Part 29 (1/2)

”I should think likely,” laughed Ben. ”No, indeed, Polly Pepper! but if we should pop a lot, oh! a bushel, and then we should string 'em, we could wind it all in and out among the branches, and--”

”Why, wouldn't that be pretty?” cried Polly, ”real pretty--and we can do that, I'm sure.”

”Yes,” continued Ben; ”and then, don't you know, there's some little candle ends in that box in the Provision Room, maybe mammy'd give us them.”

”I don't believe but she would,” cried Polly; ”twould be just like j.a.ppy's if she would! Let's ask her now--this very same minute!”

And they scampered hurriedly to Mrs. Pepper, who to their extreme astonishment, after all, said ”yes,” and smiled encouragingly on the plan.

”Isn't mammy good?” said Polly, with loving grat.i.tude, as they seated themselves again.

”Now we're all right,” exclaimed Ben, ”and I tell you we can make the tree look perfectly splendid, Polly Pepper!”

”And I'll tell you another thing, Ben,” Polly said, ”oh! something elegant! You must get ever so many hickory nuts; and you know those bits of bright paper I've got in the bureau drawer? Well, we can paste them on to the nuts and hang 'em on for the b.a.l.l.s j.a.ppy tells of.”

”Polly,” cried Ben, ”it'll be such a tree as never was, won't it?”

”Yes; but dear me,” cried Polly, springing up, ”the children are coming!

Wasn't it good, grandma wanted 'em to come over this afternoon, so's we could talk! Now hus.h.!.+” as the door opened to admit the noisy little troop.

”If you think of any new plan,” whispered Ben, behind his hand, while Mrs. Pepper engaged their attention, ”you'll have to come out into the wood-shed to talk after this.”

”I know it,” whispered Polly back again; ”oh! we've got just heaps of things to think of, Bensie!”

Such a contriving and racking of brains as Polly and Ben set up after this! They would bob over at each other, and smile with significant gesture as a new idea would strike one of them, in the most mysterious way that, if observed, would drive the others almost wild. And then, frightened lest in some hilarious moment the secret should pop out, the two conspirators would betake themselves to the wood-shed as before agreed on. But Joel, finding this out, followed them one day--or, as Polly said, tagged--so that was no good.

”Let's go behind the wood-pile,” she said to Ben, in desperation; ”he can't hear there, if we whisper real soft.”

”Yes, he will,” said Ben, who knew Joel's hearing faculties much better.

”We'll have to wait till they're a-bed.”

So after that, when nightfall first began to make its appearance, Polly would hint mildly about bedtime.

”You hustle us so!” said Joel, after he had been sent off to bed for two or three nights unusually early.

”Oh, Joey, it's good for you to get to bed,” said Polly, coaxingly; ”it'll make you grow, you know, real fast.”

”Well, I don't grow a-bed,” grumbled Joel, who thought something was in the wind. ”You and Ben are going to talk, I know, and wink your eyes, as soon as we're gone.”

”Well, go along, Joe, that's a good boy,” said Polly, laughing, ”and you'll know some day.”

”What'll you give me?” asked Joel, seeing a bargain, his foot on the lowest stair leading to the loft, ”say, Polly?”

”Oh, I haven't got much to give,” she said, cheerily; ”but I'll tell you what, Joey--I'll tell you a story every day that you go to bed.”

”Will you?” cried Joe, hopping back into the room. ”Begin now, Polly, begin now!”

”Why, you haven't been to bed yet,” said Polly, ”so I can't till to-morrow.”

”Yes, I have--you've made us go for three--no, I guess fourteen nights,”