in at two. Where's my bag of apples?"

The children of the Oak Hill school every year brought gifts of food
to the Thanksgiving Day exercises which were afterward distributed
among the poor families of the town. Bobby took apples this year and
Meg was to take two jars of home-made preserves.

They hurried through the morning at school, rushed home and found a
devoted family on hand to help them dress.

"There were such lots of things brought," chattered Meg, as her mother
buttoned her into the new white frock and Aunt Polly tied her
hair-ribbon. "They liked your potatoes, Dot."

"And my popcorn?" asked Twaddles anxiously.

The twins, not to be cheated out of the fun, had insisted on sending
Thanksgiving gifts, too.

"Yes, they thought that was great," said Bobby, shining and neat in
his new suit. "Hurry, Meg."

"Come early and get good seats," called Meg as they trotted off.

At exactly two o'clock the whole school marched into the assembly room
and took the seats reserved for them. The first and second grades were
seated on the platform, because experience had taught the teachers
that some of the younger children invariably fell either up or down
the platform steps if they had anything at all to do with them. On one
side of the platform the school committee sat, headed by Rufus
Hornbeck.

Bobby's recitation followed the first song, and he and the five boys
with him breathed a great sigh of relief when they were through and
went back to their seats free to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

Then came more songs and more recitations, and then finally it was
Meg's turn. She had discovered where her father and mother and Aunt
Polly and the twins were sitting, and when she came out to speak she
looked straight at them and smiled. And the five verses were as
straight and clear in her mind as though she were reciting them to
Mother Blossom in the sitting room at home.

"What a dear little girl, and what a pretty dress!" said an old lady
sitting back of the Blossoms, as Meg made her little bow at the end
and the room broke into hearty applause.

Twaddles turned around to beam approvingly at the old lady.

"That's my sister," he informed her.

Rufus Hornbeck and two others of the committee had to make rather
long, tiresome speeches, and when that was over the audience joined in
singing "My Country, 'tis of thee," and the exercises were over.

"Oh, look!" exclaimed Bobby, as they opened the school door and
step