“What’s that?” cried Mr. Henderson. So Peletiah went slowly over and told his father all about it.
“Wife,” cried the parson, “as soon as Polly and you get those dishes done, why you and I will go in the ‘Stage-coach Jerusalem.’” And his eyes danced like a boy’s.
And sooner than anybody would think, every one of those dishes was washed and wiped, and set up on the dresser, or in the cupboard, and Polly brushed up the crumbs around the table. “There, now,” she cried, “we’re all ready!” And out they all ran into the big kitchen to get the stage-coach ready.
And presently the parson and his wife, and the three little Peppers, and the two Henderson boys had started on their journey to Jerusalem, and somehow or other Peletiah, who never seemed able to secure a seat, was at the last moment helped into one, Ben shoving him along.
“I’m here!” he cried, hanging on to the back of the chair. “I’m in Jerusalem!”
XIII
COMPANY AT THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE
POLLY sat down in despair just as Mother Pepper finished. As for Joel, he burst into a howl, and even little Davie sobbed softly to himself. Phronsie alone was just as sweet as ever, for she didn’t know in the least what it was all about. While Ben, more distressed on account of Polly than loss to himself and the others, wrung his hands as he stood quite still, his blue eyes on Polly’s face.
“No, it wouldn’t be right for you children to go to the circus,” Mother Pepper had just said; “there is only just so much money in the stocking, and it has to be saved for the things we must have.”
She had poured out into her lap the ten-cent and five-cent pieces, and pennies, with two stray quarters, from the old black stocking that the children had brought out from its resting-place in the old bureau in the bedroom, in the wild hope that she would say, “yes,”—especially since Sally Brown, the next neighbor about half a mile distant, was going with her family.
“Oh, there’s lots and lots of money,” cried Joel, sticking his brown fingers in the little pile of coins to churn them about. “Oh, Mamsie!”