CHAPTER TEN
THE LETTER THAT SAVED NITA
Soon after breakfast on Saturday morning, Bill signalled for MissMiller's attention. She went to the edge of the Bluff and he called upthrough a paper megaphone (a device of the Guide's) that the butcherwagon was waiting in front of his house.
"Come and help me select the meat, girls," said Miss Miller, as sheran to the cupboard for a platter. Assuring herself that she had herpocketbook, the Guide hurried down the slope, followed by the girlslaughing at the idea of six people going to select one piece of meat!
The butcher was a good-natured man eager to please a good customer. Hehad heard with dismay, that the doctor's family was going to spend thesummer at the seashore, for the doctor always bought plenty of meat andpaid cash for it, too. As many of his customers bought meat in exchangefor produce, or made the man wait until they could sell farm truckbefore paying him, he felt a great relief when Bill told him of theparty coming to camp at the farm.
"Good morning, Mr. Balsh. Have you any good shin-meat for soup?" askedMiss Miller, having been introduced by Mrs. Sherwood.
"No shin, ma'am, to-day, but I've got a good piece of flank--or a chunkof round. How will that do?" he asked anxiously.
The girls tittered at the queer terms for meat, and Miss Millerexamined the flank carefully. Then, turning to the round, she asked,"How much is this a pound?"
"Twenty-two, ma'as! Same as city markets without addin' cost of haulin'or express."
"Oh, but you ought to charge extra for any cost you have to bear. Yourbuyers would be willing to share any extra expense," said Miss Miller.
"Yah! I knows it, but, you see, it's just this way! A new butcherstarts up in town and calls upon all my customers what I have servedfor years. He tells them what he kin sell meat for, an' they says tome, 'Mr. Balsh, eider you gives us the same price, or we don't buy!'What should I do, ma'am?"
"That's true!" sighed Miss Miller. "Unfair competition is the ruinationof all business. Most likely his quality of meat was not to be comparedto yours!"
"You're a smart womans, ma'am! That's just what it tis. His meat, whathe would sell my customers, what trust me for years, phew! Ma'am,excuse me, but I must tell you--it tis all bad!"
The girls had to laugh at the disgusted face on the butcher. "But Itrust he didn't get any of your people from you?" added Miss Miller.
"Some few--what never paid me on time, anyways. The odders all stuck!But I tells you, I had to come down with my good meat, to his pricesfor bad meat!" and the poor man sighed loudly as he folded his fat armsover his rubicund form.
The round steak spread out for inspection was not what the Guidewanted. She wanted a sirloin. "I carry a few for my fancy customers.Folks like Mrs. Sherwood's always buys round."
A fine cut was chosen, Miss Miller showing the girls why she took asteak that had very fine veinings of fat all through it. The colour wasa fresh red and a goodly-sized tenderloin lay along the long narrowbone.
The sirloin was twenty-six cents a pound; the girls all stared whenthey heard that the steak--for one dinner--would cost almost a dollarof their camp fund.
Miss Miller selected two pounds of flank-beef and the butcher gave hera quantity of bones for nothing. The beef cost sixteen cents a pound.She pointed out the difference between top-round, flank, and shin meat,for soup. The girls had learned more in one morning about the meat theyate than they ever thought of knowing all their lives.
"If we planned to make 'beef roll' which is very nice cut cold, or withbrown gravy, we would use a piece of flank. The shin meat makes themost nourishing soup, I think. I believe some folks say the flavour offlank-beef is too strong to be good, but I will leave you to judge ofthe quality when you taste it."
"I have a little chunk of top-round here, ma'am, that I want to getrid of. I am most through with my route for to-day an' will sell thischeap."
The butcher picked up a small piece of beef and weighed it. "It's twoand a half pounds--you can have it for forty cents, ma'am."
"That is a bargain--I'll take it," said Miss Miller.
The meat was given to different girls and the wagon continued down theroad, while the Band returned to the Bluff, Miss Miller carrying alarge enamelled pot Mrs. Sherwood gave her as they passed the back-door.
"How did the pot happen to be down at Sherwoods'?" asked Zanwonderingly.
"Mrs. Sherwood says she generally uses it for boiling jelly to sendto your mother. It is large and doesn't scorch as easily as a tin orcopper kettle."
