"I'm going to Mamsie!" was all Joel said, as he rolled over the edge and
disappeared from the room.
"Oh, wait," screamed Van. Then he rolled off his side of the bed, took two
big steps, and stood quite still in the middle of the floor.
"You've got to go with him and help tell," said Percy pleasantly, as if
proposing the most delightful thing. But Van didn't stir.
"Aren't you ashamed!" cried Percy, with a sniff. "I'd like to know if Polly
will think it's nice for you to sneak out of it, Van Whitney."
"Ow!" squealed Van. He shot out into the hall, and without giving himself
time to think, ran as hard as he could to join Joel in Mother Fisher's
room.
Left to himself, Percy set himself to work on straightening the bedspread,
running around from one side to the other to pat and twitch impatiently.
"As soon as I get one side nice, it all comes away from the other," he said
to himself. "How in the world does Jane ever make a bed, I wonder?" And at
last he deserted it altogether and drew off with a very hot face.
"Heigh-ho! I wish we could do something to celebrate when Rachel comes,"
and he wrinkled his brows in perplexity. "Oh, I know," and he clapped his
hands in glee. Then he ran softly out and up to Ben's room.
But Ben wasn't in; so Percy, nearly bursting with a plan that now seemed to
him very grand, was obliged to take some one else into his confidence.
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