HELPING WITH A COMPANY DINNER
"COOKING a company dinner is such fun!" sighed Mildred. "I like the dinner part, but I always wish that the company would stay away at the last minute."
"Oh, you'll like Mr. Jackson, Mildred. He's one of Uncle Bob's best friends, and so nice and jolly!"
"The jolly men always like to tease, and the ones who aren't jolly are always cross. I don't intend to get married myself. I'm going to live in a nice little bungalow like this one and do my own cooking."
"Will you live all alone?" asked Bettina.
"I'll adopt some children—seven or eight, I think,—all girls. I don't want any boys around."
"Your bungalow will have to be larger than this to accommodate them all if you adopt seven or eight."
"I don't want a large one; that would spoil the fun. I'll let the children take turns sleeping on the floor. Children always love to sleep on the floor, and mothers never like to have them do it! I wonder why? Now, will you let me brown the flour for the gravy?"
"Yes, dear. Put half a cup of white flour in that frying-pan over the fire and keep stirring it constantly until it is a nice brown color, about like powdered cinnamon."
"This way?"