Toaster Man was so sleepy, he didn't say a word except, "You'll do it right, I know," and fell asleep again. Just then, Mary Frances heard her father call. [Illustration] [Illustration: "Sauce Pan, pretending to read out of a book."] CHAPTER X THE BREAKFAST BURNS UP "MARY FRANCES, dear, you can get up now," her father was saying. "Why, where is my little girl?" She knew he was looking in her bedroom. "All right, Father," she called; "I'm up and dressed--and downstairs--and, Father, wait a minute; breakfast is almost ready. I'll call you in a minute." She ran to put some oranges on the table. [Illustration: She ran to put some oranges on the table] "You can come now, you and Brother," she then called. "You sit right down and eat your oranges, as I bring in the other things." "All right, dear," said her father; "but first I want my good-morning kiss." "A kiss and a bear hug," laughed Mary Frances, throwing her arms around him as he lifted her up. "You stole a march on your old father this morning, all right," laughed her father. "Breakfast, indeed! Why, I never was so surprised in my life." [Illustration: "Why I never was so surprised in my life"] "Oh, Brother," said Mary Frances, kissing Billy; "you and Father sit down, and I'll bring in the coffee." She flew into the kitchen. Such a place! So thick with smoke and steam that all the Kitchen People were coughing. "Oh, dear! dear!" cried Mary Frances, the tears coming fast. "Everything's burnt up! Why, didn't you call me, Sillies? To sit here and let the toast burn up!" [Illustration: "Why didn't you call me, Sillies?"] "I--I _did_ call you," cried Coffee Pot, sputtering more coffee over on the stove, "but I couldn't make you hear." [Illustration: "I--I _did_ call you."] "Why didn't you call?" asked Mary Frances of Sauce Pan with a sob. "You told me not to speak until you spoke to me----" "I was asleep," interrupted Toaster. "Who are you talking to, Mary Frances?" asked her father. "Aren't you nearly ready?" "Sh--sh!" Warned Mary Frances, with uplifted finger--then aloud: "Oh, Father, I'm so disappointed! I had everything ready so nice and hot, and now everything's burnt up! Oh, de--ar, oh, oh, oh, de--ar!" "Never mind, Honey," said her father, kissing away her tears. "Never mind! There's no hurry this morning, I'll fix the fire and you do it all over again." "But I've wasted all the eggs--they're as hard as bricks--they cooked twenty minutes. I forgot them." "They'll be fine in our salad to-night," said Brother; "I love hard-boiled eggs that way." [Illustration: "They'll be fine in our salad."] "Brother, you run out in the garden," said her father, "Sister is going to have our breakfast ready in a very few minutes." "I'll do that," cried Billy, "and I'll have a fine appetite." When they went into the kitchen Mary Frances saw Sauce Pan whisper something to Coffee Pot, but her father didn't notice. He quickly fixed the fire.