Chapter I: Preface

The story of young people's lives is not complete without many and broad glimpses of their school days. It was impossible to devote the space to this recital of the Five Little Peppers' school life, in the books that showed their growing up. The author, therefore, was obliged unwillingly to omit all the daily fun and study and growth, that she, loving them as if they were real children before her eyes, saw in progress.

So she packed it all away in her mind, ready to tell to all those young people who also loved the Peppers, when they clamored for more stories about them--just what Polly and Joel and David did in their merry school days. Ben never got as much schooling as the others, for he insisted on getting into business life as early as possible, in order the sooner to begin to pay Grandpapa King back for all his kindness. But Jasper and Percy and Van joined the Peppers at school, and a right merry time they had of it!

And now the time seems ripe to accede to all the insistent demands from those who love the Five Little Peppers, that this record of their school days should be given. So here it is, just as they all gave it to

MARGARET SIDNEY.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. HARD TIMES FOR JOEL 9

II. THE TENNIS MATCH 24

III. A NARROW ESCAPE 35

IV. OF VARIOUS THINGS 49

V. AT SILVIA HORNE'S 60

VI. THE ACCIDENT 75

VII. THE SALISBURY GIRLS 89

VIII. "WE'RE TO HAVE OUR PICNIC!" 105

IX. ALL ABOUT THE POOR BRAKEMAN 121

X. JOEL AND HIS DOG 135

XI. THE UNITED CLUBS 154

XII. SOME EVERY-DAY FUN 173

XIII. THE PICNIC 186

XIV. MISS SALISBURY'S STORY 206

XV. THE BROKEN VASE 233

XVI. NEW PLANS 247

XVII. PHRONSIE 262

XVIII. TOM'S STORY 280

XIX. THE GRAND ENTERTAINMENT 300

XX. THE CORCORAN FAMILY 322

XXI. AT THE PLAY 346

XXII. PICKERING DODGE 368

XXIII. THE CLEMCY GARDEN PARTY 389

XXIV. THE PIECE OF NEWS 417

XXV. "THE VERY PRETTIEST AFFAIR" 435

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

"TAKE RICKIE! HE BEAT TOO, AS MUCH AS I." _Frontispiece_

AND SHE TOLD THEM THE WHOLE STORY AS FAST AS SHE COULD 100

JUST THEN SOMETHING SKIMMED OUT FROM THE CORNER 155

"I NEVER DID REGARD PICNICS AS PLEASANT AFFAIRS," GASPED MISS ANSTICE 206

"SEE, JOEL, I'M ALL FIXED UP NICE," LAUGHED PHRONSIE FROM HER PERCH 286

"OH, I DO HOPE I SHALL DRAW THE RIGHT ONE, JASPER." 307

"AND SO WE HAD A LITTLE ENTERTAINMENT, AND SOLD THE TICKETS, AND HERE IS OUR GIFT!" 337

THERE STOOD THE LITTLE VASE, PRESENTING AS BRAVE AN APPEARANCE AS IN ITS FIRST PERFECTION 412

_Five Little Peppers at School_