a summer in a canyon-第20节

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one？'　pleaded　Polly；　dancing　on　one　foot　and　chewing　her　sun…bonnet
string。

'No；　dear；　you　can't！　　Keep　quiet　and　let　me　read。'）

Elsie　would　not　let　me　tell　you　our　plans　any　sooner；　lest　the　old
story　of　a　sudden　ill　turn　would　keep　us　at　home；　and　I　think　very
likely　that　she　longed　to　give　the　dear　boys　and　girls　a　surprise。

We　arrived　at　the　Burtons'　yesterday。　　Elsie　bore　the　journey
exceedingly　well；　but　I　would　not　take　any　risks；　and　so　we　shall　not
drive　over　until　day　after　to…morrow　morning。

（'You　needn't　have　hurried　quite　so　fast；　Polly　dear。'）

I　venture　to　send　the　tent　and　its　belongings　ahead　to…day；　so　that
Jack　may　get　everything　to　rights　before　we　arrive。

The　mattress　is　just　the　size　the　girls　ordered；　and　of　course　I've
told　Elsie　nothing　about　the　proposed　furnishing　of　her　tent。

I　am　bringing　my　little　China　boy　with　me；　for　I　happen　to　think
that；　with　the　Burtons；　we　shall　be　fourteen　at　table。　　Gin　is　not
quite　a　success　as　a　cook；　but　he　can　at　least　wash　dishes；　wait　at
table；　and　help　Hop　Yet　in　various　ways；　while　I　shall　be　only　too
glad　to　share　all　your　housekeeping　cares；　if　you　have　not　escaped
them　even　in　the　wilderness。

I　shall　be　so　glad　to　see　you　again；　and　oh；　Truth；　I　am　so　happy；　so
happy；　that；　please　God；　I　can　keep　my　child　after　all！　　The　weary
burden　of　dread　is　lifted　off　my　heart；　and　I　feel　young　again。　　Just
think　of　it！　　My　Elsie　will　be　well　and　strong　once　more！　　It　seems
too　good　to　be　true。

Always　your　attached　friend；
JANET　HOWARD。


Mrs。　Winship's　voice　quivered　as　she　read　the　last　few　words；　and
Polly　and　Bell　threw　themselves　into　each　other's　arms　and　cried　for
sheer　gladness。

'Come；　come；　dears！　　I　suppose　you　will　make　grand　preparations；　and
there　is　no　time　to　lose。　　One　of　you　must　find　somebody　to　help
Philip　unload　the　team。　　Papa　and　the　boys　have　gone　fishing；　and
Laura　and　Margery　went　with　them；　I　think。'　　And　Mrs。　Winship　bustled
about；　literally　on　hospitable　thoughts　in…tent。

Polly　tied　on　her　sun…bonnet　with　determination；　turned　up　her
sleeves　as　if　washing　were　the　thing　to　be　done；　and　placed　her　arms
akimbo。

'First　and　foremost；'　said　she；　her　eyes　sparkling　with　excitement；
'first　and　foremost；　I　am　going　to　blow　the　horn。'

'Certainly　not；'　said　Aunt　Truth。　　'Are　you　crazy；　Polly？　　It　is
scarcely　ten　o'clock；　and　everybody　would　think　it　was　dinnertime；
and　come　home　at　once。'

'No；　they'd　think　something　had　happened　to　Dicky；'　said　Bell；　'and
that　would　bring　them　in　still　sooner。'

'Of　course！　　I　forgot。　　But　can't　I　blow　it　earlier　than　usual？
Can't　I　blow　it　at　half…past　eleven　instead　of　twelve？　　We　can't　do　a
thing　without　the　boys；　and　they　may　not　come　home　until　midnight
unless　we　do　something　desperate。　　Oh；　delight！　　There's　Don　S。　D。　M。
F。　H。　N。；　and　Phil　has　found　Pancho　to　help　unload。'

