Five Little Peppers at School Part 12

"I must--I must," declared Polly. Her foot was on the step, and she was soon out.

"I'll go with you," said Jasper, as she sped down through the streams of people pouring along the platform, to thread her way after the tall figure, Jasper by her side. "Dr. Pennell--oh, please stop."

"Hey?" The doctor pulled up in his brisk walk. "Oh dear me! what is it?"

"Will you please tell me--do you know who the poor man was who was killed?" she gasped.

"Oh Polly," cried Jasper, "was there some one killed?"

"Yes, he was a brakeman, Polly," said Dr. Pennell.

"Oh, I know--but where did he live?" cried Polly, "and had he any children?" all in one breath.

"A big family, I understand," said the doctor gravely.

"Oh dear me!" exclaimed Polly with a sorry droop to the bright head, and clasping her hands, "could you, Dr. Pennell, tell me anything more?"

"That's all I know about the poor fellow," said the doctor. "The conductor told me that."

"I'll find out for you to-morrow, Polly," said Jasper quickly; "I'll run down to the railroad office, and get all the news I can."

"And I'll go with you," said Polly, "for I most know Grandpapa will let me. He was so very good to us all--that poor man was," she mourned.

"Yes, Polly, there's no doubt of that," Dr. Pennell said abruptly. "You and I maybe wouldn't be standing here if it were not for him."

Jasper s.h.i.+vered, and laid hold of Polly's arm. "Well now, run along and get home," finished the doctor cheerily, "and look out for that plucky little friend of yours, and I'll try and find out, too, about that brakeman, and we'll talk the thing over." So Polly and Jasper raced back again down over the platform, clambered into the carriage, and away they went home to Grandpapa and Mamsie!

And Alexia and her aunt staid all night. And after the whole story had been gone over and over, and Grandpapa had held Polly on his knee, all the time she was not in Mamsie's lap, and Alexia had had her poor arm taken care of, and all bandaged up, Dr. Fisher praising her for being so cool and patient, why then it was nearly eleven o'clock.

"Dear me! Polly," cried Mother Fisher in dismay, looking over at the clock--they were all in the library, and all visitors had been denied--"the very idea! you children must get to bed."

"Yes--or you won't be cool and patient to-morrow," said Dr. Fisher decidedly, and patting Alexia's bandages. "Now run off, little girl, and we'll see you bright as a b.u.t.ton in the morning."

"I'm not cool and patient," declared Alexia, abruptly pulling down, with her well hand, the little doctor till she could whisper in his ear. "Oh, aunt does fuss so--you can't think; I'm a raging wild animal."

"Well, you haven't been raging to-night, Alexia," said the little doctor, bursting out into a laugh.

"Oh, hush, do," implored Alexia, who wasn't in the slightest degree afraid to speak her mind, least of all to Dr. Fisher, whom she liked immensely; "they'll all hear us," she brought up in terror.

"What is it, Alexia?" cried her aunt from the sofa, where Dr. Fisher had asked her to be seated, as it was well across the room. "Oh, is she worse?" she exclaimed, hurrying over nervously.

"There, now, you see," cried Alexia tragically, and sinking back in her chair; "everything's just as bad as can be now."

"Not in the least, Miss Rhys," the little doctor said in his cheeriest tones, "only Alexia and I had a little joke all by ourselves." And as he waited coolly for the maiden lady to return to her seat, she soon found herself back there. Then he went over to Mamsie, and said something in a low tone.

"Yes, Adoniram." Mother Fisher nodded over Polly's brown head. "She ought to have a good night's sleep."

"Polly," said Dr. Fisher, leaning over her, "it's just this: that aunt of Alexia's--she's a good enough sort of a woman, I suppose," wrinkling his brows in perplexity to find the right words, "but she certainly does possess the faculty to rile folks up remarkably well. She sets my teeth on edge; she does really, wife." He brought out this confession honestly, although he hated professionally to say it. "And Alexia--well, you know, Polly, she ought to be kept quiet to-night. So your mother and I--we do, don't we, dear?" taking Mamsie's hand.

"We certainly do," said Mrs. Fisher, not waiting for the whole story to be told, "think it's best for you to have Alexia with you to-night."

"Oh, goody!" exclaimed Polly, sitting quite straight in Mamsie's lap.

"You are not to talk, Polly, you know," said Dr. Fisher decidedly.

"Oh, we won't--we won't," promised Polly faithfully.

"You can have the red room, Polly," said Mamsie, "because of the two beds. And now, child, you must both hop off and get into them as soon as you can, or you'll be sick to-morrow."

So Polly ran off to bid Grandpapa good night. And then as he held her in his arms, he said, "Well, now, Polly, you and Jasper and I will take that trip down to the railroad station to-morrow."

"Oh, Grandpapa!" cried Polly, clasping her hands, while her cheeks turned rosy red, "I am so very glad. We can go right after school, can't we?"

"School? Oh, you won't go to school to-morrow," said old Mr. King decidedly. "Yes, yes, Mrs. Fisher, in just a minute--Polly shall go to bed in a minute. No, no, Polly, after such an excitement, school isn't to be thought of for a day or two."

"Perhaps she'll be all right in the morning, father," Jasper hurried to say, at sight of Polly's face.

"Oh, I shall--I shall." Polly flashed a bright glance at him.

"_Please_, Grandpapa, let me go. I haven't been absent this year."

"And it's so awfully hard to make up lessons," said Jasper.

"Make up lessons? Well, you needn't make them up. Bless me! Such a scholar as you are, Polly, I guess you'll stand well enough at the end of the year, without any such trouble. Quite well enough," he added with decision.

Polly's brown head drooped, despite her efforts to look bravely up into his face. "Good night, Grandpapa," she said sadly, and was turning away.

"Oh bless me!" exclaimed old Mr. King hastily, "Polly, see here, my child, well--well, in the morning perhaps--dear me!--we can tell then whether it's best for you to go to school or not. Come, kiss me good night, again."

So Polly ran back and gave him two or three kisses, and then raced off, Jasper having time to whisper at the door: "I most know, Polly, father'll let you go; I really and truly believe he will."

"I believe so too," cried Polly happily.

And sure enough, he did. For the next morning Polly ran down to breakfast as merry as a bee, brown eyes dancing, as if accidents were never to be thought of; and Grandpapa pinched her rosy cheek, and said: "Well, Polly, you've won! Off with you to school." And Polly tucked her books under her arm, and raced off with Jasper, who always went to school with her as far as their paths went, turning off at the corner where she hurried off to Miss Salisbury's select school, to go to his own.

"Oh, here comes Polly Pepper!" The girls, some of them waiting for her at the big iron gate, raced down to meet her. "Oh Polly--Polly." At that a group of girls on the steps turned, and came flying up, too. "Oh, tell us all about the awful accident," they screamed. "Tell, Polly, do."

They swarmed all over her.

"Give me the books," and one girl seized them. "I'll carry them for you, Polly."

"And, Polly, not one of the other girls that went out to Silvia Horne's is here this morning."

"They may come yet," said Polly; "it's not late."

"Oh, I know; we came early to meet you; well, Silvia isn't here either."

"Oh, she can't come, because of her cousin," said Polly, "and----"

"Well, I don't care whether she ever comes," declared Leslie Fyle. "I can't abide that Silvia Horne."