AN AUTUMN HOLIDAY 43 



gins buttoned up to his knees ? Nat looked again and 

 then exclaimed to himself, " Why, it's daddy, and the 

 other liumpy-looking man is uncle ! " Then he hurried 

 on with dressing as the only means of solving the 

 mystery. 



This morning there was a roaring fire in the Franklin 

 stove in the dining-room. This stove, which is a sort 

 of open fireplace on legs that stands out a little way 

 from the chimney, throws more heat into the room 

 than a hearth fire. 



'^ Now," said the Doctor, coming in with his arm 

 around Olive, who met him in the hall, " hold your ears 

 wide open and stand away from the table so that you 

 will not break the china. 



"We are going to the far-away hickory woods, where 

 we expected to go on Dodo's birthday to look for owls ! 

 Stop a moment ! that is not all. Instead of taking 

 sandwiches and such things for lunch we are going to 

 take pots and pans and food and play camp-out and 

 cook our dinner and supper in the woods, and come 

 home by moonlight ! " 



"That will be fine," said Olive. "I half expected 

 this last night." 



" Jolly ! " cried Nat. 



" But," said practical Miss Dodo, " if we are to cook. 

 Mammy Bun will have to go, and being out after dark 

 will make her grumble about her bones." 



"I am the c-oo-k who is going with you to-day," said 

 Mr. Blake, coming in ; " and a very good cook, too, 

 I can tell you." 



"Why, daddy," exclaimed both children, "can you 

 cook, and out in the woods, without any stove, too ? " 



