Part 16 (1/2)
”Somebody made a good deal of noise down in the corridor,” said Mother Fisher, ”and your father went out to see what was the matter, and then he came back and told me what to do, and he took Phronsie and went for old Mr. King. But he had sent a porter to warn them in 165, and they would tell the Hendersons in the next room, before he ran upstairs to me.” It was a long speech for Mother Fisher.
”Mamsie,” asked Polly, suddenly, after she had leaned across her mother and beamed at the little doctor, which so delighted him that his big spectacles nearly fell off in his plate, ”how _did_ you know where the fire-escape was?”
”Oh, that was your father's doings, too,” said Mother Fisher. She couldn't help but show her pride. ”He told me all about it the first day we got to the hotel. He always does; he says it's better to know these things.”
”Wife--wife,” begged the little doctor, imploringly.
”I'm going to tell, Adoniram,” said Mother Fisher, proudly, ”the whole story; they ought to know.”
”Indeed we had; and so you shall,” commanded Mr. King, from the head of the table.
”I can't help it! I really must!” exclaimed Polly, hopping out of her chair,--there were no other people in the breakfast room beside their party, so really it wasn't so very dreadful after all,--and she ran back of her mother's chair, and threw her arms around the little doctor's neck. ”Oh, Papa Fisher,” she cried, setting ever so many kisses on his cheeks under the big spectacles, ”you've saved all our lives.”
”There--there, Polly,” cried the little doctor, quite overcome.
”And ours, too,” said little Mrs. Gray, in a shaking voice.
XI
THE TWO BIRTHDAYS IN OLD HOLLAND
And Polly never knew about a certain shelf in Grandpapa's closet, nor how full it was getting, when Jasper ran every now and then to add the gifts as fast as the different members of the party picked up pretty things in the shops for the coming birthday--now very near. And she actually forgot all about the birthday itself; all her mind being set on the Henderson box, so soon to sail off over the sea.
And Mother Fisher would look over at her absorbed face, and smile, to watch her in the shops, picking out things for the Henderson boys; and old Mr. King would send many a keen glance at her, and Jasper had hard work not to exclaim, ”Oh, Polly, father has got you a--” And then he'd pull himself up, and rush off into some great plan to buy Peletiah Henderson something that a Badgertown boy ought to have. And Phronsie was carefully guarded on all sides these days, lest she should let out the great secret, for, of course, she ought to be in the very centre of all these preparations to celebrate Polly's birthday in Old Amsterdam, so she knew everything just as soon as it was planned. But sometimes, with all this care, the whole thing nearly popped out.
”Mr. King!” It was Mother Fisher who called after him, and her voice didn't sound like hers, for it had an excited little ring. ”Oh, are you going out?” for she didn't see that he held his hat in his hand till he turned in the corridor.
”I can wait just as well if it's anything you want, Mrs. Fisher,” he said gladly, controlling his surprise at her unusual manner. ”I was only about to run down to the Kalver-straat for a little matter I just thought of for the birthday. Can I do anything for you?” he begged.
”Yes, it's just that,” said Mrs. Fisher, hurriedly; ”it's about the birthday--I must speak quickly--I've just found out,--” she glanced up and down the corridor as if fully expecting to see Polly dash around a corner,--”that Adela Gray's birthday is to-morrow--”
”The d.i.c.kens! You don't say so!” exploded Mr. King. ”Well, now, I call that very clever on your part to have found it out. Very clever indeed, Mrs. Fisher,” he repeated, beaming at her. ”And just in time, for it would have been a dreadful thing, indeed, to have had that poor little girl left out, and her birthday too! Dear me!”
”It would, indeed,” said Mrs. Fisher, heartily, with a s.h.i.+ver at the mere thought.
”And we might as well have had no celebration in such a case, for Polly wouldn't have enjoyed a single bit of it--not an atom!” declared old Mr. King, bringing his walking stick heavily down on the floor.
”What is it--oh, Grandpapa, what is it?” and Polly came hurrying along the corridor, and Jasper after her.
”Here she comes!” exclaimed Grandpapa, in a fright. ”Glad you told me--Hush--O dear me--I'll take care of the gifts.”
”And I'm to do the rest--just the same--Doctor Fisher and I. Remember!”
It was all Mrs. Fisher had time to utter. Even then, Polly caught the last words in the flurry.
”Oh, what is it, Mamsie--Is anything the matter with Papa-Doctor?” And her brown eyes filled with alarm at her mother's unusual manner.
”Polly,” Mrs. Fisher looked into the brown eyes with a steady glance, and all the hurry was gone out of her voice, ”your father is all right.
And now, run away, you and Jasper.” She looked over Polly's shoulder at him as she spoke. ”No, not another word, child.” And away Mrs. Fisher hurried, while old Mr. King slipped off in the opposite direction.