CHAPTER XIII

SHELLS AND KERNELS


The three boys stuck to their work, with only a whisper or two,
until there was a great bowl of nutmeats, and Ruth pronounced the
quantity sufficient. Meanwhile, the taffy was boiling in the big
kettle, and Ruth and Jennie had buttered three dripping pans. They
spread the nutmeats evenly in the pans and then set the pans
carefully on a snowdrift outside the back door to get thoroughly cold
before the taffy was poured thinly over the nuts.

Everybody was on the _qui vive_ about the candy then. The girls
couldn't drive the boys out of the room. The bubbling molasses filled
the great kitchen with a rich odor. Jennie began popping corn with
which to make cornballs of the taffy that could not be run into the
three pans of nuts.

Isadore Phelps disappeared for possibly three minutes--no longer;
and the girls never missed him.

At last the candy could be "spun" and Ruth pronounced it ready to
pour into the pans outside. Isadora said he would help--the kettle
was too heavy for the girls to carry. He was adjured to be very, very
careful and the girls followed him to the door in a body when he
carried out the steaming couldron.

"Do pour it carefully, Izzy!" cried Helen.