Chapter 15

"Why--" Polly sat up quite straight now, and her cheeks turned rosy.

"What is it, my child?" asked Mrs. Sterling.

"Would you--I mean, do you want--oh, Mrs. Sterling, would you like us to come here some time to recite something to you?"

Mrs. Sterling turned an eager face on her pillow.

"Are you sure, Polly," a light coming into her tired eyes, "that you young people would be willing to come to entertain a dull, sick, old woman?"

"Oh, I am sure they would," cried Polly, "if you would like it, dear Mrs. Sterling."

"_Like it!_" Mrs. Sterling turned her thin face to the wall for a moment. When she looked again at Polly, there were tears trickling down the wasted cheeks. "Polly, you don't know," she said brokenly, "how I just long to hear young voices here in this dreary old house. To lie here day after day, child--"

"Oh!" cried Polly suddenly, "it must be so very dreadful, Mrs. Sterling."

"Well, don't let us speak of that," said Mrs. Sterling, breaking off quickly her train of thought, "for the worst isn't the pain and the weakness, Polly. It's the loneliness, child."

"Oh!" said Polly. Then it all rushed over her how she might have run in before, and taken the other girls if she had only known. "But we will come now, dear Mrs. Sterling," she said aloud.

"Do," cried Mrs. Sterling, and a faint color began to show itself on her thin face, "but not unless you are quite sure that the young people will like it, Polly."

"Yes, I am sure," said Polly, with a decided nod of her brown head.

"Then why couldn't you hold some of your rehearsals here?" proposed Mrs. Sterling.

"Shouldn't we tire you?" asked Polly.

"No, indeed!" declared Mrs. Sterling, with sudden energy, "I could bear a menagerie up here, Polly," and she laughed outright.

Gibbons, at this unwonted sound, popped her head in from the adjoining room where she was busy with her sewing, to gaze in astonishment at her mistress.

"I am not surprised at your face, Gibbons," said Mrs. Sterling cheerily, "for you have not heard me laugh for many a day."

"No, madam, I haven't," said Gibbons, "but I can't help saying I'm rejoiced to hear it now," with a glance of approval on Polly Pepper.

"So, Polly, you see there is no danger of your bringing me any fatigue, and I should be only too happy to see you at your next rehearsal."

"We can come, I am almost sure," said Polly, "those of us who want to rehearse at all. Some of us, you see, are quite sure of our pieces: Pickering Dodge is, for one; he spoke at his last school exhibition. But I'll tell the others. Oh, thank you for asking us, Mrs. Sterling."

"Thank you for giving your time, dear, to a dull old woman," said Mrs. Sterling. "Oh, must you go?" She clung to her hand. "I suppose you ought, child."

"Yes," said Polly, "I really ought to go, Mrs. Sterling. And you are not dull, one single bit, and I like you very much," she added as simply as Phronsie would have said it.

"Kiss me good-bye, Polly," said Mrs. Sterling. So Polly laid her fresh young cheek against the poor, tired, wasted one; hopped into her jacket, and was off on happy feet.

And the others said "Yes," when they saw Polly's enthusiasm over the plan of holding a rehearsal at Mrs. Sterling's; and Jasper proposed, "Why couldn't we repeat the whole thing after our grand performance, for her sometime?" and, before any one could quite tell how, a warm sympathy had been set in motion for the rich, lonely old lady in the big, gloomy stone mansion most of them passed daily on their way to school.

Well, the grand affair was over now, and a greater success than was ever hoped for. Now came the enjoyment of presenting the money!

"Grandpapa," said Polly, "we are all here."

"So I perceive," looking out on the delegation in the hall. For of course all the two clubs couldn't go to the presentation, so committees were chosen to represent them--Polly, Clem, Alexia, and Silvia, for the Salisbury Club, and Jasper, Clare, Pickering, and Richard Burnett for the boys' club; while old Mr. King on his own account had invited Joel, Percy and Van, and, of course, Tom Beresford.

"My! What shall we do with such a lot of boys?" exclaimed Alexia, as they all met in the hall.

"You don't have to do anything at all with us, Alexia," retorted Joel, who liked her the best of any of Polly's friends, and always showed it by sparring with her on every occasion, "only let us alone."

"Which I shall proceed to do with the greatest pleasure," said Alexia. "Goodness me! Joe, as if I'd be bothered with you tagging on. You're much worse than before you went away to school."

"Come, you two, stop your quarrelling," said Jasper, laughing. "A pretty example you'd make to those poor Corcoran children."

