AT CONEY ISLAND.
When they landed, and were in the very midst of the pleasure-seeking crowd, which appeared to have no other aim than enjoyment, their delight and bewilderment were so great that even Mopsey was silenced, and could hardly have been induced to talk even if he had been directly approached on the subject of the theatre, or the new play he was supposed to be preparing.
After leading the way to one of the hotels, Mr. Weston, thinking that perhaps his presence was some check upon the full enjoyment of his guests, told them that they had all better go off by themselves to see what was new or wonderful, while he remained there until they should return, cautioning them, however, to come back by dinner-time.
It would be almost impossible to describe all they did or what they said during that forenoon, when they were indulging in such a day of pleasure as they never had had before. As Ben afterwards expressed it, they “saw about everything there was to be seen, an’ they scooped in about as much fun as ever anybody did who went to Coney Island.”
Owing to Paul’s watchfulness, they were back at the hotel at the time Mr. Weston had said they would have dinner, and Dickey asked, wonderingly, as they entered, and Paul looked around for his father,
“Are we goin’ to eat here, jest as if we was reg’lar folks?”
“Of course we are,” said Paul, decidedly; “we’re all going to sit down to the table with father, and have just as good a dinner as we can get.”
Dickey had nothing more to say; he was overwhelmed with the idea of acting like “reg’lar folks,” and after that nothing could have astonished him.