CHAPTER VIII.
Home Again.
EARLY next morning the family started back to the farm, leaving with regret the beautiful valley, to which they promised themselves they would certainly return at some future day.
Beautiful indeed was the homeward drive in the freshness of the morning, and when the Bungalow was reached the children found a most delightful surprise awaiting them. For there on the piazza was Papa Doctor, who had come down, unannounced, by an early train. Busy as he was, he declared that he could no longer exist without a peep at his family, and moreover announced his intention of carrying them all off home with him.
Indeed the little folk were so glad to see him that they raised no very serious objections to the home-going plan. So it fell out that after luncheon trunks were packed, and the whole party, including Tim in a large wicker cage, returned to town by a late afternoon train.
The children knew that Dr. North’s patients could not spare him, and so uttered not a single word of disappointment at the rather abrupt termination of their outing.
The Teddy bears were greatly delighted to get home again. They had been hugely bored by the visit to the farm where there was not very much for them to do in the way of making mischief. Nor did they delay their plans for a single night, but that evening, as soon as everything was quiet in the nursery, Peter Pan proceeded to put into execution the scheme that he had concocted one afternoon, while being carried through the house in Sally’s arms, when he had been seized with a great curiosity to investigate the whole place. To be sure, Rough House was asleep by Sally’s bed, but Peter Pan moved cautiously, and silently marshalling his little family they crept out of the nursery and down the first flight of stairs. In the lower hall they paused to take breath and decide what to do next.
The big drawing-room was the nearest at hand and into this they scurried, somewhat awed by the thick darkness that was broken only by a few stray moonbeams drifting in through the lace curtains. Guided by these, Peter Pan at last found the inevitable button, and all the beauties of the fine, large room lay revealed to the admiring gaze of the Teddy bears.
There were beautiful gilt chairs with elegantly carved frames and backs and seats of tufted satin; elegant, spindle-legged tables inlaid with pearl; curio cabinets that contained precious mementos of a recent trip abroad; beautiful paintings and one or two fine bits of statuary; and in one corner a grand piano upon which Bedelia instantly longed to lay her devastating paws. But tug as they might, their united efforts were inadequate to lift the heavy carved lid. So, much disappointed, they turned their attention to the curio cabinets.
These they found to be easy of access, as the keys had not been removed from the locks, and they were soon enjoying the costly trifles with which they were filled, and many of which they succeeded in breaking before they grew tired.