Davie’s blue eyes shone as he continued, “And then the door opened, and Mamsie came in, and she said, ‘Come, children—why, where are Davie and Phronsie?’ and Joel said, ‘They’re under the bed,’ and Mamsie laughed and said, ‘Wait, till they come out, for we must all go into the kitchen together.’ And Joel helped Phronsie out, and Ben said, ‘Well, Old Father Dubbin has got you, Dave,’ and he pulled me out by the legs.” Here Davie laughed long and loud, and it sounded so gleeful that everybody joined in till the old store rang with the noise, and Mrs. Atkins ran in, her sweeping-cap on her head, to see what could be the matter.
When she found that Davie Pepper on the sugar-barrel was telling something, she joined herself to the group, in time to hear him say, “And Joel cried, ‘It’s a sto—’ and Mamsie said, ‘Hush, Joel!’—and Ben said, ‘Don’t you dare to say a word, Joe Pepper!’—and Polly said, ‘Oh, what is it, Mamsie?’ and Mamsie said, ‘Children, be quiet.’ And Joel stuffed the towel in his mouth, and we all were still as mice, and Polly said, ‘Oh, I do wish I could see!’” Here Davie’s face became very grave, and his voice fell.
“Well, she did see,” said Deacon Blodgett in a loud voice. “Now, hurry and tell us, Davie boy.”
“Yes, she did,” said Davie, bobbing his light, wavy hair till it fell over his forehead again, and the smile ran up his round cheeks. “Mamsie said, ‘Now, Polly, I’m going to take off your bandage.’ And she did!” Davie drew a long breath and clasped his hands. “And the stove was there!” he cried; “Dr. Fisher’s stove was there—it was—it was!” He sprang off from the sugar-barrel, made his way through the group, and ran over to the farther end of the store, all the circle whirling around to watch him; “just like this, in the corner,” he got down on his knees and patted the floor.
“What did Polly do?” cried Jenny’s mother in an awe-struck voice.
David hopped to his feet, and flung back the soft waves of hair that had tumbled over his forehead again, and faced them all with shining eyes. “Polly kissed it!” he said.
CHAPTER XX
JOEL’S COMPANY
“NOW, Davie,” said Mrs. Pepper, “you must be Mother’s good boy and not feel badly because Joel cannot go.”
“I very much wish Joel could go,” said Davie, gazing out of the window disconsolately. “Oh, why couldn’t good Mrs. Brown have asked Joel, too!”
“Joel must stay at home with Polly—you wouldn’t have Polly left alone, Davie, when Ben is to help Deacon Blodgett.”