The Adventures of Joel Pepper Read online

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  THE ADVENTURES OF JOEL PEPPER

  By MARGARET SIDNEY

  "'WHY, IT'S THE MAN WHO STOLE POLLY'S BREAD!' HE ALMOSTSCREAMED."]

  CONTENTS

  I. JOEL AND THE SNAKE

  II. WHAT DAVE HEARD

  III. DEACON BROWN'S NAIL PILE

  IV. THE MUFFIN MAN AND THE TRAMP

  V. ON BANDY LEG MOUNTAIN

  VI. AB'M'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

  VII. JOEL GOES A-FISHING

  VIII. WHY THEY SAID NO

  IX. THE BAG OF RYE FLOUR

  X. MAMSIE'S SURPRISE

  XI. DR. FISHER'S VISIT

  XII. AT GRANDMA BASCOM'S

  XIII. PASSENGERS FOR THE BOXFORD STAGE

  XIV. DEACON BLODGETT'S BONFIRE

  XV. OLD MAN PETERS' CENT

  XVI. THE STAGE-COACH RIDE

  XVII. THE FIGHT AT STRAWBERRY HILL

  XVIII. IN THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE

  XIX. CIRCUS PLANS

  XX. CIRCUS OR MENAGERIE?

  XXI. JOEL'S CIRCUS

  XXII. THE MINISTER'S CHICKENS

  XXIII. THE BLACKBERRIES AND THE BULL

  XXIV. HOW JOEL STARTED THE FIRE

  XXV. JOEL SELLS SHOES FOR MR. BEEBE

  XXVI. Miss PARROTT'S COACH AND THE COASTING

  XXVII. PRINCES AND PRINCESSES

  THE ADVENTURES OF JOEL PEPPER

  I

  JOEL AND THE SNAKE

  "Come on, Dave!"

  It was Joel's voice, and Polly pricked up her ears. "'Tisn'tgoing to hurt you. Hoh! you're a 'fraid-cat--old 'fraid-cat!"

  "No, I'm not 'fraid-cat," declared little Davie, trying to speakstoutly; "I'm coming, Joel," and his little rusty shoes patteredunevenly down the rickety board walk.

  "Jo-_el_!" called Polly, thinking it quite time now tointerfere.

  Joel scuttled behind the old woodshed, and several smotheredgrunts proclaimed his disapproval at the interruption.

  "Now I know you're up to some mischief," declared Polly, "so youjust come into the house, Joel Pepper, and tell me what it is."

  "'Tisn't," said Joel, loudly insisting. "_Don't go, Dave_,"in a loud whisper. Thereupon ensued a lively scuffle, evidently,by the noise they made.

  "I must," said little Davie; "Polly called us."

  "No, she didn't call _you_," declared Joel. "You stay here.She said 'Joel.'"

  "Bo-_oys_!" sang out Polly's voice, not to have any doubtin the matter.

  "There, she did call me," cried Davie, wriggling to get freefrom Joel's clutch; "she said 'boys!'"

  "She's always calling us," said Joel, in an injured voice,dragging himself away from the charms of the woodshed tostraggle slowly back to the house.

  There sat Polly on the big stone that served as a step for theback door, with her hands folded in her lap. Little Davieskipped by Joel, and ran up to her, with a flushed face.

  "Now I should like to know what you've been up to, Joey Pepper?"said Polly, her brown eyes full on him.

  "Haven't been up to anything," mumbled Joel, hanging his chubbyface.

  "Yes, you have, I know," declared Polly, in her most positivefashion; "now tell me what it is, and right straight off, Joel.Begin." She kept her hands still folded in her lap. "What wereyou going to do?"

  Joel squirmed all over the little patch of ground before theflat doorstone, and dug the toes of his shoes into the dirt.

  "Don't do so," cried Polly. "You'll get bigger holes in 'em. Oh,Joel, to think how naughty you are, and Mamsie away!"

  At that Joel gave a loud howl, nearly upsetting Polly from herstone; then, digging his two fists into his eyes, he plungedforward and thrust his black head on the folded hands in her lap."I ain't naughty," he screamed. "I ain't, and Mamsie won't care.O dear--ooh--ooh!"

  "Tell me what you were going to do, before I can say you are notnaughty," said Polly, dreadfully frightened at his outburst, butnot unfolding her hands.

