"Well, Grandpapa says that you are working too hard, Bensie, and it's quite true," Polly gave him another pat, this time a motherly one; "and so you are going."
But Ben shook his head.
"And we start to-morrow," ran on Polly, "and Jasper doesn't know a word about our coming; and we are going to stay at the hotel two or three days." And here Phronsie ran eagerly up the stairs.
"And it's going to be lovely, and not rain any of the time; and we are to take Jasper a box full of everything," she announced in great excitement. "We began to pack it the very minute that Grandpapa told us we were to go."
"That's fine! Well, I'll drop something into that box," said Ben.
"Of course," said Polly, in great satisfaction.
"And Jasper wouldn't like it not to have something of Ben's in it," said
Phronsie.
"Well, now, Bensie, run down after dinner and ask Pickering Dodge to go.
That's a good boy." Polly patted the broad back coaxingly this time.
Ben's face fell. "How do you know that Grandpapa would like to have him along?" he asked abruptly.
"As if I'd ask you to invite him," cried Polly, "unless Grandpapa had said he could go. The very idea, Ben!"