“I'll make you another pair of sails,” said Polly groaning within herself as she thought of the wasted minutes, “and then you can see me cut 'em, Van.”
“Will you really,” he said, delight coming all over his flushed face.
“Yes, I will,” cried Polly, “wait a minute till I get some more cloth.” And she started for the door.
“Oh now, that's too bad!” said Jasper. “To have to cut more of those tiresome old things! Van, let her off!”
“Oh no, I won't! I won't!” he cried in the greatest alarm, running up to her as she stood by the door. “You did say so, Polly! You know you did!”
“Of course I did, Vanny,” said Polly, smiling down into his eager face, “and we'll have a splendid pair in just—one—minute!” she sang.
And so the sails were cut out, and the hems turned down and basted, and tucked away into Polly's little work-basket ready for the sewing on the morrow. And then Mr. King came in and took Jasper off with him; and the two Whitney boys went up to mamma for a story; and Polly sat down in mamsie's room to tackle her French exercise.
POLLY'S BIG BUNDLE
The room was very quiet; but presently Phronsie strayed in, and seeing Polly studying, climbed up in a chair by the window to watch the birds hop over the veranda and pick up worms in the grass beside the carriage drive. And then came Mrs. Pepper with the big mending basket, and ensconced herself opposite by the table; and nothing was to be heard but the “tick, tick” of the clock, and an occasional dropping of a spool of thread, or scissors, from the busy hands flying in and out among the stockings.