"I guess I better," said Phronsie to herself, now thoroughly awake, and sitting up in bed, "not wake her up. Poor Polly's tired; I can find it myself, I know I can."So she slipped out of bed, and prowling around on the floor, felt all about for the little cushion.
"'Tisn't here, oh, no, it isn't," she sighed at last, and getting up, she stood still a moment, lost in thought. "Maybe Jane's put it out in the hail," she said, as a bright thought struck her. "I can get it there," and out she pattered over the soft carpet to the table at the end of the long hail, where Jane often placed the children's playthings over night. As she was coming back after her fruitless search, she stopped to peep over the balustrade down the fascinating ffight of stairs, now so long and dark. Just then a little faint ray of light shot up from below, and met her eyes.
"Why!" she said in gentle surprise, "they're all down-stairs! I guess they're making something for mamsie--I'm going to see."So, carefully picking her way over the stairs with her little bare feet, and holding on to the balustrade at every step, she went slowly down, guided by the light, which, as she neared the bottom of the flight, she saw came from the library door.
"Oh, isn't it funny!" and she gave a little happy laugh. "They won't know I'm comin'!" and now the soft little feet went pattering over the thick carpet, until she stood just within the door. There she stopped perfectly still.
Two dark figures, big and powerful, were bending over something that Phronsie couldn't see, between the two big windows. A lantern on the floor flung its rays over them as they were busily occupied;and the firelight from the dying coals made the whole stand out distinctly to the gaze of the motionless little figure.
"Why! what are you doing with my grandpa's things?"The soft, clear notes fell like a thunderbolt upon the men. With a start they brought themselves up, and stared--only to see a little white-robed figure, with its astonished eyes uplifted with childlike, earnest gaze, as she waited for her answer.
For an instant they were powerless to move; and stood as if frozen to the spot, till Phronsie, moving one step forward, piped forth:
"Naughty men, to touch my dear grandpa's things!"With a smothered cry one of them started forward with arm uplifted; but the other sprang like a cat and intercepted the blow.
"Stop!" was all he said. A noise above the stairs--a rushing sound through the hail! Something will save Phronsie, for the household is aroused! The two men sprang through the window, having no time to catch the lantern or their tools, as Polly, followed by one and another, rushed in and surrounded the child.
"What!" gasped Polly, and got no further.
"STOP, THIEF!" roared Mr. King, hurrying over the stairs. The children, frightened at the strange noises, began to cry and scream, as they came running through the halls to the spot. Jasper rushed for the men-servants.
And there stood Phronsie, surrounded by the pale group. "Twas two naughty men," she said, lifting her little face with the grieved, astonished look still in the big brown eyes, "and they were touching my grandpa's things, Polly!""I should think they were," said Jasper, running over amongst the few scattered tools and the lantern, to the windows, where, on the floor, was a large table cover hastily caught up by the corners, into which a vast variety of silver, jewelry, and quantities of costly articles were gathered ready for flight. "They've broken open your safe, father!" he cried in excitement, "see!""And they put up their hand--one man did," went on Phronsie.
"And the other said 'Stop!'--oh, Polly, you hurt me!" she cried, as Polly, unable to bear the strain any longer, held her so tightly she could hardly breathe.
"Go on," said Jasper, "how did they look?"
"All black," said the child, pushing back her wavy hair and looking at him, "very all black, Japser.""And their faces, Phronsie?" said Mr. King, getting down on his old knees on the floor beside her. "Bless me! somebody else ask her, I can't talk!""How did their faces look, Phronsie, dear?" asked Jasper, taking one of the cold hands in his. "Can't you think?""Oh!" said Phronsie--and then she gave a funny little laugh, "two big holes, Japser, that's all they had!""She means they were masked," whispered Jasper.
"What did you get up for?" Mrs. Whitney asked. "Dear child, what made you get out of bed?""Why, my cushion-pin," said Phronsie looking worried at once. "Icouldn't find it, and--"
But just at this, without a bit of warning, Polly tumbled over in a dead faint.
And then it was all confusion again.
And so, on the following afternoon, it turned out that the Peppers, about whose coming there had been so many plans and expectations, just walked in as if they had always lived there. The greater excitement completely swallowed up the less!
