SHELLS AND KERNELS
The three boys stuck to their work, with only a whisper or two,
until there was a great bowl of nutmeats, and Ruth pronounced the
quantity sufficient. Meanwhile, the taffy was boiling in the big
kettle, and Ruth and Jennie had buttered three dripping pans. They
spread the nutmeats evenly in the pans and then set the pans
carefully on a snowdrift outside the back door to get thoroughly cold
before the taffy was poured thinly over the nuts.
Everybody was on the _qui vive_ about the candy then. The girls
couldn't drive the boys out of the room. The bubbling molasses filled
the great kitchen with a rich odor. Jennie began popping corn with
which to make cornballs of the taffy that could not be run into the
three pans of nuts.
Isadore Phelps disappeared for possibly three minutes--no longer;
and the girls never missed him.
At last the candy could be "spun" and Ruth pronounced it ready to
pour into the pans outside. Isadora said he would help--the kettle
was too heavy for the girls to carry. He was adjured to be very, very
careful and the girls followed him to the door in a body when he
carried out the steaming couldron.
"Do pour it carefully, Izzy!" cried Helen.
"If that boy spoils it, I'll never forgive him," sighed Heavy.
Ruth ran out after him. But Isadore took great care in pouring the
mixture into the pans as he had been instructed, and even she had no
complaint to make. He hurried back to the kitchen, too, poured the
residue of the boiled molasses upon the popcorn and they made up the
cornballs at once.
"Come on, now," said Izzy, in a great hurry. "Give us fellows our
share of the cornballs and we'll beat it. We're going skating. We'll
help you eat your old candy when we come back.
"Maybe it will be all gone by that time," said Heavy, slily.
"I wish you joy of it, then, Miss Smartie," returned Isadore,
chuckling. "Come on, fellows."
They seized their skates and ran away. Isadore could hardly talk for
laughter; and he carried a good sized paper bag besides his share of
the popcorn balls.
The girls "cleaned up"--for that had been the agreement with Janey
when she let them have her kitchen--and then sat down before the hall
fire to make pine pillows, of which they were determined to take a
number to Briarwood to give to their friends. Helen had bought a lot
of denim covers stamped and lettered with mottoes, including the
ever-favorite "I Pine for Thee and Likewise Balsam."
But although they were very merry around the fire, Heavy could not
long be content. The popcorn balls disappeared like magic and the
stout girl kept worrying the others with questions about the taffy.
"Don't you suppose that candy's cool? I declare! those boys might
play a joke on us--they might creep back and steal all three pans."
"Dear me, Jennie!" cried Ruth Fielding. "If you are so anxious, why
don't you run and bring a pan in? We'll see if it's brittle enough to
break up."
Heavy sighed, but put down her work and arose. "It's always I who
has to do the work," she complained.
"Bring the pan in here and break the candy," advised Madge Steele.
"We'll have to watch you."
Heavy came back with one of the candy pans in short order, bringing
a hammer, too, with which to crack the brittle taffy.
"Come! we'll see how it tastes; and if it's good enough," she added,
smiling broadly, "we won't let the boys have even a little bit. They
were mean enough to go off skating without us."
She cracked up a part of the candy, passed the pan around quickly,
and popped a piece into her own mouth. In a moment she spat the candy
into the fire, with a shriek, and put her hand to her jaw.
"Oh! oh! oh!" she cried.
"What's the matter with you, Heavy?" demanded Helen, startled.
"Oh, I've broken a tooth I believe. Oh!"
"Why were you so greedy?" began Madge, sedately. And then, suddenly,
she stopped chewing the bit of candy she had taken into her mouth,
and a sudden flush overspread her face.
"Why, here's a piece of nutshell!" cried Lluella.
"How careless those boys were!" Helen added. "They got some of the
shells in with the meat."
"We should have expected it," Belle cried. "They never should have
been trusted to crack the nuts."
"Oh, girls!" gasped Ruth, who had quickly examined the candy in the
pan.
Her voice was tragic, and the others looked at her (all but Madge)
in surprise. "What have those horrid boys done?" demanded Jennie Stone.
"They've spoiled it all!" Ruth cried. "There's nothing but shells in
the candy. They've ruined it!"
"Oh! oh! oh!" shrieked Heavy again. "It can't be true!"
"It can be, for it is!" said Madge Steele, decidedly. "Those mean
boys! I certainly will fix Bob for that."
"And Tom!" cried Helen, almost in tears. "How could he be so mean?"
"I don't believe Tom did it, Helen," said Ruth, slowly.
"He was just as bad as the others, I venture to say," Madge said,
sharply.
"If he is, I won't speak to him for a month!" cried his twin sister.
"We won't have anything more to do with them while we are here--there
now! Oh, how mean!"
"Maybe it's only one pan that is this way," suggested Heavy, timidly.
They all ran out to see. The other pans were just like the first
one. The nut meats had been removed and shells scattered in the pans
instead. No wonder Isadore Phelps had wanted to pour the molasses
taffy!
"And they've got all the meats," said Belle Tingley. "They are
eating them and chuckling over the trick right now, I wager."
"It's a mean, mean trick!" gasped Helen, in a temper. "I never will
forgive Tom. And I just hate those other boys."
"You're welcome to hate Bobbie," said Madge. "He deserves it."
"_Such_ a contemptible joke!" groaned Belle.
"Let's make some more," Ruth suggested. "And we won't give them any."
"No. I don't want to go all through it again," Helen said, shaking
her head.
At that moment the telephone rang. Ruth was nearest and she jumped
up and answered the call. At the other end of the wire an excited
female voice demanded:
"Is this Snow Camp?"
"Yes," replied Ruth, "it is."
"Mr. Cameron's camp?"
"Yes. But he is not in the house just now."
"Aren't any of your men-folks there?" queried the excited voice.
"I guess most of the men are drawing in logs for the fires," said
Ruth. "What is the matter?"
"I want to warn you all to look out for the panther. It is supposed
to be coming your way--towards Snow Camp. The beast has just killed a
pig for us, and was frightened away. It's done other damage to-day
among the neighbors' cattle. Do you hear me?"
"Oh, I hear you!" cried Ruth, and then held her hand over the
mouthpiece and spoke to the other girls: "That panther--that
catamount!" she cried. "It is supposed to be coming this way. Where
is your father, Helen? And Long Jerry Todd?"