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The twins chose a pair of rabbits, because they had never had any rabbits before, and as Leicester said, "What's a Domain without rabbits?"
Fairy hesitated long, between a kitten and a canary, but finally chose the kitten, as being less trouble and more comfort; and the bird was about to be returned to its donor. But Grandma Dorrance declared that she too was entitled to a pet and would take the bird for hers, whereupon Fairy was ecstatically happy.
It was a difficult caravan to plan and to move, but one Monday morning the departure was successfully accomplished.
Two carriages and a dray-load of trunks and boxes formed the procession.
Mrs. Dorrance had concluded that much of the necessary work of the house, especially at first, would be too hard for the girls; and had therefore decided to take with them a strong young Irish girl to help.
One of the waitresses, who was about to leave Mrs. Cooper's service anyway, seemed just the right one. Her name was Tessie, and she was a devoted friend of the young Dorrances. Her Irish sense of humor made her delight in their pranks, and it was to the satisfaction of all that she accompanied the party.
They crossed the city without attracting attention, but the procession that filed onto the ferry-boat could not long remain unnoticed.
Fairy persisted in dancing ahead, and then dancing back to know which way to go next. She carried her kitten in a basket, and talked to it incessantly through the slats. Lilian carried the bird-cage, and Leicester, a box containing the rabbits. Dorothy led her big dog by a leash, and as she had assumed a sudden dignity, born of the occasion, she made with the magnificent and stately animal beside her, an impressive picture. Tessie was entrusted with the care of Grandma Dorrance; and this was a wise arrangement, for though accustomed to traveling, Mrs. Dorrance was also accustomed to lean on some one else for the responsibilities of the trip.
Dorothy saw this more plainly than ever during their journey, and resolved more strongly than ever that she would relieve her grandmother of all possible care, and be a real help and support to her.
It was just as she reached this decision that Fairy lifted the lid of her basket and peeped in to talk to the kitten. But she opened the lid a trifle too wide and the frightened kitten jumped out and ran to the edge of the deck, where the poor little thing sat quivering, and shivering, and apparently just about to tumble into the water.
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 a Domain in a canal-boat, my child," said Leicester, instructively.
"But you said we'd go on the canal," insisted Fairy; "and I want to see what a canal is like. There is one in my geography – "
"Skip aboard, kidlums, and you'll soon see what a canal is like," said Leicester, who was marshaling his party over the gangplank.
The Mamie Mead was the very smallest steamboat the children had ever seen, and it seemed like playing house to establish themselves on its tiny deck. Dare seemed to find it inadequate to his ideas of proportion, and he stalked around, knocking over chairs and camp-stools with a fine air of indifference.
Grandma Dorrance, who by this time was rather tired by the journey, was made as comfortable as possible, and then the children prepared to enjoy the excitements of their first trip on a canal.
The smoothness of the water amazed them all, and they wondered why it wasn't more like a river.
The locks, especially, aroused awe and admiration.
By the time they went through the first gate they had made the acquaintance of the captain, and could watch the performance more intelligently. It seemed nothing short of magic to watch the great gates slowly close, and then to feel their own boat rising slowly but steadily, as the water rushed in from the upper sluice.
"It's just like Noah and the Ark," exclaimed Fairy, "when the floods made them go up and up."
"It's exactly like that," agreed Dorothy, as the waters kept rising; "and we've nearly as many animals on board as he had."
All too soon they had risen to the level of the lake, and another pair of great gates swung open to let them through.
"Are we going to stay on top?" asked Fairy; "or must we go down again?"
"You'll stay on top this time, little missie," said good-natured old Captain Kane, smiling at Fairy. "This boat ain't no submarine to dive down into the lake."
"But you dived up into the lake," insisted Fairy.
"That was the only way to get here, miss. But any day you would like to go back and dive down, here's the man that will take you. The Mamie Mead is always glad of passengers. She don't get none too many nowadays."
"Why doesn't she?" asked Leicester, with interest.
"Well, you see, sir, since the hotel's been empty, they ain't no call for Mamie much. So whenever you kids wants a free ride, just come down to the dock and wave something. If so be's I'm goin' by, I'll stop and take you on. Is the place you're goin' near the hotel?"
"Near the hotel!" cried Dorothy; "why we're going to the hotel."
"You can't. 'Tain't open."
"I know it," said Dorothy; "but it will be when we get there. We have all the keys."
"For the land's sake! And what are you goin' to do there?"
"We're going to live there," exclaimed Leicester; "we own the place, – that is, my grandmother does."
"Own it? Own the Dorrance place?"
"Yes; we're all Dorrances."
"For the land's sake! Well, when you want to go down to the station for anything, this here boat's at your service, – that is, if I'm up this way."
"Do you come up this way often?" asked Dorothy, who appreciated the possible value of this offer.
"I allus comes once a week, miss. I goes over to Dolan's Point every Saturday. Will you be here till Saturday?"
"Saturday! Why we're going to stay all summer."
"Beggin' your pardon, miss, but I don't think as how you will. Just the few of you shakin' around in that big hotel! It's ridikilus!"
"Ridiculous or not, we're going to do it," said Leicester, stoutly; "but we thank you for your offer, Captain Kane, and very likely we'll be glad to accept it."
"Well, there's your home," said Captain Kane, as a large white building began to be visible through the trees.
Without a word, the Dorrance children looked in the direction the captain indicated.
High up on the sloping shore of the lake, they saw a great house which seemed to be an interminable length of tall, white columns supporting tiers of verandas.
"Oh!" exclaimed Dorothy, "that can't be it! that great, big place!"
"It looks like the Pantheon," said Lilian.
"You mean the Parthenon," said Leicester; "but I never can tell them apart, myself. Anyway, if that's the Dorrance Domain, it's all right! What do you think, Fairy?"
Fairy looked at the big hotel, and then said thoughtfully, "I guess we'll have room enough."
