“Oh, you oughtn’t to do so, Polly,” he repeated hoarsely, and putting his hand on her shoulder.
“We—we won’t—see—the el’funt,” sobbed Joel, in angry spasms, and kicking his well-worn shoes on the floor. Little Davie gave a great sob at that, not so much at the loss of a sight of the elephant, as that wasn’t his particular choice of all the great wonders of this magnificent show, but the little white mice, who could do all sorts of tricks; hadn’t he stood on tiptoe to spell all about the wonderful things they could do, when sent on an errand to the store. At all such times when there was a chance to get near the great posters tacked up by the side of the little boxes and pigeonholes running down one side of the store (for Mr. Atkins, besides keeping the general store, was also postmaster of the village), he had been lost to the charms of the rest of the great show. And now he was never to see those dear wonderful little mice! He snuggled up closer to Joel, and wound one arm around his neck.
“And the snakes—the great big one that eats the camel,” roared Joel, getting, in his anger, dreadfully mixed. “Oh—oh!”—making his feet fly harder than ever.
“Polly, you see,” said Ben, bending down to whisper in her ear.
“I can’t—can’t—he—lp it—” said Polly, gustily, between her fingers.
“Yes, you can.” Ben shut his lips firmly together, and a very disapproving look came into his blue eyes. Polly felt it all over her miserable little body and her head sank lower than ever.
“Mamsie’s worried,” began Ben, a dreadful feeling at his heart as if the Little Brown House were going all to pieces, since Polly seemed to be failing them all in this way,—when she sprang up, a rain of tears running down her flushed face. “Oh, Bensie, I’m so bad and wicked,” and she flung herself into his arms.
“There, there, there,” said Ben, giving her what he meant for love pats on her shaking shoulder, “you aren’t bad now, you know, Polly.”
“Yes, I am,” said Polly, in a smothered voice; “oh, Ben, I am.”
“Well, you ought to stop now,” said Ben, “or else you will be bad, very bad indeed,” he added decidedly.