"So'm I," said Boiler Pan, "for I feel the effect of this stren-u-os-i-ty." Mary Frances pretended not to notice this speech, but carefully drained the water from the potatoes, and shook Boiler Pan over the fire to dry them off. "I--I--learned--that--that--wor--word--after year--years--of--stud--study," he said between the shakes, "and you--nev--never--notic--noticed----" But Billy was knocking. So Mary Frances, hastily putting Boiler Pan on the back of the stove, ran to let him in. "Hello, Sister! Here we are! Lunch ready?" [Illustration: "Hello, Sister."] "Yes, all ready. I'll put it on. You sit in Father's place, and we'll play we're grown up." "Scrumptious!" exclaimed Billy, as Mary Frances set the smoking dish of potatoes on the table. "What an excellent cook you must have, Madam," he said, after his first taste. "Such good potatoes!" "I have ten," said Mary Frances. [Illustration: "Let's give it to Jubey."] "Ten! You are fortunate, indeed, Madam," said Billy, for all the world as though he were a grown-up young gentleman. "How quiet they keep." [Illustration] "Yes," laughed Mary Frances, "but they're 'most always busy," and she held up her ten pink little fingers. [Illustration: "I have ten," said Mary Frances.] "Oh, Billy," she added earnestly, "I'm so glad you like them--the potatoes, I mean. There is only one left--won't you have that?" "Oh, let's give that to Jubey--Jubey might be hurt if you didn't let her try them. I would,--if I were Jubey." CHAPTER VII THE POT-AND-KETTLE FIGHT "GOOD morning, Kitchen People," said Mary Frances, after breakfast next day, "this is a very important morning with me." The Kitchen People looked pleased and important, too. [Illustration: Looked pleased and important.] "You see, it's this way," she continued as she took her little book and sat in the rocking chair. "I am very anxious to get through every recipe in my cook book before Mother comes home, so I guess we'll just finish all the potato recipes to-day,--and give Billy a Potato Lunch! Won't that be fine?" The Kitchen People all smiled in approval. She went to the window. "O--h, Billy! Billy!" she called; "you're invited to a Potato Lunch in our dining-room at twelve o'clock." [Illustration: "O--h, Billy!"] "All right, I'll be on time," answered Billy from the garden. "Let's see," said Mary Frances to herself, "four more recipes--about two potatoes each. Four times two,--eight." She washed the potatoes carefully, and had no sooner set about paring them, than the kitchen door opened, and in walked Aunt Maria. "What in the world is that child doing? Paring potatoes? Did I ever!--Such thin, close parings, too! How well she does it!--But you must drop them into cold water as soon as they are pared, child. I wish I could stay and show you how to cook, but duty calls me--I must be going!" [Illustration: "Drop them into cold water."] Mary Frances stepped to the door with her.