Over to his sister’s house he hurried.
“Look here!” he stormed. “You’ve got to get rid of your woodchuck! She chewed up a lot of my best vegetables. Where is she? I’m going to get rid of her!”
He went out to the pen, followed by Alice and Larry. Alice said nothing, but Larry was crying and saying that if Uncle Elias did anything to Winkie, Larry would tell his father.
But Winkie was not in her pen! The door was open as Alice had left it.
“She—she’s gone!” gasped Larry. “Our Winkie is gone!”
“I knew she got out, because she was over at my place!” said Uncle Elias. “I was here—I mean I’m here now to see that she doesn’t get out again. She came over in the night and ate my best vegetables. I thought she’d be back here by now.”
“No, Winkie isn’t here,” said Alice. “And I—I’m glad of it, Uncle Elias!” she said bravely.
“Oh, you are, are you!” snorted the unkind man. “Well, when she comes back I’ll fix her.”
“Maybe she’ll never come back,” said Larry sadly. “I wonder how she got out? I fastened the door last night.”