26 Little Women Read By Stephanie Poppins

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Chapter 13 Continued If we're all alive ten years hence,

Let's meet and see how many of us have got our wishes or how much nearer we are then than now,

Said Jo,

Always ready with a plan.

Bless me,

How old I shall be!

Twenty-seven!

Exclaimed Meg,

Who felt grown up already having just reached seventeen.

You and I'll be twenty-six,

Teddy.

Beth twenty-four and Amy twenty-two.

What a venerable party,

Said Jo.

I hope I've done something to be proud of by that time,

Said Laurie.

I'm such a lazy dog,

I'm afraid I'll dawdle.

You need a motive,

Mother says,

And when you get it,

She's sure you'll work splendidly.

Is she,

By Jupiter?

I will if only I get the chance.

Then he sat up with a sudden energy.

I ought to be satisfied to please Grandfather.

I do try,

But it's working against the grain,

You see,

And it comes hard.

He wants me to be an Indian merchant,

As he was,

And I'd rather be shot.

I hate tea and silk and spices and every sort of rubbish his old ships bring.

I don't care how soon they go to the bottom when I own them.

Going to college ought to satisfy him,

For if I give him four years,

He ought to let me off from business.

But he's set,

And I've got to do just as he did,

Unless I break away and please myself as my father did.

If there was anyone left to stay with the old gentleman,

I'd do it tomorrow.

Laurie spoke excitedly and looked ready to carry his threat into execution on the slightest provocation,

For he was growing up very fast,

And in spite of his indolent ways,

Had a young man's hatred of subjection,

A young man's restless longing to try the world for himself.

I advise you to sail away in one of your ships and never come home till you've tried your own way,

Said Joe,

Whose imagination was fired by the thought of such a daring exploit.

That's not right,

Joe.

You mustn't talk that way,

Said Meg.

Laurie mustn't take your bad advice.

You should do just what your grandfather wishes,

My dear boy.

Do your best at college,

And when he sees you try to please him,

I'm sure he won't be hard or unjust to you.

As you say,

There's no one else to stay with and love him,

And you'd never forgive yourself if you left him without his permission.

Don't be dismal or fret,

But do your duty,

And you'll get your reward,

As good Mr.

Brooke says.

What do you know about good Mr.

Brooke?

Asked Laurie,

Grateful for the good advice,

But objecting to the lecture,

And glad to turn the conversation from himself.

Only what your grandfather told?

How he took good care of his own mother till she died,

And wouldn't go abroad as tutor to some nice person,

Because he wouldn't leave her,

And how he provides now for an old woman who nursed his mother,

And never tells anyone,

But is just as generous and patient as good as he can be.

So he is,

Dear old fellow,

Said Laurie heartily,

As Meg paused,

Looking flushed and earnest.

It's like grandpa to find out all about him without letting him know,

And tell all his goodness to others so they might like him.

Brooke couldn't understand why your mother was so kind to him,

Asking him over with me,

And treating him in a beautiful friendly way.

He thought she was just perfect,

And talked about it for days and days,

And went on about you all in flaming style.

If I ever get my wish,

You see what I'll do for Brooke.

Begin to do something now by not plaguing his life out,

Said Meg sharply.

When you've played him,

He's sober and he walks slowly,

As if he wanted to go back and do his work better.

Well,

I like that.

So you keep an account of my good and bad marks in Brooke's face,

Do you?

Oh,

Don't be angry,

And don't tell him I said anything.

It was only to show that I cared how you get on.

What he said here was in confidence,

Laurie,

You know that.

I don't tell tales,

Replied Laurie with his high and mighty air,

As Joe called a certain expression which he occasionally wore.

Only if Brooke's going to be a barometer,

I must find fair weather for him to report.

Please don't be offended.

I didn't mean to preach or tell tales or be silly.

I only thought Joe was encouraging you in a feeling which you'd be sorry for.

You were so kind to us,

Laurie.

We feel as if you were our brother and we say what we think.

Forgive me,

I meant it kindly.

Meg offered her hand with a gesture both affectionate and timid.

Ashamed of his momentary peak,

Laurie squeezed the kind little hand and said frankly,

I'm the one to be forgiven.

I'm cross and have been out of sorts all day.

I'd like to have you tell me my thoughts and be sisterly,

So don't mind if I'm grumpy sometimes.

I thank you all the same.

Bent on showing he was not offended,

He made himself agreeable as possible.

Wound cotton for Meg,

Recited poetry to please Joe,

Shook down cones for Beth and helped Amy with her ferns,

Proving himself a fit person to belong to the Busy Bee Society.

In the midst of an animated discussion on the domestic habits of turtles,

The faint sound of a bell warned them that Hannah had put the tea to draw and they would just have time to get home to supper.

May I come again?

Asked Laurie.

Yes,

If you're good and love your book as the boys in the primary are told to do so,

Said Meg smiling.

I'll try.

Then you may come.

And I'll teach you to knit as the Scotchman do.

There's a demand for socks just now,

Added Joe.

That night when Beth played to Mr Lawrence in the twilight,

Laurie,

Standing in the shadow of the curtain,

Listened to the little David,

Whose simple music always quieted his moody spirit,

And watched the old man who sat with his grey head on his hand,

Thinking tender thoughts of the dead child he loved so much.

Remembering the conversation of the afternoon,

The boy said to himself,

I'll let my castle go and stay with the dear old gentleman while he leads me,

For I am all he has.

Joe was very busy in the garret,

For the October days began to grow chilly and the afternoons were short.

