BETTINA HAS A CALLER
THE next morning Bettina was alone in her little kitchen when the door
bell rang.
"Why, Mrs. Dixon; how do you do?" she said, as she opened the door and
recognized the visitor. "Won't you come in?"
It must be admitted that Bettina was somewhat embarrassed at the
unexpected call at so unconventional a time. Mrs. Dixon was dressed in a
trim street costume, but under her veil Bettina could see that her eyes
were red, and her lips quivered as she answered:
"Forgive me for coming so early, but I just had to. I know you'll think
me silly to talk to you confidentially when I met you only yesterday,
but I do want your advice about something. You mustn't stop what you are
doing. Couldn't I come into the kitchen and talk while you work?"
"Why, my dear, of course you can," said Bettina, trying to put her at
her ease. "You can't guess what I was doing! I was washing my pongee
dress; someone told me of such a good way!"
"Why, could you do it all yourself?" said Mrs. Dixon, opening her eyes
wide. "Why not send it to be dry-cleaned?"
"Of course I might," said Bettina, "but it would be expensive, and I do
like to save a little money every month from my housekeeping allowance.
There are always so many things I want to get. You see I'm doing this in
luke-warm, soapy water--throwing the soap-suds up over the goods, then
I'll rinse it well, and hang it in the shade to drip until it gets dry.
I won't press it till it is fully dry, because if I do, it will be
spotted."
"How do you learn things like that?"
"Oh, since I've been married, and even before, when I thought about
keeping house, I began to pick up all sorts of good ideas. I like
economizing; it gives me an opportunity to use all the ingenuity I
have."
"Does it? I always thought it would be awfully tiresome. You see, I've
lived in a hotel all my life; my mother never was strong, and I was the
only child. I liked it, and since I've been married, we've lived the
same way. I never thought of anything else and I supposed Frank would
like it, too--but lately--oh, all the last year--he's been begging me to
let him find us a house. And then"--(Bettina saw that her eyes had
filled with tears)--"he has been so different. You have no idea, my
dear. Why--he hasn't been at home with me two evenings a week--and----"
"You must be dreadfully unhappy," interrupted Bettina, wondering what
she could say, since she disliked particularly to listen to any account
of domestic difficulties. "But why not try keeping house? Maybe that
would be better. Why, Bob doesn't like to be away from home any evenings
at all."
"But you've just been married!" said Mrs. Dixon, tactlessly. "Wait and
see how he'll be after a few years!"
"Well, that's all the more reason for trying to make him like his home.
Have you thought of taking a house?"
"That was just the reason I came to you. You seem to be so happy living
this way--and it surprised me. I knew last evening what Frank was
thinking when he saw this little house--and then when you unpacked the
lunch--tell me honestly, did you cook it yourself?"
"Of course," said Bettina, smiling.
"Wasn't it hard to learn? Why, I can't cook a thing--I can't even make
coffee! Frank says if he could only have one breakfast that was fit to
eat----" and she buried her face in her handkerchief.
"Why, Mrs. Dixon!" cried Bettina, cheerfully, though her heart was
beating furiously. "Your trouble is the easiest one in the world to
remedy! Your husband is just hungry--that's all! I'll tell you--we'll
make this a little secret between us, and have such fun over it! You do
just as I tell you for one month and I'll guarantee that Frank will be
at home every single minute that he can!"
"Do you suppose I can learn?"
"I'll show you every single thing. We'll slip out this very day and look
for a little house--to surprise Frank! And I'll teach you to cook by
easy stages!"
"Oh, will you?" smiled Mrs. Dixon, showing an adorable dimple in her
round cheek. "You don't know how much better I feel already! When can we
begin?"
"Right now--with coffee--real, sure 'nough coffee that will make Frank's
eyes stick out! Have you a percolator?"
"No, but I can get one."
"It isn't necessary at all. I'll tell you how to do without it, and then
using one will be perfectly simple."
BETTINA'S RECIPES
(All measurements are level)
=Coffee= (Four cups)
7 T-coffee
3 T-cold water
1/2 T-egg white
4-1/2 C-boiling water
Scald the coffee pot, add the coffee, cold water and egg-white. Mix
thoroughly, add the boiling water. Boil two minutes. Allow to stand in
the pot one minute. Serve.
=Twin Mountain Muffins=
2 C-flour
4 t-baking powder
1/4 t-salt
1 egg
1 C-milk
1 T-melted butter
1/4 C-sugar
Mix and sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Beat the
egg, add the milk; add these liquid ingredients to the dry ones. Beat
two minutes. Add the melted butter. Fill well buttered muffin pans
one-half full. Bake in a moderate oven twenty minutes.