"You've got to give me a little more of the walk, Joe," said Ben, striding on and thrusting out his elbow on Joel's side, "else you'll go behind."
"O dear! I want to hear what you're going to say," whined Joel. But he gave way, moving up against David, who was the last in the row. "Well, do begin," he begged.
"Yes, do tell them, Ben," said Polly.
"Well, you see," said Ben, as they turned out of the big stone gateway, "we are all to give Grandpapa a present, each one, I mean."
"I am," shouted Joel, jumping up and down, "Whoopity la, whickets, I am!"
"Oh, Joel Pepper!" exclaimed Polly, looking down the row at him. Whenever Polly said "Joel Pepper," everybody felt that the case was very serious. So Joel hung his head and looked quite sheepish.
"Mamsie would be so sorry to hear you say that," went on Polly.
"Well, he isn't going to say it again," said Ben, "I don't believe."
"No, I'm not," declared Joel, his black head going up again, "never again, Polly."
"That's right," and she smiled approvingly. "Oh, now, do go on again, Ben," she said, "with your plan."