At camp the Guide placed the purse in her tent and then called Hildato come to the fire-place with her. "You saw me build a fire the otherday, so I want you to do it now. I will have to hunt for a strongercross-stick to hold the soup-pot. When water and all this meat is in,it will be heavy for the small stick we are now using."
In a short time, Miss Miller came back to the Bluff with a satisfactorypiece of wood in her hand. The girls were watching Hilda trying tolight the fire without success.
After a short examination of the cause, the Guide said, "You haven'tcleaned out the ashes from this morning."
"But you left your ashes in the other day," said Hilda.
"Ah, but that was when we first began our fire-pit. A small quantity ofashes always makes a better heater. But too much of anything is worsethan none!"
As soon as some of the ashes had been removed and a new trial made oflighting the dry wild-wood material, it succeeded.
Elena was told to wash the bones and soup meat carefully by the willowbank, and Nita was sent to pare the vegetables the Guide placed beforeher. Jane and Zan were told to go to the house with the sirloin steakto keep it on the ice in the pantry.
"We must either have Bill move that ice-chest over here or we mustbuild one for daily use," said Miss Miller, as she thought of theconvenience it would be to have a larder at hand.
"What's the use carrying the meat there now? While you and the othergirls are preparing the soup and things, Jan and I can hook Cheokee tothe traces and use him to haul the ice-chest over here. We can tilt itover onto the wheels of the express wagon and tie it securely. When weget to Bill's, his plough horse can haul it up instead of Cheokee."
"Splendid! Zan, I almost wish I could rub out those marks for slang,and give you a merit instead, for all of your helpful ideas," said MissMiller.
"That reminds me--we haven't held our daily Council yet. When we do, Ihave a proposition to make," said Zan, smiling as she ran off throughthe woods.
The ice-chest proved a welcome addition to the camp furniture, for mostof the food could be kept inside and keep marauding ants and flies awayfrom it.
Miss Miller placed the bones, soup-meat and the chunk of flank andtop-round in the big pot, with vegetables cut in small pieces, salt andpepper, and a gallon and a half of water, thrown in last. The pot wasfilled to the brim until it began to boil slowly. Then, a slow fire waskept going under the pot until the soup was done--about four hours'time.
The top-round was left in for an hour, and when the Guide took itcarefully out of the pot, it was half-cooked through.
"What are you going to do with it--it's only half done?" said Zan.
"We're going to have it for dinner, and save the steak for to-morrow.Now, you all watch and see how I make a juicy pot-roast of this beef."
That noon the Band had the beef, string beans, lettuce and rhubarb. Adinner fit for a prince--so they said.
At the Council that day Zan made her proposition. "Miss Millersuggested that we each receive a demerit for slang. Now, I firmlybelieve that something should be given to offset those marks, so Ipropose that for every helpful idea given the Band, we be permitted toerase a demerit, or be given a merit to balance the final reckoning!"
The Guide's eyes twinkled at the plan, for she saw the zeal the girlswere feeling in the work. She thoroughly approved Zan's suggestion, asit would prove an incentive to sharpen their wits as well as refrainfrom slang talking.
As the motion was carried unanimously it
was entered in the Tally Bookas one of the rules of the camp.
At the adjournment of the Council some one suggested that they all walkover to Hamilton's and thank the owner for presenting Wickee to them.
"Then we won't get back in time to swim!" objected Nita.
"Why not hitch up Cheokee and drive over?" said Zan.
"Better still, let me drive Cheokee over and you girls walk therequired distance in the hour and win a _coup_; on the return we candrive and get back in time for a swim, too!" advised the Guide.
"Fine! That's a go!" cried Jane eagerly.
Every one approved so the hikers were soon on the way to winninganother _coup_ for walking. Being fresh, eager, and the road shadyand hard, the walk was a delight, except to Nita, who, on account ofwearing French-heeled shoes, had to give up for that time and ridethe last two miles in the surrey. Miss Miller permitted Cherokee towalk slowly behind the girls and the others arrived at Hamilton's farmwithout realising the distance walked.
Mr. Hamilton escorted the girls over the place, showing the kennels andmany valuable dogs. Then Mrs. Hamilton had them sit on the verandahwhile she served them with home-made ice-cream.
