`` Should think New Year 's would be pretty much the same as any other day to you , '' said Mr. Miller , for Richard Baker was a bachelor , with only old Mrs. Janeway to keep house for him . `` Well , I always like a good dinner on New Year 's , '' said Richard Baker . `` It 's about the only way I can celebrate . Mrs. Janeway wanted to spend the day with her son 's family over at Oriental , so I was laying out to cook my own dinner . I got everything ready in the pantry last night , ` fore I got word about the pork . I wo n't get back from Navarre before one o'clock , so I reckon I 'll have to put up with a cold bite . '' After her Uncle Richard had driven away , Prissy walked thoughtfully home . She had planned to spend a nice , lazy holiday with the new book her father had given her at Christmas and a box of candy . She did not even mean to cook a dinner , for her father had had to go to town that morning to meet a friend and would be gone the whole day . There was nobody else to cook dinner for . Prissy 's mother had died when Prissy was a baby . She was her father 's housekeeper , and they had jolly times together . But as she walked home , she could not help thinking about Uncle Richard . He would certainly have cold New Year cheer , enough to chill the whole coming year . She felt sorry for him , picturing him returning from Navarre , cold and hungry , to find a fireless house and an uncooked dinner in the pantry . Suddenly an idea popped into Prissy 's head . Dared she ? Oh , she never could ! But he would never know -- there would be plenty of time -- she would ! Prissy hurried home , put her matches away , took a regretful peep at her unopened book , then locked the door and started up the road to Uncle Richard 's house half a mile away .
She meant XXXXX go and cook Uncle Richard 's dinner for him , get it all beautifully ready , then slip away before he came home .
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