Light Part

To the other half of the butter and sugar add:

1/2 C-milk 1 C-flour 1 t-baking powder 1/2 t-vanilla Whites of two eggs beaten stiff

Put large spoonfuls of light and dark batter, alternating, in a loaf cake pan well fitted with waxed paper, until the pan is two-thirds full. Bake thirty-five minutes in a moderate oven.

CHAPTER LXVII

A HANDKERCHIEF SHOWER

"WHAT a cunning table!" exclaimed four girls in various words and ways. Ruth and Bettina smiled happily to each other, for they, too, had admired the low bowl of purple and yellow pansies in the center, and the tiny individual vases for a few pansies at each place. The dainty doilies were also attractive, and Ruth had darkened the room and lit the small yellow candles on the table.

"But Bettina helped with the soufflé and the gold hearts," she said gallantly. "Did you see her disappear a short time ago? She was baking the cakes. When she suggested refreshments that should be made just before they were served, I was frightened. But when she offered to bake the things, you may be sure I was delighted."

At this moment a small figure appeared in the doorway. "Weady, Cousin Wuth?"

"Yes, dear."

In popped little Marjorie, Ruth's cousin, carrying a huge bouquet of handkerchiefs folded like white roses, fastened somehow to long stems with green leaves attached, tied with streaming yellow satin ribbon. Making a low bow to Alice, she recited in a baby voice:

"A handkerchief posie to carry each day. We trust they will not come amiss, In fact, we are sure that no other bouquet Was ever so useful as this!"

"Thank you, you darling!" said Alice, receiving the gift with delight.

Ruth served:

Apricot Soufflé Whipped Cream Gold Hearts Salted Peanuts Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

Apricot Soufflé (Soo-Flay) "Lightened with Air"= (Six portions)

1/4 lb. dried apricots 1/2 C-sugar 1 t-lemon extract or 1 t-lemon juice 1/8 t-salt 3 eggs 1 t-baking powder 1/4 t-vanilla 6 candied cherries

Wash the dried apricots and soak for three hours in sufficient water to cover them. Cook slowly until tender (about ten minutes) in the same water in which they were soaked. Press through a colander, add the sugar and cook until very thick, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add salt and extract. Allow to cool. Beat the egg whites until very stiff, add the baking-powder, apricots and vanilla. Stir just enough to mix. Pour into well buttered individual tin or aluminum moulds until two-thirds full. Place the moulds in a pan of hot water and bake thirty-five minutes in a slow oven. Turn off the fire and allow the pans to remain in a warm place so that they will not fall. When slightly cool, remove carefully and serve as quickly as possible. Place whipped cream and a candied cherry on the top.

Whipped Cream= (Six portions)

1/2 C-heavy cream 1 t-sugar 1/4 t-vanilla 3 drops of lemon extract

Beat the cream until thick, add the sugar, vanilla and lemon extract. Place in a cool place until used.

Gold Hearts= (Twelve Hearts)

4 T-butter 1/2 C-sugar 3 egg-yolks 1 T-water 1/4 C-milk 7/8 C-flour 1 t-lemon extract 1 t-baking-powder 1/8 t-salt

Cream the butter, add the sugar, and mix well. Add the egg yolks, beaten well, and the water, milk, flour, baking-powder, lemon extract and salt. Beat for two minutes. Pour into a large flat pan prepared with waxed paper. The batter should be three-fourths of an inch thick in the pan. Bake twelve minutes in a moderate oven. Remove the paper, and cut when cool with a heart-shaped cooky cutter. Wet the cutter with water before using, as this assures even edges. Keep in a moist place until ready to serve.

Salted Almonds= (Six portions)

1/4 lb. almonds (shelled) 1 qt. boiling water 1 t-salt 3 T-olive oil

Allow the almonds to stand in boiling water in a covered utensil for fifteen minutes. Rinse off with hot water and place in a colander. Remove the skins. Place oil in a frying-pan when hot, add nuts. Stir constantly over a moderate fire for fifteen minutes. Pour into a clean cloth. Rub off any oil which has remained on the almonds. Sprinkle salt over the nuts while warm. When thoroughly cooled, place the almonds in a covered tin can until ready to serve.

CHAPTER LXVIII

JUST THE TWO OF THEM

"IT seems good to be alone this evening, doesn't it, Bettina?" said Bob, as they sat down to dinner. "Or are you growing so accustomed to gaiety lately that a dinner for two is a bore?"

