Come
on!" His nose was quite bloody, and a dab here and there on his countenance
gave him anything but a pleasing expression.
"Ugh!" cried Jane, with a little shiver. "You boys get right straight up
from this floor, or I'll tell Mrs. Fisher."
Joel seized her apron string and howled:
"Jane, don't!"
"Yes, I will, too, Master Joel," declared Jane, twitching away the string;
"for such carryings on, I never see. Oh, here's Mr. King; now he'll take
care of you both," and she skipped upstairs, broom and all.
It was useless to try to slip away unperceived, for old Mr. King bore down
upon them along the hall in his stateliest fashion.
"Dear me! what have we here?" as both boys slunk down as small as possible.
"Why, Joel!"--it was impossible to convey greater astonishment in his
tone--"I thought you were steady at work."
"So I was," cried Joel, stung to the quick; and jumping to his feet, he
fairly beat the old gentleman's arm with two distressed little palms, "and
he made me come out. I said I would pound him, and I had to. Oh, Grandpapa,
I had to," and he pranced wildly around the tall, stately figure.
"Keep quiet, Joe," said the old gentleman, with a restraining hand; "and,
Frick, get up. Oh, dear me!"--as Frick obeyed, bringing his interesting
countenance to view, by no means improved by his efforts to wipe off the
smears.
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