Bettina started in surprise. "Why, Ruth, I didn't see you coming up the walk!"

"I knew you didn't. But what on earth are you doing out here on your front steps? Enjoying the weather?"

"Indeed I am! Isn't it a wonderful spring day? But my thoughts weren't very poetic, I must admit. I was just wondering if it was too early to put away my furs for the summer. I'm always tempted to do that when the first signs of spring appear, and then I'm generally sorry a few days later."

"I'll have to put mine away soon, too. Do tell me, Bettina, just how you go about it."

"Well, I always hang mine in the sun for a while, then I beat them well, comb them out with a steel comb, and wrap them up."

"With moth-balls?"

"That is a good way, but not at all necessary. I always wrap mine in a newspaper—a good tight package. Moths don't like printer's ink, you know, and furs so wrapped are perfectly safe."

"Then, Bettina, you don't need to add that you label the package, for I know that you do, you thoroughly thorough housekeeper!"

Bettina laughed. "Well, Ruth, I do label it. Labelled packages are so much better to have, for very often you need to get something out in a hurry."

For dinner that night Bettina served:

Place one tablespoon of butter in a frying-pan and when hot add the onion. Let the onion cook until it is brown. Add the salt and parsley, the rest of the butter, the potatoes and the paprika. Stir well. Cook until the potatoes are well browned.

Mix the beans, celery, nut meats, green pepper, pickles and salt. Add the salad dressing. Serve very cold on lettuce leaves.

Cream the butter and lard, add the sugar, and mix well. Add the two eggs well beaten. Mix and sift thoroughly the flour, baking powder, salt, cloves and cinnamon. Add the dates and nuts. Stir these dry ingredients into the first mixture. Add the vanilla. Mix thoroughly and drop from the end of the spoon upon a well larded and floured baking pan. Bake fifteen minutes in a moderate oven.