She meant to go and cook Uncle Richard 's dinner for him , get it all beautifully ready , then slip away before he came home . He would never suspect her of it . Prissy would not have him suspect for the world ; she thought he would be more likely to throw a dinner of her cooking out of doors than to eat it . Eight years before this , when Prissy had been nine years old , Richard and Irving Baker had quarrelled over the division of a piece of property . The fault had been mainly on Richard 's side , and that very fact made him all the more unrelenting and stubborn . He had never spoken to his brother since , and he declared he never would . Prissy and her father felt very badly over it , but Uncle Richard did not seem to feel badly at all . To all appearance he had completely forgotten that there were such people in the world as his brother Irving and his niece Prissy . Prissy had no trouble in breaking into Uncle Richard 's house , for the woodshed door was unfastened . She tripped into the hostile kitchen with rosy cheeks and mischief sparkling in her eyes . This was an adventure -- this was fun ! She would tell her father all about it when he came home at night and what a laugh they would have ! There was still a good fire in the stove , and in the pantry Prissy found the dinner in its raw state -- a fine roast of fresh pork , potatoes , cabbage , turnips and the ingredients of a raisin pudding , for Richard Baker was fond of raisin puddings , and could make them as well as Mrs. Janeway could , if that was anything to boast of . In a short time the kitchen was full of bubbling and hissings and appetizing odours . Prissy enjoyed herself hugely , and the raisin pudding , which she rather doubtfully mixed up , behaved itself beautifully . `` Uncle Richard said he 'd be home by one , '' said Prissy to herself , as the clock struck twelve , `` so I 'll set the table now , dish up the dinner , and leave it where it will keep warm until he gets here . Then I 'll slip away home . I 'd like to see his face when he steps in . I suppose he 'll think one of the Jenner girls across the street has cooked his dinner . '' Prissy soon had the table set , and she was just peppering the turnips when a gruff voice behind her said : `` Well , well , what does this mean ? ''
Prissy whirled around as if she had been shot , and there stood Uncle XXXXX in the woodshed door !
Baker Irving Jenner Prissy Richard fire odours old pudding years