"Oh!" said the old gentleman, wondering if other revelations would come
to light about the early days of the Peppers.

"Isn't Dr. Fisher lovely?" cried Polly, with sparkling eyes, "just the
same as ever. Mamsie, I ought to do something for him.

"He is as good as gold," assented Mrs. Pepper heartily. "You've done
something, I'm sure, Polly. The medical books you bought out of your
pocket money, and sent him, pleased him more than anything you could
give him."

"But I want to do something now," said Polly. "Oh! just think how good
he was to us."

"May we never forget it!" exclaimed Mrs. Pepper, wiping her eyes.

"But he's very unwise," said Mr. King a trifle testily, "not to take up
with my offer to establish him in the town. A man like him could easily
hold a good practice, because the fellow's got ability."

"Oh! Dr. Fisher wouldn't leave Badgertown," cried all the Peppers in a
bunch. "And what would the poor people here do without him?" finished
Polly.

"Well, well, never mind, he won't come to town, and that's enough," said
the old gentleman quickly. "Aside from that, he's a sensible chap, and
one quite to my liking."

"Oh, Polly!" cried Phronsie suddenly, and lifting her head, she fastened
her brown eyes on the face above her, "wasn't Mamsie's birthday cake