“I suppose she hasn’t a cent that she feels she can use for lessons,” said Miss Burton thoughtfully.  She, as well as Ruth’s special chums, had become very much interested in Marie, and Mrs. Perrier’s little house had been the goal of many a breezy walk.

“I think Uncle Henry means to help her, of course,” continued Ruth, “but I was wondering if there wasn’t something we could do to earn money.  Wouldn’t it be great if the Cooking Club could do something to help?”

“I should say it would,” responded Dorothy with the greatest enthusiasm.  “Didn’t we begin to try even at our first meeting to make our club helpful to others?”

“I hope we shan’t miss the mark the way we did that time,” groaned Charlotte with a disgusted expression on her face.

“Oh, but didn’t Joe look too absurd in that ladylike black skirt and bonnet?” said Ruth going off into a fit of laughter.  “I don’t care if the joke was mostly on me; it was the funniest thing I ever saw.”

“We never could pay him off with anything half so clever,” laughed Betty.  “But, girls, it’s Marie who wants to be an artist, not Joe.  Who’s got an idea?”

“Let’s have a supper in the Town Hall and cook all we can ourselves and solicit the rest,” proposed Dorothy.

“Too much outside work when we’re in school,” protested Charlotte.

“If we could have it four weeks from now it would come in the April vacation,” persisted Dorothy.

“Why not have some sort of an entertainment,” suggested Miss Burton, “and seat your audience at small tables?  Then at the end of the entertainment you could serve light refreshments.”

“And we could have tableaux and perhaps some music,” cried Ruth in a burst of inspiration.  “You’d help us out with it, wouldn’t you, Miss Burton?”

“Of course I would.  I’ve had to plan such things several times.”

“Let’s choose the prettiest girls we can find in the school for waitresses,” said Betty, “and have them wear cunning aprons and big bows on their heads.”

“Why not have the thing open an hour or so before the entertainment begins, and give them a chance to buy home-made candy and salted almonds and some of those specialties which the gifted members of our club delight in making?” suggested Charlotte.  “We shall need all the money we can get, for just the price of the tickets won’t amount to very much.”

“That’s a practical idea, Charlotte,” said Miss Burton.  “And if you’d like it perhaps I can make some money for you by reading palms.  The boys could build a little tent for me, and I could give each applicant five minutes of my valuable time.”

“Oh, Miss Burton, can you really read palms?” cried Betty much impressed.

“Well, Betty,” said Miss Burton with her radiant smile, “I can, at least, make it interesting for persons who like to have their palms read.  And fortunately I have a costume which I wore for this same purpose at a Charity Bazar in Chicago.”