"Bob!" said Bettina reproachfully. "If I thought you really believed that I was ever bored by a dinner for the two of us,--well, I'd never be in a wedding party again! Alice likes excitement, and I suppose that next week will be very gay, but after the wedding I hope that you and I can have a quiet winter, with just invitations enough to keep us from becoming too stupid."

"But tell me what the wedding will be like. Is it all planned down to the last detail? I suppose it is, although Harry doesn't seem to have any idea what it is to be."

"Poor Harry, he seems to be left out of most of the showers and parties so far."

"Don't pity him; he wouldn't go if he could. I'm just wondering what they'll do after the wedding. Will Alice go and Harry stay at home? Or, will he be obliging and force himself to go, too?"

"I don't know, I'm sure. Alice is so full of life that I don't see how she can settle down and never go anywhere, as Harry would have her. But time will tell. Perhaps they'll compromise. Meanwhile, we must plan some sort of a shower or prenuptial party that Harry can enjoy, too. One with the men included, I mean. Of course, I know he hates parties, but I think he would really like a very jolly informal one with just a few friends!"

The dinner for two consisted of:

Cold Sliced Lamb Baked Potatoes Creamed Carrots and Peas Bread Butter Apple Dumplings

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

Creamed Carrots and Peas= (Three portions)

1/2 C-cooked, diced carrots 1/2 C-peas 1/2 t-salt 1 T-butter 1 T-flour 1/2 C-milk

Melt the butter, add the flour and salt, gradually add the milk. Cook two minutes. Add the peas and carrots. Serve very hot.

Apple Dumpling= (Three portions)

1/2 C-flour 1 t-baking powder 1/8 t-salt 4 T-sugar 1 T-lard 2 T-milk 2 apples 1/2 t-cinnamon

Mix the flour, baking-powder and salt, cut in the lard with a knife. Add the liquid, mixing to a soft dough. Roll on a well floured board to one-fourth of an inch in thickness. Wash, pare and quarter the apples. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Cut the dough in five inch squares; place two quarters of apple in the center of a square; moisten the edges of the dough with water and bring the four corners together around the apple. Place in a tin pan and bake in a moderate oven until the apples are soft. (About thirty minutes.) Serve warm with cream.

CHAPTER LXIX

A LUNCHEON IN THE COUNTRY

"OH, Charlotte, I've just come from the loveliest luncheon," said Bettina, coming face to face with Mrs. Dixon in front of her own home.

"You have? Another for Alice?"

"No, this was in the country--on the interurban, at Cousin Kate's. Frances, her daughter, who was married last spring, has come home on a visit, and Cousin Kate was entertaining for her."

"Tell me about it!"

"Oh, it was just an informal luncheon, but I couldn't help thinking how delicious everything was, and at the same time inexpensive. In fact, I wrote down several of Cousin Kate's recipes after the guests had gone, and I'm sure that there aren't many such inexpensive luncheons that are also so good."

"You must let me have some of the recipes."

"Of course I will. Come in now, and copy them."

"I can't possibly, Bettina. As it is, I'm afraid that Frank will be home before I am. It's almost six o'clock now."

"Is it? Then I must hurry in and start dinner; I want to make some muffins. I hate to have Bob eat a cold dinner just because I've been out in the afternoon; in fact, I usually spend more time than usual in the morning fixing some dessert that he especially likes, if I'm to be out in the afternoon. Good-bye, Charlotte!"

"Good-bye, dear!"

The luncheon menu was as follows:

Oyster Cocktail in Pepper Cases Cream of Celery Soup Croutons Cheese Timbales Creamed Peas Baked Apples Baking-Powder Biscuit Green Bean Salad Salted Wafers Lemon Sherbet Devil's Food White Icing Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

Oyster Cocktail in Pepper Cases= (Six portions)

6 green peppers 1 pint oysters 5 T-tomato catsup 1 T-lemon juice 1 T-horseradish 1/2 t-salt 1/2 t-tabasco sauce

Cut the stem end from the sweet green peppers. Remove the seeds and allow to stand in iced water. Pick over the oysters to remove any shells, and surround with chipped ice until ready to serve. Mix the catsup, lemon juice, horse radish, salt and tabasco sauce. Fill each pepper with four oysters, and put on tablespoon of the mixture on the top. Serve very cold.

Cheese Timbales= (Six portions)

1 T-butter 1 T-flour 1/2 C-milk 1/2 t-salt 1/4 t-paprika 1/4 C-fresh, soft bread crumbs 1/4 C-grated American cheese 1 egg

Melt the butter, add the flour, salt and paprika. Mix well, gradually add the milk, cheese and bread crumbs. Cook three minutes, and then stir in the egg, well beaten. Butter six timbale moulds well. Place the cups in a pan of hot water and cook fifteen minutes in a moderate oven. Allow to stand three minutes, and remove from the moulds. Serve hot with creamed peas.

