y big red apple and in the
other a spicy doughnut not an hour from Margaret Sinton's frying basket.

Another time she offered big balls of popped corn stuck together with
maple sugar, and liberally sprinkled with beechnut kernels. Again it
was hickory-nut kernels glazed with sugar, another time maple candy,
and once a basket of warm pumpkin pies. She never made any apology,
or offered any excuse. She simply gave what she could afford, and the
change was as welcome to those city girls accustomed to sodas and French
candy, as were these same things to Elnora surfeited on popcorn and pie.
In her room was a little slip containing a record of the number of weeks
in the school year, the times it would be her turn to treat and the
dates on which such occasions would fall, with a number of suggestions
beside each. Once the girls almost fought over a basket lined with
yellow leaves, and filled with fat, very ripe red haws. In late October
there was a riot over one which was lined with red leaves and contained
big fragrant pawpaws frost-bitten to a perfect degree. Then hazel
nuts were ripe, and once they served. One day Elnora at her wits' end,
explained to her mother that the girls had given her things and she
wanted to treat them. Mrs. Comstock, with characteristic stubbornness,
had said she would leave a basket at the grocery for her, but firmly
declined to say what would be in it. All day Elnora struggled to keep
her mind on her books. For hours she wavered in tense uncertainty. What
would her mother do? Should she take the girls to the confectioner's
that night or risk the basket? Mrs. Comstock could make delicious things
to eat, but would she?

As they left the building Elnora made a final rapid mental calculation.
She could not see her way clear to a decent treat for ten people for
less than two dollars and if the basket proved to be nice, then the
money would be wasted. She decided to risk it. As they went to the
bridge the girls were betting on what the treat would be, and crowding
near Elnora like spoiled small children. Elnora set down the basket.

"Girls," she said, "I don't know what this is myself, so all of us are
going to be surprised. Here goes!"

She lifted the cover and perfumes from the land of spices rolled up. In
one end of the basket lay ten enormous sugar cakes the tops of which had
been liberally dotted with circles cut from stick candy. The candy had
melted in baking and made small transparent wells o