But Joel hung with both hands to the edge of the shelf. And the green door opening, in came Ezekiel.
“There now, just see, here’s the rest of your company coming,” cried Polly, quite lost in her vexation. “Now I don’t believe I shall let you have any pie at all.”
“It’s my party,” howled Joel, still hanging to the shelf and looking over his shoulder at her, “and I’m going to have the refreshments, Polly.”
“How do you do, Ezekiel,” said Polly.
Ezekiel had on a new calico blouse, pink and white striped, that the minister’s wife had sat up the night before to finish for the party. And he was hardly able to take his thoughts from it, until he saw the pie, and underneath it Joel hanging to the shelf. Then he stared out of big eyes.
“I’m going to have some refreshments,” cried Joel over to him.
“Oh, no,” contradicted Polly. “Joel has been naughty,” she said to Ezekiel, “and he ought not to have any pie.”
“He called me a mud-turtle,” said Peletiah, over in the chair by the wall. He concluded not to say anything about going home since he heard “refreshments and pie.”
“O dear!” exclaimed Polly, her cheeks very hot.
“Can’t I have any pie?” gasped Joel, dropping suddenly to the floor, his face working dreadfully as he tried not to cry.