ildren? We don't see how you ever did it!" And they ate at two
helpings of everything, and Father Blair ate three. And when it was time
to take the dishes off, there was not a speck of salmon left, nor a
spoonful of potato, nor even a single muffin.

[Illustration: Jack served the custards]

Then Brownie quietly took the crumbs off as she had seen Norah do,
brushing them onto a plate with a folded napkin; and as she was doing
this, Jack slipped out to the refrigerator and got the custards, all as
cold as ice and brown on top, looking as pretty as could be in their
cunning cups; each cup was set on a dessert plate and a spoon laid by
its side, and the fresh cakes were passed with them.

Soon after supper the company went home, and then Mildred said: "I feel
exactly like a toy balloon--so light inside! Wasn't that a good supper?
And didn't they like the things we had! And isn't it fun to have
company! When I am grown up and have a house of my own, I shall have
company every day in the week."

"I shall make a point of coming every other day at least," said Father
Blair. "I'm so proud of my family to-night! Those Wentworths may be
staying at the very best hotel in town, but I know they don't have such
suppers there."

"Don't you wish you could cook, Jack?" inquired his mother, with a
twinkle in her eye. And then everybody laughed, and said: "Dear me, what
good times we Blairs do have together!"

CHAPTER VI

MILDRED'S SCHOOL PARTY

One day early in June, Mildred ran up to her mother's room as soon as
she came home from school. She tossed her hat on the bed, and dropped
her books in an arm-chair. "Oh, Mother!" she exclaimed, out of breath,
"do you suppose I could have twenty girls here some afternoon for a
little bit of a party! I do so want to ask them right away, before exams
begin. They are my twenty most particular friends, and some of them are
going away just as school closes, so, you see, I have to hurry."

"Of course you may have them," said Mother Blair. "But only _twenty_
particular friends, Mildred? What about the rest of the class?"

Mildred laughed. "Well, I mean these are the girls I happen to know best
of all, and I want to have a kind of farewell before summer really
comes. What sort of a party shall we have, Mother? I mean, what shall we
have to eat?"

"I should think strawberry ice-cream would be just the thing, with some
cake to go with it, and something cold to drink; is that about what