On the drive back to camp, Jane was learning how to guide the horse andZan sat beside her. Miss Miller sat in the back seat so Zan had to turnto look at her as she said, "Miss Miller, I need a merit badly! I havea suggestion for the benefit of the whole camp!"
The other paid attention and Jane pulled up the reins so unexpectedlythat Cheokee thought he was meant to stop, so he halted in the middleof the road. No one noticed it then.
"We have oodles of ice at the farm and we all love ice-cream, so Isuggest that we send home and borrow our four-quart freezer!"
While the girls "ahed" and "ummed," Miss Miller laughed heartily. "Yousubtract a mark with a suggestion and add one with a slang word!" saidshe.
"Why, how!" frowned Zan.
"Didn't you realise it? Then it shows how unconsciously this habit hastaken root. You said just now, 'oodles of ice.'"
"But that isn't slang! That's English!" remonstrated Zan.
"You'll not find it in any authorised dictionary."
"Well, I've heard the boys use that term so many times that I was sureit was English," sighed Zan.
"But, remember, most of the slang you have acquired has been the resultof hearing it from your brothers. So, I would not quote them ascritics of English," laughingly said the Guide.
"Well, is the suggestion approved by all?" returned Zan.
"Yes, indeed, that goes without saying!" returned the girls unanimously.
"Then we get ice-cream hereafter, but I miss my merit!" laughed Zan,turning about and chirping to Cheokee to wake up.
The swimming that afternoon was fine, as the sun had neared Pine TreeKnob before the girls were ready. Wickee had been impatiently awaitingtheir appearance and the moment one of them came from the tent, thecollie jumped about and yelped with glee. He accompanied the Band tothe pool and watched them go in, but he sat on the grass and would notbe persuaded to bathe.
"He's _got_ to come in--we need him to give us lessons," cried Elena,starting for the dog. But Wickee must have understood, for he sprang inbefore any one could approach him.
He swam about enjoying the bath thoroughly and when he had circled thepool several times, he came near Zan and wanted to play. He snappedat her hair as it floated on the water, and tagging hard, ducked herunder, so that she had to catch hold of his leg to make him let go.
Then, seeing Hilda and Elena trying to swim a few yards, Wickee caughthold of a floating stick of wood and carried it to Elena. The stickcaught in her hair and she, too, went under.
Wickee then tried to catch Hilda's sleeve, but she was too quick forhim, and was on her feet before he could get hold of her.
After an hour of fun, Miss Miller warned the girls of the time, andwent toward her tent. After a few more plunges, the girls came out;Wickee shook himself and flopped down on the warm rock to dry.
At supper, Miss Miller said, "To-morrow is Sunday. We will observe theday in the way we have been taught. If any one feels it is not right totake a little plunge in the pool, or go for a walk, or anything we dodaily, let that one follow her own conscience. I, for one, will takemy usual bath, and read in the morning. After dinner, I will join anyone who wishes to go for a short walk. After supper I expect to sit andenjoy the sunset and the twilight."
"We will do the same, Miss Miller," said the girls, so the question ofthe Sabbath was quietly decided once for all.
The girls all spent the Sabbath morning writing letters home, and tofriends. Zan's letter was composed mostly of exclamations of delightover camping and requests for her mother to send various articles tothe camp before she left for the beach. The ice-cream freezer wasmentioned not less than four times throughout the letter, so youcan see that Zan never refused a treat of ice-cream if she had anopportunity to accept any.
Monday morning the postman left several letters in the mail-box infront of Sherwoods' house. Zan saw him going down the Bridge road andcalled to Miss Miller, "I'll run down and see if he left any mail forus!" And was off before any one could wink.
Coming back to camp, she displayed a number of letters, among them, onefor Miss Miller from her father, and another for Nita, post-marked atthe adjoining post-office.
"Who do you know down around here?" queried Zan, looking at the writing.
"None of your business--give it to me!" snapped Nita, angrily, grabbingthe letter from Zan's hand.
"Pooh! I should worry!" sneered Zan, also angry. "The writing looksjust like Bob's did when he was ten years old! I'd find some one whocould write a decent hand!"
