to catch and shake him, while he dodged and chuckled in high
glee.
Maud began to wail over her lost delight, and Polly gravely poked
at the mess, which was quite spoilt. But her attention was speedily
diverted by the squabble going on in the corner; for Fanny,
forgetful of her young-ladyism and her sixteen years, had boxed
Tom’s ears, and Tom, resenting the insult, had forcibly seated her
in the coal-hod, where he held her with one hand while he returned
the compliment with the other. Both were very angry, and kept
twitting one another with every aggravation they could invent, as
they scolded and scuffled, presenting a most unlovely spectacle.
Polly was not a model girl by any means, and had her little pets
and tempers like the rest of us; but she did n’t fight, scream, and
squabble with her brothers and sisters in this disgraceful way, and
was much surprised to see her elegant friend in such a passion.
“Oh, don’t! Please, don’t! You ‘ll hurt her, Tom! Let him go, Fanny!
It ‘s no matter about the candy; we can make some more!” cried
Polly, trying to part them, and looking so distressed, that they
stopped ashamed, and in a minute sorry that she should see such a
display of temper.
“I ain’t going to be hustled round; so you ‘d better let me alone,
Fan,” said Tom, drawing off with a threatening wag of the head,
adding, in a different tone, “I only put the shells in for fun, Polly.
You cook another kettleful, and I ‘ll pick you some meats all fair.
Will you?”
“It ‘s pretty hot work, and it ‘s a pity to waste things; but I ‘ll try
again, if you want me to,” said Polly, with a patient sigh, for her
arms were tired and her face uncomfortably hot.
“We don’t want you; get away!” said Maud, shaking a sticky spoon
at him.
“Keep quiet, cry-baby. I ‘m going to stay and help; may n’t I,
Polly?”
“Bears like sweet things, so you want some candy, I guess. Where
is the molasses? We ‘ve used up all there was in the jug,” said
Polly, good-naturedly, beginning again.
“Down cellar; I ‘ll get it;” and taking the lamp and jug, Tom
departed, bent on doing his duty now like a saint.
The moment his light vanished, Fanny bolted the door, saying,
spitefully, “Now, we are safe from any more tricks. Let him thump
and call, it only serves him right; and when the candy is done, we
‘ll let the rascal out.”
“How can we make it without molasses?” asked Polly, thinking
that would settle the matter.
“There ‘s plenty in the store-room. No; you shan’t let him up till I
‘m ready. He ‘s got to learn that I ‘m not to be shaken by a little chit
like him. Make your candy, and let him alone, or I ‘ll go and tell
papa, and then Tom will get a lecture.”
Polly thought it was n’t fair; but Maud clamored for her candy, and
finding she could do nothing to appease Fan, Polly devoted her
mind to her cookery till the nuts were safely in, and a nice panful
set in the yard to cool. A few bangs at the locked door, a few
threats of vengeance from the prisoner, such as setting the house
on fire, drinking up the wine, and mashing the jelly-pots, and then
all was so quiet that the girls forgot him in the exciting crisis of
their work.
“He can’t possibly get out anywhere, and as soon we ‘ve cut up the
candy, we ‘ll unbolt the door and run. Come and get a nice dish to
put it in,” said Fan, when Polly proposed to go halves with Tom,
lest he should come bursting in somehow, and seize the whole.
When they came down with the dish in which to set forth their
treat, and opened the back-door to find it, imagine their dismay on
discovering that it was gone, pan, candy, and all, utterly and
mysteriously gone!
A general lament arose, when a careful rummage left no hopes; for
the fates had evidently decreed at candy was not to prosper on this