"Oh, we sha'n't fight there," said Alexia sweetly; "we'll have quite enough to do to see all that is going on. Oh, Polly, when do you suppose we can ever start?"

"Father has the bank-book," announced Jasper; "I saw him put it in his pocket, Polly."

Polly gave a little wriggle under her coat. "Oh, Jasper, isn't it just too splendid for anything!" she cried.

"I'm going to walk with Polly," announced Clem, seizing Polly's arm, "so, Alexia Rhys, I give you fair warning this time."

"Indeed, you're not," declared Alexia stoutly. "Why, I always walk with Polly Pepper."

"And that's just the reason why I'm going to to-day," said Clem, hanging to Polly's arm for dear life.

"Well, I'm her dearest friend," added Alexia, taking refuge in that well-worn statement, "so there now, Clem Forsythe."

"No, you're not," said Clem obstinately; "we're all her dearest friends, aren't we, Polly? Say, Polly, aren't we?"

"Hush!" said Jasper. "Father's coming."

"Well, I can't help it. I'm tired of hearing Alexia Rhys everlastingly saying that, and pushing us all away from Polly."

"Do hear them go on!" exclaimed Tom Beresford, off on the edge of the group. "Does she always have them carrying around like that?"

"Yes," said Joel, "a great deal worse. Oh, they're a lot of giggling girls; I hate girls!" he exploded.

"So do I," nodded Tom. "Let's keep clear of the whole lot, and walk by ourselves."

"Indeed, we will," declared Joel. "You won't catch me walking with girls when I can help it."

"Well, I wonder which of those two will get your sister, Polly, this time," said Tom, craning his long neck to see the contest.

"Oh, Alexia, of course," said Joel carelessly; "she always gets her in the end."

But Joel was wrong. Neither of the girls carried off Polly. Old Mr. King marched out of his reading-room. "Come, Polly, my child, you and I will walk together," and he waited on her handsomely out, and down the walk to the car.

Tom and Joel burst into a loud laugh, in which the others joined, at the crestfallen faces.

"Well, at least you didn't get her, Clem," said Alexia airily, coming out of her discomfiture.

"Neither did you," said Clem happily.

"And you are horrid boys to laugh," said Alexia, looking over at the two. "But then, all boys are horrid."

"Thank you," said Tom, with his best bow.

"Alexia Rhys, aren't you perfectly ashamed to be fighting with that new boy?" cried Clem.

"Come on, Alexia," said Jasper. "I shall have to walk with you to keep you in order," and the gay procession hurrying after old Mr. King and Polly, caught up with them turning out of the big stone gateway.

And then, what a merry walk they had to the car! and that being nearly full, they had to wait for the next one, which luckily had only three passengers; and Mr. King and his party clambered on, to ride down through the poor quarters of the town, to the Corcoran house.

"Oh, misery me!" exclaimed Alexia, looking out at the tumble-down tenements, and garbage heaps up to the very doors. "Where _are_ we going?"

"Did you suppose Jim Corcoran lived in a palace?" asked Pickering lazily.

"Well, I didn't suppose anybody lived like that," said Alexia, wrinkling up her nose in scorn. "Dear me, look at all those children!"

"Interesting, aren't they?" said Pickering, with a pang for the swarm of ragged, dirty little creatures, but not showing it in the least on his impassive face.

"Oh, I don't want to see it," exclaimed Alexia, "and I'm not going to either," turning her back on it all.

"It goes on just the same," said Pickering.

"Then I am going to look." Alexia whirled around again, and gazed up and down the ugly thoroughfare, taking it all in.

"Ugh, how can you!" exclaimed Silvia Horne, in disgust. "I think it's very disagreeable to even know that such people live."

"Perhaps 'twould be better to kill 'em off," said Tom Beresford bluntly.

"Ugh, you dreadful boy!" cried Clem Forsythe.

"Who's fighting now with the new boy?" asked Alexia sweetly, tearing off her gaze from the street.

"Well, who wouldn't?" retorted Clem, "he's saying such perfectly terrible things."

Pickering Dodge gave a short laugh. "Beresford, you're in for it now," he said.

Tom shrugged his shoulders, and turned his back on them.

"What did you bring him home for, Joe?" asked Alexia, leaning over to twitch Joel's arm.

"To plague you, Alexia," said Joel, with a twinkle in his black eyes.

"Oh, he doesn't bother me," said Alexia serenely. "Clem is having all the trouble now. Well, we must put up with him, I suppose," she said with resignation.

