“Why, we were very poor, you know,” said Polly; “and the old stove was all tired out, it had been baking so long—oh! for years and years; and it had big holes and cracks come in it that let the air through, and then that put the fire out.”
“Oh!” said little Dick.
“We weren’t so very poor,” said Joel uneasily, who never could bear to be pitied.
“No, not when our ships came in,” said Ben soberly; but his eyes twinkled, at which Polly laughed merrily.
“Oh, dear me!” she cried, wiping her eyes; “Joel’s ships were always coming in.”
“What do you mean, Polly Pepper?” cried Van quickly. “You say so many funny things. What were Joel’s ships? and when did they come in?”
“Now, see here,” said Jasper, “if you ask so many questions, Polly never can get to the story how Phronsie got her new shoes. And to think how you three chaps have been teasing her to tell it! If I were Polly, I wouldn’t give you a single scrap of it.”
But Polly tossed him a bright smile over her shoulder, and dashed off again as fast as she could.
“You see, boys, when the putty that Ben had stuffed into the old stove tumbled out that morning, I was just going to put my pans of bread into the oven. Think of that!”
“Oh, dear me!” exclaimed the Whitney boys.