ed Polly in dismay, trying her best to stop her,
"oh, Phronsie, do stop!" she implored, pointing into the next room
whence the sound of happy voices issued, "they'll all hear you!"

But Phronsie in her grief didn't care, but wailed on steadily.

"Who is it anyway?" cried Joel, tired of admiring his precious shoes,
and getting up to hear them squeak, "that great big man, you know,
Polly, that came in with you?"

"Why, I thought I told you," said Polly, at her wit's end over Phronsie.
"It's Percy and Van's father, Joey!"

"Whockey!" cried Joel, completely stunned, "really and truly, Polly
Pepper?"

"Really and truly," cried Polly, bundling Phronsie up in her arms to lay
the little wet cheek against hers.

"Then I'm going to peek," cried Joel, squeaking across the floor to
carry his threat into execution.

"Oh, you mustn't, Joe!" cried Polly, frightened lest he should. "Come
right back, or I'll tell mamsie!"

"They're all comin' in, anyway," cried little Davie, delightedly, and
scuttling over to Polly's side.

"And here are the little friends I've heard so much about!" cried
Mr. Whitney coming in amongst them. "Oh, you needn't introduce me to
Polly--she brought me home!"

"They're all Pepperses," said Percy, waving his hand, and doing the
business up at one stroke.

"Only the best of 'em isn't here," observed Van, rather ungallantly, "he
draws perfectly elegant, papa!"

"I like Polly best, I do!" cried little Dick, tumbling after. "Peppers!"
again repeated Mr. Whitney in a puzzled way.

"And here is Mrs. Pepper," said old Mr. King, pompously drawing her
forward, "the children's mother, and--"

But here Mrs. Pepper began to act in a very queer way, rubbing her eyes
and twisting one corner of her black apron in a decidedly nervous manner
that, as the old gentleman looked up, he saw with astonishment presently
communicated itself to the gentleman opposite.

"Is it," said Mr. Whitney, putting out his hand and grasping the hard,
toil-worn one in the folds of the apron, "is it cousin Mary?"

"And aren't you cousin John?" she asked, the tears in her bright black
eyes.

"Of all things in this world!" cried the old gentleman, waving his
head helplessly from one to the other. "Will somebody have the extreme
goodness to tell us what all this means?"

At this the little Peppers crowded around their mother, and into all the
vacant places they could find, to get near the fascinating scene.

"Well," said Mr. Whit