Part 46

Mrs. Peterkin was quite satisfied. “Such a straight road, and the beach such a safe place to turn round upon!”

Elizabeth Eliza was not so well pleased. A wagon had been sent to the station for their trunks, which could not be found; they were probably left at the Boston station, or, Mr. Atwood suggested, might have been switched off upon one of the White Mountain trains. There was no use to write any letters, as there was no way to send them. Elizabeth Eliza now almost hoped the Sylvesters would not come, for what should she do if the trunks did not come and all her new dresses? On her way over to the beach she had been thinking what she should do with her new foulard and cream-colored surah if the Sylvesters did not come, and if their time was spent in only driving to the beach and back. But now, she would prefer that the Sylvesters would not come till the dresses and the trunks did. All she could find out, from inquiry, on returning, was, “that another lot was expected on Saturday.” The next day she suggested:--“Suppose we take our dinner with us to the beach, and spend the day.” The Sylvesters and Ann Maria then would find them on the beach, where her travelling-dress would be quite appropriate. “I am a little tired,” she added, “of going back and forward over the same road; but when the rest come we can vary it.”

The plan was agreed to, but Mr. Peterkin and the little boys remained to go over the farm again.

They had an excellent picnic on the beach, under the shadow of a ledge of sand.

They were just putting up their things when they saw a party of people approaching from the other end of the beach.

“I am glad to see some pleasant-looking people at last,” said Elizabeth Eliza, and they all turned to walk toward them.

As the other party drew near she recognized Ann Maria Bromwick! And with her were the Sylvesters,--so they proved to be, for she had never seen them before.

“What! you have come in our absence!” exclaimed Elizabeth Eliza.

“And we have been wondering what had become of you!” cried Ann Maria.

“I thought you would be at the farm before us,” said Elizabeth Eliza to Mr.

Sylvester, to whom she was introduced.

“We have been looking for you at the farm,” he was saying to her.

“But we are at the farm,” said Elizabeth Eliza.

“And so are we!” said Ann Maria.

“We have been there two days,” said Mrs. Peterkin.

“And so have we, at the ‘Old Farm,’ just at the end of the beach,” said Ann Maria.

“Our farm is old enough,” said Solomon John.

“Whereabouts are you?” asked Mr. Sylvester.

Elizabeth Eliza pointed to the road they had come.

A smile came over Mr. Sylvester’s face; he knew the country well.

“You mean the farm-house behind the hill, at the end of the road?” he asked.

The Peterkins all nodded affirmatively.

Ann Maria could not restrain herself, as broad smiles came over the faces of all the party.

“Why, that is the Poor-house!” she exclaimed.

“The town farm,” Mr. Sylvester explained, deprecatingly.

The Peterkins were silent for a while. The Sylvesters tried not to laugh.

“There certainly were some disagreeable old men and women there!” said Elizabeth Eliza, at last.

“But we have surely been made very comfortable,” Mrs. Peterkin declared.