LITTLE WOMEN CHAPTER 12

`Up with the jib, reef the tops'l halliards, helm hard alee, and man the guns!' roared the captain, as a Portuguese pirate hove in sight, with a flag black as ink flying from her foremast.

"Well, they went to the bottom, and a nice mermaid welcomed them, but was much grieved on finding the box of headless knights, and kindly pickled them in brine, hoping to discover the mystery about them, for being a woman, she was curious.

And Miss Kate strolled away, adding to herself with a shrug, "I didn't come to chaperone a governess, though she is young and pretty.

When the sun peeped into the girls' room early next morning to promise them a fine day, he saw a comical sight.

"Brooke is commander in chief, I am commissary general, the other fellows are staff officers, and you, ladies, are company.

"Brooke is commander in chief, I am commissary general, the other fellows are staff officers, and you, ladies, are company.

"Snuffbox," said Jo, in a sepulchral tone, which convulsed the audience.

If it's fine, I'm going to pitch my tent in Longmeadow, and row up the whole crew to lunch and croquet--have a fire, make messes, gypsy fashion, and all sorts of larks.

One is lame, poor thing, he's got a crutch.

As the four sisters went home through the garden, Miss Kate looked after them, saying, without the patronizing tone in her voice, "In spite of their demonstrative manners, American girls are very nice when one knows them."

Jo announced that the coffee was ready, and everyone settled themselves to a hearty meal, for youth is seldom dyspeptic, and exercise develops wholesome appetites.

"Thank you, that sounds pleasant," began Mr. Brooke, looking cheerful again, but before he could finish his speech, Ned, mounted on the old horse, came lumbering up to display his equestrian skill before the young ladies, and there was no more quiet that day.

"My sister Beth is a very fastidious girl, when she likes to be," said Amy, well pleased at Beth's success.

"What do you like to talk about?" she asked, fumbling over the cards and dropping half as she tried to tie them up.

Mrs. March glanced at Meg, who was looking very pretty in her gingham morning gown, with the little curls blowing about her forehead, and very womanly, as she sat sewing at her little worktable, full of tidy white rolls, so unconscious of the thought in her mother's mind as she sewed and sang, while her fingers flew and her thoughts were busied with girlish fancies as innocent and fresh as the pansies in her belt, that Mrs. March smiled and was satisfied.

It's simmering now, so I hope he'll keep out of my way," returned Jo, biting her lips as she glowered at Fred from under her big hat.

Can't you do the same with your governess?"

I see Mrs. Barker doing up the lunch in a hamper and a great basket.

Peeping over the hedge, he saw the queen of his affections picking flowers in her garden.

So he patiently broke twig after twig till he had made a little hole through which he peeped, saying imploringly, `Let me in!

With that Jo marched straight away and the rest followed, a bright little band of sisters, all looking their best in summer suits, with happy faces under the jaunty hatbrims.

"A stunning blow from the big Greek lexicon, which an old fellow in a black gown fired at him," said Ned. "Instantly, Sir What's-his-name recovered himself, pitched the tyrant out of the window, and turned to join the lady, victorious, but with a bump on his brow, found the door locked, tore up the curtains, made a rope ladder, got halfway down when the ladder broke, and he went headfirst into the moat, sixty feet below.

`In the mauve salon.

We have many most respectable and worthy young women who do the same and are employed by the nobility, because, being the daughters of gentlemen, they are both well bred and accomplished, you know," said Miss Kate in a patronizing tone that hurt Meg's pride, and made her work seem not only more distasteful, but degrading.

When the sun peeped into the girls' room early next morning to promise them a fine day, he saw a comical sight.

What shall I say?" cried Sallie, as Fred ended his rigmarole, in which he had jumbled together pell-mell nautical phrases and facts out of one of his favorite books.

One day, as he went prancing down a quiet street, he saw at the window of a ruinous castle the lovely face.

I fancied, from the way he primmed up his mouth in speaking of her, that he didn't admire Kate much."

You shall not make a guy of yourself," remonstrated Meg, as Jo tied down with a red ribbon the broad-brimmed, old-fashioned leghorn Laurie had sent for a joke.

`Ha! Ha!' laughed the ghost, and having peeped through the keyhole at the princesses spinning away for dear life, the evil spirit picked up her victim and put him in a large tin box, where there were eleven other knights packed together without their heads, like sardines, who all rose and began to..."

But the sly dog dived, came up under the man-of-war, scuttled her, and down she went, with all sail set, `To the bottom of the sea, sea, sea' where..."

Hold up your dress and put your hat on straight, it looks sentimental tipped that way and will fly off at the first puff.

"Snuffbox," said Jo, in a sepulchral tone, which convulsed the audience.

Ned, getting sentimental, warbled a serenade with the pensive refrain...

Meg, in the other boat, was delightfully situated, face to face with the rowers, who both admired the prospect and feathered their oars with uncommon `skill and dexterity'.

"What a sly fellow Laurie is!

I shall row and tramp about, so I don't want any starch to think of.

He sprang forward to enter, but the specter plucked him back, and waved threateningly before him a..."

It's you and Meg and Brooke who make it all go, and I'm no end obliged to you. what shall we do when we can't eat anymore?" asked Laurie, feeling that his trump card had been played when lunch was over.

"Thank you, I prefer spiders," she replied, fishing up two unwary little ones who had gone to a creamy death.

Ned, getting sentimental, warbled a serenade with the pensive refrain...