"So they are," said Mr. Maynard. "Well, I'll tell you what we'll do. We'll take them to the dining-room and continue our nut game out there." So each carried a bowl of nuts, or a cocoanut, and all went to the dining-room. There the extension-table was spread out full length, and contained a lot of things. On big sheets of white paper were piles of sifted sugar. Large empty bowls there were, and big spoons, and plates and dishes filled with figs and dates, and oranges and all sorts of goodies. "What's it all for?" said Marjorie. "It's too early for lunch, and too late for breakfast." "It's the rest of the nut game," said Mr. Maynard. "I am Professor Nuttall, or Know-it-all; and I'm going to teach you children what I hope will be a valuable accomplishment. Do any of you like candy?" Replies of "We do," and "Yes, sir," came so emphatically that Mr. Maynard seemed satisfied with the answers. "Well, then, we'll make some candy that shall be just the best ever! How's that?" "Fine!" "Glorious!" "Goody, goody!" "Great!" "Oh, Father!" and "Ah!" came loudly from six young throats, and Mrs. Maynard and Rosy Posy came to join the game. Sarah came, too, bringing white aprons for everybody, boys and all, and then Nurse Nannie appeared, and marched them off, two by two, to wash their hands for the candy-making process. CHAPTER V A NOVEL PICNIC But at last they were all ready to begin. Mr. Maynard, in his position of teacher, insisted on absolute system and method, and everything was arranged with care and regularity. "The first thing to learn in candy-making," he said, "is neatness; and the second, accuracy." "Why, Father," cried Dorothy, "I didn't know you knew how to make candy!" "I know more than you'd believe, to look at me. And now, if you four girls will each squeeze the juice of an orange into a cup, we'll begin." Marjorie and Kitty and Gladys and Dorothy obeyed instructions exactly, and soon each was carefully breaking an egg, and still more carefully separating the white from the yolk. Mrs. Maynard seemed to find plenty to do just waiting on the workers, and it was largely owing to her thoughtfulness that oranges and eggs and cups and spoons appeared when needed, almost as if by magic. Meantime the two boys were working rapidly and carefully, too. They grated cocoanut and chocolate; they cut up figs and seeded dates; they chopped nuts and raisins; and they received admiring compliments from Mrs. Maynard for the satisfactory results of their work.