Part 24 (1/2)
”I'll hold the whip,” cried the passenger, eagerly, poking his head out of the stage-coach
”No, you won't, either,” cried Joel ”You're the passenger O dear me, there ain't any fun without th' whip!”
”Then I can drive,” said little David ”Do let me, Joel,” he pleaded
”I won't either,” declared Joel, flatly ”I'm Mr Tisbett, and besides, there won't be anybody inside if you get up here”
”Phronsiea ht!” cried Joel, ”and Seraphina too And that'll make more upset Then you may come up here, Dave,” he promised But when Polly was made acquainted with this fine plan, she refused to allow Phronsie to enter into such a noisy play And Joel's face dropped so dishten out the trouble Just then one of the Henderson boys came up to the door with a little pat of butter in a dish for Mrs Pepper
”Here coht of hih the”Now, p'r'aps he can stop and play with you, Joel”
”He ain't ood to play,” answered Joel, who never seemed to be able to wake up the quiet boy to uess,” said Polly, reprovingly, ”and he's such a good boy”
”Hebusily, as Polly ran to the door to let the Henderson boy in ”We'll play he's the oin' over to preach in Boxford, and we'll upset hiet up here”
”I don't knoe ought to upset him if he's the minister,”
objected David, doubtfully, as he clambered up to Joel's side
Still, a perfect thrill of delight seized him at his promotion to the seat of honor, and his little hands trembled as Joel laid the precious ithin theuess I'd rather you had the reins,” decided Joel, twitching away the whip to lay the bits of string in David's little brown hands ”You can drive first, 'cause I want to crack the whip awful loud as we start And then I'll take 'eain”
David, ouldit bliss enough to be up there on the box and doing soht-haired, serious boy, walked slowly into the kitchen
”You're the passenger,” shouted Joel at hi over to Boxford Hurry up and get into the stage-coach I'm Mr Tisbett”
[Illustration: ”'YOU'RE THE PassENGER!' SHOUTED JOEL”]
”And I' a very pink and happy face doard hio to Boxford,” said Peletiah, deliberately, and standing quite still, while Polly ran into the pantry to slip the little pat of butter on to another plate
”Oh, how good it looks!” she said, longing for just one taste
”Well, you've got to go,” said Joel, obstinately, ”so get in”
”I don't want to go to Boxford,” repeated Peletiah, not stirring
Joel cracked the whip angrily, and glared down at hio so forward and clutching the reins carefully, ”and that'll be just as good”
”Do you?” asked Joel, crossly ”Want to go anywheres else, Peletiah?”
Peletiah considered so long over this that Joel, druot tired out, and shouted, ”Hurry up and get in--th' stage-coach's goin'!” which had the desired effect, to er skip in oin' to Boxford,” announced Joel, positively, cracking his whip at its loudest ”Be careful, David; hold the horses up”