"You don't need to," said Joel coolly, "you can let us alone, Alexia."

"But I don't want to let you alone," said Alexia; "that's all boys are good for, if they're in a party, to keep 'em stirred up. Goodness me, Mr. King and Polly are getting out!" as the car stopped, and Grandpapa led the way down the aisle.

When they arrived at the Corcoran house, which was achieved by dodging around groups of untidy women gossiping with their neighbors, and children playing on the dirty pavements, with the occasional detour caused by a heap of old tin cans, and other debris, Mr. King drew a long breath. "I don't know that I ought to have brought you young people down here. It didn't strike me so badly before."

"But it's no worse for us to see it than for the people to live here, father," said Jasper quickly.

"That's very true--but faugh!" and the old gentleman had great difficulty to contain himself. "Well, thank fortune, the Corcoran family are to move this week."

"Oh, Grandpapa," cried Polly, hopping up and down on the broken pavement, and "Oh, father!" from Jasper.

"Polly Pepper," exclaimed Alexia, twitching her away, "you came near stepping into that old mess of bones and things."

Polly didn't even glance at the garbage heap by the edge of the sidewalk, nor give it a thought. "Oh, how lovely, Alexia," she cried, "that they won't have but a day or two more here!"

"Well, we are going in," said Alexia, holding her tightly, "and I'm glad of it, Polly. Oh, misery me!" as they followed Mr. King into the poor little house that Jim the brakeman had called home.

The little widow, thanks to Mr. King and several others interested in the welfare of the brakeman's family, had smartened up considerably, so that neither she nor her dwelling presented such a dingy, woe-begone aspect as on the previous visit. And old Mr. King, being very glad to see this, still further heartened her up by exclaiming, "Well, Mrs. Corcoran, you've accomplished wonders."

"I've tried to," cried the poor woman, "and I'm sure 'twas no more than I ought to do, and you being so kind to me and mine, sir."

"Well, I've brought some young people to see you," said the old gentleman abruptly, who never could bear to be thanked, and now felt much worse, as there were several spectators of his bounty; and he waved his hand toward the representatives of the two clubs.

They all huddled back, but he made them come forward. "No, it's your affair to-day; I only piloted you down here," laughing at their discomfiture.

Meanwhile the whole Corcoran brood had all gathered about the visitors, to rivet their gaze upon them, and wait patiently for further developments.

"Polly, you tell her," cried Alexia.

"Yes, Polly, do," cried the other girls.

"Yes, Polly," said Pickering, "you can tell it the best."

"Oh, I never could," said Polly in dismay. "Jasper, you, please."

"No, no, Polly," said Van; "she's the best."

"But Polly doesn't wish to," said Jasper in a low voice.

"All right, then, Jappy, go ahead," said Percy.

There was a little pause, Mrs. Corcoran filling it up by saying, "I can't ask you to sit down, for there ain't chairs enough," beginning to wipe off one with her apron. "Here, sir, if you'd please to sit," taking it over to Mr. King.

"Thank you," said the old gentleman, accepting it with his best air. "Now then, Jasper"--he had handed a small parcel to him under cover of the chair-wiping--"go ahead, my boy."

So Jasper, seeing that there was no help for it, but that he was really to be the spokesman, plunged in quite bravely.

"Mrs. Corcoran, some of us girls and boys--we belong to two clubs, you know,"--waving his hand over to the representatives--"wanted to show your boys and girls, that we were grateful to their father for being so good and kind to the passengers that night of the accident."

Here the little widow put the corner of her apron up to her eye, so Jasper hurried on: "And we wanted to help them to get an education. And so we had a little entertainment, and sold the tickets and here is our gift!" Jasper ended desperately, thrusting the package out.

"Take it, Arethusa," was all Mrs. Corcoran could say; "and may the Lord bless you all!" Then she put the apron over her head and sobbed aloud.

"Bless me!" exclaimed old Mr. King, fumbling for his handkerchief, "don't, my good woman, I beg of you."

"And, oh, I do hope you'll learn to play on the piano," breathed Polly, as Arethusa took the package from Jasper, and slid back to lay it in her mother's hand.

"Oh me! I'm going to cry," exclaimed Alexia, backing off toward the door.

"If you do, I'll throw you out," said Joel savagely.

"Well, I shall; I feel so sniffly and queer. Oh, Joel, what shall I do? I shall be disgraced for life if I cry here."

"Hang on to me," said Joel stoutly, thrusting out his sturdy arm.

