“Has anybody got anything in their house to fill sandwiches with?” Winona went on.
“We have two pounds of dates,” offered Edith Hillis, “and some rolls of cream cheese.”
“And I have the other half of both sketches, peanut butter and lettuces,” called out Louise, “three heads, and two big glasses.”
“All right, go get ’em,” said Winona unceremoniously, and two more sisters of the Camp Fire hurried on their wraps and fled out into the night.
“I have milk and butter, myself,” went on Winona.
“Nannie,” hinted Helen to Mrs. Bryan, who had returned, “do you remember those three big layer cakes you made for the Presbyterian fair? I’ll make them over again if I can have them now.”
“No you won’t, my child, because they’re my contribution,” returned her step-mother briskly. “Thank you for reminding me. I’ll get them, and pineapples and lemons for your contribution to the lemonade.”
Dorothy remembered that she had some oranges and bananas, and Adelaide finally recalled to the rest that creamed oysters need thickening, and went after flour and salt and pepper.
A couple of the other girls had candy at home, beautifully fresh and home-made. In fifteen minutes every girl was back laden down, and all of them invaded the little school kitchen. Fortunately most of the sixteen had taken cooking lessons there, and knew just where to find everything, even to their own aprons. So there was no time lost searching for matches and knives and bowls, and other such necessaries.
One group of four cut and squeezed and sliced fruit for the fruit-punch—or fruit-lemonade, to give it the only name it was really entitled to. Another set prepared the sandwiches, which, what with pitting and chopping the dates for the date-and-peanut-butter ones, and cutting and spreading six big loaves of bread, was quite an undertaking. Another group handled the creamed oysters. This last wasn’t exactly a group, though, because, try as you may, it is impossible for more than two people to make one cream gravy, or white sauce. The rest cut cake and arranged plates and looked after the serving generally.