  "I was only going to--going to--going to--" mumbled Joel, tryingto burrow past her hands, and get into the comforting lap.

  "Going to do what?" demanded Polly, still not moving.

  "I was going to--going to--" said Joel, in smothered tones.

  "Stop saying you were going to," commanded Polly, in her firmesttones.

  "You told me to tell you," said Joel. "O dear! I was going to--"

  "Well, tell then, at once; what were you going to do? Hurry up,Joe; now go on."

  "I was going to--" began Joel again. "O dear me! I was going to--"he mumbled, burrowing deeper yet.

  "Joel Pepper!" cried Polly, in a tone that brought him boltupright, his round face streaked with tears that his dirtylittle hands had tried to wipe off, the rest of them trailingover his round nose. "O dear me! Now you must go into the'provision room' and stay. Don't you remember Mamsie said you'dhave to go there the next time you wouldn't tell what you'ddone?" And Polly looked as if she were going to cry at once.

  "Oh, no--no!" screamed Joel, in the greatest distress, andclutching Polly's arm. "I'll tell you, Polly; I'll tell." And hebegan to rattle off a lot of words, but Polly stopped him.

  "No, it's too late now. I've said it, and you must go; forMamsie wouldn't like it if you didn't."

  Thereupon Joel gave a terrible howl. Little Davie, in distress,clapped his hands to his ears. "Oh, Polly, don't make him," hewas saying, when heavy steps came around the corner of the house."Any ra-ags to sell?" sang out the voice of a very big man.

  Joel took one black eye away from his brown hands, and shot asharp look at him. Then he howled worse than ever.

  "No," said Polly, "not to-day, Mr. Biggs. There was a bagfulMamsie said I might sell, but I can't get it now."

  "Sho! that's too bad," ejaculated Mr. Biggs. "What's the matterwith him?" pointing a square, dingy thumb at Joel. "Stomach-ache?"

  "No," said Polly, sadly, "it's worse than that. Please go away,Mr. Biggs, and come some other day."

  "Worse'n stomach-ache," said Mr. Biggs, in astonishment, andslapping his big hands together; "then I can't take him with me.But t'other one might go, if you say so, marm." He always calledPolly marm, and she liked it very much. He now pointed to David.

  "Where are you going?" asked Polly, while

  David took away his hands from his ears to hear, too.

  "Why, you see, marm, Mis' Pettingill, up to th'East Quarter--youknow Mis' Pettingill?"

  "No," said Polly.

  "I do," roared Joel, forgetting his distress. "I know, Polly.She lives in a nice yellow house, and there's a duck-pond, andcherry trees." He pranced up to Mr. Biggs, smiling through histears.

  "That's it," cried Mr. Biggs, delighted at being understood."This boy knows." He laid his hand heavily on Joel's shoulder."Well, he seems to be better now, so I'll take him and t'otherone along of me, marm, if you say so. Ye see, Mis' Pettingilltold me to come up there sometime, 'cause she's got a lot o'rags--ben a-makin' quilts, she said, all winter, and I laid outto go to-day, so here I be, on my way."

  "Whickets!" shouted Joel, the last tear gone. "Come on, Dave. Oh,won't we have fun! I'm going to sit in the middle. Let me drive.Let me, Mr. Biggs." He swarmed all over the big rag-man.

  Little David stood perfectly still and clasped his hands indelight.

  "'WHICKETS!' SHOUTED JOEL, THE LAST TEAR GONE"]

  Polly drew a long breath, and the rosy color flew out of hercheek. "You can't go, Joe," she said slowly. "Mamsie wouldn'tlike it, after you've been naughty."

  Joel's arms fell down at his side, and he stared wildly at her amoment. Then he flung himself flat on the ground and roared.

  "He's worse agin," said Mr. Biggs, in great distress. "I guesshe wants pep'
mint. My mother used to give me that when I'd etgreen apples."

  But Polly shook her head. "He can't go, Mr. Biggs," she said;"but Davie can."

  At this little Davie gave a squeal of joy, and took three stepsdown the grass plot, but stopped suddenly.

  "All right," said Mr. Biggs, heartily. "Come on, boy; I must beoff. It's a good piece down to Mis' Pettingill's. And she alwayswants me to take time a-weighin' her rags." And he began tolumber off.

