ld are they making? What but molasses candy!
It is nearly done. It ought to be, after the boiling and the stirring
that the girls in turn have given it. Finally, some one holds forward a
pan of cold water. Dorothy, carefully dipping out a spoonful of the
fragrant syrup, drops it into the water. It sizzes; it stiffens--hurrah!
the candy is ready to be taken from the fire.

Cool enough now. "Come, boys! Come, girls!" cries Uncle.

"Here, put these on,--every one of you!" cries Liddy, her arms loaded
with the coarse towel-aprons which she--knowing soul!--had specially
prepared for the occasion. "Sakes! be careful! Don't burn yourselves!"

But who hears? They are pulling the candy already. Boys and girls in
pairs, with hands daintily washed and greased, are taking soft lumps of
the cooling confection, drawing them out into long, shining ribbons,
doubling and drawing them out again until they get lighter and lighter
in color, and finally, the beautiful golden strands are declared ready
for more artistic handling. Then follow royal fun and rivalry, each
young confectioner trying to outdo the other. Some twist the soft candy
into sticks and lay them aside to cool; some braid it charmingly; others
make little walking-canes; others cut it into caramels,--one and all
indulging meantime in flavorsome morsels, and finally shouting with
delight over Donald's masterpiece, which he has placed upon the table
for inspection, and which he calls

[Illustration: THE MAID OF ORLEANS!]

"Ha! ha!" shouts Daniel Danby. "Pretty good! But supposing it hadn't
been made of Orleans! Guess there are other kinds of molasses." But that
sarcastic and well-informed young gentleman is hardly heard in the
laughing commotion.

Ah, what a washing of hands! For the fun of the thing, Uncle George has
caused warm water to be put into a great tub, which stands upon the
wash-bench, and now the candy-pullers take their turn in a close ring
about it, all frantically feeling and struggling for the soap which
repeatedly bobs to the surface, only to be dashed out of sight again by
some desperate little hand.

While this merry crowd of cooks and pullers is working and frolicking in
the kitchen, under Norah's watchful eye, a few of the company may be
found in other parts of the old mansion, amusing themselves in their own
fashion. Some of the very young guests are in the upper rooms playing
childish games; and one or two older ones, who, as it happens, see quite