`` In dollars , that is . Some ways he 's poor enough . Well , I must be going . Thanks ever so much for letting me bring Uncle Joe . '' And that rascal was gone , leaving me crushed . Joseph Nelson was coming to my house to dinner -- Joseph P. Nelson , the millionaire railroad king , who kept his own chef and was accustomed to dining with the great ones of the earth ! I was afraid I should never be able to forgive Jimmy . I could n't sleep a wink that night , and I cooked that dinner next day in a terrible state of mind . Every ring that came at the door made my heart jump , -- but in the end Jimmy did n't ring at all , but just walked in with his uncle in tow . The minute I saw Joseph P. I knew I need n't be scared of him ; he just looked real common . He was little and thin and kind of bored-looking , with grey hair and whiskers , and his clothes were next door to downright shabbiness . If it had n't been for the thought of that chef , I would n't have felt a bit ashamed of my old-fashioned Thanksgiving spread . When Joseph P. sat down to that table he stopped looking bored . All the time the minister was saying grace that man simply stared at a big plate of doughnuts near my end of the table , as if he 'd never seen anything like them before . All the boys talked and laughed while they were eating , but Joseph P. just ate , tucking away turkey and vegetables and keeping an anxious eye on those doughnuts , as if he was afraid somebody else would get hold of them before his turn came . I wished I was sure it was etiquette to tell him not to worry because there were plenty more in the pantry . By the time he 'd been helped three times to mince pie I gave up feeling bad about the chef . He finished off with the doughnuts , and I sha n't tell how many of them he devoured , because I would not be believed . Most of the boys had to go away soon after dinner . Joseph P. shook hands with me absently and merely said , `` Good afternoon , Miss Porter . ''
I did n't think he seemed at all grateful for his dinner , but that did n't worry me because it was XXXXX my boys I 'd got it up , and not for dyspeptic millionaires whose digestion had been spoiled by private chefs .
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