  "I don't want to go if Joel can't," said Davie, slowly, andturning his back to the red rag-wagon waiting out in the road.He twisted his fingers hard, and kept saying, "No, I don't wantto go, Polly, if Joel can't."

  "All right, Davie," said Polly, beginning to cuddle him; "onlyyou must remember, Mr. Biggs won't go again this summer out toMrs. Pettingill's, most likely."

  Davie shook his head again, and twisted his fingers worse thanever. "I don't want to go if Joel can't," he said, while Joelroared harder still, if that were possible. So Polly had to rundown the grassy slope to overtake Mr. Biggs, who was now gettingup into his red cart, in front of the dangling tin dishes,brooms, and pails with which it was filled.

  "If you please, sir," she said, the rosy color all over hercheek, "there can't either of the boys go."

  "Hey? What's the matter with the littlest one," cried Mr. Biggs,turning around with one foot on the shaft. "Is he took sick,too?"

  "No--no," said Polly, clasping her hands in distress, "but hewon't go unless Joel goes. Oh, I do thank you so much, Mr. Biggs,for asking them."

  "Sho now! that's too bad," said the rag-man, his foot still onthe shaft, and his big face wrinkled perplexedly. "Beats all,how suddint they're took. Now you better give 'em a dose o'pep'mint, marm, both on 'em."

  But Polly shook her head as she ran back up the grassy slopeagain. So Mr. Biggs had nothing to do but to drive off, which hedid, staring hard at them; and every little while he turned back,to gaze in astonishment over his shoulder, until the big redwagon went round the slope of the hill and was lost to view.

  "Now, Joel," said Polly, firmly, "you must just stop making sucha noise, and go right into the provision room, and get the stool,and sit down till I tell you to get up."

  To sit down on the old wooden stool in the middle of theprovision room, with the door shut, was one of the worstpunishments that Mrs. Pepper inflicted; and Polly's cheek gotquite white. Little Davie, on seeing this, untwisted his fingersand went up to her. "Don't cry, Polly," he said suddenly, as hesaw her face, and laid his hand in hers.

  Joel stopped roaring, and looked up at her through his tears.

  "I'm not going to cry," said Polly, "because I know Joel will begood now, and go at once and get on his stool in the provisionroom."

  Joel swallowed hard and stumbled up to his feet, wiping hischeeks with the back of one grimy hand.

  "That's right," said Polly; "now go right in and shut the door."

  "O dear me," said little Davie, hiding his face in Polly's gown,as Joel went slowly off. They could hear the provision room doorshut. Then Polly turned. "Oh, Davie," she cried. Then shestopped, at the sight of his face.

  "Now you and I must go in the house and think of something to dofor Mamsie before she gets home," she cried in a cheery burst.So they both hurried in over the old flat stone.

  "Now what will it be, Davie?" asked Polly, with another glanceat his pale little face. "Let's think," she wrinkled her browsin perplexity.

  "We can't wash the dishes," said Davie, slowly, standing quitestill in the middle of the old kitchen, "'cause they're all done,Polly."

  "No, and we can't wash the floor, 'cause that's all done," saidPolly, wrinkling her forehead worse than ever. "Dear me, we mustthink of something, Davie. O dear me, what can it be?"

  "We might," said little David, slowly, "try to write someletters, Polly. That would make Mamsie glad, I guess."

  "O dear me," exclaimed Polly, in dismay, "I suppose it would,Davie." She sighed, and stood quite still.

  "I s'pose Mamsie would say, 'How nice,'" said little David,reflectively.

  "And you and I ought to get right at it this very minute,"declared Polly, all her energy returning to her after that onedreadful pause, "so come on." And presently the two had the oldtable against the wall pulled out into the middle of the kitchenfloor, and Polly ran and got the big piece of foolscap paperlaid away carefully in the upper bureau drawer in the bedroom.Across the top ran the letters set there by the minister inobedience to Mrs. Pepper's request.

  "I'll get the brown paper--let me, Polly," cried David, quite inhis usual spirits now. And he clambered up, and got out acarefully folded piece laid away after it had come home wrappedaround one of the parcels of coats and sacks Mrs. Pepper hadtaken to sew.

