Part 12 (1/2)
”I _do_ hope Tess comes pretty quick!” murmured Dot. ”I--I'm just about going crazy!”
Tess came finally; but at first she was so excited by something that had happened in school that she could not listen to Dot's pleading that she should ”come and look at the box.”
Of course, Sammy Pinkney was in difficulties with the teacher again. And Tess could not see for once why he should be punished.
”I'm sure,” she said earnestly, ”Sammy did his best. And I brought the composition he wrote home for you to see, Ruthie. Sammy dropped it out of his book and I will give it to him to-morrow.
”But Miss Pepperill acted just like she thought Sammy had misbehaved himself. She said she hoped she hadn't a 'humorist in embryo' in her cla.s.s. What did she mean by that, Ruthie? What's a humorist in embryo!”
”A sprouting funny man,” said Agnes, laughing. ”Maybe Sammy Pinkney will grow up to write for the funny columns in the newspapers.”
”Let us see the paper, Tess,” said Ruth. ”Maybe that will explain just what Miss Pepperill meant.”
”And poor Sammy's got to stay after school for a week,” said Tess, sympathetically, producing a much smudged and wrinkled sheet of composition paper.
”_Do_ come and see the box!” wailed Dot.
Tess went with her smaller sister then, leaving Ruth to read aloud for the delight of the rest of the family Sammy Pinkney's composition on
”THE DUCK
”The duck is a low heavyset bird he is a mighty poor singer having a coa.r.s.e voice like crows only worse caused by getting to many frogs in his neck. He is parshal to water and aks like hed swallowed a toy balloon that keeps him from sinking the best he can do is to sink his head straight down but his tail fethers is always above water. Duks has only two legs and they is set so far back on his running gears by Nachur that they come pretty near missin' his body altogether. Some ducks when they get big curls on their tails is called drakes and don't have to set or hatch but just loaf and go swimming and eat ev'rything in sight so if I had to be a duck I'd ruther be a drake. There toes are set close together the web skin puts them in a poor way of scratching but they have a wide bill for a spade and they walk like they was tipsy. They bounce and b.u.mp from side to side and if you scare them they flap there wings and try to make a pa.s.s at singing which is pore work. That is all about ducks.”
”Do you suppose,” cried Agnes in wonder, ”that that boy doesn't know any better than that composition _sounds_?”
”Evidently Miss Pepperill thinks he does,” laughed Ruth. ”But it _is_ funny. I wonder what will happen to Sammy Pinkney when he grows up?”
”The question is, what will happen to him before he grows up,” chuckled Neale. ”That kid is a public nuisance. I don't know but that the dog-catchers will get him yet.”
Meanwhile the two little girls had secured the paper box and opened it.
Their squeals drew all the others to the sitting room. Inside the neatly wrapped box was a round object in silver and gold foil, and when this was carefully unwound, a big, splendid golden pippin lay on the table.
”Why!” cried Dot, ”it's one of our own apples.”
”It is surely off our pippin tree,” agreed Agnes.
”Who could have sent it?” Tess surmised. ”And Dr. Forsyth brought it.”
”Bringing coals to Newcastle,” chuckled Neale.
But when Tess took up the apple, it broke in half. It had been cunningly cut through and through, and then the core scooped out, and the halves of the apple fastened together again.
”Oo-ee!” squealed Dot again.
For in the core of the apple was a wad of paper, and Tess spread this out on the table. It was a note and the reading of it delighted the two smaller girls immensely:
”My dear Lesser Half of the Corner House Quartette,” it began.
”Your kindness in sending me the nice bag of apples has not been overlooked. I wanted to come and see you, and thank you in person; but my duties at present will not allow me to do so. We are short-handed here at the Women's and Children's Hospital and I can not spare the time for even an afternoon call.