The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1888-11-24

and bare and desolate to the little girl who was
trying to keep Thanksgiving. Suddenly she
heard little cry, and Loretta's white cat came
around the corner of the house.
kitty, Kitty, Kitty" called Ann Mary
She was very fond of Loretta's cat she had
none of her own.
The cat came close and brushed around Ann
Mary So she took it in her lap, and wrapped
the shawl around it, and felt little cOmforted
She sat there on the doorstep and held the
cat, until it was quite dusky, and she was very
stiff with the cold Then she put down the
cat, and prepared to go home. But she had
not gone far along the road when she found
out that the cat was following her. The little
white creature foundered through the snow
at her heels, ard mewed constantly. Some
times it darted ahead and waited until she came
up, but it did not seem willing to be carried in
her arms.
When Ann Mary reached her own house the
lonesome look of it sent a chill all over her;
she was afraid to go in. She made up her
mind to go down to Sarah Beans and ask
whether she could not stay all night there.
So she kept on, and Loretta's white cat still
followed her. There was no light in Sarah
Beams house. Ann Mary knocked and pound
ed, but it was of no use; the old woman had
gone to bed, and she could not make her hear.
Ann Mary turned about and went home; the
tears were running down her cold red cheeks.
The cat mewed louder than ever When she got
home she took the cat up and carried it into
the house. She determined to keep it for COM
pany, anyway. She was sure, now, that she
would have to stay alone all night; the Adamses
and Sarah Bean were the only neighbOrs, and
it was so late now that she had no hope of her
grandparents return. Ann Mary was timid
and nervous, but she had vein of philosophy,
and she generally grasped the situation with
all the stength she had, when she became con-
WINGED that she must. She had laid her plans
while walking home through the keen winter
air, even as the tears were streaming over her
cheeks, and she proceeded to carry them into
execution. She gave Loretta's cat its supper,
and she ate piece of mince-pie herself; then
she fixed the kitchen and the sitting-room fires,
and locked up the house very thoroughly
Next she took the cat and the lamp and went
into the dark bedroom and locked the door;
then S and the cat were as safe as she knew
how to make them. The dark bedroom was
in the middle of the house, the center of nest
of rooms. 1t was small and square, had no
windows, and only one door. 1t was sort OF
fastness. Ann Mary made up her mind that
she would not undress herself, and that she
would keep the lamp burning all night. She
climbed into the big yellow-posted bedstead,
and the cat cuddled up to her and purred.
Ann Mary lay in bed and stared at the white
satin scrolls on the wallpaper and listened for
noises. She heard great many, but they were
all mysterious and indefinabe, till about ten
o'clock. Then she sat straight up in bed and
her heart beat fast She certainly heard sleigh
bells; the sound penetrated even to the dark
bedroom. Then came jarring pounding on
the side door. Ann Mary got up, unfastened
the bedroom door, took the lamp, and stepped
out into the sitting-room. The pounding came
again. Cam Mary, Ann Mary!'' cried voice.
1t was her grandmother's.
''pm comm Pm comm, Grandma ~ shout
ed Ann Mary. She had never felt so happy in
her life She pushed back the bolt of the side
door with trembling haste. There stood her
grandmother all muffled up, with shawl over
her head; and out in the yard were her grand
father and another man, and horse and sleigh.
The men were turning the sleigh around.
"Put the lamp in the window, Ann Mary"
called Mr. Little, and Ann Mary obeyed. Her
grandmother sank into chair. Pm jest
about tuckered out" she groaned. IF don't
ketch my death with this days work, Pm
lucky. There amt any more feelin' III my
feet than as if they was Jumps OF stone: ILL.,,
and her face was all beaming. Il thought you
weren't coming" said she.
"Well, l shouldn't have come step tonight,
if it hadn't been for you-and the COW" said
her grandmother in an indignant voice. Twas
kind ofuneasy about you an we knew the COW
wouldn't be milked unless you got Mr.. Adams
to come over"
''Was Aunt Betsey very sick ?' inquired Ann
Mary.
