"I know Tom is made of the right stuff," Mamsie said proudly to Father Fisher, "else my boy would not choose him."
"That"s a fact, wife," the little doctor responded heartily. "Joel is all right; may be a bit heedless, but he has a good head on his shoulders."
The five boys bounded into the wide hall that evening--Joel first; and in his arms, a yellow dog, by no means handsome, with small, beady eyes, and a stubby tail that he was violently endeavoring to wag, under the impression that he had a good deal of it.
"Mamsie!" shouted Joel, his black eyes glowing, and precipitating himself into her arms, dog and all, "See Sinbad! See, Mamsie!"
"It"s impossible not to see him," said Ben. "Goodness me, Joe, what a dog!" which luckily Joel did not hear for the babel going on around.
Besides, there was Phronsie trying to put her arms around the dog, and telling him about the pink ribbon which she held in her hand.
"Joe," said Dr. Fisher, who had been here, there, and everywhere in the group, and coming up to nip Joel"s jacket, "introduce your friend.
You"re a pretty one, to bring a boy home, and--"
"I forgot you, Tom," shouted Joel, starting off, still hanging to his dog; "oh, there you are!" seeing Tom in the midst of the circle, and talking away to Grandpapa and Polly.
"As if I couldn"t introduce Tom!" sniffed Percy importantly, quite delighted at Joel"s social omissions. "I"ve done it ages ago."
"All right," said Joel, quite relieved. "Oh Phronsie, Sinbad doesn"t want that ribbon on," as Phronsie was making violent efforts to get it around the dog"s neck.
"I would let her, Joel," said Mother Fisher, "if I were you."
"But he hates a ribbon," said Joel in disgust, "and besides, he"ll chew it up, Phronsie."
"I don"t want him to chew it up, Joel," said Phronsie slowly, and pausing in her endeavors. And she looked very sober.
"I"ll tell you, Phronsie." Mrs. Fisher took the pink satin ribbon that Phronsie had bought with her own money. "Now, do you want mother to tie it on?"
"Do, Mamsie," begged Phronsie, smoothing her gown in great satisfaction.
And presently there was a nice little bow standing up on the back of Sinbad"s neck; and as there didn"t seem to be any ends to speak of, there was nothing to distract his attention from the responsibility of watching all the people.
"Oh, isn"t he _beautiful_!" cried Phronsie in a transport, and hopping up and down to clap her hands. "Grandpapa dear, do look; and I"ve told Princey all about him, and given him a ribbon too, so he won"t feel badly."
And after this excitement had died down, Joel whirled around. "Tom"s brought his banjo," he announced.
"Oh!" exclaimed Polly.
"And he can sing," cried Joel, thinking it best to mention all the accomplishments at once.
"Don"t, Joe," begged Tom, twitching his sleeve.
Polly looked over at Jasper, with sparkling eyes, and the color flew into her cheeks.
"Splendid!" his eyes signalled back.
"What is it?" cried Joel, giving each a sharp glance. "Now you two have secrets; and that"s mean, when we"ve just got home. What is it, Polly?"
He ran to her, shaking her arm.
"You"ll see in time," said Polly, shaking him off, to dance away.
"I don"t want to know in time," said Joel, "I want to know now. Mamsie, what is it?"
"I"m sure I haven"t the least idea," said Mother Fisher, who hadn"t heard Joel"s announcement. "And I think you would do better, Joey, to take care of your guest, and let other things wait."
"Oh, Tom doesn"t want to be fussed over," said Joel carelessly; yet he went back to the tall boy standing quite still, in the midst of the general hilarity. "That"s just the way Ben and Polly used to do in the little brown house," he grumbled--"always running away, and hiding their old secrets from me, Tom."
"Well, we had to, if we ever told each other anything," said Ben coolly.
"Joel everlastingly tagged us about, Beresford."
"Well, I had to, if I ever heard anything," burst out Joel, with a laugh. "Come on, Tom," and he bore him off together with Sinbad.
"Polly," Jasper was saying, the two now being off in a corner, "how fine! Now, perhaps Tom Beresford will sing."
"And play," finished Polly, with kindling face. "Oh Jasper, was anything ever so gorgeous!" she cried joyfully, for Polly dearly loved high-sounding words; "and we"ll sell a lot more tickets, because he"s new, and people will want to hear him."
"If he will do it," said Jasper slowly, not wanting to dampen her antic.i.p.ation, but dreadfully afraid that the new boy might not respond.
"Oh, he"ll do it, I do believe," declared Polly confidently; "he must, Jasper, help about that poor brakeman"s family."
And he did. Tom Beresford evidently made up his mind, when he went home with Joel, to do everything straight through that the family asked him, for he turned out to be the best visitor they had entertained, and one and all p.r.o.nounced him capital. All but Joel himself, who told him very flatly the second day that he wasn"t half as nice as at school, for he was now running at everybody"s beck and nod.
"Instead of yours," said Tom calmly. Then he roared.
"Hush up," cried Joel, very uncomfortable, and getting very red. "Well, you must acknowledge, Tom, that I want to see something of you, else why would I have brought you home, pray tell?"
"Nevertheless, I shall do what your sister Polly and your mother and Jasper and Mr. King ask me to do," said Tom composedly, which was all Joel got for his fuming. And the most that he saw of Tom after that was a series of dissolving views, for even Phronsie began to monopolize him, being very much taken with his obliging ways.
At last Joel took to moping, and Ben found him thus in a corner.
"See here, old fellow, that"s a nice way,--to come home on a holiday, and have such a face. I don"t wonder you want to sneak in here."
"It"s pretty hard," said Joel, trying not to sniffle, "to have a fellow you bring home from school turn his back on you."
"Well, he couldn"t turn his back on you," said Ben, wanting very much to laugh, but he restrained himself, "if you went with him."
"I can"t follow him about," said Joel, in a loud tone of disgust. "He"s tw.a.n.ging his old banjo all the time, and Polly"s got him to sing, and he"s practising up. I wish "twas smashed."
"What?" said Ben, only half comprehending.
"Why, his old banjo. I didn"t think he"d play it all the time," said Joel, who was secretly very proud of his friend"s accomplishments; and he displayed a very injured countenance.
"See here, now, Joe," said Ben, laying a very decided hand on Joel"s jacket, "do you just drop all this, and come out of your hole. Aren"t you ashamed, Joe! Run along, and find Beresford, and pitch into whatever he"s doing."
"I can"t do anything for that old concert," said Joel, who obeyed enough to come "out of the old hole," but stood glancing at Ben with sharp black eyes.
"I don"t know about that," said Ben, "you can at least help to get the tickets ready."
"Did Polly say so?" demanded Joel, all in a glow. "Say, Ben, did she?"
advancing on him.