For two or three hours the sun lay warmly in the high window,

Showing Joe seated on the old sofa,

Writing busily with her papers spread out upon a trunk before her,

While Scrabble,

The pet rat,

Promenaded the beams overhead,

Accompanied by his young fellow,

Who was evidently very proud of his whiskers.

Quite absorbed in her work,

Joe scribbled away till the last page was filled,

When she signed her name with a flourish and threw down her pen,

Exclaiming,

There,

I've done my best,

This won't suit,

I shall have to wait till I can do better.

Lying back on the sofa she read the manuscript carefully through,

Making dashes here and there,

Putting in many exclamation points,

Then she tied it up with a smart red ribbon and sat a minute looking at it with a sober,

Wistful expression,

Which plainly showed how earnest her work had been.

Joe's desk up here was an old tin kitchen which hung against the wall.

In it she kept her papers and a few books,

Safely shut away from Scrabble,

Being likewise of a literary turn,

Was fond of making a circulating library of such books,

As were left in his way,

By eating the leaves.

From this tin receptacle Joe produced another manuscript,

And putting both in her pocket,

Crept quietly downstairs,

Leaving her friends to nibble her pens and taste her ink.

She put on her hat and jacket as noiselessly as possible,

And going to the back entry window,

Got out upon the roof of a low porch,

Swung herself down onto the grassy bank and took a roundabout way to the road.

Once there,

She composed herself,

Hailed a passing omnibus and rolled away to town,

Looking very merry and mysterious.

If anyone had been watching her,

He would have thought her movements decidedly peculiar.

On alighting,

She went off at a great pace till she reached a certain number in a busy street.

Having found the place with some difficulty,

She went into the doorway,

Looked up the dirty stairs,

And after standing stock still a minute,

She suddenly dived into the street and walked away as rapidly as she came.

This manoeuvre she repeated several times,

To the great amusement of a black-eyed young gentleman lounging in the window of the building opposite.

On returning for the third time,

Jo gave herself a shake,

Pulled her hat over her eyes and walked up the stairs,

Looking as if she were going to have all her teeth out.

There was a dentist's sign among others which adorned the entrance.

After staring a minute at a pair of artificial jaws,

Which slowly opened and shut,

The young gentleman put on his coat,

Took his hat and went down to post himself in the opposite doorway,

Saying with a smile and a shiver,

It's like her to come alone,

But if she has a bad time she'll need someone to help her home.

In ten minutes Jo came running downstairs with a very red face.

When she saw the young gentleman she looked anything but pleased and passed him with a nod,

But he followed,

Asking with an air of sympathy,

Did you have a very bad time?

Not very.

You got through quickly?

Yes,

Thank goodness.

Why did you go alone?

I didn't want anyone to know.

How many did you have out?

Jo looked at her friend as if she did not understand him.

Hmm,

You are up to some mischief,

Jo,

Said Laurie,

Looking mystified.

And so are you,

Said she.

What were you doing up in that billiard saloon?

Begging your pardon,

It wasn't a billiard saloon,

But a gym,

And I was taking a lesson in fencing.

Well,

I'm glad of that,

Said Jo.

Why?

Then you can teach me,

And when we play Hammett we can master the fencing scene.

Laurie burst out with a hearty boy's laugh,

Which made several passers-by smile in spite of themselves.

I'm glad you weren't in the saloon,

She added.

I hope you never go to such places,

Do you?

Not often.

I wish you wouldn't.

It's no harm,

Jo.

I have billiards at home,

But it's no fun unless you've got good players.

So as I'm fond of it,

I come sometimes and have a game with Ned Moffat or some of the other fellows.

I'm sorry,

You'll get to liking it better and better and will waste time and money and grow like those dreadful boys,

Said Jo,

Shaking her head.

Can't a fellow take a little innocent amusement now and then without losing his respectability?

Laurie looked nettled.

That depends on how and where he takes it.

I don't like Ned and his set,

And I wish you'd keep out of it.

Mother won't let us have him at our house,

Though he wants to come.

And if you grow like him,

She won't be willing to have us frolic together as we do now either.

Well,

She needn't get out her ban boxes yet,

Said Laurie.

I'm not a fashionable party and I don't mean to be,

But I do like harmless larks now and then,

Don't you?

Yes,

Nobody minds them.

Lark away.

Don't get wild,

Jo,

Or that'll be an end to all our good times.

Are you going to deliver lectures all the way home,

He asked.

Of course not.

Because if you are,

I'll take the bus.

But if you're not,

I'd like to walk with you and tell you something very interesting.

OK,

I won't preach any more.

I'd like to hear the news immensely.

Come on then,

It's a secret and if I tell you,

You must tell me yours.

I haven't got any,

Began Jo.

But then she stopped suddenly,

Remembering that she had.

You know you have.

You can't hide anything from me,

Cried Laurie.

Is your secret a nice one?

Yes,

It's all about people you know and such fun.

You ought to hear it.

I've been aching to tell you this long time.

Now you begin,

Jo.

You'll not say anything about it at home,

Will you?

Not a word.

And you won't tease me in private?

I never tease.

Yes,

You do.

You get everything you want out of people.

I don't know how you do it,

But you're a born weedler.

Thank you,

Jo.

Now fire away.

Well,

I've left two stories with the newspaper man and he's going to give his answer next week.

Hooray for Miss March,

The celebrated American all-fresh,

Cried Laurie,

Throwing up his hat and catching it again,

To the great delight of two ducks,

Four cats,

Five hens and half a dozen Irish children.

Harsh,

Said Jo.

It won't come to anything,

I dare say.

But I couldn't rest until I tried and I said nothing about it because I didn't want anyone else to be disappointed.

The End