11 Polly Takes a Trip

CHAPTER 11 Polly Takes a Trip The Peppers tried their hardest to figure out a way to thank Jasper and his father for what they had done. Ben and the little boys sent handmade boxes and carvings. Polly and Phronsie baked little cakes and decorated them with Polly's flowers. All winter, letters filled with messages from the Peppers and news from Jasper flew back and forth between the two

houses. "There's just no way to thank him properly, Mamsie," Polly said, with her bird Cherry perched on her shoulder. "I can hardly wait till summer when Jasper comes back." "Write him a letter all by yourself and tell him so, Polly," Mrs. Pepper said. "Jasper and Ben write ever so much better than I do, Mamsie," Polly worried. "Well, someday soon we'll have enough money to send Ben to a proper school. Then we'll save up some more and send you, too," Mrs. Pepper vowed, bending her head over her sewing. Polly was quiet. "What's wrong, Polly?" Mrs. Pepper asked, looking up from her work. "Well, if Ben goes to school and learns about everything first—will he be ashamed of me because of all the things I don't know?" Polly asked slowly, her lips trembling.

"Of course not, Polly, dear," Mrs. Pepper said, biting off a loose thread. Then Mrs. Pepper returned to her sewing with great energy, as if the faster she sewed, the faster Polly would be able to go to proper school with Ben. Meanwhile, at Jasper's house, things were in an uproar. Jasper, his older sister Marian, and her sons, Van, Percy, and Dick, were pleading with Mr. King to arrange their summer plans. Jasper had told sister and his nephews all about Polly and the rest of the Peppers. They were as eager to meet the Peppers as Jasper was to see them again. "I simply do not want to go anywhere this summer," Mr. King grumbled. "We have a perfectly lovely home, and I should like to stay and enjoy it," he said. Jasper looked so sad, that kind-hearted Marian felt she had to do something. "Why not invite one of the children to stay with us?" she

suggested. "How about Ben?" "I want Polly," Jasper pouted. He sounded just like Phronsie when Jasper and Prince rescued her from the nasty organ man. "Father? May Polly Pepper come to stay with us a while?" Jasper asked. Mr. King looked sharply down his nose over his eyeglasses at Jasper. He was surprised at how pale and thin the boy looked. Perhaps it might do him some good to have the girl here, Mr. King thought to himself. "Please, Father?" Jasper begged. Grumbling, Mr. King set aside his newspaper and said, "Fine. We'll send for the girl. I'll write the letter to Mrs. Pepper myself. Tell Thomas he can take the letter with the afternoon mail." Mr. King set about writing a long letter. In it, he outlined a plan for Polly to live with the Kings for the whole school year and get an education. There would be music lessons, French lessons, reading, writing, and math lessons. Polly

would receive everything that Mr. King provided for his very own son. Three-quarters of an hour later, the letter was ready. But, Polly didn't come! A polite letter of thanks from Mrs. Pepper did. In the letter, Mrs. Pepper stiffly explained that she could not accept such an enormous favor. Mr. King stormed and fussed, begged and pleaded. Kind-hearted Marian sent her own gentle letter to Mrs. Pepper. Still she would not let Polly come. It was only when Mr. King wrote that Jasper was in failing health and that only Polly could cheer him up that Mrs. Pepper agreed that Polly really must go. Now it was her turn to help Jasper. The news that Polly was moving to a big city spread quickly through Badgertown. On the day Polly was supposed to leave, all

her good friends were there to help load her trunk onto the stagecoach and see her off. Everyone was happy for her. Everyone except Polly herself! When the time came to go, Polly burst into tears. "I can't," Polly said, trembling and pale. "I can't leave Mamsie with all the work." "But don't you see, dear," Mrs. Henderson said kindly, taking Polly aside. "You will be helping your mother twice as much if you get a good education." "Oh, Polly, if you give this up, there will never be another chance," Ben said, his voice choked with tears. "But it isn't right," Polly said. Finally, Mrs. Pepper spoke up. She put her hands on Polly's shoulders. There was a look on her face that Polly had never seen before. "Polly, my dear, if you don't go and learn as much as you possibly can, I think my heart will