LXXXIX Some Christmas Plans

"Bed'n delly," replied Kathleen with emphasis. "Oh, I know something that's better for little girls than bread and jelly!" said Bettina, lifting the roly-poly little mite onto the kitchen table. "I'll make her some good cream toast! May I, Mrs. Fulton?" "Indeed, you may, if you will," said Mrs. Fulton. "I'm afraid she won't always eat it, though. Well, I'll have to go, I suppose, if I get to sister Annie's train on time. Then we'll do a little shopping down town, and I'll be back for Kathleen at six o'clock sharp." "Just whenever it's convenient for you, Mrs. Fulton. Good-bye!" "Doodby," echoed Kathleen, apparently without the least regret.

When Kathleen was established with her cream toast at the kitchen table, Bettina said, "Now, when you're all through eating, you and Aunt Bettina will make a beautiful graham cracker cake for Uncle Bob. But first we'll clean some white gloves! Shall we?"

Kathleen nodded solemnly, her mouth full of "dood tream toast." "Well, watch me then, honey-lamb. See, I'll put these dirty old gloves in this nice Mason jar of clean gasoline, and let 'em soak awhile. Then once in a while I'll shake 'em up like this. Then by and by I'll rinse 'em in nice new gasoline, and they'll be just as white as new. Did you know that, Kathleen?" "'Es," said Kathleen, staring wisely. "Oh, you little owl! You knew more than Aunt Bettina then—at least than I knew till yesterday, for I always thought it necessary to rub white gloves to get them clean. See? This way I'll drop them down in the gasoline, and won't need to soil my hands at all! I'll get them out with a clean little stick or a long fork. There! Now, are we all ready to make the cake?"

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level) Cream Toast (Two portions) ½ T-butter ½ T-flour ½ C-milk 1/8 t-salt 2 pieces of toast

Melt the butter, add the flour, mix well, add the milk slowly. Add the salt and boil two minutes. Dip the toasted bread into the white sauce, and when soft, remove to the serving dish. Pour the rest of the sauce over the toast and serve hot. One teaspoon of sugar may be added to the sauce. Graham Cracker Cake (Twelve pieces)

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1/3 C-butter 2/3 C-sugar 2 egg-yolks 1 C-milk 3 t-baking powder 2 egg-whites, beaten ½ t-ground cinnamon ½ t-vanilla 2/3 lb. graham crackers rolled fine

Cream the butter, add the sugar and heat. Add all the dry ingredients mixed together alternately with the milk. Beat two minutes. Add the vanilla and the eggwhites, stiffly beaten. Bake in square tin pans for twenty-five minutes in a moderate oven.

White Icing

¼ C-sugar ¼ C-water Sifted powdered sugar ½ t-vanilla

Boil the sugar and the water five minutes without stirring. Remove from the fire. Add the flavoring, and sufficient sifted powdered sugar to spread evenly on the cake.

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CHAPTER CXXVI

A SUNDAY NIGHT TEA

"S

TIR this chicken a la king a moment for me, will you, Ruth?" said Bettina. "I'll warm the plates in the oven." "What is that brown paper for?" "To put under the dishes I'm warming. It breaks the heat and prevents cracking. There, that cream sauce has cooked enough now. I'll take it and beat it for a minute. See? There, now it's ready for the egg and the chicken mixture." "Shall I stir it now? Don't you put it back over the fire?" "Just for a minute. You see, if any custard or egg sauce is allowed to cook more than a minute after the egg has been added, it will curdle." "Oh, is it done now? Let me toast the bread for it, will you, Bettina? I like to make cunning little light brown triangles." "I hope I have made enough of this chicken a la king."

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