Her grandmother gave her head toss. 'Sick
No, there want thing the matter with her.
except she ate some sausage meat an had
little faint turn. Liz was scarf to death, the
way she always is. She didn't act as if she
knew whether her head was on, all she knew't
was Thanksgivin' day an she didn't have no
turkey that l could see. Aunt Betsey beln
took sick seemed to put everythln' out OF her
head. Inever saw such nervous thing as she
is. 1 was all out of patience when got there.
Betsey didn't seem to be very bad off, an there
we'd hurried enough to break our necks. We
didn't dare to drive around to Sarah Beams to
let you know about it, for we was afraid we'd
miss the train. We got in with the man that
brought the word, an he driv as fast as he
could over to the village an then we lost the
train, an had to sit there in the depot two
mortal hours. An now we've come fourteen
miles in an open sleigh. The man that lives
next door to Betsey said he'd bring us home,
an | thought we'd better come. He's goin'
over to the village tonight he's got folks there.
told him he'd good deal better stay here, but
he won't He's as deaf as an adder an you
can't make him hear anything, anyway. We
amt spoke word all the way home. Where's
Lottery ?" She came over to stay with you,
didn't she ?'
Ann Mary explained that Loretta was not at
home.
''That's queer, seems to me- Thanksgivin'
day." said her grandmother. 'Massy sakes,
what cats that? She came out of the settin'-
roomp'
Then burst forth with the question that had
been uppermost in her mind ever since her
grandmother come in. Grandma" said she,
"what did you do with the turkey and the
plum pudding%
'What? ?'
'What did you do with the turkey and the
plum-pudding
''The turkey an the plum-puddin' ?"
Eyes; couldn't find 'em anywhere"
Mrs. Little who had removed her wraps and
was crouching over the kitchen-stove, with her
feet in the oven, looked at Ann Mary with a
dazed expression.
II dunno what you mean, child" said she.
Mr. Little had helped the man with the sleigh
to start, and had now come in. He was pulling
off his boots.
Don't you remember, Mother, said he,
chow you run back in the house, an said you
was goin' to set that turkey an plum-pudding
away, for you was afraid to leave 'em settin
right out in plain sight on the table, for some
body might come in 2"
"Yes; do remember, " said Mrs. Little. Il
thought they looked most too temptin'. set
em in the pantry. / thought Ann Mary could
get em when she came in"
''They amt in the pantry" said Ann Mary.
Her grandmother arose and went into the
pantry with a masterful air. Amt in the
pantry?" she repeated. II don't s'pose you
more'n gave one look"
Ann Mary followed her grandmother. She
fairly expected to see the turkey and the pud-
ding before her eyes on the shelf and to admit
that she had been mistaken. Mr.. Little also
followed, and they all stood in the pantry and
looked about.
II guess they amt here, Mother" said Mr..
Little. Cant you think where you set 'em ?"
The old woman took up the lamp and step
ped out of the pantry with dignity. I've set
sem somewhere" /" said she in a curt voice, 'an
I'll find 'em in the mornin'. You don't want
any turkey or plum-puddin' tonight neither
of youw
But Mrs. Little did not find the turkey and
plum pudding in the morning. Some days
went by, and their whereabouts was as much
a mystery as ever. Mrs. Little could not re-
member where she had put them; but it had
been in some secure hiding-place, since her own
wit which had placed them there could not find
it out She was so mortified and worried over
it, that she was nearly i'll. She tried to pro-
pound 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. "Pve heerd of folks
putin things in such safe places that they
couldn't find 'em, before now,' said she; "but
never heerd of losin' turkey an plum
puddin' that way. l dunno but Pm losin'
what little wits l ever did have" She went
about with humble and resentful air. She
promised Ann Mary that she would cook an
other turkey and pudding the first of the week,
sr4r. ..--... r,Dkf1