  "Won't it be most beautiful when we can write on the white paper,Polly?" he cried, as he ran back into the kitchen, waving the brownpaper at her.

  Polly set the precious copy along the top of the white foolscap,straight on the table.

  "Oh, that will be a long time, Davie," she said, gazing in anawe-struck way at the array of wonderful letters ParsonHenderson had made for them. "Mamsie won't ever let us try untilwe can make 'em good and straight. O dear me, I don't s'poseI'll ever get a chance." She sighed; for writing bothered Pollydreadfully. "The old pen twists all up whenever I get it in myhand, and everything goes crooked."

  "Oh, Polly, you're going to write real nice, by and by," saidlittle Davie, setting down the brown paper, and smoothing outthe creases. "Now where's the ink-bottle? Let me get it, Polly,do," he begged, running over to the corner cupboard.

  "No, you mustn't, Dave," said Polly in alarm, "you'll spill it.I'll get it," hurrying after him.

  "I won't spill it, Polly"--but Polly was already on her tiptoes,and lifting down the old black ink-horn that had been FatherPepper's. "Isn't it nice that Mrs. Henderson filled it up for usso good?" she said, carrying it over carefully to set on thetable. "You can get the pen, Davie."

  So David ran over to the shelf where, in a corner behind thelittle china mug given to Phronsie when she was a baby, lay thepen in its long black holder. Getting up on a chair, he seizedit.

  "If Phronsie hadn't gone with Mamsie, she'd want to write," hesaid, "wouldn't she, Polly?" as he hopped down again.

  "Yes, indeed," said Polly, drawing up the inkstand into the bestplace, and sighing. "Well, dear me, I'd ever so much rather holdher hand while she writes, than to do it myself." And she gave along stretch.

  "Then you wouldn't ever learn yourself," said little Davie,wisely, and putting the pen down carefully.

  "No," said Polly, with a little laugh, "I s'pose I shouldn't,Davie." O dear me, she thought, I ought not to laugh when Joel'sin there all alone in the provision room. "Well, now we're allready. I'm just going to peek and see if he's all right. Youstay here, Davie."

  With that she hopped off down the little steps to look throughthe big crack in the old door of the provision room.

  "Why--where--" she started back and rubbed her eyes, and staredagain. "Oh! Davie," she screamed. Then she clapped her handsover her mouth. "It never'd do to scare him," she said. And sheopened the provision room door and rushed in. The old stoolstood in the middle of the floor, but there was no Joel to beseen.

  Polly ran here and there. "Joel--_Joel_!" she cried,peering into every corner, and looking into the potato bag andbehind some boxes that the storekeeper had given the boys tomake things out of, and that were kept as great treasures. "Odear me, what shall I do? I must tell Davie now, so he can helpme find him--" when she heard a funny noise, and rushing outside,she heard Joel say, "Don't come, Polly, he's 'most dead."

  Polly gave a gasp, and bounded to his side, as Joel floppedaround on the ground, his back toward her, his black eyesfastened on something doubled up in his fists.

  "O dear me, Joel, what is it?" cried Polly, bending over him.

  "Ow--go way!" roared Joel, twisting worse than ever, andsqueezing his brown hands together tightly; "he'll get away,maybe, and bite you."

  "
Oh, he'll bite you, Joe," cried Polly, in great alarm. "O dearme, let me see what it is! I can help, Joel, I can help."

  She flung herself down on the ground close to his side. Justthen out rushed Davie from the provision room.

  "Keep him away, keep him away," screamed Joel, trying to turnhis back on both of them. But Polly caught sight of a danglingthing hanging from his clenched hands.

  "Oh, Joel!" She gave one scream, "It's a snake!"

  "I know it," said Joel, trying to twitch back again; "it's anugly mean old adder, Polly, but he's most dead. I've squeezedhis neck."

  "Let me see him," cried Polly. "Turn around, Joel. I'll help you.O dear me!" as Joel whirled back, the long body of the snakeflopping from one side to the other. "If he'd keep still, Icould cut off his tail high up. I'll go and get the hatchet--"and she ran off.

  "Hoh! you needn't," cried Joel after her, in great dudgeon, andgiving a final wrench. "There, I've deaded him; see, Polly--see,Dave!" and he held the snake up triumphantly.

