!"
"What is it?" cried Davie, fearfully; "a snake, Joel?"
"No--that is, I guess so," answered Joel, dragging out a wholehandful of sugar cooky animals, and spinning them on the grassin various directions. "I guess there's a snake there. She_said_ animals, and they _are_ animals, Dave," and a smile brokeall over his chubby face.
David took one look at the sugar cooky animals flying over hishead. "Oh, Joe, and they've got currant eyes!" he screamed, andclapped his hands. "See, there's a el'phant! Oh, and a goose,and a monkey!" with a dive at the last.
"That isn't a monkey!" retorted Joel, with a pause in the workof emptying the bag to investigate the animal in David's hand,"that's a wild-cat."
"Oh, Joel, is it?" cried Davie.
"Um!" Suddenly Joel took it out of David's little palm, andpopped one end of it into his mouth. "Oh, goody!" was all hesaid. "Have some, Dave?" and he shook the bag with the rest ofits contents at him. But David was sprawling over the grass,picking up the scattered ones. Suddenly he stopped, with onehalfway to his mouth. "Don't you s'pose Mrs. Beebe wants you tokeep 'em for the circus, and give the folks some of them?"
Joel squirmed uncomfortably, taking large bites of the biggestanimals he could pick out, but said nothing.
David laid his pig down on the grass, and looked at it wistfully.
"They're mine," said Joel, crossly, and speaking as distinctlyas he could for his mouthful, and bolting a rabbit and ahippopotamus together; "an' I'm goin' to eat 'em now."
David still gazed at his pig, but didn't offer to touch it.Suddenly Joel threw down the bag. "I'm sorry I et 'em," he saidruefully.
"You've got ever so many left," said Davie, cheerfully.
"An' we'll pick up those on the grass," said Joel, suiting theaction to the word, "an' save the rest for th' folks." And hesoon had the remainder safe in the bag, when both the boysrushed into the house to display Mrs. Beebe's gift.
After this, it was all commotion; so much so that Mrs. Peppersaid she didn't know as she should ever let another circus comeinto the orchard. But her black eyes twinkled, and she patted Joel'shead when she said it, and the anxious look ran away from Joel'sface; and then the dinner of potatoes and brown bread was soonfinished, and Polly somehow or other got the dishes all washedup, and the kitchen as clean as a new pin, ever so much quickerthan on other days, and pretty soon Joel and all his animals andthe musician were out in the orchard in a perfectly dreadfulstate of hurry and confusion.
But at last the show was in full progress; on the seats of honorwere Mother Pepper and Mrs. Beebe, who got in at the last minute,just before they were to begin. And Grandma Bascom, who wasdelighted to be able to hear for once, as she now could, all theroars of the various animals, while Sally Brown and theHenderson boys made up the rest of the audience. And everybodyclapped their hands, and said, "Oh, isn't that good!" and, "Ithink that is fine!" And Grandma said, "La me!" and lifted herblack mitts, which she had put on to do honor to the occasion,"and who would have thought it!" And Sally Brown and theHenderson boys stared with envy, and wished they were some ofthe animals and having such a good time. And Peletiah solemnlydetermined within himself to get up a circus the very next week.And the excited animals thrilled with delight when it came themonkey's time to perform and jump through the big paper rings.
Joel bobbed out from behind the bushes, and told the audiencewhat was coming; then he bobbed in again, and Polly and Ben gothim into the monkey skin,--an old brown flannel petticoat thatGrandma Bascom had given the children to play with, "'Cause it'sso et up with moths, 'tain't fit to set a needle into to fix up,"as she said. And Ben made a long, flapping tail out of an old,frayed rope, and Polly had sewed a little tuft of hair, thatcame out of Mamsie's cushion, on top of the monkey's head,pulling it all around the face for some whiskers; so, when Joelwas really inside of it, he was perfectly awful. Particularly ashe showed all his teeth, and rolled and blinked his black eyesevery minute, so that Phronsie, who sat on the grass at Mamsie'sfeet, when she wasn't an animal and needed to perform, shivered,and clung close to Mrs. Pepper.
"Take me, Mamsie," she begged.
