I gratefully acknowledge the courtesy of the Lothrop, Lee, and Shepard Company, the Macmillan Company, and the Houghton Mifflin Company in allowing the use of material. DRAMATIC READER MRS. BANGS'S PIES: A THANKSGIVING STORY SCENE I (Mrs. Bangs Mrs. Bangs. Characters Tommy Bangs Moses Bangs Twenty-three pies! and only two boys to eat them! That never'll do! Tommy. I know who'd come, mother, if you asked him. He'd be awfully glad! Mrs. Bangs. Who? Twenty-one, twenty-twoyes, that quince tart over in the corner makes just twenty-three. It's a mite burned on the edge, to be sure, but, then, it counts; and boys won't mind so long's it's a pie. Who is it, Tommy, we'd better ask to Thanksgiving? Tommy. Jed Barker. Oh, my, isn't that a monster! I never saw such raisins. Mrs. Bangs. Jed Barker! Why, 'twas only yesterday that you wouldn't speak to him; and now you want him to come to Thanksgiving. Tommy. Oh, well, he's a good enough fellow. (Picking up a bunch of raisins.) Do you want me to seed these, mother, for the pudding? Mrs. Bangs. They're being seeded pretty fast now, I should think. Mercy! how they've gone! Is that the bottom of the box? Tommy. It does take such lots for cake. A box doesn't last any time, mother. Mrs. Bangs (looking sharply at him). I should think not. Well, Thanksgiving doesn't come but once a year, so you might as well have a nice time, I s'pose, if the raisins do have to suffer. Now, what in the world do you want that Jed Barker to come here on Thanksgiving for, Tommy? Tommy. He won't get anything at home; just think of it not even a chicken! And we're going to have such a time. Mrs. Bangs. Are the Barkers poor? Why, I never supposed it. His mother wears a silk gown to meeting and mine's only an alpaca, and I'm sure her bonnets are a sight better than mine. Tommy. Well, they're just awful poor. Now I'll tell you something. Is the door shut? Mrs. Bangs. Yes. with these Barkers? make me nervous as a Whatever is the matter Do tell on, Tommy; you witch. Tommy. And are you sure Mose isn't upstairs? Mrs. Bangs. As sure as I can be; haven't I sent him to the store for some molasses? If you |