The Whitney boys had no words to offer at that, but sat quite speechless.
“And Mamsie had promised them just as soon as she could get the money.”
“And I never had any new shoes,” said Phronsie, shaking her yellow head. “No, I never did.”
“And one day I heard her asking Seraphina her doll, ‘Do you suppose I’ll ever get my new shoes? Not till I get to be a big woman, I guess.’”
“And did you say ‘Yes’, Mrs. Pepper—did you—did you?” cried Van, jumping out from the centre of the group to precipitate himself at Mother Pepper’s elbow.
“Yes, I did,” said Mrs. Pepper, smiling at him; “I thought, seeing Phronsie had got hurt, it was just the right time for those new shoes to be bought.”
“She did—she did say ‘Yes,’” proclaimed Van, flying back again, as if bearing a wholly new fact.
“And I should say so too,” declared old Mr. King positively, and gathering Phronsie up closely in his arms again.
“Well, and so it was all ‘really and truly,’ as Phronsie said, settled,” ran on Polly once more; “and now, just think, Phronsie was to have her new shoes, and all to herself!”
It was impossible to describe the effect of this announcement upon her auditors as Polly made this statement most impressively, and she rushed on, “and Ben was to run over and ask Deacon Brown if we couldn’t have his green wagon, and”—