The
presents were removed from the extension table and the table drawn out
to its full length. The cloth was laid, the chairs--rented from the
dancing academy hard by--drawn up, the dishes set out, and the two
bouquets of cut flowers taken from the twins under their shrill
protests, and "arranged" in vases at either end of the table.
There was a great coming and going between the kitchen and the
sitting-room. Trina, who was allowed to do nothing, sat in the bay
window and fretted, calling to her mother from time to time:
"The napkins are in the right-hand drawer of the pantry."
"Yes, yes, I got um. Where do you geep der zoup blates?"
"The soup plates are here already."
"Say, Cousin Trina, is there a corkscrew? What is home without a
corkscrew?"
"In the kitchen-table drawer, in the left-hand corner."
"Are these the forks you want to use, Mrs. McTeague?"
"No, no, there's some silver forks. Mamma knows where."
They were all very gay, laughing over their mistakes, getting in one
another's way, rushing into the sitting-room, their hands full of plates
or knives or glasses, and darting out again after more. Marcus and Mr.
Sieppe took their coats off. Old Grannis and Miss Baker passed each
other in the hall in a constrained silence, her grenadine brushing
against the elbow of his wrinkled frock coat.
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