Ted dropped his two plates and actually went sniffing about in search of the lost food. Meanwhile Nancy was standing at the stove, a magazine in one hand and the griddle handle in the other. Her eyes, however, were not upon the griddle. Presently the meat was sizzling and its odor cheered Ted considerably. "Don't let's mind the potatoes," he suggested. "I can't find them." "Can't find them? And I peeled three! We've _got_ to find them." "Then you look and I'll stir the meat." "It doesn't have to be stirred." But Nancy stood over the stove just the same. "Then what are you watching it for?" "So it won't burn, like the potatoes." "Maybe they all burned up." Ted didn't care much for potatoes. "Oh, don't be silly. Where's the pan?" "Which pan?" "Oh, Ted Brandon! The potato pan, of course!" "Oh, Nancy Brandon! What potato pan, of course! Has it got a name on it?" Nancy dropped her magazine on a littered chair, in sheer disgust. She realized the meat was cooking; (it splattered and spluttered merrily on the shallow griddle,) and she too was hungry. Ted might be satisfied to eat just bread and meat, but she simply had to have freshly cooked potatoes. Wasn't housework awful? Especially cooking? There was a jangle of the store bell, actually some one coming at that critical moment. "Oh, dear!" groaned Nancy. "What a nuisance! I suppose I'll have to go--" "But the meat?" Ted was getting desperate. "It's almost ready." Nancy wiped her hands on the dish towel and hurried to the store. "A man!" she announced, as she went to open the screen door. Ted left his post and cautiously stole after her. A customer was a real novelty and Ted didn't want to miss the excitement. A pleasant voice filled in the moment. A gentleman was talking to Nancy. "I'm glad to find some one in," he was saying. "Since my friend, Elmer Townsend, left here I've been rather--that is, I've missed the little place," explained the man. Ted could see that he was very tall and looked, he thought, like a school teacher, having no hat on and not much hair either. "We've just been unpacking," Nancy replied. She was conscious of the confusion in the store as well as she had been of things upset in the kitchen. "Oh, yes," drawled the man, stepping behind the counter. "It will take you some time to go over everything. But you see, Mr. Townsend and I are great friends, and I know where most of the things are kept. You don't mind if I take a look for a ball of twine?" "No, certainly not," agreed Nancy. "I can get you that," spoke up Ted. "I had it out last night," and he jumped behind the counter to the littered cord and twine box. Nancy pulled herself up to that famous height of hers. She smelled--something burning! "Ted!" she screamed. "It's a-fire! The kitchen! I see the blaze!" "The meat!" yelled Ted, springing over the low counter and following his sister toward the smoke filling place. "Oh-h-h-!" Nancy continued to yell. "What shall we do!"