on the four faces.
Mrs. Fisher slipped her hand on his tired one, as it rested on his lap. "What is it, Adoniram?" she asked.
"Why, that old—I mean Mrs. Van Ruypen,—I should just as soon think of a stone gate-post breaking out—says our children helped her, and she's overcome with gratitude. Think of it, Mary, that old stone post!"
"Oh!" cried Joel, burrowing deeply, till his face was almost obscured.
"And she can't say enough about them. Wants them to come over to-morrow."
"Ugh!" with that Joel wholly disappeared, sliding down under the table.
"Where are you going, Joe?" Ben exclaimed, and the butler hurrying over, Joel was soon drawn out and installed once more on his chair. This time he was the centre for all eyes.
"Oh, Joel!" Mother Fisher's delight which had spread over her face died out so suddenly, that Joel blurted out, dreadfully distressed, "I didn't mean to, Mamsie," and he choked back the tears, not to add to his disgrace.
"Brighten up, Joel," said little Doctor Fisher, cheerily. "We'll forgive him this time, Mary, for Mrs. Van Ruypen sent her love to him, and particularly wants him to come to-morrow, and—"
"No, no," howled Joel, this time all lost to control, "I was bad to her," and every bit of blood rushed up to his round face.
"Why, she says she was bad to you," observed the little doctor, demurely; "anyway you are to go with the others to-morrow, Joe, so it's all right, my boy."
V
"THE PRESENTS ALL GO FROM SANTA CLAUS"
Joel protested up to the very last that he couldn't go to see the big lady in the black silk coat.
"But maybe she won't have it on," said David, who had been anxiously hanging on Joel's every word, and surveying his round countenance in fear. Supposing Joel shouldn't really go! This would be worse than all, and David clasped and unclasped his hands nervously.
"Of course she won't have it on!" exclaimed Polly, briskly. "Why, the very idea, she wouldn't wear that in the house!"
"Now you see, Joel," cried David, much relieved, and his face brightening, "she won't, really, for Polly says so."
"Well, you've got to go anyway," declared Ben, in a downright way there was no mistaking. "So say no more, Joe, but get your cap."
The other Pepper children were all in a bunch in the wide hall revolving around Joel, who felt, as long as he postponed getting his coat and cap, he was surely safe from making the awful expedition. But now, seeing Ben's blue eyes upon him, he set out for the closet in the back hall where the boys' outer garments were kept, grumbling at every step.
"O dear me! This is too dreadful for anything," sighed Polly, sinking down on the last step of the stairs. When Phronsie saw her do this, she hurried over, and snuggled up in her fur-trimmed coat as close as she could get to her side.
"I wish Jasper was home," said Ben, with a long breath, and going across to stand in front of the two.
"So we wish all the time," said Polly, "but then, he can't come till Friday, and that's just forever."
Little David, left alone, thought the best thing he could do would be to run after Joel. So he precipitated himself upon that individual, who, just knocking down his cap from its hook, was beginning to prowl around the floor in the corner of the closet.
"Can't find it," growled Joel, knocking off more things in his irritation.
"Oh, let me!" cried David, delighted to help. "Let me, Joel; I'll get it!"
"You keep off," cried Joel, lifting a hot, red face; "I'll get it myself. And I won't go to see that old woman!" he declared savagely.
"Oh, yes, you must, Joe!" cried David, in alarm.
"I won't, I won't, I won't!" declared Joel, feeling with each repetition of the word a happy independence.
"Yes, indeed, the children have gone," a voice suddenly proclaimed above the stairs, as somebody opened the door and came out into the upper hall. "Yes, Mrs. Whitney, they have gone to Mrs. Van Ruypen's."
"It's Mamsie," gasped David, clutching Joel's shoulders, who ducked back into his corner so suddenly that they both went down in a little heap.
"Did she hear?" gasped Joel, holding his breath for the answer.
"I don't believe so," said David, when he could extricate himself from Joel sufficiently, who now grasped him by both hands in a way very uncomfortable for conversation. "No, I don't really believe she did, Joel, 'cause she said we'd gone."
"She'll hear us now, anyway," said Joel, thrust into the depths of gloom, his independence completely deserting him; "what'll we do?"
Little David found his feet and tiptoed out to listen under the stairs. "She's going into her room," he announced in a whisper, coming back to the closet. "Come, Joey, do hurry."
So Joel picked up his cap and crammed it on his head, and stepped out of the closet, but he had a very gloomy air when the two boys presented themselves in the front hall.
"O there! now you see," said Polly to Ben, quite in despair, "just how very dreadful it's all going to be, when Joel goes with such a face."
"Well, come on," said Ben, setting his lips tightly together. So Polly and Phronsie got off from the stair, and if the expedition was not begun in hilarity, it was at least started.
But when they reached the big house of Mrs. Van Ruypen, that loomed up across the square like a heavy, dark brown fortress, the situation was much worse.
"I'm not going in," declared Joel, all his terrors returning, and he planted his feet firmly on the pavement, determined not to go up the first step. How it was done, he never knew, but the next moment he was at the top of the flight under Ben's hands, who released him enough to ring the bell, and the butler answering the summons, Joel was really the first person to enter, which he did with a bound, as if extremely eager to get in.
And then, it was all like a dream! They were ushered into a reception room, high and dark and gloomy, and told to take off their things, for madam would receive them upstairs. In the excitement of it all, Polly, while undoing Phronsie's coat and taking off her bonnet, forgot all about Joel, and it wasn't really until after they had mounted the long stairs that she had the first thought about him. And then, O dear me! there stood Madam Van Ruypen, with a long white hand, fairly blazing with rings, outstretched to welcome them.
"Where's the other boy?" she demanded, looking over the group.
"He came," said Polly, faintly, growing quite scarlet at such dreadful manners in one of her family, for which she felt responsible. "He really did, ma'am."
"Impossible!" exclaimed Madam Van Ruypen; "you can see for yourself he's not here," and her face fell.
Ben said never a word, but dashed down the long flight. There was Joel,
