Dorothy clasped Nancy's outstretched hand and they ran softly along the
hall, reaching the window just in time to see a bulky-looking bundle
swinging from a rope, and occasionally bumping against the house as it
made its way slowly upward.

On the ground stood Vera eagerly looking up, while, from the window of
their room Elf reached out, desperately struggling to draw the heavy
bundle up to the window sill.

"Don't stand there looking up at me!" she said in a voice hardly above a
whisper. "Come up here before somebody sees you." Vera lost no time in
doing as Elf said, while Dorothy and Nancy wasted not a moment, but sped
down the hall, and once safely in their room, sat down, laughing at what
they had seen.

Meanwhile, Vera raced along the hall, and into her room, flew to the
window and soon the precious bundle lay on the floor, the two girls
bending over it.

"Oo-oo! Cream-cakes! A box of fudge, frosted cake!" cried Elf, then.
"What's in this tin can?"

"Oysters," said Vera, "and we'll have a hot stew to-night after every
one is in bed!"

"My! But how can we cook it?" Elf asked.

"In the can," said Vera. "That's easy 'nough. There's a pint of oysters,
and three pints of milk all shaken up together in that two-quart can. We
can heat it over the gas jet. I'm sure they'll cook all right."