"Oh, you may," said Van politely, "because you"re company. All right--now!"
So at it they went. Before very many minutes were over, Van relinquished all ideas of treating his company with extra consideration, and was only thinking how he could possibly hold his own with the valiant little country lad. Oh, if he could only be called to his lessons--anything that would summon him into the house! Just then a window above their heads was suddenly thrown up, and his mamma"s voice in natural surprise and distress called quickly: "Children what are you doing? Oh, Van, how could you!"
Both contestants turned around suddenly. Joel looked up steadily. "We"re a-hitting, ma"am; he said I couldn"t, and so we came out and--"
"Oh, Vanny," said Mrs. Whitney reproachfully, "to treat a little guest in this way!"
"I wanted to," said Joel cheerfully; "twas great fun. Let"s begin again, Van!"
"We mustn"t," said Van, readily giving up the charming prospect, and beginning to edge quickly towards the house. "Mamma wouldn"t like it you know. He hits splendidly, mamma," he added generously, looking up. "He does really."
"And so does Van," cried Joel, his face glowing at the praise. "We"ll come out every day," he added slipping into his jacket, and turning enthusiastically back to Van.
"And perhaps he could have pitched into the Burglars," finished Van, ignoring the invitation, and tumbling into his jacket with alarming speed.
"I know I could!" cried Joel, scampering after him into the house. "If I"d only a-been here!"
"Where"s Ben?" said Van, bounding into the hall, and flinging himself down on one of the chairs. "Oh dear, I"m so hot! Say, Joe, where do you s"pose Ben is?"
"I don"t know," replied Joel, who didn"t even puff.
"I saw him a little while ago with master Percy," said Jane, who was going through the hall.
"There now! and they"ve gone off somewhere," cried Van in extreme irritation, and starting up quickly. "I know they have. Which way did they go, Jane? And how long ago?"
"Oh, I don"t know," replied Jane carelessly, "half an hour maybe; and they didn"t go nowhere as I see, at least they were talking at the door, and I was going up-stairs."
"Right here?" cried Van, and stamping with his foot to point out the exact place; "at this door, Jane?"
"Yes, yes," said Jane; "at that very door," and then she went into the dining-room to her work.
"Oh dear me!" cried Van, and flying out on the veranda, he began to peer wildly up and down the drive. "And they"ve gone to some splendid place, I know, and wouldn"t tell us. That"s just like Percy!" he added vindictively, "he"s always stealing away! don"t you see "em, Joel? oh, do come out and look!"
""Tisn"t any use," said Joel coolly, sitting down on the chair Van had just vacated, and swinging his feet comfortably; "they"re miles away if they"ve been gone half an hour. I"m goin" up-stairs," and he sprang up, and energetically pranced to the stairs.
"They aren"t up-stairs!" screamed Van, in scorn, bounding into the hall.
"Don"t go; I know that they"ve gone down to the museum!"
"The what?" exclaimed Joel, nearly at the top, peering over the railing.
"What"s that you said--what is it?"
"A museum," shouted Van, "and it"s a perfectly elegant place, Joel Pepper, and Percy knows I like to go; and now he"s taken Ben off; and he"ll show him all the things! and they"ll all be old when I take him--and--and--oh! I hope the snakes will bite him!" he added, trying to think of something bad enough.
"Do they have snakes there?" asked Joel, staring.
"Yes, they do," snapped out Van. "They have everything!"
"Well, they shan"t bite Ben!" cried Joel in terror. "Oh! do you suppose they will?" and he turned right straight around on the stairs, and looked at Van.
"No," said Van, "they won"t bite--what"s the matter, Joe?"
"Oh, they may," said Joel, his face working, and s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g both fists into his eyes; at last he burst right out into a torrent of sobs. "Oh, don"t let "em Van--don"t!"
"Why, they can"t," said Van in an emphatic voice, running up the stairs to Joel"s side, frightened to death at his tears.
Then he began to shake his jacket sleeve violently to bring him back to reason, "Wait Joe! oh, do stop! oh, dear, what shall I do! I tell you, they can"t bite," he screamed as loud as he could into his ear.
"You said--you--hoped--they--would," said Joel"s voice in smothered tones.
"Well, they won"t anyway," said Van decidedly. "Cause they"re all stuffed--so there now!"
"Ain"t they alive--nor anythin"?" asked Joel, bringing one black eye into sight from behind his chubby hands.
"No," said Van, "they"re just as dead as anything, Joel Pepper--been dead years! and there"s old crabs there too, old dead crabs--and they"re just lovely! Oh, such a lots of eggs as they"ve got! And there are sh.e.l.ls and bugs and stones--and an awful old crocodile, and--" "Oh, dear!" sighed Joel, perfectly overcome at such a vision, and sitting down on the stairs to think. "Well, mamsie"ll know where Ben is," he said, springing up. "And then I tell you Van, we"ll just tag "em!"
"So she will," cried Van. "Why didn"t we think of that before? I wanted to think."
"I did," said Joel. "That was where I was goin"."
Without any more ado they rushed into Mrs. Pepper"s big, sunny room, there to see, seated at the square table between the two large windows, the two lost ones bending over what seemed to be an object of the greatest importance, for Polly was hanging over Ben"s shoulder with intense pride and delight, which she couldn"t possibly conceal, and Davie was crowded as near as he could get to Percy"s elbow.
Phronsie and little d.i.c.k were perched comfortably on the corner of the table, surveying the whole scene in quiet rapture; and Mrs. Pepper with her big mending basket, was ensconced over by the deep window seat just on the other side of the room, underneath Cherry"s cage, and looking up between quick energetic st.i.tches, over at the busy group, with the most placid expression on her face.
"Oh!--what you doin"?" cried Joel, flying up to them. "Let us see, do Ben!"
"What is it?" exclaimed Van, squeezing in between Percy and Ben.
"Don"t--" began Percy. "There, see, you"ve knocked his elbow and spoilt it!"
"Oh no, he hasn"t," said Ben, putting down his pencil, and taking up a piece of rubber. "There, see it all comes out--as good as ever."
"Isn"t it just elegant?" said Percy in the most pleased tone, and wriggling his toes under the table to express his satisfaction.
"Yes," said Van, craning his neck to get a better view of the picture, now nearly completed, "It"s perfectly splendid. How"d you do it, Ben?"
"I don"t know," replied Ben with a smile, carefully shading in a few last touches. "It just drew itself."
"Tisn"t anything to what he can do," said Polly, standing up as tall as she could, and beaming at Ben, "He used to draw most beautiful at home."
"Better than this?" asked Van, with great respect and taking up the picture, after some demur on Percy"s part, and examining it critically.
"I don"t believe it, Polly."
"Phooh; he did!" exclaimed Joel, looking over his shoulder at a wonderful view of a dog in an extremely excited state of mind running down an interminable hill to bark at a locomotive and train of cars whizzing along a curve in the foreground. "Lots better"n that! Ben can do anything!" he added, in an utterly convincing way.
"Now give it back," cried Percy, holding out his hand in alarm. "I"m going to ask mamma to have it framed; and then I"m going to hang it right over my bed," he finished, as Van reluctantly gave up the treasure.
"Did you draw all the time in the little brown house?" asked Van, lost in thought. "How I wish I"d been there!"
"Dear, no!" cried Polly with a little skip, turning away to laugh. "He didn"t have hardly any time, and--"