Peterkin were summoned to the stage, and formed the
background, standing on stools; in front were Agamemnon and Solomon
John, leaving room for Elizabeth Eliza between; a little in advance,
and in front of all, half kneeling, were the little boys, in their
india-rubber boots.

The audience rose to an exclamation of delight, "The Peterkins!"
"P-Turk-Inns!"

It was not until this moment that Elizabeth Eliza guessed the whole.

"What a tableau!" exclaimed Mr. Bromwick; "the Peterkin family guessing
their own charade."

THE PETERKINS ARE OBLIGED TO MOVE.

AGAMEMNON had long felt it an impropriety to live in a house that was
called a "semi-detached" house, when there was no other "semi" to it.
It had always remained wholly detached, as the owner had never built the
other half. Mrs.

Peterkin felt this was not a sufficient reason for undertaking the
terrible process of a move to another house, when they were fully
satisfied with the one they were in.

But a more powerful reason forced them to go. The track of a new
railroad had to be carried directly through the place, and a station was
to be built on that very spot.

Mrs. Peterkin so much dreaded moving that she questioned whether they
could not continue to live in the upper part of the house and give up
the lower part to the station. They could then dine at the restaurant,
and it would be very convenient about travelling, as there would be no
danger of missing the train, if one were sure of the direction.

But when the track was actually laid by the side of the house, and the
steam-engine of the construction train puffed and screamed under the
dining-room windows, and the engineer calmly looked in to see what the
family had for dinner, she felt, indeed, that they must move.

But where should they go? It was difficult to find a house that
satisfied the whole family. One was too far off, and looked into a
tan-pit; another was too much in the middle of the town, next door to
a machine-shop. Elizabeth Eliza wanted a porch covered with vines, that
should face the sunset; while Mr.

Peterkin thought it would not be convenient to sit there looking towards
the west in the late afternoon (which was his only leisure time), for
the sun would shine in his face. The little boys wanted a house with
a great many doors, so that they could go in and out often. But Mr.
Peterkin did not like so much slamming, and felt there was more danger
of burglars with so many doors.