Bettina's Green String Bean Salad= (Six portions)

1 C-cooked green beans 1/4 C-cut celery 1/4 C-pimento, cut fine 1 hard-cooked egg, diced 1 t-salt 1/4 t-paprika 1/2 C-salad dressing 6 pieces of lettuce

Mix thoroughly the beans, celery, pimento, egg, salt and paprika. Add the salad dressing and serve on a piece of crisp lettuce.

Devil's Food Cake= (Twenty-four pieces)

2 C-brown sugar 1 C-milk 1/2 C-butter 2 eggs 3 squares chocolate 2 C-flour 1 t-soda 1 t-vanilla

Cream the butter, add one cup sugar. Mix egg yolks, the other cup sugar, one-half cup milk and chocolate; cook two minutes, stirring constantly. When cool, add this to the first mixture. Add the rest of the milk, vanilla, the flour and soda sifted together. Beat two minutes. Add stiffly beaten egg whites. Fill two tin pans prepared with waxed paper, bake in a moderate oven twenty-five minutes. When cool, ice with white icing.

CHAPTER LXX

A "PAIR SHOWER" FOR ALICE

WHEN Bettina called the girls into the dining-room after several hours spent in hemming dish towels for Alice, they exclaimed that the time had passed so quickly. The table was set for twelve, and the chair at the right of the hostess was gaily decorated with white ribbon and white paper flowers.

"Oh, for me?" cried Alice. "How important I feel!"

As soon as the girls were seated, Ruth rose and placed before the guest of honor a large wicker basket heaped high with packages of all shapes and sizes, each wrapped in white tissue paper and tied with white ribbon. A card hung from the handle of the basket. "I'll read it aloud!" laughed Alice.

"Dear Alice, we have tried to choose Some gifts for you that come by twos. A few, perhaps, you'll often use, While some may comfort and amuse, If you should chance to get the blues, When household cares your mind confuse.

"This basket, which our blessing bears, Besides the gifts that come in pairs, Our friendship and our love declares. 'Twill share your troubles and your cares And hold the hose that Harry wears. So keep them free from holes and tears."

"Goodness!" cried Alice. "The thought of my future cares frightens me! But now I must open all the packages!"

She discovered a salt and pepper shaker, a pair of guest towels, a pair of hose, a sugar bowl and a creamer, and many other gifts in pairs. It was a long time before the girls could calm down sufficiently to eat the luncheon that Bettina, with Ruth's assistance, set before them.

Bettina served:

Bettina's Tuna Salad Date Bread Sandwiches Salted Peanuts Maple Ice Cream White Cake with Maple Icing Coffee

BETTINA'S RECIPES

(All measurements are level)

Tuna Salad= (Twelve portions)

2 C-tuna fish 2 C-diced celery 3 hard-cooked eggs, diced 3 T-green pepper, chopped fine 4 T-sweet pickle, chopped fine 4 T-pimento, cut fine 2 t-salt 1/2 t-paprika 1 T-lemon juice 1 C-salad dressing

Mix the tuna, celery, eggs, sweet pickle, pepper, salt and paprika with a silver fork. (Care should always be taken not to mash salads.) Add the salad dressing; more than a cup may be necessary. Keep very cold, and serve attractively on a lettuce leaf.

Salad Dressing= (Twelve portions)

4 egg-yolks 1/2 C-vinegar 1/2 C-water 1 t-salt 1 t-mustard 4 T-sugar 1/4 t-paprika 2 T-flour

Beat the egg yolks, add the vinegar. Mix the salt, mustard, sugar, paprika and flour thoroughly. Slowly add the water, taking care not to let the mixture get lumpy. Pour into the yolks and vinegar. Cook slowly, stirring constantly until thick and creamy. Thin with sour cream or whipped cream.

Date Bread= (Eighteen Sandwiches)

1 C-graham flour 2 C-white flour 3 t-baking powder 1/3 C-"C" sugar 2 t-salt 1/3 pound of dates, cut fine 1-1/2 C-milk 1 egg

Mix the flour, baking-powder, sugar, salt and dates ground fine. Beat the egg with a fork, and add the milk. Pour slowly into the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly and pour into two well-buttered bread pans. Allow to stand fifteen minutes and bake forty minutes in a moderate oven. When cold, cut very thin and spread with butter for sandwiches. Date bread is better for sandwiches when one day old.