"Yes, you can," said Percy, "take Van off; that would help me more than anything else you could do."
Polly looked at Van and shook her brown head so disapprovingly that he came out of his laugh.
"Oh, I'll be good, Polly," he promised.
"See that you are, then," she said. Then she went over to the trunk and looked in.
"Percy, may I take those things out and fold them over again?" she asked.
"Yes, if you want to," said Percy shamefacedly. "I suppose I have made a mess of them; but it's too hard work for you, Polly."
"I should like nothing better than to attack that trunk," declared Polly merrily. "Now, Van, you come and help me, that's a dear boy."
And in five minutes Polly and Van were busily working together; he putting in the things, while she neatly made them into piles, and Percy sorted and gave orders like a general.
"He does strut around so," said Van under his breath, "just see him now."
"Hush—oh, Van, how can you? and he's going back to college, and you won't see him for ever so many weeks."