Instead of this, the old gentleman leaned back in his chair, and laughed so long and so heartily that every one in the room joined; and when they sobered down, Polly was saying, “And then Mamsie came home, and everything was all right.”
“And Mamsie said I could have my new shoes, all-to-myself shoes,” declared Phronsie, very much excited, and sitting very straight in old Mr. King’s lap; “she did, Grandpapa.”
“So she did,” assented the old gentleman, bowing his stately head gravely.
“That’s nothing,” said Percy Whitney in a dissatisfied way, “to have a pair of shoes given you. Why didn’t they give you something better than that?”
Phronsie opened her eyes very wide. “I never had a pair whole mine before,” she said simply.
“Never had a pair of shoes before,” screamed Percy and Van together, while little Dick made a big O of his mouth in utter astonishment.
Jasper leaned forward and tried to pull all three jackets together.
“Gently, boys,” said Mrs. Whitney, laying a soft hand on the shoulder nearest to her.
“Don’t you understand,” said Polly, “that we were very poor, very poor indeed; and Phronsie had never had a pair of shoes all to herself before.”