Ann rose and joined her room-mate, who was ready to “stagger out,” as she said, with an arm full of bundles. “I didn’t realize myself that there was so much. Mother said that she put in some sugar for fudge and some other things.”
The bell was ringing for the close of study hours as the girls piled the bundles on the table and searched, through the papers and other material with which the articles had been packed, for any other packages. And still those “dulcet sounds” filled the air when a series of knocks came at their door, beating a tattoo which stopped at Ann’s, “Come right in.”
Their guests proved to be Eleanor and Aline, now as frequent visitors as any of the Jolly Six. “What in the world?” inquired Eleanor, as she viewed the table covered with packages.
“That is just what we are saying,” said Ann. “We took a notion to find out what else was in the box that mother brought, or had sent, rather. She said that there was some sugar for fudge, and if all that is sugar we’ll have enough for the rest of the year, I take it.”
“Those big square packages are sugar, I suspect,” said Marta, “but that is all. Why so much conjecture? Let’s open up. Sit down, ladies, and make yourselves at home. I strongly suspect, from the feel thereof, that this big package contains nuts.”
Eleanor and Aline sat down in the chairs that Marta and Ann had vacated and watched while the packages were opened.
“Nuts they are,” said Ann, untying the large paper sack. “Georgia paper shell pecans! Yum-yum!”
A large paper box, opened, disclosed English walnuts, almonds, filberts and Brazil nuts, and a flat package within contained a nut-cracker and nut picks. These Ann immediately passed around and offered both box and paper sack to the guests.
“Wait till I pass around the silver dishes, Ann,” warned Marta. “They will have to hold the nuts in something, for the shells at least.” Hastily Marta selected clean papers, from those which had been used in packing, and handed them, as the “silver dishes,” to the guests. “We have some plates in the closet somewhere,” she said, “but I am sure that they are dusty from disuse.”