But they had taken the dining-room sideboard first,-a heavy piece of furniture,-and all its contents were now on the dining-room tables.Then, indeed, they selected the parlor book-case, but had set every book on the floor The men had told Mrs.Peterkin they would put the books in the bottom of the cart, very much in the order they were taken from the shelves.But by this time Mrs.
Peterkin was considering the carters as natural enemies, and dared not trust them; besides, the books ought all to be dusted.So she was now holding one of the volumes of Agamemnon's Encyclop?dia, with difficulty, in one hand, while she was dusting it with the other.Elizabeth Eliza was in dismay.At this moment four men were bringing down a large chest of drawers from her father's room, and they called to her to stand out of the way.The parlors were a scene of confusion.In dusting the books Mrs.
Peterkin neglected to restore them to the careful rows in which they were left by the men, and they lay in hopeless masses in different parts of the room.Elizabeth Eliza sunk in despair upon the end of a sofa.
"It would have been better to buy the red and blue carpet," said Solomon John.
"Is not the carpet bought?" exclaimed Mrs.Peterkin.And then they were obliged to confess they had been unable to decide upon one, and had come back to consult Mrs.Peterkin.
"What shall we do?" asked Mrs.Peterkin.
Elizabeth Eliza rose from the sofa and went to the door, saying, "Ishall be back in a moment."
Agamemnon slowly passed round the room, collecting the scattered volumes of his Encyclop?dia.Mr.Peterkin offered a helping hand to a man lifting a wardrobe.
Elizabeth Eliza soon returned."I did not like to go and ask her.But I felt that I must in such an emergency.I explained to her the whole matter, and she thinks we should take the carpet at Makillan's.""Makillan's" was a store in the village, and the carpet was the only one all the family had liked without any doubt; but they had supposed they might prefer one from Boston.
The moment was a critical one.Solomon John was sent directly to Makillan's to order the carpet to be put down that very day.But where should they dine? where should they have their supper? and where was Mr.Peterkin's "quiet hour" ?
Elizabeth Eliza was frantic; the dining-room floor and table were covered with things.
It was decided that Mr.and Mrs.Peterkin should dine at the Bromwicks, who had been most neighborly in their offers, and the rest should get something to eat at the baker's.
Agamemnon and Elizabeth Eliza hastened away to be ready to receive the carts at the other house, and direct the furniture as they could.After all there was something exhilarating in this opening of the new house, and in deciding where things should go.Gayly Elizabeth Eliza stepped down the front garden of the new home, and across the piazza, and to the door.But it was locked, and she had no keys!
"Agamemnon, did you bring the keys?" she exclaimed.
No, he had not seen them since the morning,-when-ah!-yes, the little boys were allowed to go to the house for their india-rubber boots, as there was a threatening of rain.Perhaps they had left some door unfastened-perhaps they had put the keys under the door-mat.No, each door, each window, was solidly closed, and there was no mat!
"I shall have to go to the school to see if they took the keys with them," said Agamemnon; "or else go home to see if they left them there." The school was in a different direction from the house, and far at the other end of the town; for Mr.Peterkin had not yet changed the boys' school, as he proposed to do after their move.
"That will be the only way," said Elizabeth Eliza; for it had been arranged that the little boys should take their lunch to school, and not come home at noon.
She sat down on the steps to wait, but only for a moment, for the carts soon appeared, turning the corner.What should be done with the furniture? Of course the carters must wait for the keys, as she should need them to set the furniture up in the right places.But they could not stop for this.They put it down upon the piazza, on the steps, in the garden, and Elizabeth Eliza saw how incongruous it was! There was something from every room in the house! Even the large family chest, which had proved too heavy for them to travel with had come down from the attic, and stood against the front door.
