“Yes, I have—you've made us go for three—no, I guess fourteen nights,” said Joel, indignantly.
“Well, you were made to go,” laughed Polly. “I said if you'd go good, you know; so run along, Joe, and I'll tell you a nice one to-morrow.”
“It's got to be long,” shouted Joel, when he saw he could get no more, making good time up to the loft.
To say that Polly, in the following days, was Master Joel's slave, was stating the case lightly. However, she thought by her story-telling she got off easily, as each evening saw the boys drag their unwilling feet to-bedward, and leave Ben and herself in peace to plan and work undisturbed. There they would sit by the little old table, around the one tallow candle, while Mrs. Pepper sewed away busily, looking up to smile or to give some bits of advice; keeping her own secret meanwhile, which made her blood leap fast, as the happy thoughts nestled in her heart of her little ones and their coming glee. And Polly made the loveliest of paper dolls for Phronsie out of the rest of the bits of bright paper; and Ben made windmills and whistles for the boys; and a funny little carved basket with a handle, for Phronsie, out of a hickory nut shell; and a new pink calico dress for Seraphina peered out from the top drawer of the old bureau in the bedroom, whenever anyone opened it—for Mrs. Pepper kindly let the children lock up their treasures there as fast as completed.
“I'll make Seraphina a bonnet,” said Mrs. Pepper, “for there's that old bonnet-string in the bag, you know, Polly, that'll make it beautiful.”
“Oh, do, mother,” cried Polly, “she's been wanting a new one awfully.”
“And I'm going to knit some mittens for Joel and David,” continued Mrs. Pepper; “cause I can get the yarn cheap now. I saw some down at the store yesterday I could have at half price.”
“I don't believe anybody'll have as good a Christmas as we shall,” cried Polly, pasting on a bit of trimming to the gayest doll's dress; “no, not even Jappy.”
An odd little smile played around Mrs. Pepper's mouth, but she said not a word, and so the fun and the work went on.
The tree was to be set up in the Provision Room; that was finally decided, as Mrs. Pepper showed the children how utterly useless it would be to try having it in the kitchen.