The tears sprang to her eyes. "I'm"so sorry," she said. "Oh, never mind. Miss," said the tramp; "I ain't been chooser for mony a day — and this 'ere homelet, . . , or whatever it is, will be all right, all right," — and he wh&ts hungrily began to eat. "It seems to be made out o' nothin' — and yet it is powerful good," said he between bites, as it fast disappeared, much to Mary Frances' delight. "It's made out of beaten eggs," said she. "First, :v withi iif 'm never mm ind, Miss? 80 The Mary Frances Cook Book you take the eggs and break the shells, and put the yolks in one bowl and the " "Why, Miss, I know what made it flounder." "Flounder? Flounder? 'Flat as a flounder,'" thought Mary Frances — "he means flatten." "What?" she asked eagerly. "Why, the breeze! The cool air plays the " *' Mary Frances!" "Mary Frances!" "Mary Frances!" Her father came into the kitchen. "Who's there? Why, my dear little girl, what are you doing?" "I'm — I've got company," Mary Frances stam- mered, not liking to say tramp. "That is — I — oh, Father, this gentleman was so hungry — and I " "Go into the house — and I shall see you." *fD "Be gone!" thundered her father to the tramp, pi pointing to the gate. gOn6! "Begging pardon, sir," said the tramp, touching ' his cap, " but may I say one word?" "Make it short." ^*May J say 6"fte word?'' The Tramp 81 ^'I'd do anything for the young lady — not let a 'air o' 'er 'ead be 'urt. Please don't be too 'ard on 'er." ''You may go/' said Mary Frances' father. "Are you hungry yet?" "Oh, no, sir, — thank you, sir," said the tramp. "Thanks to 'er." "Bless 'er little 'eart," her father heard him mur- muring, as he went out the gate. "Bless her dear, loving little heart!" echoed her father. "The poor dear 'lamb' should not have been left alone! I thought Billy was here. But she must have her lesson!" Going into the kitchen, he took Mary Frances on *^*/3 „ _^ his knee. -7^6 JOU "Dear," he began gravely, "suppose the old tramp ^^^flyO^ had not had kind thoughts. Suppose, when my little Vct^ girl opened the door, he had hurt her, and had taken ^ mother's nice things, or had stolen our dear little daughter " "But, Father," said Mary Frances, "he was a lovely gentleman! I feel quite sure he was going to €( near 82 The Mary Frances Cook Book tell me a beautiful story about when he was little — ■ maybe a hundred years ago " '^Mary Frances, listen, child! Never, when you are alone, unlock the door to any man or woman you do not know. Understand?" ''Yes, Father," said Mary Frances; ''I didn't mean to be bad." ''No, dear; but it would be very naughty indeed for you to do so again. Do you promise?" "Yes, Father," said Mary Frances, hiding her face on his shoulder. "I'll never, never do it again, dear Father." 4: ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ $ "Humph!" grumbled Aunty RoUing Pin, after they had gone into the library, "I'd have warned her — only I was afraid the tramp gentleman might hear!" " So would we all of us," cried the rest of the Kitchen People. CHAPTER XIII COMPANY TO LUNCH MARY FRANCES listened at the kitchen door before going in next morning. She wanted to find out what the Kitchen People might be doing. ''It isn't exactly eavesdropping/' she thought, ''although it seems awfully near to it."

AI-modernized reading of the original text

The tears sprang to her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she said. "Oh, never mind. Miss," said the tramp; "I ain't been choosy for many a day — and this 'ere homelet, . . , or whatever it is, will be all right, all right," — and he hungrily began to eat. "It seems to be made out o' nothin' — and yet it is powerful good," said he between bites, as it fast disappeared, much to Mary Frances' delight. "It's made out of beaten eggs," said she. "First, :v withi iif 'm never mm ind, Miss? The Mary Frances Cook Book you take the eggs and break the shells, and put the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another." "Why, Miss, I know what made it flounder." "Flounder? Flounder? 'Flat as a flounder,'" thought Mary Frances — "he means flatten." "What?" she asked eagerly. "Why, the breeze! The cool air plays the tricks!" *' Mary Frances!" "Mary Frances!" "Mary Frances!" Her father came into the kitchen. "Who's there? Why, my dear little girl, what are you doing?" "I'm — I've got company," Mary Frances stammered, not liking to say tramp. "That is — I — oh, Father, this gentleman was so hungry — and I " "Go into the house — and I shall see you." *fD "Be gone!" thundered her father to the tramp, pi pointing to the gate. gOn6! "Begging pardon, sir," said the tramp, touching ' his cap, " but may I say one word?" "Make it short." ^*May J say 6"fte word?'' The Tramp ^'I'd do anything for the young lady — not let a 'air o' 'er 'ead be 'urt. Please don't be too 'ard on 'er." ''You may go/' said Mary Frances' father. "Are you hungry yet?" "Oh, no, sir, — thank you, sir," said the tramp. "Thanks to 'er." "Bless 'er little 'eart," her father heard him murmuring, as he went out the gate. "Bless her dear, loving little heart!" echoed her father. "The poor dear 'lamb' should not have been left alone! I thought Billy was here. But she must have her lesson!" Going into the kitchen, he took Mary Frances on *^*/3 „ _^ his knee. -7^6 JOU "Dear," he began gravely, "suppose the old tramp ^^^flyO^ had not had kind thoughts. Suppose, when my little Vct^ girl opened the door, he had hurt her, and had taken ^ mother's nice things, or had stolen our dear little daughter " "But, Father," said Mary Frances, "he was a lovely gentleman! I feel quite sure he was going to €( near The Mary Frances Cook Book tell me a beautiful story about when he was little — ■ maybe a hundred years ago " '^Mary Frances, listen, child! Never, when you are alone, unlock the door to any man or woman you do not know. Understand?" ''Yes, Father," said Mary Frances; ''I didn't mean to be bad." ''No, dear; but it would be very naughty indeed for you to do so again. Do you promise?" "Yes, Father," said Mary Frances, hiding her face on his shoulder. "I'll never, never do it again, dear Father." 4: ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ $ "Humph!" grumbled Aunty RoUing Pin, after they had gone into the library, "I'd have warned her — only I was afraid the tramp gentleman might hear!" " So would we all of us," cried the rest of the Kitchen People. CHAPTER XIII COMPANY TO LUNCH MARY FRANCES listened at the kitchen door before going in next morning. She wanted to find out what the Kitchen People might be doing. ''It isn't exactly eavesdropping/' she thought, ''although it seems awfully near to it."

The Mary Frances cook book