jaws stick
together so they'll never come open, or he can't bark. But I'm going to
make some candy."
"Now look yeah!" said Dinah. "Does yo' ma know yo' is gwine t' do dish
yeah candy business?"
"No, Dinah, but I'll tell her when she comes home," for on coming in
from school Flossie had been told that her mother was not in.
"Yo'll tell her when she comes home?" cried the old colored cook. "Yo'
won't need t' _tell_ her, honey lamb. She'll done know dat yo' all has
been up t' suffin queer. Make candy! Oh mah gracious! I done guess you'd
bettah not!"
"Oh, please, Dinah! It's easy. You can help me."
Dinah gave in, as she usually did, and got out some sugar, some water
and a saucepan for the little girl. Dinah knew Flossie was too little to
be trusted alone around the stove, so she stood near herself.
"Let me pour in the water," begged Flossie, and she was allowed to do
this. Then the sugar and water in the saucepan was soon bubbling on top
of the stove. Flossie buttered a pan, getting almost as much butter on
her fingers as she did on the tin, but Dinah gave her a wash rag, so
that was all right.
Letting the candy boil, Dinah went about her kitchen work, while Flossie
sat in a chair near the stove watching. Pretty soon the door bell rang,
and Dinah went to answer it. Flossie stayed in the kitchen looking at
the steaming pan of candy until she heard a voice calling to her from
the yard.
"Flossie! Flossie! Come on out and play!"
It was Stella Janson, a little girl who lived next door.
"I can't come out right away, Stella," answered Flossie. "I'm making
candy and I have to watch it. You sit down on the porch and when the
candy is done I'll bring some out to you."
Flossie went to the door to tell this to the little girl, and then she
saw that Stella had a new doll.
"Oh, isn't she pretty!" cried Flossie. "I must see her!"
Forgetting all about the candy boiling on the stove, Flossie went out on
the porch. There she and Stella took turns holding the doll. All this
while Dinah was at the front door. A peddler had rung the bell, and it
took the colored cook some little time to tell him her mistress did not
want to buy a new kind of piano polish.
All at once Dinah gave a cry and quickly closed the door.
"Sumfin's burnin'! Sumfin's burnin'!" she shouted as she hurried back to
the kitchen.
At the same time Stella, who was out on the porch with Flossie, began to
sniff the air.
"What's that funny s
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