long be content. The popcorn balls disappeared like magic and the
stout girl kept worrying the others with questions about the taffy.

"Don't you suppose that candy's cool? I declare! those boys might
play a joke on us--they might creep back and steal all three pans."

"Dear me, Jennie!" cried Ruth Fielding. "If you are so anxious, why
don't you run and bring a pan in? We'll see if it's brittle enough to
break up."

Heavy sighed, but put down her work and arose. "It's always I who
has to do the work," she complained.

"Bring the pan in here and break the candy," advised Madge Steele.
"We'll have to watch you."

Heavy came back with one of the candy pans in short order, bringing
a hammer, too, with which to crack the brittle taffy.

"Come! we'll see how it tastes; and if it's good enough," she added,
smiling broadly, "we won't let the boys have even a little bit. They
were mean enough to go off skating without us."

She cracked up a part of the candy, passed the pan around quickly,
and popped a piece into her own mouth. In a moment she spat the candy
into the fire, with a shriek, and put her hand to her jaw.

"Oh! oh! oh!" she cried.

"What's the matter with you, Heavy?" demanded Helen, startled.