Five Little Peppers and their Friends

chair, her face pressed close to the window pane,

not, dear,"

poor children?" she asked suddenly,

r; of course h

it rain?" cried Phro

have rain, else the flowe

etween the great splashes of rain running down the window over toward the garden

cleared to-night," said the old gentleman decidedly. "Well, Ph

catch sight of the flower-beds, off in the distance, gay with the wealth of blooms s

laugh. He was having rather a hard time of it to conceal his dismay at the blow to all the plans and preparat

urned back to her window again,

, when nothing was heard but the beating of the rain a

assented Grand

y we must be glad, mustn't we, G

," said the old

gh, and she clambered down from her chair, "an

ts and glaring at Percy and Van at the least intimation of a remark to him. Little Davie had succumbed long ago, and now, c

m. Polly, who was swallowing hard, as if her throat hurt her, wouldn't loo

will you?" cried Percy

," said his m

baby," said Percy; "we've all g

little Dick between his sobs, and crying a

y said soothingly, "we'll have it

," whimpered little Dick.

n, thought better of it, and turned o

gone, so what's the use o

, in an angry scream, an

Van Whitney!" When the d

Phronsie cling

ful instead of giving way to the general gloom? And now here were Phronsie and dear Grandpapa, who had ordered "just oceans of flower

looking up at her with a smile; "and when they drink all

lly, the flush

r there was one little corner still untraveled by the remarkable design observed by the worker. But Mr. Hamilton Dyce had proteste

ch enthusiasm as she could muster, an

etters," cried Jasper su

sie's

Joel, "we've got

yet," retorted Jasper, "so you

unced Van, with great pomposity

in derision, "you haven't finished one yet,

n his writing and plunging over to Jasper. "Haven't I, Jasper, written a let

He handed it in this afternoon,

shed triumphantly up in

ou've just got to

, "and there can't any one

from the little circle to thrust her face in between the

p. "I did, too, write some, ten, three, 'leven, just as many as you did." T

eing thrown wide by the butler, saying, "They're all in th

a quick glance at Miss Mary, as if to say, "You se

, where she had scampered away from the protecting umbrella at the foot of the steps. "Oh, I'm not wet, Mrs.

ound the newcomer, for he was extremely fond of him. "How are the letters coming on, Jasper?

t me," scr

n't consider it necessary to explain that Miss Taylor an

ushing back, both hands o

t had settled over her face at the terrible disappointment that had befall

ll over his chubby face, "but my, see what

h, so much, Mr. Dyce; we can't have too many. Come on, all of you

k Miss Mary,"

de was not so much due to her, the whole compan

ck of the sofa,

ne, Mamsie?" he

startled, and laying down her needle, stuck in a s

n and lay his swollen little face in his mother's lap. She cleare

air away from the hot brow-"we can have the garden party another da

le Davie, wriggling arou

it seemed as if the flo

right," said Mrs.

ie?" asked Dav

That's all any of us can do," said Mother Fisher. "Now, Davie

ie, in horror, and burrowing in her

es you twice sorry-once when you're doing it, and the next time when it

each of the "Five Little Peppers," so Davie slid slow

ken Polly's arm in the pr

them!" she exclaimed. "We expected to

ve of color again flooding her cheeks; "indeed I haven't, Miss Mary. I'v

sted Miss Mary, her ar

ve, Miss

here stood Jasper behind the table perfectly overflowing with epistles of every sort and size, while litt

, as Joel with a dash precipitated his ha

aving his arms over, to compass the whole den.

y whirle

ere in the thickest of piles all along the surface, while the Chinese vase had a who

ng again, "when do you ever exp

ing to his hand and pointing to the vase. "G

the old gentleman,

lly. "I saw him my own self, Grandpapa. And it's to you." She

to a level with his face, he kissed her on both cheeks. "Now, Phro

sie, smoothing her gown

glad I wrote

le Jasper was s

ly long evening? Do hurry and think, Pol

w," said Polly,

ing," said Jasper desperatel

ell on his re

s, and tie them up in little packag

"if you want to help, please sit down, and we'll get this mess of letters sorted and tied up in

e, and his chubby face took on a lively red. "Let me-let

o fast, Joe," and he seized Joel's

in," said Polly, her brown eyes danci

patience. The Whitney boys were crowding up cl

Polly?" Jasper wrinkled u

o very strange, after all, as Mr. Dyce was telling her something which must have been very interesting, over in the c

Joel, in a very injured tone, for he had added his voi

too bad." Miss Mary's chee

you beggar"-Mr. Dyce pulled his ear-"so it's no wonde

Then they would be ready to take out to the post office in the Wistaria arbor, and to be sorted into the little boxes which Grandpapa had commissioned the carpent

d down as ecstatically as Phronsie ever did. "Jaspe

help me give out the

at," cried Joel, squ

sket," said Jasper. "Go and

old basket," whined Jo

declared Percy, drawing h

Jasper, flinging down a hand

g away from the table, "now you will spoil everything,

g his back on her, while he winked

shoe into the rug, and

r," cried Polly; "hur

as Van had slid away to another group when he saw how things we

he nodded brightly to h

a big market affair, between them. And when he saw what fun they were ha

e, Jasper sent him after

something, and little D

y should go after some

take hers out of her wor

us ask her, G

y door. There sat Mother Fisher by the table, mending away as usual, for the stockings never se

ronsie, running her head in betwee

little Dick, who would do and s

imply got to come,

cissors, Mamsie?" Phron

over to the b

isher. "Why, Phronsie, child, wh

gers already in the basket, which, standing on tiptoe, she had pulled quick

the big basket, and away rattled all the things, having a p

ld Mr. King, while littl

her round cheeks. Then her bosom heaved, and she

mean to, Mamsi

d Grandpapa, in the greatest const

t, deary." Mother Fisher wa

ding up both hands, and she burrowed he

is handkerchief and mopped his face violently. This not making hi

cheerfully, beginning to race after

rt's content. "Now, child," she said, after a minute, "I think you ought to help t

ng all the chairs aside that he could move, and lif

ught to help h

her mother's lap obedient

reat glee. "I'm going under the t

e all collected from the nice time they were having on the floor, and snugly set up in their places again. And Mother Fisher, escorted by the children and old Mr. King, who by this time was la

e hall two gentlemen, in dripping mackintoshes. "Now that's

ey were divested of their wet garments, "but it doesn't seem as if

ntleman, with pride. "Well, come this way, the principal object of interest is in Jasper's d