Zan was not aware of the fact that she had touched upon a tendersubject between Nita and Miss Miller, and Nita did not dare answerwhile the Guide stood there; but Miss Miller said to Zan, "It really istoo bad that you are piling up bad marks on your page! That slang justused ought to have ten marks given you." The tone in which sentence waspronounced was worse for Zan to bear than all the marks ever thought of.
Miss Miller walked away to her tent, there to read her letter in peace,but Zan felt heartily ashamed of her anger and was willing to askpardon. Nita, however, had gone up the path through the ravine. Be itknown that she had her letter in her middy blouse, however.
In the privacy of her tent, Miss Miller opened the letter which was areply to the one she had sent the doctor. It was as follows:
"My dear Miss Miller:
I read with deep concern the information you sent I called uponMrs. Brampton immediately and had a long talk with her about Nita'sdisease--for it is a disease finding its birth in the mental realm.Mrs. Brampton cried of course, and then told me of a great deal of theworry she has had during the last two years. I have been called in nowand then to prescribe for Mrs. Brampton or Nita, while Mr. Brampton hashis own doctor downtown whenever he thinks he needs medical advice.Nita has not been ill in the past two years, and Mrs. Brampton has onlycalled upon me for minor ailments, so I have not had occasion to haveany serious talks with Nita's mother about the girl's well-being. Iheard, with regret, that she had developed a dangerous habit of secrecyfrom her mother and friends. She dislikes to take part in anythingthat calls for physical exercise, deep thinking, or help for others.She is continually making excuses for shortcomings and has recentlybeen misrepresenting truth to her mother as the easiest way to accountfor her time and actions. I think that I would have separated my girlfrom such companionship had I known the evil to be guarded against.As it is, I wonder if it is best for all at camp to continue havingan influence such as Nita creates, about you. It will be your dutyto decide; all I can do now is to assist in any way you may need myservices.
"One extenuating reason for the girl's behaviour, I think we ought totake into consideration. Her mother told me of Nita's early years.The child was ushered into this world under unfavourable conditions.Mrs. Brampton is a very delicate woman and the baby had no strengthwith which to start the battle of l
ife. All prepared foods disagreedwith the stomach and the frail little child was merely a skeletonuntil after a year's time. It then became noticeable that the childwas gaining slowly in health, strength and general behaviour. From thesecond year on, Nita grew much the same as other children, but alwaysseemed two years behind the average normal child.
"At ten years, when I first was called to diagnose an illness of thegirl's, I was surprised to find how matured she was in her ways andspeech--all of which showed me that her _thoughts_ were too maturefor her age. Instead of a teasing, fun-loving child I found a quiet,indolent-loving young lady who constantly ate candy and read books fiveyears in advance of her age. I told her mother than, that Nita neededtom-boy companions to interest her in physical development, and morebread and butter, with possibly a bit of jam spread on it now and then,instead of sweets, highly-seasoned salads and desserts, and the winethat Mr. Brampton always has with dinner. He has always been amused tosee his little daughter sip from his glass and Mrs. Brampton told methat she could see no harm in having a child accustomed to wine, justthe same as my children are accustomed to water at our table. In fact,she said that she pitied children who were never permitted to tastedrinks and then went all to pieces when they grew up and went out intothe world to be tempted with alcohol and tobacco.
"I found that she was not capable of discerning facts from fancy, so Idid not waste more time trying to explain then; but I told my daughterto try and wean the girl from undesirable habits, and I often invitedNita to visit at our home. Perhaps, this was a mistake. It remains tobe seen whether Zan has enough character and self-control to come outof contamination without a scar."
At this point of the long letter, Miss Miller looked out of thetent-opening and smiled, murmuring, "I think any child that sensibleman trains can associate with and not become contaminated by evils."
Miss Miller continued reading the enlightening lines after a fewmoments' thought.
