Celery Au Gratin

Ingredients:
4 c. diced celery
2-1/2 Tb. butter
2-1/2 Tb. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
1 c. milk
1 c. water in which celery was cooked
1 c. buttered crumbs
1/2 c. grated cheese

Directions:
Cook the celery in boiling salted water
until tender and then drain.
Prepare the cream sauce:
Butter the crumbs by stirring them
into 1 tablespoonful of melted butter.
Put 1/4 cupful of the crumbs in the bottom
of a baking dish and put one-half of the celery over them.
Place another 1/4 cupful of the crumbs over the celery,
and on top of this sprinkle 1/4 cupful of the grated cheese.
Add the remainder of the celery and pour the sauce over this.
Finally, add the other 1/4 cupful of cheese
and the remainder of the crumbs.
Place in a hot oven, and bake until well heated through
and the crumbs are browned. Serve hot.