"No, she isn't," said Uncle John, shaking his head solemnly, "and the fact is, I shouldn't be here myself if it weren't for a sort of conspiracy; eh, Bettina?" "That's so, Bob," said Bettina, coming in from the dining-room, her hands full of dishes, "and now I suppose we'll have to let you in on the secret. Uncle John has just bought a beautiful new fireless cooker for Aunt Lucy. Haven't you, Uncle John?" "Well!" said Bob, heartily. "That's fine! How did you happen to think of it?" "Well Bob, she's been dreading the summer on the farm—not feeling so very strong lately, you know—and this morning she was just about discouraged. It's next to impossible to get any help out there—she says she's given up that idea—and at breakfast she told me that if the spring turned out to be a hot, uncomfortable one, she believed she'd go out and spend the summer with Lem's girl in Colorado. I naturally hate to have her do that, so I concluded to do everything I could to keep her at home. I telephoned to Bettina, and she promised to help me. The very first thing she suggested was a fireless cooker, and we bought that today. I believe your Aunt Lucy'll like it, too." For dinner Bettina served: Meat Balls with Egg Sauce Baked Potatoes Creamed Peas Marshmallow Pudding Chocolate Sauce BETTINA'S RECIPES (All measurements are level) Meat Balls (Three portions) 1 C-raw beef, cut fine ¼ C-bread crumbs 2 T-milk 1 egg-yolk ¼ t-salt 1/ t-paprika 8 1 t-chopped parsley ¼ t-onion salt ¼ t-celery salt 3 T-bacon fat Soak the crumbs, milk and egg together for five minutes. Add the beef, salt, paprika, parsley, onion and celery salt. Shape into flat cakes one inch thick, two and a half inches in diameter. Place the fat in the frying-pan and when hot, add the cakes. Lower the flame and cook seven minutes over a moderate fire, turning to brown evenly. Serve on a hot platter. Garnish with parsley. Serve with egg sauce. Egg Sauce for Meat Balls (Three portions)
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