“And you tease and tease the life out of me,” cried Polly, who, now that she had begun, found it impossible to stop herself; “and I wish you’d go away and let me alone.” And there stood Mother Pepper; how she got there, no one ever knew, but there she was in the doorway.
[“Polly,” said Mrs. Pepper,] and there was a look in her black eyes that made Polly’s brown ones droop, [“you needn’t tell any story just now.”]
[“Polly,” said Mrs. Pepper, “you needn’t tell any story just now.”]
“O Mamsie!” cried Polly, all the color gone from her cheek; and bursting into a torrent of tears she rushed to Mother Pepper’s side, “please let me—oh, do! I’d rather tell a story than do anything else; I would, truly.”
“Oh, we don’t want any story!” screamed Joel, breaking away from the others to precipitate himself into Mrs. Pepper’s arms, his face working frightfully in his efforts not to cry. The other boys stood helplessly by, lost in astonishment.
“No, Polly,” said Mrs. Pepper firmly, “not now; the story must wait. And now, children, you can go away and shut the door.”
“Can I stay?” begged Phronsie, two tears rolling down her round cheeks, as she came up and stood imploringly by Mother Pepper’s side.
“No, dear.” So Phronsie crept off like a hurt little thing after the others, and carefully shut the door. Then they all sat down on the lowest stairs to think about it.