"'Tisn't a real, true, live monkey," cried Polly, rushing outfrom behind the bushes as she heard her, "it's only Joel,Phronsie."
"It's me," cried Joel, who had been making faces at Peletiah,but stopping the minute he heard Phronsie. "It's me, Phronsie."
"I want a monkey," said Phronsie, bringing her face out fromunder her mother's arm, "but not Joey. Please don't let Joey bea monkey," and she patted Mrs. Pepper's cheek.
"Hush, dear," said Mother Pepper, "you'll spoil Joel's circus ifyou talk. See, Phronsie, the monkey's going to jump through therings."
So Phronsie sat up very straight in Mrs. Pepper's lap, and thewonderful act began, Polly being the musician, and singing hermerriest, while she drummed with her fingers on the board thatBen had fixed across the stone table, running up and down withso many little quirks and quavers it was really very remarkableto hear.
Ben held up a big ring, saving the one with the red border forthe last.
"Hold it higher," said Joel, in between his roars and g
rimaces.
"No, sir," said Ben, firmly, "you aren't going to jump anyhigher. Go on."
"Tisn't half as high as I jumped the other day," grumbled Joel.
"Go on," commanded Ben, "or I won't hold it at all," and Pollybobbed her head at him as she drummed away. "Hurry up," sheseemed to say. So Joel sprang off from the lower branch of theapple tree and went zip-tear-bang, at the paper ring. Butinstead of going through, he knocked it out of Ben's hand, andwent with it, rolling over and over on the ground. When he gotup to his feet, the big paper ring was all in tags, and the hairon the monkey's head was all over his eyes, and covering his redface.
"Never mind, Joe," said Polly, running away from her piano, topull him out straight and fix him nice again, "you'll do it finenext time, I guess."
"Ben jiggled it," announced Joel, stoutly, and with a ruefulface as he saw the broken ring.
"No, I didn't," declared Ben; "I kept it as steady as could be.But you sprawled your legs and knocked it out of my hand. Take agood flying leap, Joe, and keep your eye on the red border."
"Yes; I'm so glad there's a red border on it," said Polly,hopping back to make her fingers run merrily up and down herpiano once more.
So Joel took a flying leap, keeping his black eyes fixed on thered border, and came through the ring so splendidly thateverybody hopped up to their feet, and shouted and clapped theirhands, Grandma exclaiming, "La--for the land's sake!" whilePhronsie slid out of Mrs. Pepper's lap and gave a squeal ofdelight.
"Hoh! that's nothing!" declared Joel, and before Ben could sayanything he ran and jumped up on the lower limb of the appletree, and winding his sturdy legs around the trunk, and thenspringing from one branch to another, there he was, before anyone knew it, on the topmost bough!
"O mercy me--he'll be killed!" screamed Grandma, who saw itfirst. Mother Pepper turned swiftly. "Joel!" she was going toexclaim. But in a minute she knew it would be the worst thingin the world to do. So she tried to smile and to say, "Come down,Joey, and be careful."
But Joel was swinging and slashing the long rope tail, andhaving a delightful time up there in the branches, and roaringand screaming so, that Mother Pepper's quiet tones couldn'tpossibly be heard.
Polly's face turned very white. "Oh, Ben, he'll be killed!" sheexclaimed. "He won't look at us, and we can't make him hear,"for by that time everybody was shouting at him to come down, andPhronsie was crying as if her heart would break.
"I'm goin' to hang by my tail," screamed Joel at them, andbefore any of them could realize what he was doing, he had swungthe long rope over a branch and twisted it up in a knot, then heswung himself out, and let his feet free from the bough.
Mrs. Pepper seized Ben's arm and said hoarsely, "Go up afterhim." Ben was halfway up the trunk as fast as he could go, whichwasn't very good speed, as he was always slower at such thingsthan the other little Peppers. When Joel, head downward, saw himcoming up, he screamed, "Ha! I'm a monkey, and you can't catchme," and he swung farther out than ever. The knot he had thoughtso safe untwisted, and down, down, he went, the long rope curlingthrough the air to wind around his legs.
