“It surely is the wrong box!” said the father of the Curlytops. He noticed a collection of wigs, false beards and mustaches, together with a number of tubes of colored paint such as actors use whether in the movies or on the stage.
“Where are Mr. Cardwell’s albums?” Ted asked.
“I suppose they are back in New York in Mr. Portnay’s studio,” said his father.
“Unless he has discovered his mistake by this time,” suggested Mrs. Martin, “and has sent the right box on to us at the lumber camp.”
“He wouldn’t know we were at the lumber camp,” said her husband. “We only stopped there by accident.”
“But Mr. Portnay knows that his company was there, making films,” went on Mrs. Martin. “And he might think that they could tell where we were. I say, let’s go back to the lumber camp and see if the right box isn’t there.”
Mr. Martin thought this over a moment or two, while the Curlytops and Trouble looked out of small windows, or portholes, in the cabin, noting how rough the lake was growing. The storm was getting worse, and the wind was howling loudly.
“There has been a mix-up and mistake about this box of albums from the start,” said Mr. Martin. “I don’t see how Mr. Portnay could make a mistake a second time and send us his paints and false wigs in place of the old books.”
“The boxes look exactly alike,” said Mrs. Martin. “I guess these movie people are so busy thinking about the parts they are going to play that they don’t pay any attention to much else. Or perhaps Mr. Portnay’s man may have caused the mix-up.”
“Well, it’s a mix-up all right,” her husband said. “And I think your advice, to go back to the lumber camp, is the best thing we can do. As you say, that movie man may come there or send the box there. We’ll go back.”