Involuntarily the four Dorrances gave one of their best concerted groans. The low moaning notes and the final shriek roused Dare, the great dog, to a sudden wild excitement. Breaking away from Dorothy's hold, he flew after the tiny Maltese kitten, and taking her head in his mouth, rescued her from imminent peril.
But Fairy, not appreciating that it was a rescue, looked upon it as a massacre, and began to howl piteously. Whereupon Dare deposited the squirming kitten at Fairy's feet, and added his bark, which was no faint one, to the general pandemonium.
All of which so disturbed poor Mrs. Dorrance, that she was glad to have Tessie lead her into the cabin, and there make her as comfortable as possible with a pillow and some smelling-salts.
Meantime peace and quiet had been restored to the party on deck, and they were waving joyful farewells to the tall buildings on Manhattan Island.
"There's the old Flatiron," cried Leicester; "good-bye, old Flatiron! hope I won't see you again for a long while."
"There's the new Flatiron too," cried Lilian. "I don't want to see that again for ever so long, either."
"You'll see flatirons enough, my lady," said Dorothy, "when you find yourself doing the laundry work for a large and able-bodied family."
"I won't have to do that, will I?" cried Lilian, aghast; "nobody told me that!"
"Well, we needn't wash the clothes," said Dorothy; "but likely we'll have to help iron; that is, if we wear any white dresses."
"I'll promise not to wear any white dresses," said Leicester.
"I don't care what I wear, if we just once get into the country," said Lilian. "Oh Dorothy, what do you suppose it will be like?"
"Just like Mrs. Cooper's," said Dorothy, smiling.
"Well it can't be like that," said Lilian; "and so I don't care what it is."
Another excitement came when they were all getting packed into the train. Dare had to travel in the baggage-car, of which he expressed his disapproval by long and continuous growlings. The rabbits were put there, too, but they made less fuss about it.
The bird and the kitten were allowed in the car with the children, and this arrangement added to the general gayety.
Although Mrs. Dorrance naturally considered herself in charge of the expedition, and though Dorothy felt sure she was, and though Leicester hoped he might be, yet it was really quick-witted Tessie who looked after things and kept matters straight.
The ride through northern New Jersey was not picturesque, and as there was very little to look at from the windows, the four soon returned to their favorite game of guessing what the new home would be like.
"What shall we call it?" asked Leicester; "it ought to have a name."
"And a nice one, too," said Dorothy; "for, do you know, I think we shall live there always."
"Wait 'til you see it," said Lilian; "we may not even want to stay over night."
"We couldn't stay always," said Fairy; "how would we go to school?"
"I suppose we couldn't," said Dorothy; "but after we all get through school, then we can; and it will be lovely to have a home of our own, so let's get a good name for it."
"Why not the Domain?" said Leicester. "That's what we've always called it, and so it sounds natural."
"That isn't enough by itself," said Dorothy. "How do you like the Dorrance Domain?"
They all liked this, and so The Dorrance Domain was decided upon, and they all rushed to tell grandma the name of her new home.
It was noon when the train reached the Ponetcong Station. Here they all bundled out, bag and baggage, children and animals. But as the boat, in which they were to continue their journey did not leave until one o'clock, there was ample time to get some luncheon, – which more than pleased the four hungry Dorrances. Upon inquiry, they were directed to a small country hotel and soon found themselves confronted with many small portions of not over-attractive looking viands.
But for once, the children cared little about what they ate or how it was served, so eager were they at the prospect of soon reaching their new home.
"What do you suppose it will be like?" said Lilian, quite as if she were propounding a brand-new conundrum.
"I've s'posed everything I can possibly think of," said Leicester; "but I'm willing to guess again if you want me to."
"It isn't worth while guessing much more," said Dorothy; "for very soon we will know. Now, Lilian, you and Fairy stay here with grandma, and Leicester and I will go over to that little store across the street and buy some things to take with us for supper to-night. Tessie may go too, to help us carry them."
But this plan was far from acceptable.
"That isn't fair!" cried Lilian; "buying things for our own home is the most fun yet, and I think we all ought to go together."
"So do I," said Fairy. "Let Tessie stay with grandma, and us four will go to purchase the eatabubbles."
Fairy did not stutter, but, when excited, she was apt to put extra syllables in her words.
"Come on, then," said Dorothy, and with Dare bounding beside them, the four ran across the road to the little grocery shop.
"Let's be very sensible," said Dorothy, "and get just the right things. You know young housekeepers always do ridiculous things when they go to buy provisions. Now what do we need most?"
"Bread," said the twins together, and surely nobody could have criticised their suggestion as ridiculous.
"Yes," said Dorothy, and then turning to the grocer, she said politely, "Have you any bread?"
"Yes, miss," replied the grocer, staring in amazement at the four excited children; "what kind?"
"Why, just bread," said Dorothy; "fresh bread, you know. Is there more than one kind?"
"Yes, miss. Square loaf, long loaf, twist loaf and raisin bread."
"Oh!" exclaimed Dorothy, appalled by this superabundant variety.
But Leicester came to the rescue. "Raisin bread," said he; "that's the kind. And then we want some butter, if you please."
"Print, pat or tub?"
"Oh, not a whole tub full," said Dorothy, diligently trying to be sensible; "we couldn't carry a tub. I think we'll take a – a print."
"Yes, miss; anything else?"
The weight of responsibility was so great, that no one spoke for a moment, and then Fairy, in a burst of confidence began:
"You see, mister, we've never bought anything before; we've just eaten other people's things; but now we've got a home of our own, a really truly home, and these things are to eat in it. So of course you see we have to be very careful what we buy. We're trying very hard to be sensible housekeepers, 'cause my sister says we must, and she knows everything in the world. And so if you could 'vise us a little, we'd know better 'bout selectioning."
After this speech, a few questions from the grocer resulted in a frank and straightforward statement of the case by Dorothy, and then a judicious selection was made of immediate necessities for the commissary department of The Dorrance Domain.
CHAPTER V
THE MAMIE MEAD
As the man of the family and courier of the expedition, Leicester had assumed an air of importance, and looked after the baggage checks, tickets and time-tables with an effect of official guardianship.
"Why, it's a steamboat!" exclaimed Fairy, as a diminutive steamer came puffing up to the dock. "I thought it would be a canal-boat."
"People don't travel to