Jess Larue pulled her curly dark hair and thought for as long as two seconds.
"Artie," she said, "what kind of crackers are there that no one would care to eat?"
"Graham," Artie responded promptly.
They all laughed, for Artie's dislike for graham crackers was well known. Wherever he went, he was sure to be offered graham crackers—the River Bend mothers thought graham crackers wholesome, and so they are—and Artie had once been heard to say that if he ever kept a grocery store not a graham cracker should be allowed on his shelves.
"No, that's not right," declared Jess. "Try again."
"Nutcrackers?" said Artie brilliantly.
"Say, you're all right!" Fred exclaimed approvingly. "Isn't that the right answer, Jess? No one would care to eat nutcrackers?"
"No, they wouldn't," agreed Jess. "But, you see, I forgot to tell you this is a Fourth of July riddle."
"It's my fault," Polly announced, flushing a little. "I should have said that at this meeting all the riddles must have something to do with the Fourth of July. Thinking about Ward and waiting for him, made me forget."