here a
grown-up folks' thing I can do?"

"I shouldn't wonder," said Grandmother, smiling mysteriously. "I
shouldn't wonder a bit."

"But I don't want to sew," said Mary Jane, suddenly wondering if her
grandmother might be thinking of that, "I don't feel sew-ish."

"No, it's not sewing," replied Grandmother. "I haven't time for sewing
this morning because I'm going to make strawberry jam."

"Then what is it?" asked Mary Jane and she pressed her face up against
the screen door in her effort to look inside at her grandmother's work.

"You come in and wash your hands and face--wash them good with soap,"
said Grandmother, "then bring me one of Grandfather's big handkerchiefs
and I'll tell you what it is."

That puzzled Mary Jane and she immediately forgot all about John and
her lonesomeness. She hurried to the bathroom and washed her hands and
face the very best she knew how. Then she reached into Grandfather's
drawer and picked out a handkerchief and took it down to Grandmother.

"Now get me five pins from my basket," said Grandmother.

Mary Jane got the pins in a jiffy and then Grandmother stopped her work
and began to unfold and refold the handkerchief.

"What--" began Mary Jane as she watched Grandmother's hands busy
folding, "what's it going to be?"

"A cap," replied Grandmother, smiling, "a cap for the cook who's going
to get our dinner"; and she set the cap squarely on Mary Jane's head!

"Me? Get dinner? Me? By myself?" exclaimed Mary Jane, "but I don't
know how!"

"Oh, yes, you do," laughed Grandmother, "and what you don't know how,
you can learn. Do you know what potatoes look like?"

"Why, of course," replied Mary Jane and she giggled at such a funny
question for potatoes were her favorite vegetable. "I've seen 'em at
home and I've seen 'em in your cellar."

"Sure enough!" said Grandmother, nodding approvingly, "then you'll know
what to do. Take that pan over there," and she pointed to the table,
"and go into the cellar and pick out six nice smooth potatoes."

Mary Jane did as she was told and she thought it was lots of fun too,
to hunt over the bin as she had seen Grandmother do and pick out
potatoes that just suited her.

"Now then," said Grandmother when Mary Jane brought up the potatoes,
"take that scrubbing brush over there and scrub them clean. Then open
the oven door with this holder and lay the potatoes on the shelf to
bake."

"Just like I scrub my hands?" asked Mary Jane.