It was all done in one dreadful moment, and when they ran topick him up, everything seemed to turn black around Polly's eyes.She never knew how it happened, but there was Mother Peppersitting on the grass with Joel's head in her lap, and Mrs. Beebehurrying into the kitchen for water and cloths to wash the bloodaway, and Grandma waddling down the lane to get things from thecottage. And Ben sliding down the tree, the rest of the littlePeppers crouching up in misery around Mamsie and her boy.
Polly's white lips only formed the words, "Dr. Fisher--I'll go--youstay here and help Mamsie," and she was off in a flash. ForPolly could run the swiftest of any of them, her feet hardlytouching the ground.
Somebody called her name as she spun along the dusty ground, butshe didn't stop--only sped on. But by laying the whip smartlyover the back of his horse, the man in the wagon came up by herside and yelled at her, and then she saw that it was Mr. Tisbett.
"Oh, I can't stop, sir!" she wailed, clasping her hands, "forJoel's dead, I guess."
"Now you just git in here," commanded Mr. Tisbett, getting downto the ground; and without waiting for Polly to obey, he pickedher up and set her on the seat. "I take it you're goin' afterth' doctor. Now he ain't to home, for this is his day forHillsbury, ye know. But I tell you," he added briskly, as he sawPolly's face, "I'm a master hand at doctorin', an' I'm goin' totake a look at Joel." All this time he was getting over thewheel and into his seat, and turning down the road toward thelittle brown house.
"What's th' matter with Joel?" he asked at length, afterslapping Black Bill smartly, who now ran at his liveliest pace.
"He fell from the apple tree," said Polly, in a low voice. "Oh,Mr. Tisbett, could you go a little bit faster, please?" sheimplored.
"Yes, yes," said Mr. Tisbett, obligingly, and applying the whipagain to the horse's flanks. "Now it's lucky enough my stage-coachgot a mite broke this morning, an' I had to wait over a trip, andso I've met you. We'll soon be there, Polly, don't you worry amossel. I fell out o' apple trees time after time when I was a boy,and it hain't hurt me none. Git ap, Bill! An' at any rate, I'll fixJoel up. I used to be a doctor 'fore I was a stage-driver. Ye hain'tnever known that, hev ye, Polly?" and he smiled down on her.
"No," said Polly, with a thrill of hope at her heart. "Oh, ifBlack Bill only would go a little faster!"
"Fact," said Mr. Tisbett, rolling the tobacco quid into hisother cheek. "I was what ye might call a nat'ral doctor,bone-setter, and all that; never took a diplomy--but land sakes alive,I donno's it's necessary, when ye got to make a bone into shape,to set an' pint to a piece o' paper to tell where ye waseddicated. Git up an' set th' bone, I say, an' if ye can do itall right, I guess it's a good enough job to the feller whatowns the bone. Git ap, Bill!" and they drew up in front of thelittle brown house.
Mr. Tisbett never waited to ask questions, although Mrs. Pepperlooked at him inquiringly, but just took hold of the job he hadcome to do, and Polly explained to Mamsie. And presentlyeverybody was obeying the stage-driver just as soon as he spokea word. And his big hands were just as gentle and light, and hisfingers, that always seemed so clumsy holding the old leatherreins, were a great deal softer in their touch than Mother Pepper'sown, as they wandered all over Joel's body.
"That boy's all right, and bound to scare ye a great many times,Marm," at last he said. "Don't you worry a mite, Mrs. Pepper,he'll come out o' it, when he gits ready."
But Mother Pepper shook her head as she hung over her boy.
"Mammy," said Polly, crawling up to her like a hurt little thing,"I do believe Mr. Tisbett knows," she whispered. "I do, Mammy."
But Mrs. Pepper only shook her head worse than ever.
"What shall we do, Ben?" cried Polly, rushing up to him; "justlook at her, Ben. Oh, what can we do for Mamsie! She's neverbeen like that."
"Nothing," said Ben, gloomily; "we can't any of us do anythingtill Joel comes to himself. There won't anything else help her."
But Mrs. Pepper suddenly raised her head and looked at themkeenly. "Come here, Polly," and at the same instant it seemed,so quickly she obeyed, Polly was at her side.
"Mother feels that her boy will be all right," said Mrs. Pepper.And she even smiled.