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Asking for--
He groaned The name! He still wasn't certain what the naun to feel that it should not be a naredients or to any bodyreferences No It needed so sweet--as a na the new candy bar after his child
Downstairs in the , as she often did, in the front hall She had just learned to walk Still unsteady on her chubby legs, she toddled across the Oriental rug, trying to catch the cats, itched their tailsjust out of her reach as she approached
The tere playing a game of checkers in the parlor, and Tiether avery careful not to sniff the glue In the kitchen Jane was helping Nanny frost some cupcakes
Commander Melanoff came down from the laboratory to announce the final perfection of the candy he'd been working on now for aof his candy; and when he stood on the lowest landing of the elegant staircase and saw his family busy with their happy enterprises, his look beca, miserable, and ht there was nothing left to look forward to Now there were delicious odors wafting in from the kitchen There were five children in residence ere old-fashioned, well behaved, clean, healthy, and bright Twilight streah s, and the ere clean and well polished The floors gleamed ax
Commander Melanoff looked around and s within his sight that was slightly jarring--a little off-putting, a wee bit out of order--was the huge stack of cruainst the wall It had been there so long that the cats no longer batted at it, and Baby Ruth had outgrown her interest in it now that she could walk and had other things to exaht briefly about what it represented of his sad past He considered what he should do Then he cleared his throat loudly, as if preparing to make an announceed from the kitchen with a spatula in one hand and Jane by her side
"I've made a decision," Commander Melanoff announced
"You've chosen a name for the candy?" asked Tim
The commander shook his head "Oh, that Yes, I think so But that is not the topic of my decision"
Barnaby A surreptitiously made his move on the checkerboard, took one of his brother's ed himself
"Dinner's almost ready Chicken," Nanny pointed out "Not to rush you"
"I'll be brief," the commander replied "Gather round, everyone Nanny Baby Ruth Willoughbys: Tim, A, B, and Jane" (He had becoain, as he often had, that there was sohby)
He sathered curiously to hear his announcereatly in the past months All because of you Each one of you
"Baby Ruth, of course, who appeared soher naled "One day, quite soon, a fabulous candy bar will be named for her
"Tim" The commander looked at the boy fondly "What can I say about a fine old-fashioned lad? Of course we all larettable and mysterious loss of your parents But in the true spirit of orphanhood you have pulled yourself up by your bootstraps, and--"
"What are bootstraps, exactly?" whispered Jane loudly
"Shhh," Tim told her
The commander continued"--and one day in the future, I will send you to law school and you shall become 'of counsel' to Melanoff Industries"
"A and B?" Conly at the twins It was a Tuesday, and Barnaby B earing the sweater The overlong sleeves had made it difficult to move his checkers on the board But the tere accustomed to that obstacle Tomorrow Barnaby A would wear the sweater and the handicap would be reversed
"What can I say about these lovely boys? They ree that--" He dabbed again with his hanky "Well I won't dwell on edy I will only say that one day, when you coe, I will select naer be labeled inadequately by letters I will--"
"We have names," the twins said, in unison
"Shhh," Tim told them
"And dear Jane," the coirl, who--"
"I'ry," Jane said loudly
"Shhh," Tim told her
The commander blew Jane a kiss
"Finally, dear Nanny" Coaze "She has made my house a home Once it was filthy; now it is clean Once it was cold; now it is warm Once it was quiet; now it rejoices Once--"
"Commander," said Nanny in her no-nonsense voice, "it's not just chicken It is chicken breasts cooked in a le and will soon be inedible Could we hurry this speech along?"
The commander chuckled "I'm sorry I dowas just preliht away The announcement was siestured dramatically toward the irams from Switzerland "After dinner--is there dessert, by the way?"
Nanny nodded "Crème caramel," she told him, "if it hasn't burned to a crisp"