  "A snake!" screamed Davie, tumbling over backward on the grass."O dear me, it's a snake, Polly!" and he huddled up his feet andtucked them under him.

  "Ain't he big?" cried Joel, swinging the long dangling body atDavie as Polly ran back.

  "Don't scare him, Joel," she cried. "O goodness me! What a bigone, and a gray adder, too. Oh, Joel, are you sure he didn'tbite you anywhere? Do throw him down and let me see," she beggedanxiously. But Joel swung the snake back and forth. "Hoh, Iguess not!" he said scornfully, "not a single snip, Polly. Ain'the big! I killed him all alone by myself."

  "Yes--yes, but do put him down, Joel," she begged, "and let mesee if you're all right."

  So Joel at last set his snake on the ground, and straightenedout his tail; then he commenced to run all around him. "Ain't hea buster, Polly!" he cried, his eyes shining.

  Polly looked at him reprovingly out of her brown eyes. "Mamsiewouldn't like you to say that word," she began. "But you won'tagain, I know," seeing his face.

  "No," said Joel, brightening up, "I won't, Polly. But ain't hebig! You couldn't a-killed him, Dave," he cried at little Davietucking up his toes under him on the grass.

  "No," said Davie. "O dear me, he may be alive and bite us allnow."

  "Hoh!" exclaimed Joel, "he's just as dead as anything. See!" andhe twitched up the long gray snake by the tip of the tail andswung it over his head.

  "Oh, don't, Joe!" begged Polly, running over to put her armsaround David, who burrowed into them as far as he could. "Do puthim down, and come and tell us how you killed him. There, let'sall sit down on the doorstep. Come, boys."

  "I'm going to hold my snake," announced Joel, stopping the swingin mid-air to pat the adder's head lovingly. "Ain't he sweet,Polly?"

  Davie shivered and turned his eyes away.

  "No, you must not hold him," said Polly, decisively. "If you do,you can't sit on the step beside us."

  "Then I won't hold him," said Joel, running up to them, "butI'll have him close to me," and he laid the snake by the side ofthe doorstep. "I'm going to sit here by you, Polly."

  Little Davie thrust up his head and looked fearfully aroundPolly.

  "You can't have that snake here, Joel," announced Polly, in hermost determined tone. "Put him off on the grass in the orchard,"as the one scraggy apple tree was called. "Now hurry, like agood boy, and then come and tell us how you killed him."

  "I can't see him good, 'way off there," grumbled Joel, andpicking up his snake he dragged him through the grass. "Just alittle bit nearer," he pleaded.

  "Not a single bit of an inch nearer, Joel Pepper," said Polly,firmly. So Joel laid the snake down and ran back and sat down onthe end of the step by Polly.

  "Now begin," said Polly.

  "Well, I was sittin' on the old stool," said Joel, his chubbyface getting very red, "when I heard a scrunchin' an' a swishin',an' I thought 'twas you, Polly, so I didn't look round."

  "No," said Polly, with a little shiver, "it wasn't me. Go on,Joey."

  "Well, it scrunched an' it swished, and it didn't stop, so thenI looked around."

  "O dear me!" exclaimed Polly, throwing one arm around Joel, anddrawing him to her. Little Davie sat up quite straight andfolded his hands.

  "And he was sticking up his head behind the potato bag, lookingat me just like this." Joel flew off the doorstep and stood upas tall as possible and ran out his tongue.

  Little Davie gave a loud scream. "Oh, you brave Joel!" exclaimedPolly, tumbling off from the doorstep to throw her arms aroundhim, and kiss his stubby black hair.

  "Phoo! that's nothing!" cried Joel, who always hated to bepraised.

  "And I'm just as proud of you as I can be," Polly ran on withkindling eyes. "Oh, Joel!"

  Joel wriggled all over with delight at that "Oh, Joel!"

  "And now come back and tell us the rest," said Polly, hanging tohis brown hand. "Go on, Joel," as they sat down again on thedoorstep.

  "Well, he looked at me, and I looked at him," said Joel, "andthen I said 'Squish!' and he bobbed down his head, just a minute,and I jumped and I grabbed him by the neck, and that's all,Polly." And Joel gave a long stretch.

  But Polly had her arms around his neck. "Oh, you brave, braveJoel," she cried. "Mamsie'll be so proud of you! Think whatshe'll say when she comes home!"