So Alexia hung on to it, and managed to get along very well. And one of the children, the littlest one next to the baby, created a diversion by bringing up a mangy cat, and laying it on Mr. King's knees. This saved the situation as far as crying went, and brought safely away those who were perilously near the brink of tears.

"Oh dear me!" exclaimed Polly, starting forward, knowing how Grandpapa detested cats. But Jasper was before her.

"Let me take it, father," and he dexterously brought it off.

"Give it to me," said Polly. "Oh, what is its name?"

The little thing who seemed to own the cat toddled over, well pleased, and stuck his finger in his mouth, which was the extent to which he could go in conversation. But the other children, finding the ice now broken, all came up at this point, to gather around Polly and the cat.

"It's lucky enough that Phronsie isn't here," said Jasper in a low voice, "for she would never want to leave that cat."

"Just see Polly Pepper!" exclaimed Alexia, with a grimace. "Why doesn't she drop that dirty old cat?"

"Because she ought not to," howled Joel sturdily. Then he rushed over to Polly; and although he had small love for cats in general, this particular one, being extremely ill-favored and lean, met with his favor. He stroked her poor back.

Arethusa drew near and gazed into Polly's face; seeing which, the cat was safely transferred to Joel, and Polly turned around to the girl.

"Oh, do you want to learn to play on the piano?" asked Polly breathlessly, under cover of the noise going on, for all the other members of the two clubs now took a hand in it. Even Percy unbent enough to interview one of the Corcoran boys.

"Yes, I do," said Arethusa, clasping her small red hands tightly.

Her eyes widened, and her little thin face, which wasn't a bit pretty, lightened up now in a way that Polly thought was perfectly beautiful.

"Well, I did, when I was a little girl like you"--Polly bent her rosy face very close to Arethusa's--"oh, _dreadfully_; and I used to drum on the table to make believe I could play."

"So do I," cried Arethusa, creeping up close to Polly's neck, "an' th' boys laugh at me. But I keep doin' it."

"And now, Arethusa, you are really going to learn to play on the piano." Polly thrilled all over at the announcement, just as she had done when told that she was to take music lessons.

"Not a really and truly piano?" exclaimed Arethusa, lost in amazement.

"Yes, a really and truly piano," declared Polly positively. "Just think, Arethusa, you can give music lessons and help to take care of your mother."

And just then Grandpapa, who had been talking to Mrs. Corcoran, was saying, "Well, well, it's time to be going, young people." And Joel put the cat down, that immediately ran between his legs, tripping him up as he turned, thereby making everybody laugh; and so the exit was made merrily.

"Wasn't that fun!" cried Alexia, dancing off down the broken pavement. "Oh, I forgot, I'm going to walk home with Polly," and she flew back.

"You take yourself away," cried old Mr. King, with a laugh. "I'm to have Polly to myself on this expedition."

"Well, at any rate, Clem, you haven't Polly," announced Alexia as before, running up to her.

"Neither have you," retorted Clem, in the same way.

"So we will walk together," said Alexia, coolly possessing herself of Clem's arm. "Those two boys can walk with each other; they're just dying to."

"How do you know I want to walk with you?" asked Clem abruptly.

"Oh, but do, you sweet thing you! Come on!" and Alexia dragged her off at a smart pace.

"Grandpapa," cried Polly, hopping up and down by his side, too happy to keep still, while she clung to his hand just as Phronsie would have done, "you are going to have the piano put into the house the very first thing after it is cleaned and ready--the _very_ first thing?" She peered around into his face anxiously.

"The _very_ first thing," declared the old gentleman. "Take my word for it, Polly Pepper, there sha'n't another article get in before it."

"Oh, Grandpapa!" Polly wished she could go dancing off into the middle of the thoroughfare for a regular spin.

"Take care, Polly," laughed old Mr. King, successfully steering her clear of an ash barrel, "this isn't the best dancing place imaginable."

"Oh, I beg your pardon, Grandpapa," said Polly, trying to sober down, "I didn't mean to; but oh, isn't it perfectly beautiful that Arethusa is going to take music lessons!"

"It is, indeed," said Grandpapa, with a keen glance down at her flushed face. "And it really does seem to be an assured fact, for Miss Brown is engaged to begin as soon as the family move into their new home."

"Oh--oh!" Polly could get no further.

Jasper, ahead with Pickering Dodge, looked back longingly.

"Oh, I do wish, Grandpapa," said Polly, "that Jasper could walk home with us."

"So do I, Polly," said the old gentleman; "but you see he can't, for then I should have the whole bunch of those chattering creatures around me," and he laughed grimly. "You must tell him all about what we are talking of, as soon as you get home."