"Two years after my first introduction to Nita's family I was calledagain to examine the girl. That was when she was twelve. I foundthat Mrs. Brampton failed to follow my directions regarding food andsleep. She said it was such a nuisance to argue with Mr. Brampton andNita over the wine and viands that would give a high-liver chronicindigestion, to say nothing of a delicate child! She also said thatshe remonstrated with Nita about sitting up late reading stories andalways nibbling candy. But Nita had a will of her own! And the pastyear the dear child had been invited to such nice parties that she (themother) was glad to have her meet more friends of her own or a muchhigher class, consequently health was sacrificed to social ambition.She explained at the time, what a graceful dancer Nita was and howpeople loved to have her attend evening dances and exhibit her gift fortheir pleasure. There was no use trying to disguise the truth which wasself-evident: Mrs. Brampton was a foolish proud mother to whom flatteryof anything her child did was incense at her own altar. Instead of thegirl being tucked into flannelette nighties with feet so she could kickall night in bed without cold from exposure, she was flossed up inorgandy and tulle ruffles with white silk stockings and shoes and shownoff at dances--all for vain-glory.
"The vicious training--I mean bad, senseless, evil influence, by thatword vicious--of her life had actually developed a backward delicateorganism into matured girl-hood three years in advance of what isnormal.
"I watched with deep interest this product of senseless motherhood forI was eager to help others by comparison with the results of my ownendeavours. I often visited, without being called upon, to direct andhelp the girl to a better status of health and aspiration. I do notthink I succeeded very well. I had the parents' foolishness to battleagain. Perhaps I laid the seed of a higher life which will grow and budduring your care this summer, while her parents are out of reach. It isto be hoped for. This makes it a matter of deepest thought before sheis sent back home without further trial. But at the same time othersare to be considered.
"I believe the habit of taking a tiny drink of wine at dinner hasresulted, during the last two years, in chronic intermittent heart-beatand accelerated circulation. This will, or has, induced inflammabilityof the brain which, in turn, has acted upon organs supposed to bedormant for years to come. The trashy novels Nita has been permitted toread have also caused high-tension thoughts foreign to all nature. Evenan adult of experience and self-control is not benefited physically ormentally by reading or watching a play, based on immoral emotions, orthe suggestions of them.
"Now the question confronts us--you and me--has the atmosphere hithertosurrounding the girl been so subtle in its evil influence that it ispast coping with? Or can we, by taking deep thought of ways and means,convert this individual who is on a steep descent toward licentiousliving and later, chronic invalidism, to be eventually claimed bysome frightful disease as payment in full for ungodly habits, into aphysical success--one who desires clean living, simple loving, andpure thinking!"
With the last inspiring paragraph the letter ended, only a short phraseof "Yours earnestly," and the signature.
Miss Miller sat for a long time pondering the letter, and read severalparts of it again. Then she rose with a sigh of responsibility andlocked the communication in her bag.
"Where did Nita go?" asked the Guide, joining the girls.
"Up the ravine," replied Jane.
"Well, the day is clear and I think we can plan to camp out to-night.It will be our first lesson in star-gazing, too!" laughed Miss Miller,hiding her concern over Nita's absence.
"What are we going to do this morning--and this afternoon, too?" askedZan.
"I believe we will need some vegetables from the garden, and I thoughtwe might learn how to bake cake for dessert."
"Goody! That will be fun! Shall we divide up?" said Hilda.
"No, a short walk to the garden will be good for all; then we can alltake a hand in baking the cake."
"I wonder why Nita doesn't want to take part in our fun," venturedJane, who was being disillusioned very rapidly regarding her admirationfor the graceful pretty miss.
"She has never had an opportunity to act as freely and in theopen as you have, perhaps. Her home life has cooped her with itsconventionalities until she feels lost in this rural life. We must bepatient with her and try, by example, to show how undesirable are thefrothy perishable things of social butterflies," said Miss Miller.
Nita returned before the Band was quite ready to leave camp for thegarden. Her efforts to be agreeable made the girls believe that she wassorry for her ill-humor and would be pleasant thereafter. The Guidesaw beneath the veneer of smiles and wondered if the letter datedfrom the adjoining post-office had anything to do with Nita's presentgood-nature.
The vegetables selected, Miss Miller said, "Our cake will have tobe baked in the oven at the house. I think there will be all theingredients necessary in the pantry. Zan can show us where the tins arekept, for I thought a jelly cake would be the best to make to-day."
"Oh, yes. I love layer cake!" cried Elena.
The rest signified their anticipation of the cake in various ways, andby the time the house was reached every one was sure the cake would bedelicious.
