the girls, tired from the long day, tumbled into bed. It seemed they had hardly fallen asleep when Mrs. Glick knocked on their doors. “It is four o’clock. Time to get up!”
The three jumped out of bed, hurried into their clothes, and raced downstairs. They found Mrs. Glick busy with her baking. From the oven came the aroma of apple pie and cookies.
“You are sleepy birds,” Mrs. Glick teased, while stirring batter for a cake. “But you are in time to make the fasnachts.”
When the hot fat was ready, Nancy and George dropped the raw doughnut rings into it, one by one. As soon as each was cooked, it was removed and dried on paper. Bess sprinkled them with powdered sugar.
“When you get hungry, help yourselves,” Mrs. Glick invited. “We will not have time to sit down to breakfast.”
“We’ll leave at six sharp,” Mrs. Glick announced, as she bustled about the homey kitchen. After a snack, the girls assisted her in packing the food into her automobile.
When they reached the market, the visitors helped Mrs. Glick set up her stall. Afterward, the woman suggested that they walk through the market and look around the town.
The three friends were intrigued, not only by the hearty, appetizing foods and the bright flowers on display but also by the hand needlework and cookbooks on sale.
Outside the market, Nancy, Bess, and George watched Amish carriage after carriage arrive. There was a long row of hitching posts to which the horses were tied side-by-side. There was not a black horse among them. Most of the men and women were tall and strong looking. All had good color and bright eyes.
George suddenly grinned. “The minute they turn their backs, you can’t tell one from another.”
Bess giggled. “The young men must have a hard time keeping track of their dates!”
An hour later the girls decided to return to the market. As they turned the corner they saw an Amish girl coming toward them.
Suddenly Nancy cried out, “Why it’s Manda Kreutz!”
CHAPTER IX
Mistaken Identity
NANCY and her chums stopped In front of Manda Kreutz on the street, but the Amish girl looked at them blankly. She gave no sign of recognition.
Ignoring this, Bess said to her sweetly, “Why did you run away from home again?”
“I think you must have me mixed up with someone else,” the girl replied. She started to walk on.
Nancy took her arm. “Surely you remember us—the girls who met you on the road when you were walking home from Lancaster?”
Suddenly the Amish girl smiled. “I guess you have mistaken me for my cousin, Manda Kreutz.”
The three friends were stunned. Now that they looked closely at the stranger before them, they knew she was not Manda. This young woman was slightly shorter and plumper. But otherwise the cousins looked enough alike to be identical twins.
“Well, I surely thought you were Manda,” Nancy said, smiling. She introduced herself, Bess, and George. “We met your cousin the other day and have been trying to find her ever since.”
“I’ll tell you where she lives,” the Amish girl said. “By the way, my name is Melinda Kreutz.”
George spoke. “We know where Manda’s family lives, but she is not living at home. Didn’t you know this, Melinda?”
“No,” the Amish girl replied. Then, looking at the others searchingly, she said, “Is something the matter?”
Bess answered quickly. “You mean you don’t know Manda has run away from home?”
“Sell iss awschrecklich!” Then Melinda added quickly, “I beg your pardon. You do not understand our language. I mean, it is dreadful. I did not know about Manda, for I do not hear from my cousin often. Our ways are different. I am Church Amish.”
After hearing the story, she shook her head. “My uncle is too stern but he loves his family. Soon, though, Manda would have married and gone away from home, anyhow. She should not have run away.”
“You mean Manda has wedding plans?” Bess asked.
“No. There was no
The three jumped out of bed, hurried into their clothes, and raced downstairs. They found Mrs. Glick busy with her baking. From the oven came the aroma of apple pie and cookies.
“You are sleepy birds,” Mrs. Glick teased, while stirring batter for a cake. “But you are in time to make the fasnachts.”
When the hot fat was ready, Nancy and George dropped the raw doughnut rings into it, one by one. As soon as each was cooked, it was removed and dried on paper. Bess sprinkled them with powdered sugar.
“When you get hungry, help yourselves,” Mrs. Glick invited. “We will not have time to sit down to breakfast.”
“We’ll leave at six sharp,” Mrs. Glick announced, as she bustled about the homey kitchen. After a snack, the girls assisted her in packing the food into her automobile.
When they reached the market, the visitors helped Mrs. Glick set up her stall. Afterward, the woman suggested that they walk through the market and look around the town.
The three friends were intrigued, not only by the hearty, appetizing foods and the bright flowers on display but also by the hand needlework and cookbooks on sale.
Outside the market, Nancy, Bess, and George watched Amish carriage after carriage arrive. There was a long row of hitching posts to which the horses were tied side-by-side. There was not a black horse among them. Most of the men and women were tall and strong looking. All had good color and bright eyes.
George suddenly grinned. “The minute they turn their backs, you can’t tell one from another.”
Bess giggled. “The young men must have a hard time keeping track of their dates!”
An hour later the girls decided to return to the market. As they turned the corner they saw an Amish girl coming toward them.
Suddenly Nancy cried out, “Why it’s Manda Kreutz!”
CHAPTER IX
Mistaken Identity
NANCY and her chums stopped In front of Manda Kreutz on the street, but the Amish girl looked at them blankly. She gave no sign of recognition.
Ignoring this, Bess said to her sweetly, “Why did you run away from home again?”
“I think you must have me mixed up with someone else,” the girl replied. She started to walk on.
Nancy took her arm. “Surely you remember us—the girls who met you on the road when you were walking home from Lancaster?”
Suddenly the Amish girl smiled. “I guess you have mistaken me for my cousin, Manda Kreutz.”
The three friends were stunned. Now that they looked closely at the stranger before them, they knew she was not Manda. This young woman was slightly shorter and plumper. But otherwise the cousins looked enough alike to be identical twins.
“Well, I surely thought you were Manda,” Nancy said, smiling. She introduced herself, Bess, and George. “We met your cousin the other day and have been trying to find her ever since.”
“I’ll tell you where she lives,” the Amish girl said. “By the way, my name is Melinda Kreutz.”
George spoke. “We know where Manda’s family lives, but she is not living at home. Didn’t you know this, Melinda?”
“No,” the Amish girl replied. Then, looking at the others searchingly, she said, “Is something the matter?”
Bess answered quickly. “You mean you don’t know Manda has run away from home?”
“Sell iss awschrecklich!” Then Melinda added quickly, “I beg your pardon. You do not understand our language. I mean, it is dreadful. I did not know about Manda, for I do not hear from my cousin often. Our ways are different. I am Church Amish.”
After hearing the story, she shook her head. “My uncle is too stern but he loves his family. Soon, though, Manda would have married and gone away from home, anyhow. She should not have run away.”
“You mean Manda has wedding plans?” Bess asked.
“No. There was no
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