handed a drink across the counter to a customer. Then she hurried over to Jessie. “What was that all about?” she asked. “Ms. Matthews is always so angry.”
“She does not believe that there is really going to be a food pantry,” Jessie said. “But she was not angry.”
Noreen untied the apron that she had been wearing. “Is it okay if I leave?” she asked. “I need to go get ready.”
“Get ready?” asked Jessie.
“I mean . . . get ready . . . get ready for the movie, of course!” Noreen handed the apron to Jessie.
“Oh yes,” Jessie said. “I hope you enjoy the movie.”
All the customers had filed into the theater. The lobby became quiet. Benny dramatically slid to the floor.
“Are you okay?” asked Jessie.
“That was hard work!” Benny said, hopping back to his feet. “I’m tired. But selling snacks is almost as fun as eating them.”
Mr. Tipton, Henry, and Violet joined Jessie and Benny at the snack stand.
“Thank you for all your help,” Mr. Tipton said. “This night is a big success because of you.”
“It was fun!” Benny said. “I had never worked at a snack stand before.”
“We collected so many donations,” Henry said. “You should see Mr. Tipton’s office. It is piled high with canned goods and cereal boxes. All of the customers were very generous.”
Jessie showed them the donation jar on the counter. It was filled with coins and dollar bills. “People even made donations at the snack counter,” Jessie said. “Mr. Grayson will be very pleased. Where is he?”
“He said he would watch over the donations in my office,” Mr. Tipton said. “We are trying to be very careful tonight.”
Just then Ms. Sweeney, the reporter from the newspaper, walked up to the snack counter. “Congratulations, kids!” she said. “You have done a great job here. This movie theater is packed with people.”
“Your article was very helpful,” Henry said. “Thank you for printing it on the front page.”
Ms. Sweeney smiled. “Just doing my job,” she said. “I would like to write another article about this movie donation night,” she said. “Can I interview you, Mr. Tipton?”
Mr. Tipton looked proud. “Of course,” he said. “But I could not have done it without the Aldens. Let me show you my office. You will see how many donations we received tonight.”
Everyone walked back toward Mr. Tipton’s office. When they opened the door, they were shocked! All the stacks of donations that Henry had piled so neatly were knocked to the floor. The room was a mess.
Ms. Sweeney took out her camera. She took many pictures. “Who could have done this?” she asked.
The children and Mr. Tipton looked at one another. “We don’t know,” Mr. Tipton said.
“Do you think any of the food was stolen?” asked the reporter.
Mr. Tipton looked around the room. “I don’t think so. But there was a donation jar on my desk and it is not there anymore. It was filled with money. Many people put dollars in it as they came into the theater. Someone has stolen it.”
The reporter quickly scribbled notes in her notebook. Then she left. The children helped Mr. Tipton straighten up his office. He sat behind his desk.
“I am going to stay here,” he said. “You children go enjoy the movie now. You deserve it.”
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny found seats at the very back of the theater. It seemed like an exciting movie. Something scary was hidden under the stairs. The actress walked carefully down the creaking stairs. Spiderwebs hung in front of her face. She carried a candle. Noises came from under the stairs.
Suddenly, Benny cried out. Jessie turned to him. “It’s just a movie,” she whispered. “Don’t be scared.”
“No,” Benny said. “It’s not just a movie! Look there!”
A loud gasp went up from the theater. Everyone saw it. It was Tom the turkey! He moved across the front of the movie screen.
“Hey!” someone called. “What’s that giant turkey doing? Get
“She does not believe that there is really going to be a food pantry,” Jessie said. “But she was not angry.”
Noreen untied the apron that she had been wearing. “Is it okay if I leave?” she asked. “I need to go get ready.”
“Get ready?” asked Jessie.
“I mean . . . get ready . . . get ready for the movie, of course!” Noreen handed the apron to Jessie.
“Oh yes,” Jessie said. “I hope you enjoy the movie.”
All the customers had filed into the theater. The lobby became quiet. Benny dramatically slid to the floor.
“Are you okay?” asked Jessie.
“That was hard work!” Benny said, hopping back to his feet. “I’m tired. But selling snacks is almost as fun as eating them.”
Mr. Tipton, Henry, and Violet joined Jessie and Benny at the snack stand.
“Thank you for all your help,” Mr. Tipton said. “This night is a big success because of you.”
“It was fun!” Benny said. “I had never worked at a snack stand before.”
“We collected so many donations,” Henry said. “You should see Mr. Tipton’s office. It is piled high with canned goods and cereal boxes. All of the customers were very generous.”
Jessie showed them the donation jar on the counter. It was filled with coins and dollar bills. “People even made donations at the snack counter,” Jessie said. “Mr. Grayson will be very pleased. Where is he?”
“He said he would watch over the donations in my office,” Mr. Tipton said. “We are trying to be very careful tonight.”
Just then Ms. Sweeney, the reporter from the newspaper, walked up to the snack counter. “Congratulations, kids!” she said. “You have done a great job here. This movie theater is packed with people.”
“Your article was very helpful,” Henry said. “Thank you for printing it on the front page.”
Ms. Sweeney smiled. “Just doing my job,” she said. “I would like to write another article about this movie donation night,” she said. “Can I interview you, Mr. Tipton?”
Mr. Tipton looked proud. “Of course,” he said. “But I could not have done it without the Aldens. Let me show you my office. You will see how many donations we received tonight.”
Everyone walked back toward Mr. Tipton’s office. When they opened the door, they were shocked! All the stacks of donations that Henry had piled so neatly were knocked to the floor. The room was a mess.
Ms. Sweeney took out her camera. She took many pictures. “Who could have done this?” she asked.
The children and Mr. Tipton looked at one another. “We don’t know,” Mr. Tipton said.
“Do you think any of the food was stolen?” asked the reporter.
Mr. Tipton looked around the room. “I don’t think so. But there was a donation jar on my desk and it is not there anymore. It was filled with money. Many people put dollars in it as they came into the theater. Someone has stolen it.”
The reporter quickly scribbled notes in her notebook. Then she left. The children helped Mr. Tipton straighten up his office. He sat behind his desk.
“I am going to stay here,” he said. “You children go enjoy the movie now. You deserve it.”
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny found seats at the very back of the theater. It seemed like an exciting movie. Something scary was hidden under the stairs. The actress walked carefully down the creaking stairs. Spiderwebs hung in front of her face. She carried a candle. Noises came from under the stairs.
Suddenly, Benny cried out. Jessie turned to him. “It’s just a movie,” she whispered. “Don’t be scared.”
“No,” Benny said. “It’s not just a movie! Look there!”
A loud gasp went up from the theater. Everyone saw it. It was Tom the turkey! He moved across the front of the movie screen.
“Hey!” someone called. “What’s that giant turkey doing? Get
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