"It's made out of beaten eggs," said she. "First, you take the eggs and break the sh.e.l.ls, and put the yolks in one bowl and the----"

"Why, Miss, I know what made it flounder."

"Flounder? Flounder? 'Flat as a flounder,'" thought Mary Frances--"he means flatten."

"What?" she asked eagerly.

"Why, the breeze! The cool air plays the----"

"Mary Frances!"

"Mary Frances!"

"Mary Frances!"

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Be gone!"]

Her father came into the kitchen.

"Who's there? Why, my dear little girl, what are you doing?"

"I'm--I've got company," Mary Frances stammered, not liking to say tramp. "That is--I--oh, Father, this gentleman was so hungry--and I----"

"Go into the house--and I shall see you."

"Be gone!" thundered her father to the tramp, pointing to the gate.

"Begging pardon, sir," said the tramp, touching his cap, "but may I say one word?"

"Make it short."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "May I say one word?"]

"I'd do anything for the young lady--not let a 'air o' 'er 'ead be 'urt.

Please don't be too 'ard on 'er."

"You may go," said Mary Frances' father. "Are you hungry yet?"

"Oh, no, sir,--thank you, sir," said the tramp. "Thanks to 'er."

"Bless 'er little 'eart," her father heard him murmuring, as he went out the gate.

"Bless her dear, loving little heart!" echoed her father.

"The poor dear 'lamb' should not have been left alone! I thought Billy was here. But she must have her lesson!"

Going into the kitchen, he took Mary Frances on his knee.

"Dear," he began gravely, "suppose the old tramp had not had kind thoughts. Suppose, when my little girl opened the door, he had hurt her, and had taken mother's nice things, or had stolen our dear little daughter----"

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Are you hungry yet?"]

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Dear," he began gravely.]

"But, Father," said Mary Frances, "he was a lovely gentleman! I feel quite sure he was going to tell me a beautiful story about when he was little--maybe a hundred years ago----"

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"Mary Frances, listen, child! Never, when you are alone, unlock the door to any man or woman you do not know. Understand?"

"Yes, Father," said Mary Frances; "I didn't mean to be bad."

"No, dear; but it would be very naughty indeed for you to do so again.

Do you promise?"

"Yes, Father, said Mary Frances, hiding her face" on his shoulder. "I'll never, never do it again, dear Father."

"Humph!" grumbled Aunty Rolling Pin, after they had gone into the library, "I'd have warned her--only I was afraid the tramp gentleman might hear!"

"So would we all of us," cried the rest of the Kitchen People.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "It tastes like the auld country, shure."]

CHAPTER XIII

COMPANY TO LUNCH

MARY FRANCES listened at the kitchen door before going in next morning.

She wanted to find out what the Kitchen People might be doing.

"It isn't exactly eavesdropping," she thought, "although it seems awfully near to it."

"Can't you find it?" somebody was asking.

"Seems to be having trouble," said Tea Pot. "Of course, he can't very well find out--being so short and fat, and having no nose to speak of."

"Well, Nosey," answered Coffee Pot, "suppose you try--your nose is long enough to poke into anything!"

"So much the better for me this time, Pug Nose."

"Oh, say, stop calling names, and find out--if you can," cried Big Iron Pot.

"I'll bet it's my turn again!" interrupted Sauce Pan. "Now, see if I'm not right."