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! Itell 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 shells 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? Iwanted 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 Dick 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 stitches, 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. "Howl 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"----"Why not?" asked Percy.
"Cause there was. things to do," said Polly. "But sometimes when it rained, and he couldn't go out and work, and there wasn't anything to do in the house--then we'd have----oh!" and she drew a long breath at the memory, "such a time, you can't think!""Didn't you wish it would always rain?" asked Van, still gazing at the picture.
"Dear, no!" began Polly.
"I didn't," broke in Joel, in horror. "I wouldn't a-had it rain for anything!--~only once in a while," he added, as he thought of the good times that Polly had spoken of.
"'Twas nice outdoors," said little Davie, reflectively; "and nice inside, too." And then he glanced over to his mother, who gave him a smile in return. "And 'twas nice always.""Well," said Van, returning to the picture, "I do wish you'd tell me how to draw, Ben. I can't do anything but flowers," he said in a discouraged way.
"Flowers aren't anything," said Percy, pleasantly. "That's girls' work; but dogs and horses and cars--those are just good!""Will you, Ben?" asked Van, looking down into the big blue eyes, so kindly turned up to his.
"Yes, indeed I will," cried Ben, "that is, all I know; 'tisn't much, but everything I can, I'll tell you.""Then I can learn, can't I?" cried Van joyfully.
"Oh, tell me too, Ben," cried Percy, "will you? I want to learn too.""And me!" cried Dick, bending forward, nearly upsetting Phronsie as he did so. "Yes, say I may, Ben, do!""You're too little," began Percy. But Ben nodded his head at Dick, which caused him to clap his hands and return to his original position, satisfied.
"Well, I guess we're going to, too," said Joel. "Dave an' me; there isn't anybody goin' to learn without us.""Of course not," said Polly, "Ben wouldn't leave you out, Joey.
Phronsie sat quite still all this time, on the corner of the table, her feet tucked up under her, and her hands clasped in her lap, and never said a word. But Ben looking up, saw the most grieved expression settling on her face, as the large eyes were fixed in wonder on the faces before her.
