the set! And they never had had coffee-cups.

Solomon John came in at this moment, breathless with triumph.

"Solomon John!" Elizabeth Eliza exclaimed; "I cannot understand the
cups!"

"It is my doing," said Solomon John, with an elevated air. "I went to
the lady from Philadelphia, in the midst of her talk. 'What do you do in
Philadelphia, when you haven't enough cups?' 'Borrow of my neighbors,'
she answered, as quick as she could."

"She must have guessed," interrupted Elizabeth Eliza.

"That may be," said Solomon John. "But I whispered to Ann Maria
Bromwick,--she was standing by,--and she took me straight over into
their closet, and old Mr. Bromwick bought this set just where we bought
ours. And they had a coffee-set, too"--"You mean where our father and
mother bought them. We were not born," said Elizabeth Eliza.

"It is all the same," said Solomon John. "They match exactly."

So they did, and more and more came in.

Elizabeth Eliza exclaimed:

"And Agamemnon says we are not a family for emergencies!"

"Ann Maria was very good about it," said Solomon John; "and quick, too.
And old Mrs. Bromwick has kept all her set of two dozen coffee and tea
cups!"

Elizabeth Eliza was ready to faint with delight and relief. She told the
Gibbons boys, by mistake, instead of Agamemnon, and the little boys. She
almost let fall the cups and saucers she took in her hand.

"No trouble now!"

She thought of the cow, and she thought of the pig, and she poured on.

No trouble, except about the chairs. She looked into the room; all
seemed to be sitting down, even her mother. No, her father was standing,
talking to Mr.

Jeffers. But he was drinking coffee, and the Gibbons boys were handing
things around.

The daughters of the lady from Philadelphia were sitting on shawls on
the edge of the window that opened upon the piazza. It was a soft, warm
evening, and some of the young people were on the piazza. Everybody was
talking and laughing, except those who were listening.

Mr. Peterkin broke away, to bring back his cup and another for more
coffee.

"It's a great success, Elizabeth Eliza," he whispered. "The coffee is
admirable, and plenty of cups. We asked none too many. I should not mind
having a tea-party every week."

Elizabeth Eliza sighed with relief as she filled his cup. It was going
off well.

There were cups enough, but she was not sure she could live over another
such hour of anxiety; and what was to be done a