“I’ll dry them for you,” he told Nan, and he added: “We might as well give Flossie and Freddie some crackers and cookies, and let them play up in the attic where they won’t bother Aunt Sallie. They’ve got to do something to keep out of trouble, and they can’t go out in the storm.”
“Yes, we’ll do that,” decided Nan.
Accordingly, she put some odds and ends of cookies, cakes and crackers in two boxes and gave them to the smaller twins. Then Flossie got one of her dolls and Freddie took a little iron fire-engine, one of his favorite toys, and the small twins went up to the attic. Nan went up with them and remained a little while, to be sure it was warm enough for them.
“I’ll keep up a good fire,” Bert had promised, and he was as good as his word, for the attic was as “warm as toast.” Bert knew how to put coal on the furnace, and though he could not toss on quite as big shovelfuls as could Sam, who always looked after the heater, Bert did very well.
With the small twins thus out of the way for a while and with Mrs. Pry feeling better because of the hot flatiron and the liniment, Nan and Bert had a chance to do some of the housework.
“How do you like keeping house, Nan?” asked Bert, as he dried the cups and saucers.
“Well, it’s fun, but it’s a little bit lonesome,” she answered.
“I feel that way, too,” Bert said. “If Dinah and Sam were here it wouldn’t be so lonesome. But with them gone, and daddy and mother away, it isn’t so nice. But we’ve got to stick it out, Nan.”
“Of course we have,” she said. “I wonder what I had better cook for lunch?”
“Bacon,” quickly answered Bert.