"Oh, pooh! I'm so hot after that garden work! Let's sit under the treeand cool off," suggested Hilda.
"You didn't complain of heat while we were working in the garden," saidMiss Miller.
"Just because I didn't feel it then! We were having such fun with thevegetables that I never thought of it!"
"No, isn't it queer? I never feel hot when I am playing tennis orrowing on the lake--but afterwards--my!"
"Then you lead me to believe that when your thought is filled withpleasurable pursuits, such as gardening, tennis, or rowing, the heatis never noticed--it is afterwards, when you are mentally seeking forsomething to divert your thoughts against, that the suggestion reachesyour body, 'My, but I am warm!'"
The girls expressed their interest in individual ways, Hilda finallysaying, "Miss Miller, you certainly do a heap of _thinking_! I neversaw anybody who cou
ld take us up so quick on anything that could beturned into a lesson!"
"I do not wish you to feel that I am always seeking for a suitablereason to teach a lesson, but some of these opportunities you offer meare too good to lose track of," said the Guide, anxiously looking ateach girl.
"Oh, don't worry! We don't mind a bit! In fact, I thoroughly enjoy yourideas--they correspond so exactly with Dad's," replied Zan, getting upfrom the grass where she had thrown herself.
"Where're you going, Zan?" asked Nita.
"Kitchen! I'm going to get interested and forget how warm the sun triedto fool me into believing!"
The others laughed but got up from the grass and followed Zan.
"Here's the tins, and there's the baking-powder! Maybe it isn'tgood--it's been here all winter!" said Zan.
Miss Miller examined the can. "It's the best powder made, and ifthe pantry is dry all winter and spring, there will be no loss ofproperties in the powder. It pays to use the best products we can get;by that I do not mean the most expensive, for often one pays more foradvertised products that are really inferior than for one which is purebut not so costly in marketing the brand."
"Well, you brought eggs, milk, and butter--what else do we need for thecake?" said Nita.
"Flour--I know there is some here, for I left it the first morning weate here," replied Miss Miller, going to the cupboard.
"And the jelly--Zan can get that," continued the Guide.
Nita was ordered to measure out a cupful of sugar, Elena to grease thejelly tins very thoroughly and spread a small piece of oiled paper onthe bottom of each pan. Hilda was started beating two eggs, and Janerubbing a lump of butter well into the sugar. Nita, having finished hermeasuring, was called upon to assist the Guide in building a fire inthe stove.
Miss Miller reached the conclusion that by having Nita help her moreshe would keep her in closer personal association with her and thisperhaps might benefit the girl.
"First you crumple some paper up loosely and place it in thefire-pit," said Miss Miller, showing Nita how to go about it. "Next,lay some fine kindlings this way and that--if you threw them upon thepaper any way they may burn and again they may not; if you build themup so there is a liberal air-space for the smoke and fire to risetoward the chimney, the wood will always take fire readily. Now, thekindlings just right, you can lay a few heavy pieces of split wood ontop. That's right, so now we'll light the paper from _underneath_!Never from the open lid on top."
The other girls left their tasks and watched the lesson infire-building. Nita said, "Why not--I should think the easiest waywould be to drop a match down to the paper while you have the stove-lidoff!"
Miss Miller felt well repaid for her trouble by seeing Nita sincerelyinterested.
"First, the smoke rises and may cause one unpleasant choking orwatering eyes. Then, too, the open lid prevents the draft thatcirculates from chimney down the back of the stove and underneath whereashes accumulate and up against the fire-pit to force a fire higher. Ifyou lean over I will show you the back-damper."
Miss Miller took off the last back lid on the top of the stove andshowed the girls a closed damper. By pushing in a small key just overthe oven which the girls had never noticed on a stove before, shedemonstrated how the little door dropped back and left the current ofair and smoke to escape from the fire and rise through the chimney.She also pointed out the wide mouth at the back of the stove thatpermitted the air from the chimney to go down and find its way into theash-pit directly under the fire.
