"Go back, Joe, do," said Ben, "play tag--anything," he implored, "we'll be through in a few minutes.""It takes forever!" said Joel, disappearing within the bedroom door.
Luckily for the secret, Phronsie just then ran a pin sticking up on the arm of the old chair, into her finger; and Polly, while comforting her, forgot to question Joel. And then the mother came in, and though she had ill-concealed hilarity in her voice, she kept chattering and bustling around with Polly's supper to such an extent that there was no chance for a word to be got in.
Next morning it seemed as if the "little brown house," would turn inside out with joy.
"Oh, mammy!" cried Polly, jumping into her anns the first thing, as Dr. Fisher untied the bandage, "my eyes are new! just the same as if I'd just got 'em! Don't they look different?" she asked, earnestly, running to the cracked glass to see for herself.
"No," said Ben, "I hope not; the same brown ones, Polly.""Well," said Polly, hugging first one and then another, "everybody looks different through them, anyway.""Oh," cried Joel, "come out into the kitchen, Polly; it's a great deal better out there.""May I?" asked Polly, who was in such a twitter looking at everything that she didn't know which way to turn.
"Yes," said the doctor, smiling at her.
"Well, then," sang Polly, "come mammy, we'll go first; isn't it just lovely--oh, MAMMY!"--and Polly turned so very pale, and looked as if she were going to tumble right over, that Mrs. Pepper grasped her arm in dismay.
"What is it?" she asked, pointing to the corner, while all the children stood round in the greatest excitement.
"Why," cried Phronsie, "it's a stove--don't you know, Polly?" But Polly gave one plunge across the room, and before anybody could think, she was down on her knees with her arms flung right around the big, black thing, and laughing and crying over it, all in the same breath!
And then they all took hold of hands and danced around it like wild little things; while Dr. Fisher stole out silently-- and Mrs.
Pepper laughed till she wiped her eyes to see them ' go.
"We aren't ever goin' to have any more burnt bread," sang Polly, all out of breath.
"Nor your back isn't goin' to break any more," panted Ben, with a very red face.
"Hooray!" screamed Joel and David, to fill any pause that might occur, while Phronsie gurgled and laughed at everything just as it came along. And then they all danced and capered again; all but Polly, who was down before the precious stove examining and exploring into ovens and everything that belonged to it.
"Oh, ma," she announced, coming up to Mrs. Pepper, who had been obliged to fly to her sewing again, and exhibiting a very crocky face and a pair of extremely smutty hands, "it's most all ovens, and it's just splendid!""I know it," answered her mother, delighted in the joy of her child.
"My! how black you are, Polly!"
"Oh, I wish," cried Polly, as the thought struck her, "that Dr. Fisher could see it! Where did he go to, ma?""I guess Dr. Fisher has seen it before," said Mrs. Pepper, and then she began to laugh. "You haven't ever asked where the stove came from, Polly."And to be sure, Polly had been so overwhelmed that if the stove had really dropped from the clouds it would have been small matter of astonishment to her, as long as it had come; that was the main thing!
"Mammy," said Polly, turning around slowly, with the stove-lifter in her hand, "did Dr. Fisher bring that stove?""He didn't exactly bring it," answered her mother, "but I guess he knew something about it.""Oh, he's the splendidest, goodest man!" cried Polly, "that ever breathed! Did he really get us that stove?""Yes," said Mrs. Pepper, "he would; I couldn't stop him. I don't know how he found out you wanted one so bad; but he said it must be kept as a surprise when your eyes got well.""And he saved my eyes!" cried Polly, full of gratitude. "I've got a stove and two new eyes, mammy, just to think!""We ought to be good after all our mercies," said Mrs. Pepper thankfully, looking around on her little group. Joel was engaged in the pleasing occupation of seeing how far he could run his head into the biggest oven, and then pulling it out to exhibit its blackness, thus engrossing the others in a perfect hubbub.
"I'm going to bake my doctor some little cakes," declared Polly, when there was comparative quiet.
"Do, Polly," cried Joel, "and then leave one or two over.""No," said Polly; "we can't have any, because these must be very nice. Mammy, can't I have some white on top, just once?" she pleaded.
"I don't know," dubiously replied Mrs. Pepper; ~eggs are dreadful dear, and--""I don't care," said Polly, recklessly; "I must just once for Dr.
Fisher."
"I tell you, Polly," said Mrs. Pepper, "what you might do; you might make him some little apple tarts--most every one likes them, you know.""Well," said Polly, with a sigh, "I s'pose they'll have to do; but some time, mammy, I'm going to bake him a big cake, so there!"
