"'The next thing,' said Anita, 'is bread and butter. Would you like some hot soda-biscuit?'
"'No,' said I; 'you would have to make some dough and find the soda, and—isn't there anything ready baked?'
"'Oh, yes,' she answered; 'we have Albert biscuit and—'
"'Albert biscuit will do,' I interrupted.
"'Now,' said she, 'we will soon have our first meal in the cot.'
"'This is a very unassuming lunch,' she said, when we were at last seated at the table, 'but I am going to give you a nice dinner. If you want more than three eggs I will cook you some in a few minutes. I put another stick of wood in the fire so as to keep the water hot.'
"I was in considerable doubt as to what sort of man it would be best for us to have. I would have been very glad to have my special valet, because he was an extremely handy man in many ways; but I thought it better to consider a little before sending for him: he might be incongruous. I had plenty of time to consider, for Anita occupied nearly the whole afternoon in getting up our dinner. She was very enthusiastic about it, and did not want me to help her at all, except to make a fire in the stove. After that, she said, everything would be easy. The wood was all in small pieces and piled up conveniently near. As I glanced around the kitchen I saw that Baxter had had this little room fitted up with every possible culinary requirement.
"We had dinner a little before eight. Anita sat down, hot, red, but radiant with happiness.
"'Now, then,' said she, 'you will find I have prepared for you a high-grade cotter's dinner; by which I mean that it is a meal which all farmers or country people might have every day if they only knew enough, or were willing to learn. I have looked over several books on the subject, and Mrs. Parker told me a great deal. Maria told me a great many things also. They were both poor in early life, and knew what they were talking about. First we will have soup—a plain vegetable soup. I went into the garden and picked the vegetables myself.'
"'I wish you had asked me to do that,' said I.