"If your ash-pit is filled with ashes the fire never will force anyheat into the oven, of top-lids. It may burn slowly, but not until theashes are removed can you look for any right result in your stove!Lazy house-keepers dislike to take out ashes and keep on heaping coalon top of their fire; that only burns out the enduring qualities inyour stove top. A fire that barely reached to the top of the fire-pitis always best, and to keep it at that height you must keep the ashesthat are always forming under the fire well raked down until you seea red reflection at the under side of the grate. If you do not quiteunderstand, I can show you later, when the cake is in the oven."
Nita then knelt down before the fire-pit and carefully placed a burningmatch under the paper. It flared up and in a few seconds, they allheard wood crackling. But smoke backed out of the lids and seemed to beready to burst the stove-pipe.
"Oh, Miss Miller, what's wrong?" cried Zan, anxiously.
Miss Miller smiled and said, "After my lesson, can't one of youdiscover the trouble?"
The girls coughed and rubbed their eyes but no one had an idea whatto do. Smoke kept pouring forth while they looked about for some clueto the knowledge which the Guide seemed to keep to herself. Finally,they had to give up, and she immediately took hold of a key, similarto the oven damper, that was seen in the stove-pipe, and turned it upvertically. Immediately the smoke was released into the chimney, itstopped coming from the stove.
"Well! what a simple thing to do!" exclaimed Zan.
"Now, if you run out and look up you will see smoke pouring from thekitchen chimney," said the Guide.
"We'll take your word for it--we're anxious to bake the cake," laughedElena.
More wood was placed on the fire and a few minutes after Miss Millerpoured a small quantity of coal on the wood.
"Now it will burn without our watching, and we can go back to thecake. Hilda, measure two teaspoonfuls of baking powder into two cupsof sifted flour. Zan, take the spermaceti from the jelly. Wash it offcarefully and leave it in the closet to use for waxing our irons whenwe do our laundry."
"I've often wondered what this thing was on top of the jelly andpreserves," said Zan, examining the hardened cake.
"What is that put on for?" asked Elena, while the others watched Zanremove it.
"It keeps the jelly or other preserves from the air. In case of cannedor preserved things, air causes fermentation. With jelly, tiny fliessettle and eat the top, finally making it sour and unfit to use. Thiswax is poured on top of the jar while it is in a melted condition;it soon hardens and forms a close sealed top. It does not injure thequality of jelly or wax, so it is waste to throw away the wax when itis serviceable in other ways."
Zan had removed the spermaceti while the Guide spoke, and stoodawaiting further orders. "Muzzer always put some flavour in ourcakes--we all like vanilla," said she.
"It would be better to eat if we had any, but I forgot to have anyextracts sent here," said Miss Miller.
"I'll look in the cupboard, maybe there will be some left over fromlast year," Zan hastened to say, and ran over to investigate. "Yes,here's half a bottle!"
The flavouring extract was added after eggs and a cup of milk hadbeen stirred together, and, lastly, the flour with powder was mixedin. The batter resulting was just a bit thicker than a self-spreadingconcoction would be. Miss Miller poured it out into the three pans andthe girls spread it over the bottom.
"I can judge the right heat in an oven by thrusting in my hand, butmany housekeepers use a thermometer to ascertain the right temperaturefor baking," said Miss Miller, trying the oven as she spoke.
In a moment she added, "Bring the tins--the oven's ready!"
She opened the oven-door carefully a few times during the ten minutesthe cakes were baking, while the girls hung over her shoulders andsniffed delightedly. Then the tins were taken out and the cakes removedto cool before spreading the jelly over each layer. When one layer wasplaced on top of the other, the cake presented a most tempting look.
"We won't bother to ice this one, as we ought to make a corn-starchpudding for dinner while the stove is hot. And remember, girls, thesethings all go to help win a _coup_!" reminded Miss Miller.
While the girls stirred the ingredients for the simple pudding, theGuide asked, "Do you know where starch comes from?"
They looked thoughtful for a time, then Zan said, "I think I haveheard, but I never took much notice of it."
"Well, starch is found in potatoes. Of course there are many starchyprod
ucts but potatoes form the principal supply. We find starch incereals--in rice, corn and sago. As you can see, the starch we usedjust now is made of corn. If one uses cold water to dissolve starch, itforms a paste, while hot water forms it into globules that are used tostiffen linen and articles."
