de, leaving Little Jim
and Charlotte Ann and me in the car. The motor was running and the
heater fan was circulating warm air all over the car, so we wouldn't
get cold.

I still had Little Tom's offering envelope in my hand, and it reminded
me of how maybe Tom had earned the money, and so I said to Little Jim,
"I hope Shorty Long and Bob don't stop at our barn, 'cause we don't
have too many pigeons. And besides, there's a nest up in our cupola,
with some baby pigeons in it, and if they catch the mother and father
the babies will freeze or maybe starve to death."

A jiffy later, Pop came out to the car, bringing Tom with him, and all
of us except Mom drove on toward Shorty Long's house to get Shorty's
mother.

Pretty soon, fifteen minutes later, maybe, we all pulled up in our car
in front of the little white church on top of the hill right across
from a two-room brick schoolhouse where the Sugar Creek Literary
Society met once a month on Wednesday nights. All of us except Pop got
out to go inside the church, Shorty Long's mother carrying Charlotte
Ann and was going to take care of her until Pop got back.

"I'm going to the parsonage to call the doctor to stop at your house,"
Pop said to Tom, "and I'm taking a radio to your mother, so if she
feels able, she can listen to a Gospel program."

I looked quick at Little Tom, knowing he might feel ashamed to be
reminded that his folks couldn't afford a doctor, and also that they
didn't have any radio, and knowing it was on account of his pop; but
Tom was looking in another direction, and was swallowing hard like he
had taken too big a bite of something and hadn't chewed it long enough
but was trying to swallow it. Then he whirled around real quick, and
hurried up the cement steps to the church's door, with Little Jim and
me right after him.

Just inside the vestibule, fastened to the wall, was what is called
"The Minister's Question Box," with a little slit in the top for
people to put in Bible questions they wanted explained, or also for
any extra offering people wanted the minister to have.... Right that
second I saw Little Jim pull one of his small hands out of his pocket
and slip a folded piece of paper into the box, kinda bashful-like,
then he and all of us went on in to where our classes would be
sitting.

As soon as Sunday School was over and church started, I noticed Mr.
Black come in. I was surprised to see him come to church, but I knew
our minister would pr