have touched the carriage-knob," cried Mrs. Peterkin, "and I
pushed it half-a-dozen times I felt so anxious!"

Six hacks stood before the door. All the village boys were assembling.
Even their own little boys had returned from school, and were showing
the firemen the way to the well.

Again Mrs. Peterkin rushed to the knobs, and a fearful sound arose. She
had touched the burglar-alarm!

The former owner of the house, who had a great fear of burglars, had
invented a machine of his own, which he had connected with a knob. A
wire attached to the knob moved a spring that could put in motion a
number of watchmen's rattles, hidden under the eaves of the piazza.

All these were now set a-going, and their terrible din roused those of
the neighborhood who had not before assembled around the house. At this
moment Elizabeth Eliza met the chief engineer.

"You need not send for more help," he said; "we have all the engines
in town here, and have stirred up all the towns in the neighborhood;
there's no use in springing any more alarms. I can't find the fire yet,
but we have water pouring all over the house."

Elizabeth Eliza waved her telegram in the air.

"We are only trying to send a telegram to my father and brother, who are
in town," she endeavored to explain.

"If it is necessary," said the chief engineer, "you might send it down
in one of the hackney carriages. I see a number standing before the
door. We'd better begin to move the heavier furniture, and some of you
women might fill the carriages with smaller things."

Mrs. Peterkin was ready to fall into hysterics. She controlled herself
with a supreme power, and hastened to touch another knob.

Elizabeth Eliza corrected her telegram, and decided to take the advice
of the chief engineer and went to the door to give her message to one of
the hackmen, when she saw a telegraph boy appear. Her mother had touched
the right knob. It was the fourth from the beginning; but the beginning
was at the other end!

She went out to meet the boy, when, to her joy, she saw behind him her
father and Agamemnon. She clutched her telegram, and hurried toward
them.

Mr. Peterkin was bewildered. Was the house on fire? If so, where were
the flames?

He saw the row of carriages. Was there a funeral, or a wedding? Who was
dead?

Who was to be married?

He seized the telegram that Elizabeth Eliza reached to him, and read it
aloud.

"Come to us directly--the house is NOT on fire!"