Ben Pepper Part 37

"Oh, beg your pardon," said Jasper, while the color went flying over his pale face. "I didn't mean to make you so much trouble, Polly, I really didn't."

"It isn't any trouble, Jasper," said Polly, with a final little pat, "only you mustn't get cold, for then I'm sure I don't know what we should do."

"Oh, I couldn't get cold," said Jasper, with a glance over at the bright hickory fire on the hearth, "I couldn't possibly, Polly."

"Well, you aren't going to kick off the blanket like that again," said Ben, with a bob of his head, "or we'll go straight off like a shot, Polly and I will, so there, sir!"

"Oh, I won't, I won't," cried Jasper, bursting into a laugh, "so do sit down, both of you. I'll be just as good as--what is it Candace always says--pie!"

"See that you are then," said Ben, with another laugh.

"Well, now Polly, you begin," said Jasper, hungry for news, as the two were seated on their ha.s.socks, "and tell everything straight through, what you've all been doing since Ben was away."

"O dear me!" cried Polly, drawing a long breath, "I couldn't tell everything, Jasper."

"You must," said Jasper, decidedly. "I want to hear every single thing; so begin, Polly."

"Well," said Polly, folding her hands in her lap, and plunging in at once on the most interesting part of the story, "in the first place, you know Ben went out shopping with Madam Van Ruypen."

"Ugh!" exclaimed Ben, "don't tell about that, Polly; that's no good."

"What is it, Polly?" cried Jasper, eagerly. "Oh, do go on. You be still, Ben," shaking his finger at him; "now go on, Polly; don't mind him, he's no good."

"Polly," cried Ben, "tell about how we did our Christmas shopping, that's better. Do, Polly."

"Polly, don't you mind this chap at all," said Jasper, turning a cold shoulder to Ben; "go on with what you were saying; now then."

"The Christmas shopping is enough sight better," said Ben, in another desperate attempt to get Polly's attention.

"Oh, never you mind about the Christmas shopping," said Jasper, coolly, "I'll get that all in good time. Now then, Polly, you said Ben went out shopping with Madam Van Ruypen. Well, what else?"

"Yes, he did," said Polly, keeping her eyes away from Ben, so that all his frantic efforts to attract her attention went for nothing. "You see she took a great fancy to him, and--"

"Oh, now, Polly," began Ben, with a very red face. "Don't you believe her, Jasper; it's just because she didn't have any one else to ask."

"Who, Polly?" cried Jasper, turning back to him.

"No, no, the old lady, Madam Van Ruypen."

"Oh, well, let Polly tell that," said Jasper, turning away again. "Well, go on, Polly, she took a great fancy to him--and what then?"

"And so she invited him to go out with her in her great big carriage to help her get her Christmas things."

"Well, well!" exclaimed Jasper. "I say, Ben Pepper, of all things!"

"I wish you would stop, Polly," said Ben, in a tone of great vexation, and twisting uncomfortably on his ha.s.sock.

"Oh, I wouldn't stop her for all the world," cried Jasper, in high delight. "Well, what did they buy, Polly? Fancy Ben out shopping with a lady!"

"Well, you see, Jasper, Madam Van Ruypen goes up in the summer to the mountains, and a poor woman does her was.h.i.+ng," said Polly, hurrying along, and not daring to look at Ben. "And she wanted to do something for her. She has ever so many children, you know."

"Who? Madam Van Ruypen?" asked Jasper, wrinkling his brows.

"No, the poor woman, the washerwoman," said Polly.

"There, Polly, you're getting all mixed up," said Ben, quite pleased.

"You better stop."

"You be still," said Jasper, with a nudge. "Polly will tell it all right if you will only let her alone."

"She doesn't seem to be getting on very well," grumbled Ben.

"Well, and then, Polly, what next?" Jasper leaned forward to catch every word.

"Why, there were boys in the mountains, you know, the poor washerwoman's home, so Madam Van Ruypen wanted Ben to pick out some things for them."

"What things?" demanded Jasper, intensely interested.

"Oh, overcoats and tippets and gloves and jackets and--"

"Oh, hurrah!" exclaimed Jasper, breaking into the list. Then he whirled around and bestowed a resounding rap on Ben's back.

"Whew!" exclaimed Ben. "Well, you don't need to get your strength back,"

he added ruefully.

"Don't I though?" said Jasper, with s.h.i.+ning eyes, and lifting up his hand. "Now, here's another--to think she chose you to do that, Ben!"

"No, you don't," said Ben, moving back so hastily that he rolled off his ha.s.sock in a heap on the floor.

"See what you got by deserting your best friend," said Jasper, coolly.

"Well, go on, Polly; and so Ben bought things?"

"Yes, she let him pick them out all by himself," said Polly, with great pride.

"Polly!" cried Ben, with flaming cheeks.

"She did; she told me so herself," Polly bobbed her head to emphasize every word, "and she said--"

"Polly, I can't think Papa Fisher would like to have us stay any longer," burst in Ben, desperately, coming up to lay a hand on Polly's shoulder.

"Hoh! Hoh!" cried Jasper, "now go on, Polly, tell the whole--mind I must have every word."

"I shall tell," said Polly, twitching away her shoulder from Ben's hand, "and you mustn't think to stop me, Ben, 'cause Jasper shall know. She said that Ben had more sense than anybody she knew," ran on Polly, while Ben stuffed his fingers in his ears and marched to the other side of the large room, "and she did everything he said."

"What, _everything_?" asked Jasper, eagerly.

"Yes, every single thing," said Polly. "She didn't choose a thing; all she did was to pay the bill."

"Whew!" whistled Jasper. "Good for Ben!"