“Joe Pepper, if you don’t stop and listen, I’ll never, never speak to you again!” cried Alexia in a pet.
“That would be terrible,” said Joel with a laugh. “Good-by, Alexia,” putting out his hand, “I shall lose my train if I stay to get to the end of that recital.”
“Joe, Joe!” cried Alexia, running after him. But he strode off, calling back, “I’ll trust Polly.” And his train approaching the depot, Alexia, bemoaning her fate in not getting out to Badgertown earlier, skipped off to “The Oaks” in no very pleasant frame of mind.
“Where’s Polly?” she cried to Phronsie in the conservatory as she ran through the library.
“Polly’s gone to town,” said Phronsie, cutting off some blossoms to add to the bunch in her hand.
“To town! Oh, dear me!” screamed Alexia. “And I’ve only just come out! What did she want to go to town to-day for, Phronsie?”
“She had to go, Alexia,” said Phronsie, pausing as she saw Alexia was really distressed; “what is the matter?”
“Oh! then I must tell you,” said Alexia. “Oh, my! I’m so hot, as if I’d run every speck of the way.”
“I’ll get you a fan,” said Phronsie, coming into the library. “There are some, Alexia, on the table.”
“Whew!” Alexia possessed herself of one, and fanned vigorously, so that she set all the feathers on her much-betrimmed hat into a violent flutter. “Oh! it’s all over town, Phronsie,” she said.