m there could not find it out. She was so mortified and worried over
it that she was nearly ill. She tried to propound the theory, and
believe in it herself, that she had really set the turkey and the
pudding in the pantry, and that they had been stolen; but she was too
honest. "I've heerd of folks puttin' things in such safe places that
they couldn't find 'em, before now," said she; "but I never heerd of
losin' a turkey an' a plum-puddin' that way. I dunno but I'm losin' what
little wits I ever did have." She went about with a humble and resentful
air. She promised Ann Mary that she would cook another turkey and
pudding the first of the week, if the missing ones were not found.

Sunday came and they were not discovered. It was a pleasant day, and the
Littles went to the village church. Ann Mary looked over across the
church after they were seated and saw Loretta, with the pretty brown
frizzes over her forehead, sitting between her father and mother, and
she wondered when Loretta had come home.

The choir sang and the minister prayed. Suddenly Ann Mary saw him,
standing there in the pulpit, unfold a paper. Then _the minister began
to read the Thanksgiving Proclamation_. Ann Mary cast one queer glance
at her grandmother, who returned it with one of inexpressible dignity
and severity.

As soon as meeting was done, her grandmother clutched her by the arm.
"Don't you say a word about it to anybody," she whispered. "You mind!"

When they were in the sleigh going home she charged her husband. "You
mind, you keep still, father," said she. "It'll be town-talk if you
don't."

The old man chuckled. "Don't you know, I said once that I had kind of an
idee that Thanksgivin' weren't quite so early, and you shut me up,
mother," he remarked. He looked good-naturedly malicious.

"Well, I dunno as it's anything so very queer," said Mrs. Little. "It
comes a whole week later than it did last year, and I s'posed we'd
missed hearin' the proclamation."

The next day a letter arrived saying that Lucy and her father and mother
were coming to spend Thanksgiving. "I feel jest about beat," Mrs.
Little said, when she read the letter.

Really, she did feel about at her wit's end. The turkey and pudding were
not yet found, and she had made up her mind that she would not dare wait
much longer without providing more. She knew that another turkey must be
procured, at all events. However, she waited until the last minute
Wednesday afternoon, the