"Come here, Pet," she called.
Phronsie hesitated. On Polly's calling her again she drew near, but
more slowly than was her wont.
"What have you got, Phronsie?" asked Polly, wondering and not a little
hurt by her manner. "A little basket of string; isn't it funny, and
where did you get it?"
"It isn't a basket," corrected Phronsie, "and I cannot tell you now,
Polly," said Phronsie, shaking her head.
"Why, Phronsie," began Polly in surprise; and she couldn't help it, her
voice quavered in spite of her.
When Phronsie heard that, she was equally distressed, and at once
decided to present the gift then instead of carrying it back to the
hotel for Polly as she had at first intended. So she cast her burden
into Polly's hands and piped out, "It's for you, Polly, a sweet little
yellow cheese; you said you wanted it," and stood smiling and
triumphant.
"Oh, my goodness me!" exclaimed Polly Pepper, standing quite still.
Then she did shock the natives, for she sat right down in the road,
with the cheese in her hands.
XIV
THE ISLAND OF MARKEN
When the boat was nearing the island of Marken, the little yellow
cheese had been presented with all due formality to one of the sailors
who had been specially kind in the matter of securing good seats for
Mr. King's party, Polly and Phronsie having held a whispered conference
in a retired nook, to come out of it bright and smiling.
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