The pudding was finished and the Guide thought it a pity to waste suchfine heat. So it was decided to cook the vegetables for dinner and savetime at camp.
"Prepare to give me a merit!" cried Zan. "I propose that we eat dinneron the lawn for a change!"
All assented, so Zan exclaimed, "Gee, that was easy!"
"Oh, Zan, Zan! You are absolutely hopeless!" sighed the Guide, whileall the girls laughed.
"_Now_ what's the matter?" wondered Zan.
"Don't you know? You win a merit one moment and deserve a demerit thenext! You are so accustomed to slang that you never realise when youuse it!" said Miss Miller.
"Dear me! I suppose I shall be tottering in old age before I ever canoutgrow the habit!" sighed Zan.
"Not tottering, Zan, but doddering!" laughed Jane.
While the girls prepared dinner on the lawn Miss Miller was engaged inmaking an experiment. After dinner she invited the girls to the coolporch to see what she had done.
"Before we return to camp, I am going to show you a very interestingtest in chemistry. One that will cause you to wonder how people whoknow the action of this poison can deliberately imbibe it and considerit worth all of their manhood, womanhood, and honour!"
On the porch the girls found that Miss Miller had visited the doctor'slittle office where he kept his chemicals and apparatus. A few testtubes and a glass retort stood on the table by the side of some medicalbottles.
"I have here a hard-boiled egg. I am not going to eat it, but use itfor the experiment that will show you what a mistake it is to putanything in the human stomach that hinders the digestion as thoroughlyas alcohol does."
Miss Miller cracked the egg and crumbled a little of the hard whiteinto each of the two test-tubes.
"The powder in this bottle of Dr. Baker's is pepsin; it is made in thestomach and digests what we eat," explained Miss Miller, as she shookthe bottle to loosen the powder that clung to the glass sides.
"Now, I am going to add a pinch of pepsin to the contents in thesetubes."
The pepsin was added to the egg and then the Guide filled each tubehalf full with water.
Taking up two other bottles, she held them up to view and said, "One ofthese contains an acid--hydrochloric acid, and the other holds an acidcalled lactic. Both help to digest our food."
As she spoke she added a few drops of each to each test-tube and shookthe tubes thoroughly.
The girls had been watching everything with deep interest, and MissMiller continued, "If we leave these tubes alone, after a time thepepsin and acids will digest the egg. Suppose, however, that I add oneteaspoonful of brandy or whiskey to one of the tubes and wait to seewhat action takes place."
While speaking she took up a small vial of whiskey and poured ateaspoonful of it into one tube. Both tubes were then corked up.
"Now, I want you girls to take a look at the temperature of thesetubes--they are the same as the temperature of a normal human stomach."
The girls obeyed and Miss Miller then placed the tubes inside a Thermosbottle to keep them at an even temperature until the time required forthe digestion to take place.
Miss Miller took charge of the Thermos bottle while the girls took theremainder of the dinner back to the Bluff.
The cake had been placed inside the cupboard and soon Wickee scentedit. He immediately took up his station directly in front of the doorsand started howling, with an intermittent sniff at the crack in thecupboard door.
"Hey, there, Wick! Dogs' stomachs were not built for cake any more thanours were made to hold alcohol! You can't have any of that cake untilwe see what effect that stuff has on the egg!" called Zan.
The wise dog looked at his mistress out of the corners of his eyes, andthen, creeping away from the cupboard, he quietly left the Bluff andstretched out upon the moss under the willow by the pool.
Miss Miller had gone to her tent to place the Thermos bottle in herbox and was just coming out when Nita came from her tent. A pink flushover-spread her face when she saw the Guide so near, and a letter washastily hidden in the folds of her tunic.
"I was just going down to the mail-box with a note to mother,"stuttered Nita, seeing that the letter was seen.
Miss Miller made no reply but walked to the edge of the Bluff withthe girl and stood there watching her hurry down the slope. At thelilac bushes that grew near Sherwoods' kitchen door, she saw Nitastop suddenly and look down at the ground. She stooped and pickedup a letter--whether it was the one she carried and had droppedaccidentally, or another one she had just found, the Guide could nottell.
Nita looked up at the Bluff, saw Miss Miller still watching her, andran past the house, out of sight.