“I’m most dreadfully tired,” declared Peletiah, taking up one foot to rub it. “And you stepped all over me, and wouldn’t let me stop, either.”
“Humph!” said Joel disdainfully, turning on his small heel. “Well, when can we begin?” he teased, going over to Old Father Dubbin.
“Just as soon as the company is rested,” said the old gentleman.
“Begin with me—do begin with me,” cried Joel, circling around him, “please, Old Father Dubbin.”
Polly was just going to say, “It isn’t polite to begin before company is ready,” and then when she thought what a dreadful time they had all had, she said, “All right. Now come on.”
And they did come on, Old Father Dubbin and Joel; and Ezekiel forgot how tired he was and screamed with delight, and Peletiah let his foot take care of itself, and pretty soon the two boys hopped up and said they were “plenty rested,” and then the old kitchen was in an uproar.
So of course no one heard what was happening in the bedroom.
There was a string of thin old gold beads that Mrs. Pepper kept rolled up in soft paper in the little drawer at the top of the bureau. They used to be worn on Father Pepper’s grandmother’s neck, and were to be Polly’s some time, as the one treasure that was left. Now they were spread on the old patched bedquilt, and somebody in a black hat pulled down over his eyes, stopped to gaze at them. Then he turned off to pull things over in the bureau once more, every now and then pausing to listen to the babel going on in the kitchen. But as the window was open, he didn’t care very much if the noise did stop, for couldn’t he spring out at the least warning just as easily as he jumped in, pray tell! So he rummaged on.
At last, Old Father Dubbin held up his staff. “All done,” he said, “the play is over.” And Joel might tease and tease—there was to be no more for that day. Everybody must sit down to draw a long breath.
Then the person in the bedroom took his hand out of the bureau drawer, and stepping over to the bed he gathered up Father Pepper’s grandmother’s gold beads, slipped them into his pocket, and jumped out of the window.