Joel gave a long restful sigh. "Do let me alone," he said
crossly. But Polly leaned over and shook his shoulder smartly.
"See here, now," cried Ben, roused by all this, "you just sit up
in bed, Mister Joel, and tell Polly all you know about this
business. Do you hear?" And suddenly over came Ben's pillow
flying through the air, to tumble over Joel's chubby nose.
"Nothin' to tell," declared Joel, again; but he sat up in bed.
"So you said before," said Polly; "but these black things got up
here somehow, and you know all about it, I'm sure. So you've
just got to tell all about it, Joel Pepper."
"It's crickets!" blurted Joel, suddenly, "an' Dave an' me brought 'em
to put in Ben's bed, an'--"
"Thank you," interrupted Ben, and, "Oh, Davie," reprovingly said
Polly.
"I'm sorry," said little Davie, wriggling up his toes; "I didn't
know they hopped so bad. Oh, Polly, they're all running up my
legs," he cried with another burst.
"Never mind," said Polly, quite reassured, "they're nothing but
dear, nice little crickets. I don't care, now; but it's dreadful
to see black things in the middle of the night, when you don't
know what they are."
"I don't like 'em, Polly," wailed David.
Pages:
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333