Then , remembering her pies , she flew back to the kitchen . In the middle of the floor she stopped as if transfixed , staring at the table . The turkey was gone . And the plum pudding was gone ! And the mince pies were gone ! Nothing was left but the platters ! For a moment Alexina refused to believe her eyes . Then she saw a trail of greasy drops on the floor to the open door , out over the doorstep , and along the boards of the walk to the back fence . Alexina did not make a fuss . Even at that horrible moment she remembered the importance of making a favourable impression . But she could not quite keep the alarm and excitement out of her voice as she called Stephen , and Stephen knew that something had gone wrong as he came quickly through the hall . `` Is the turkey burned , Lexy ? '' he cried . `` Burned ! No , it 's ten times worse , '' gasped Alexina . `` It 's gone -- gone , Stephen . And the pudding and the mince pies , too . Oh , what shall we do ? Who can have taken them ? '' It may be stated right here and now that the Falsoms never really knew anything more about the disappearance of their Christmas dinner than they did at that moment .
But the only reasonable explanation of the mystery was XXXXX a tramp had entered the kitchen and made off with the good things .
For In about at if of on than that to