“Oh!” said Phronsie.
“Well, along about ten o’clock,—no, I guess it was about the middle of the night,” said Polly, “all the Periwinkleses were keeping just as still as could be, you know; and there they sat on their chairs and crickets with their eyes wide open, staring at that big jar—oh! I forgot to tell you that Mr. Periwinkle and Mrs. Periwinkle had put some more pink and white sticks in it, so as to see what would happen to them, and”—
“Were there six pink and six white ones?” screamed Joel, before the others could say a word.
“Yes, I guess there were just exactly so many,” said Polly; “and there they stood up, as tall and splendid in the jar.”
“Oo!” Joel smacked his lips.
“Well, along in the middle of the night,—nobody stirred, but all the eyes were staring at those pink and white sticks, when suddenly there was a little wee, faint noise.”
Phronsie snuggled up closer to Polly.
“It came from under the counter; and pretty soon they all heard a faint voice say, ‘Is it time to come out and do it?’”
“‘Yes,’ said another voice; ‘the clock has just struck twelve, and all the big Periwinkles and the little Periwinkleses are asleep.’”