In the
afternoon the lady was gone, the old house all open, and their mother
sweeping, dusting, airing in great spirits. So they had a splendid
frolic tumbling on feather beds, beating bits of carpet, opening
closets, and racing from garret to cellar like a pair of distracted
kittens.

Here Ben found them, and was at once overwhelmed with a burst of news
which excited him as much as it did them. Miss Celia owned the house,
was coming to live there, and things were to be made ready as soon as
possible. All thought the prospect a charming one; Mrs. Moss because
life had been dull for her during the year she had taken charge of the
old house; the little girls had heard rumors of various pets who were
coming, and Ben, learning that a boy and a donkey were among them,
resolved that nothing but the arrival of his father should tear him
from this now deeply interesting spot.

"I'm in _such_ a hurry to see the peacocks and hear them scream. She
said they did, and that we'd laugh when old Jack brayed," cried Bab,
hopping about on one foot to work off her impatience.

"Is a _faytun_ a kind of a bird? I heard her say she could keep it in
the coach-house," asked Betty, inquiringly.

"It's a little carriage," and Ben rolled in the grass, much tickled at
poor Betty's ignorance.

"Of course it is. I looked it out in the dic., and you mustn't call it
a _payton_ though it _is_ spelt with a p," added Bab, who liked to lay
down the law on all occasions, and did not mention that she had looked
vainly among the f's till a school-mate set her right.

"You can't tell _me_ much about carriages. But what I want to know is
where Lita will stay?" said Ben.

"Oh, she's to be up at the Squire's, till things are fixed, and you are
to bring her down. Squire came and told Ma all about it, and said you
were a boy to be trusted, for he had tried you."

Ben made no answer, but secretly thanked his stars that he had not
proved himself untrustworthy by running away, and so missing all this
fun.

"Wont it be fine to have the house open all the time? We can run over
and see the pictures and books whenever we like. I know we can, Miss
Celia is so kind," began Betty, who cared for these things more than
for screaming peacocks and comical donkeys.

"Not unless you are invited," answered their mother, locking the front
door behind her. "You'd better begin to pick up your duds right away,
for she wont want them cluttering round her front yard. If yo