'Isn't　it　lucky　that　we　decided　on　the　place　for　Elsie's　tent；　and
saved　it　in　case　she　should　ever　come？'　said　Bell。　　'Now　Philip　and
Pancho　can　set　it　up　whenever　they　choose。　　And　isn't　it　fortunate
that　we　three　stayed　at　home　to…day；　and　refused　to　fish？　now　we　can
plan　everything；　and　then　all　work　together　when　they　come　back。'

Meanwhile　Polly　was　tugging　at　an　immense　bundle；　literally　tooth　and
nail；　as　she　alternated　trembling　clutches　of　the　fingers　with
frantic　bites　at　the　offending　knot。

Like　many　of　her　performances；　the　physical　strength　expended　was　out
of　all　proportion　to　the　result　produced；　and　one　stroke　of　Philip's
knife　accomplished　more　than　all　her　ill…directed　effort。　　At　length
the　bundle　of　awning　cloth　stood　revealed。　　'Oh；　isn't　it　beautiful？'
she　cried；　'it　will　be　the　very　prettiest　tent　in　camp；　can't　I　blow
the　horn？'

'Look；　mamma；'　exclaimed　Bell；　'it　is　green　and　grey；　in　those　pretty
broken　stripes；　and　the　edge　is　cut　in　lovely　scollops　and　bound　with
green　braid。　　Won't　it　look　pretty　among　the　trees？'

Aunt　Truth　came　out　to　join　the　admiring　group。

'O…o…o…h！'　screamed　Polly。　　'There　comes　a　piece　of　the　floor。
They've　sent　it　all　made；　in　three　pieces。　　What　fun！　　We'll　have　it
all　up　and　ready　to　sleep　in　before　we　blow　the　horn！'

'And　here's　a　roll　of　straw　matting；'　said　Phil；　depositing　a　huge
bundle　on　the　ground　near　the　girls。　　'I'll　cut　the　rope　to　save　your
teeth！'

'Green　and　white　plaid！'　exclaimed　Bell。　　'Well！　　Mrs。　Howard　did
have　her　wits　about　her！'

'Oh；　do　let　me　blow　the　horn！'　teased　the　irrepressible　Polly。

'Here　are　a　looking…glass　and　a　towel…rack　and　a　Shaker　rocking…
chair；'　called　Philip；　'guess　they're　going　to　stay　the　rest　of　the
summer。'

'Yes；　of　course　they　wouldn't　want　a　looking…glass　if　they　were　only
going　to　stay　a　month　or　two；'　laughed　Bell。

'Dear　Aunt　Truth；　if　you　won't　let　me　turn　a　single　decorous　little
hand…spring；　or　blow　the　horn；　or　do　anything　nice；　will　you　let　us
use　all　that　new　white　mosquito…netting？　　Bell　says　that　it　has　been
in　the　storehouse　for　two　years；　and　it　would　be　just　the　thing　for
decorating　Elsie's　tent。'

'Why；　of　course　you　may　have　it；　Polly；　and　anything　else　that　you
can　find。　　There！　　I　hear　Dicky's　voice　in　the　distance；　perhaps　the
girls　are　coming。'

Bell　and　Polly　darted　through　the　swarm　of　tents；　and　looked　up　the
narrow　path　that　led　to　the　brook。

Sure　enough；　Margery　and　Laura　were　strolling　towards　home　with
little　Anne　and　Dick　dangling　behind；　after　the　manner　of　children。
Margery　carried　a　small　string　of　trout；　and　Dick　the　inevitable　tin
pail　in　which　he　always　kept　an　unfortunate　frog　or　two。　　The　girls
had　discovered　that　he　was　in　the　habit　of　crowding　the　cover　tightly
over　the　pail　and　keeping　his　victims　shut　up　for　twenty…four　hours；
after　which；　he　said；　they　were　nice　and　tameso　very　tame；　as　it
transpired；　that　they　generally　gave　up　the　ghost　in　a　few　hours
after　their　release。　　Margery　had　with　difficulty　persuaded　him　of
his　cruelty；　and　the　cover　had　been　pierced　with　a　certain　number　of
air…holes。

'Guess　the　loveliest　thing　that　could　possibly　happen！'　called　Bell
at　the　top　of　her　voice。

