Was there a funeral, or a wedding?
Who was dead?
Who was to be married?
He seized the telegram that Elizabeth Eliza reached to him, and
read it aloud.
"Come to us directlythe house is NOT on fire!"
The chief engineer was standing on the steps.
"The house not on fire!" he exclaimed. "What are we all
summoned for?"
"It is a mistake," cried Elizabeth Eliza, wringing her hands. "We
touched the wrong knob; we wanted the telegraph boy! "
"We touched all the wrong knobs," exclaimed Mrs. Peterkin, from
the house.
The chief engineer turned directly to give counter-directions, with
a few exclamations of disgust, as the bells of distant fire-engines
were heard approaching.
Solomon John appeared at this moment, and proposed taking one
of the carriages, and going for a doctor for his mother, for she was
now nearly ready to fall into hysterics, and Agamemnon thought
to send a telegram down by the boy, for the evening papers, to
announce that the Peterkins' house had not been on fire.
The crisis of the commotion had reached its height. The beds of
flowers, bordered with dark-colored leaves, were trodden down by
the feet of the crowd that had assembled.
The chief engineer grew more and more indignant, as he sent his
men to order back the fire-engines from the neighboring towns.
The collection of boys followed the procession as it went away.
The fire-brigade hastily removed covers from some of the
furniture, restored the rest to their places, and took away their
ladders.
Pages:
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134