"Yes, I will," declared Polly, "the very first thing. Now, Grandpapa, please go on."

"Well, I had told Mrs. Corcoran all about the new house, you know, Polly, before."

"Yes, I know, Grandpapa," said Polly, with a happy little wriggle.

"And so to-day I explained about the bank-book; told her where the money was deposited, and showed her how to use it. By the way, Polly, Jasper made a good speech now, didn't he?" The old gentleman broke off, and fairly glowed with pride.

"Oh, didn't he!" cried Polly, in a burst. "I thought it was too splendid for anything! And he didn't know in the least that he had to do it. He thought you were going to give the bank-book, Grandpapa."

"I know it," chuckled Mr. King. "Well now, Polly, I thought I'd try my boy without warning. Because, you see, that shows what stuff a person is made of to respond at such a time, and he's all right, Jasper is; he came up to the demand nicely."

"It was perfectly elegant!" cried Polly, with glowing cheeks.

"And those two boys--the largest ones--are to begin in the other public school next week," continued the old gentleman.

"Everything begins next week, doesn't it, Grandpapa?" cried Polly.

"It seems so," said Mr. King, with a laugh. "Well, Polly, here we are at our car."

And having the good luck to find it nearly empty, the whole party hopped on, and began the ride back again.

"Now," said Jasper, when they had reached home, "for some comfort," and he drew Polly off into a quiet corner in the library. "Let's have the whole, Polly. You said you'd tell me what you and father were talking of all the way home."

"And so I will," cried Polly, too elated to begin at the right end. "Well, Jasper, you must know that Arethusa's piano is actually engaged."

"It is!" exclaimed Jasper. "Hurrah!"

"Yes," said Polly, with shining eyes, "and it's going into the new home the _very_ first thing. Grandpapa promised me that."

"Isn't father good!" cried Jasper, a whole world of affection in his dark eyes.

"Good?" repeated Polly, "he's as good as good can be, Jasper King!"

"Well, what else?" cried Jasper.

"And the boys--the two biggest ones--are going into the other public school, the one nearest their new home, you know."

"Yes, I see," said Jasper, "that's fine. That will bring them in with better boys."

"Yes, and Grandpapa told Mrs. Corcoran all about the money we made at the entertainment, and that he put it in the bank for her this morning. And he showed her how to use the check-book."

"Polly," said Jasper, very much excited, "what if we girls and boys hadn't done this for those children! Just think, Polly, only suppose it!"

"I know it," cried Polly. "Oh, Jasper!" drawing a long breath. "But then, you see, we did do it."

"Yes," said Jasper, bursting into a laugh, "we surely did, Polly."

XXI AT THE PLAY

"Oh, Cathie!" Polly rushed out to meet the girl that Johnson was just ushering in. "I _am_ so glad you've come!"

A pleased look swept over the girl's face, but she didn't say anything.

"Now come right upstairs; never mind the bag, Johnson will bring that for you."

"I will take it up, Miss," said Johnson, securing it.

"Mamsie is waiting to see you," cried Polly, as they ran over the stairs, Cathie trying to still the excited beating of her heart at the thought that she was really to visit Polly Pepper for three whole days! "Oh, Mamsie, here she is!"

"I am glad to see you, Cathie," said Mrs. Fisher heartily, taking her cold hand. "Now, you are to have the room right next to Polly's."

"Yes, the same one that Alexia always has when she stays here," said Polly. "See, Cathie," bearing her off down the hall. "Oh, it is so good to get you here," she cried happily. "Well, here we are!"

"You can't think," began Cathie brokenly; then she turned away to the window--"it's so good of you to ask me, Polly Pepper!"

"It's so good of you to come," said Polly merrily, and running over to her. "There, Johnson has brought your bag. Aren't you going to unpack it, Cathie?--that is, I mean"--with a little laugh--"after you've got your hat and jacket off. And then, when your things are all settled, we can go downstairs, and do whatever you like. Perhaps we'll go in the greenhouse."

"Oh, Polly!" exclaimed Cathie, quite forgetting herself, and turning around.

"And can't I help you unpack?" asked Polly, longing to do something.

"No," said Cathie, remembering her plain clothes and lack of the pretty trifles that girls delight in; then seeing Polly's face, she thought better of it. "Yes, you may," she said suddenly.

So Polly unstrapped the bag, and drew out the clothes, all packed very neatly. "Why, Cathie Harrison!" she exclaimed suddenly.