'Elsie　has　come；'　answered　Margery　in　a　second；　nobody　knew　why；　'let
me　hug　her　this　minute！'

'With　those　fish？'　laughed　Polly。　　'No！　you'll　have　to　wait　until　day
after　to…morrow；　and　then　your　guess　will　be　right。　　Isn't　it　almost
too　good　to　be　true？'

'And　she　is　almost　well；'　added　Bell；　joyfully；　slipping　her　arm
through　Margery's　and　squeezing　it　in　sheer　delight。　　'Mrs。　Howard
says　she　is　really　and　truly　better。　　Oh；　if　Elsie　Howard　in　bed　is
the　loveliest；　dearest　thing　in　the　world；　what　will　it　be　like　to
have　her　out　of　it　and　with　us　in　all　our　good　times！'

'Has　she　always　been　ill　since　you　knew　her？'　asked　Laura。

'Yes；　a　terrible　cold　left　her　with　weakness　of　the　lungs；　and　the
doctors　feared　consumption；　but　thought　that　she　might　possibly
outgrow　it　entirely　if　she　lived　in　a　milder　climate；　so　Mrs。　Howard
left　home　and　everybody　she　cared　for；　and　brought　Elsie　to　Santa
Barbara。　　Papa　has　taken　an　interest　in　her　from　the　first；　and　as
far　as　we　girls　are　concerned；　it　was　love　at　first　sight。　　You　never
knew　anybody　like　Elsie！'

'Is　she　pretty？'

'Pretty！'　cried　Polly；　'she　is　like　an　angel　in　a　picture…book！'

'Interesting？'

'Interesting！'　said　Bell；　in　a　tone　that　showed　the　word　to　be　too
feeble　for　the　subject；　'Elsie　is　more　interesting　than　all　the　other
girls　in　the　other　world　put　together！'

'Popular？'

'Popular！'　exclaimed　Margery；　taking　her　turn　in　the　oral
examination；　'I　don't　know　whether　anybody　can　be　popular　who　is
always　in　bed；　but　if　it's　popular　to　be　adored　by　every　man；　woman；
child；　and　animal　that　comes　anywhere　near　her；　why　then　Elsie　is
popular。'

'And　is　she　a　favourite　with　boys　as　well　as　girls？'

'Favourite！'　said　Bell。　　'Why；　they　think　that　she　is　simply　perfect！
Of　course　she　has　scarcely　been　able　to　sit　up　a　week　at　a　time　for　a
year；　and　naturally　she　has　not　seen　many　people；　but；　if　you　want　a
boy's　opinion；　just　ask　Philip　or　Geoffrey。　　I　assure　you；　Laura；
after　you　have　known　Elsie　a　while；　and　have　seen　the　impression　she
makes　upon　everybody；　you　will　want　to　go　to　bed　and　see　if　you　can
do　likewise。'

'It　isn't　just　the　going　to　bed；'　remarked　Margery；　sagely。

'And　it　isn't　the　prettiness　either；'　added　Polly；　'though　if　you　saw
Elsie　asleep；　a　flower　in　one　hand；　the　other　under　her　cheek；　her
hair　straying　over　the　pillow　（O　for　hair　that　would　stray
anywhere！）；　you　would　expect　every　moment　to　see　a　halo　above　her
head。'

'I　don't　believe　it　is　because　she　is　good　that　everybody　admires　her
so；'　said　Laura；　'I　don't　think　goodness　in　itself　is　always　so　very
interesting；　if　Elsie　had　freckles　and　a　snub　nose'（'Don't　mind
me！'　murmured　Polly）'you　would　find　that　people　would　say　less
about　her　wonderful　character。'

'There　are　things　that　puzzle　me；'　said　Polly；　thoughtfully。　　'It
seems　to　me　that　if　I　could　contrive　to　be　ever　so　good；　nobody　ever
would　look　for　a　halo　round　my　head。　　Now；　is　it　my　turned…up　nose
and　red　hair　that　make　me　what　I　am；　or　did　what　I　am　make　my　nose
and　hair　what　they　arewhich？'

'We'll　have　to