he stopped suddenly, then plunged back, nearly upsetting Phronsie, and ran over the steps as fast as he could. "Oh, Mamsie," he cried, flying up to her. Mrs. Fisher had gotten out of her chair, and was now over by the window to see her little brood go off so happy and important. "Why, Joel!" she exclaimed, "what's the matter?" as he precipitated himself into her arms.
"I want to kiss you good-by, too," howled Joel, burrowing within them; "good-by, Mamsie!"
"So you shall, Mother's boy," said Mrs. Fisher, cuddling him. "Well now, Joel, you remember all I said."
"I'll remember," said Joel, lifting a radiant face; "I'll be good all the time."
"Yes, you must, else Mother'll feel badly. Well, good-by."
Joel's good-by floated back as he raced down the stairs and overtook the group waiting for him out on the big stone steps.
"Who's keeping us waiting now, I wonder?" said Ben, as he came up panting.
"Well, I guess I'm going to bid my Mamsie good-by, too," said Joel, importantly. "Come on, Dave, let's race to the big gate!"
II
BEN'S PLAN
When Phronsie saw the two boys racing away, she wanted to run too, and started to patter off after them.
"No, no, Phronsie," said Polly, calling her back. "She'll get all tired out to begin with," she said to Ben, "then what should we do?"
"Oh, I want to race to the big gate with Joel and David," said Phronsie, coming back slowly. "Can't I, Polly? Do let me," she begged.
"No," said Polly, decidedly, "you'll get all tired out, Phronsie."
"I won't be tired," said Phronsie, drawing herself up very straight; "I won't be, Polly."
"You will be if you run and race to begin with," declared Polly, very much wishing she could join the boys herself. But she was holding Phronsie's hand by this time, and it never would do to leave her. "So we must walk till we reach the car."
Phronsie heaved a sigh, but she kept tight hold of Polly's hand, and walked obediently on.
"You see," said Polly, who never could bear to hear Phronsie sigh, "we're going shopping, Phronsie, and there's a good deal of walking we have before us, and—"
"And I have my money-bag," cried Phronsie, breaking in jubilantly, and not waiting for Polly to finish, and lifting it high as it dangled from her arm. "See, Polly, and dear Grandpapa gave it to me, he did."
"I know, pet," said Polly; "take care, now, or you'll tumble on your nose."
"And I'm going to buy my dear Grandpapa something," declared Phronsie, with a bob of her fur-trimmed bonnet; "I am, Polly."
"So you shall," cried Polly, radiantly; "now that'll be fine."
"Polly," said Ben, on her other side, "I've been thinking of something that perhaps it would be good to do."
"Oh, Ben, what is it?" she cried, all in a twitter to know, for Ben's plans, if sometimes slow, were always so good to follow.
"Why, let's us all put our money together instead of buying little things for Grandpapa, for of course we are all going to give him something, and buy one good present." It was a long speech for Ben, and he was quite glad when it was all out.
"Let's," said Polly, quite enchanted. "Oh, Ben, you do think of just the right things."
"No," said Ben, "I don't think up such nice things as you do, Polly," and he looked at her admiringly; "I can't."
"Well, your things are always best in the end, anyway," said Polly, unwilling to take so much praise, and preferring that Ben should have it.
"O dear me!" Joel, with David at his heels, came tumbling up. "You are so slow, just like snails," he grumbled.
"Just like snails," echoed Phronsie, with very pink cheeks, stepping very high, all her attention on the money-bag dangling from her wrist.
"Well, we can't go any faster, Joe," said Ben, "so you must make up your mind to be satisfied."
"Well, I'm not satisfied," declared Joel, in a dudgeon.
"So it seems," said Ben, with a little laugh.
"And it isn't the way, when people are going shopping, to run through the street," said Polly, "so when you get outside the gateway, you've got to walk, Joel. It isn't elegant to race along."
When Polly said "elegant" with such an air, the children always felt very much impressed, and little David now hung his head quite ashamed.
"I'm sorry I ran, Polly," he said.
"Oh, it's no matter in here," said Polly, "but when we get outside, then you must walk in a nice way. Mamsie'd want you to. Oh, now, Ben, go on with your plan and tell the rest."
"Oh, now you've been talking up things, you and Ben; you're always doing that, Polly Pepper," cried Joel, loudly. And he tried to crowd in between Polly and Phronsie.
"See here, you get back!" cried Ben, seizing his jacket collar; "you're not to crowd so, Joe."
"Well, you and Polly are always talking secrets," said Joel, but he fell back with Ben nevertheless, "and keeping them from Dave and me."
"Then you should have stayed with us," said Ben, calmly.
"We didn't know you were going to talk secrets," grumbled Joel.
"Oh, we've only just begun," said Polly, brightly, looking over past Phronsie, "so you'll hear it all, Joey; and Davie, too," she added, looking off to little David on the farther end of the line.
"I'm not going to stir a step away ever again," declared Joel, squirming up as close to Ben as he possibly could, "then you can't talk things without I hear them."
"You've got to give me a little more of the walk, Joe," said Ben, striding on and thrusting out his elbow on Joel's side, "else you'll go behind."
"O dear! I want to hear what you're going to say," whined Joel. But he gave way, moving up against David, who was the last in the row. "Well, do begin," he begged.
"Yes, do tell them, Ben," said Polly.
"Well, you see," said Ben, as they turned out of the big stone gateway, "we are all to give Grandpapa a present, each one, I mean."
"I am," shouted Joel, jumping up and down, "Whoopity la, whickets, I am!"
"Oh, Joel Pepper!" exclaimed Polly, looking down the row at him. Whenever Polly said "Joel Pepper," everybody felt that the case was very serious. So Joel hung his head and looked quite sheepish.
"Mamsie would be so sorry to hear you say that," went on Polly.
"Well, he isn't going to say it again,"
