Polly, just like Grandma Bascom's!"

"Yes," whispered Polly, "but don't you tell her yet till you get it
done, Phronsie."

"I won't," said Phronsie in the loudest of tones--but putting her mouth
close to Polly's ear. "And then she'll be so s'prised, Polly! won't
she?"

Just then came Jasper's voice at the door. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, do, Jappy," cried Polly, rushing along with Phronsie in her arms to
open the door. "We're so glad you've got home!"

"So am I," said Jasper, coming in, his face flushed and his eyes
sparkling; "I thought father never would be through downtown, Polly!"

"We're going to learn to draw," said Percy, over by the table, who
wouldn't on any account leave his seat by Ben, though he was awfully
tired of sitting still so long, for fear somebody else would hop into
it. "Ben's going to teach us."

"Yes, he is," put in Van, bounding up to Jasper and pulling at all the
buttons on his jacket he could reach, to command attention.

"And us," said Joel, coming up too. "You forgot us, Van."

"The whole of us--every single one in this room," said Van decidedly,
"all except Mrs. Pepper."

"Hulloa!" said Jasper, "that is a class! Well, Professor Ben, you've got
to teach me then, for I'm coming too."

"You?" said Ben, turning around his chair, and looking at him; "I can't
teach you anything, Jappy. You know everything already."

"Let him come, anyway," said Polly, hopping up and down.

"Oh, I'm coming, Professor," laughed Jasper. "Never you fear, Polly;
I'll be on hand when the rest of the class comes in!"

"And Van," said Mrs. Pepper, pausing a minute in her work, and smiling
over at him in a lull in the chatter--"I think flowers are most
beautiful!" and she pointed to a little framed picture on the mantel,
of the bunch of buttercups and one huge rose that Van had with infinite
patience drawn, and then colored to suit his fancy.

"Do you?" cried Van, perfectly delighted; and leaving the group he
rushed up to her side. "Do you really think they're nice, Mrs. Pepper?"

"Of course I do," said Mrs. Pepper briskly, and beaming on him; "I think
everything of them, and I shall keep them as long as I live, Van!"

"Well, then," said Van, very much pleased, "I shall paint you ever so
many more--just as many as you want!"

"Do!" said Mrs. Pepper, taking up her work again. "And I'll hang them
every one up."

"Yes, I will," said Van; "and I'll go right to work on one to-morrow.
What you mending our ja