Part 32 (1/2)

”We're going to the pond,” said Frick, exactly as if responding to the most cordial request to furnish the plan. ”We've got Larry's boat, and Webb is going to take his father's, and----”

”Ow--go away!” roared Joel, in an awful voice.

”And we're going to take our luncheon and stop at Egg Rock, and----”

The door flew open wildly, and Joel leaped out over Frick, flattened on the floor.

”Didn't I tell you to let me alone?” cried Joel, on top of the messenger, and pommeling away briskly, ”Say, didn't I tell? Say, didn't I tell you?”

The noise all this made was sufficient to bring Jane, who didn't stop to drop her broom.

”My goodness me, Master Joel!” she said, running down from the stair-landing, ”what are you doing?”

”Pommeling him,” said Joel cheerfully, and not looking up.

”Well, you stop it this minute,” commanded Jane, waving her broom over the two figures, for by this time Frick had managed to roll over and was now putting up quite a vigorous little fight in his own defense.

”I can't,” said Joel; ”I promised him.”

”Oh, dear me!” cried Jane, bringing her broom down smartly on as much of the surface of either boy as was possible. ”I'll scream for Mrs. Fisher if you don't stop, you two boys. I will, as true as anything!”

”Oh, no, you mustn't, Jane,” said Joel. His brown fists wavered in the air and described several circles before they fell at his side; seeing which, Frick slipped out from underneath him and began to belabor Joel to his heart's content. ”You mustn't, Jane,” howled Joel.

”Now will you come.” he cried. ”Say, hurry up, Joe, we're all waiting. Come on!” His nose was quite b.l.o.o.d.y, and a dab here and there on his countenance gave him anything but a pleasing expression.

”Ugh!” cried Jane, with a little s.h.i.+ver. ”You boys get right straight up from this floor, or I'll tell Mrs. Fisher.”

Joel seized her ap.r.o.n string and howled:

”Jane, don't!”

”Yes, I will, too, Master Joel,” declared Jane, twitching away the string; ”for such carryings on, I never see. Oh, here's Mr. King; now he'll take care of you both,” and she skipped upstairs, broom and all.

It was useless to try to slip away unperceived, for old Mr. King bore down upon them along the hall in his stateliest fas.h.i.+on.

”Dear me! what have we here?” as both boys slunk down as small as possible.

”Why, Joel!”--it was impossible to convey greater astonishment in his tone--”I thought you were steady at work.”

”So I was,” cried Joel, stung to the quick; and jumping to his feet, he fairly beat the old gentleman's arm with two distressed little palms, ”and he made me come out. I said I would pound him, and I had to. Oh, Grandpapa, I had to,” and he pranced wildly around the tall, stately figure.

”Keep quiet, Joe,” said the old gentleman, with a restraining hand; ”and, Frick, get up. Oh, dear me!”--as Frick obeyed, bringing his interesting countenance to view, by no means improved by his efforts to wipe off the smears. ”What have you boys been about?”

”He wouldn't come out,” said Frick, rubbing violently all over his round cheeks, ”and the boys sent me for him, and they're waiting now,” he finished, with a very injured air.

”Eh--oh! and so they sent you for Joel?” said the old gentleman, a light breaking over his face.

”Yes, sir,” said Frick, with a final polish to his countenance on the cuff of his jacket sleeve, ”and won't you please make Joel hurry up and come out, sir? We've waited so long.”

”And is that the way you respond to your invitations, my boy?” said Grandpapa, with a grim smile. ”I shouldn't think you'd receive many at this rate. So you fell upon him because he asked you to go somewhere, eh?”--with a keen glance into the black eyes.

”No, sir.” said Joel, ”but he wouldn't go away, and I told him if he didn't, I'd come out and pound him. So I had to.”