"Why, Uncle John, I should say you are!" answered Bettina with delight as she removed her kitchen apron. "Do you smell my date buns? I believe you'll like them!"

"Date buns? Never heard of anything so absurd in my whole life! What are they?" And then, without waiting for an answer, he went on, "A regular blizzard tonight, I do believe! I telephoned your Aunt Lucy that I wouldn't be back to the farm till morning, then I found a place to leave my car, and came up here to see if I couldn't get a bite to eat. But date buns! I don't know about that! I'm not used to anything so fancy."

"Well, Uncle John, there's a salmon loaf baking in the oven, and also some lemon rice pudding, so I believe there'll be something you'll like."

"Maybe!" said Uncle John, doubtfully, but with a twinkle in his eye that belied his words. "But let me see! Aunt Lucy sent you something; what was it? Oh, yes, some cream!" And he took a glass jar from its wrappings.

"Oh, Uncle John, how lovely!" said Bettina. "Won't we just revel in cream! There comes Bob now! Get behind the door, Uncle John, and say 'boo'! the way you used to do with me when I was a little girl!"

That night for dinner Bettina served:

Mix the salmon, bread crumbs, milk, egg-yolk, salt and paprika. Pack down in a well-buttered pan. Pour one teaspoon of melted butter over the top. Dredge with flour. Bake thirty-five minutes in a moderate oven. Serve hot or cold.

Mix and sift the flour and the salt. Add the dates, which have been pitted and cut into small pieces. Mix with sugar the yeast cake (broken up). Heat the milk and add the butter. When the butter is melted, cool the milk mixture slightly, and add it to the yeast mixture, stirring carefully until the yeast is dissolved.

Add the egg well-beaten to the milk mixture, and add this to the flour. Mix thoroughly and toss onto a well-floured board. Knead two minutes. Place in a warm place and allow to rise one hour. Divide into twelve pieces by cutting with a knife. Allow to rise ten minutes. Brush the tops with one tablespoon of egg to which has been added one tablespoon of milk. Bake twenty minutes in a hot oven.

Beat the egg-yolk, add the sugar, salt and lemon juice. Add the milk and the rice. Cook one minute, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Pour into a well-buttered pudding dish. Beat the egg-white very stiff. Add the powdered sugar and the lemon juice. (One teaspoon.) Pile lightly on top of the pudding. Bake thirty minutes in a slow oven.