“Well, yes, I guess so,” answered Mrs. Bobbsey.  “How many would you invite?”

“About a dozen.  We could have sandwiches, ice cream and cake.  I could bake a cake myself.”

“Well, you might try.  I have showed you how to make a simple cake, that is not too rich for little stomachs.  You might bake a sponge cake, and put icing on top.  Yes, I think you may have a party, Nan.”

“Oh, thank you, Mother.  Now I’ll write the invitations.”

“I’ll help you,” offered Flossie.

“I’m afraid, dear, you can’t write quite well enough,” said Nan with a smile.  “But you may seal the envelopes for me, and put on the postage stamps.”

“Oh, I like to do that!” cried Flossie.  “The sticky stuff on the stamps tastes so nice on your tongue.”

“It is better to wet the envelope flaps and the sticky side of the stamps with a damp cloth or a sponge than with your tongue,” said Mother Bobbsey.  “I’ll show you the way.”

So when Nan had written out the invitations on some cards, she and Flossie put them in envelopes.  Then Mrs. Bobbsey gave them each a little sponge, which they dampened in water, and with that they moistened the sticky places, both of the stamps and the envelopes.  And so the invitations were made ready to mail.

“Have you invited any boys to the party?” asked Bert.

“Yes, some,” answered Nan.  “But only a few.”

“Then I’ll come,” he said.  “I don’t like a party with just nothing but girls.”

“And I’ll help Nan bake her cake,” offered Flossie.

“So will I,” added Freddie.  “I like to clean out the cake dishes, and eat the sweet dough and the icing.”

“Oh, I want to do some of that, too!” cried Flossie.

“I can see what kind of a time you’re going to have making your cake!” laughed Bert, “with those two youngsters hanging around.”

“Oh, I’ll take care of them,” said Nan, smiling.

“Goin’ t’ bake a cake, is yo’?” asked Dinah, when Nan came out in the kitchen the next Saturday, which was the date of the party.  “Don’t yo’ all t’ink yo’d bettah let me make it fo’ yo’?”

“No, thank you, Dinah, I want to make it myself,” said Nan.  “I want to show the girls and boys that I know how to make a cake almost, if not quite, as well as you and mother make them.”

“Well, honey, ef yo’ makes a cake as good as yo’ ma, den yo’ will suttinly be a fine cook,” returned Dinah.  “Fo’ yo’ ma is suah a prime cake-maker!”

“Oh, I don’t suppose the cake will be as good as mother’s,” said Nan, “but still I’ll never learn if I don’t try.”

So Nan began her cake.  Flossie and Freddie were playing out in the yard, but when they saw Nan in the kitchen, in they came, running.

“I’m going to help!” cried Freddie.

“So’m I,” added his sister.

“Well, there’s not much you can do,” said Nan, “except to hand me the things I need.  First I’m going to get everything together on the table, and then I won’t have to fuss around, and get in Dinah’s way.”