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looking。 Pieces of both ears were lacking； one eye was
temporarily out of repair； and one jowl ludicrously swollen。
As for color； if a once black cat had been well and thoroughly
singed the result would have resembled the hue of this waif's
thin； draggled； unsightly fur。
Anne 〃shooed；〃 but the cat would not 〃shoo。〃 As long as she
stood he sat back on his haunches and gazed at her reproachfully
out of his one good eye； when she resumed her walk he followed。
Anne resigned herself to his company until she reached the gate
of Patty's Place； which she coldly shut in his face； fondly
supposing she had seen the last of him。 But when； fifteen
minutes later； Phil opened the door； there sat the rusty…brown
cat on the step。 More； he promptly darted in and sprang upon
Anne's lap with a half…pleading； half…triumphant 〃miaow。〃
〃Anne；〃 said Stella severely； 〃do you own that animal？〃
〃No； I do NOT；〃 protested disgusted Anne。 〃The creature followed
me home from somewhere。 I couldn't get rid of him。 Ugh； get down。
I like decent cats reasonably well； but I don't like beasties of
your complexion。〃
Pussy； however； refused to get down。 He coolly curled up in
Anne's lap and began to purr。
〃He has evidently adopted you；〃 laughed Priscilla。
〃I won't BE adopted；〃 said Anne stubbornly。
〃The poor creature is starving；〃 said Phil pityingly。 〃Why； his
bones are almost coming through his skin。〃
〃Well； I'll give him a square meal and then he must return to
whence he came；〃 said Anne resolutely。
The cat was fed and put out。 In the morning he was still
on the doorstep。 On the doorstep he continued to sit； bolting
in whenever the door was opened。 No coolness of welcome had
the least effect on him； of nobody save Anne did he take the
least notice。 Out of compassion the girls fed him； but when
a week had passed they decided that something must be done。
The cat's appearance had improved。 His eye and cheek had
resumed their normal appearance； he was not quite so thin；
and he had been seen washing his face。
〃But for all that we can't keep him；〃 said Stella。 〃Aunt Jimsie
is coming next week and she will bring the Sarah…cat with her。
We can't keep two cats； and if we did this Rusty Coat would
fight all the time with the Sarah…cat。 He's a fighter by nature。
He had a pitched battle last evening with the tobacco…king's cat
and routed him； horse； foot and artillery。〃
〃We must get rid of him；〃 agreed Anne； looking darkly at the
subject of their discussion； who was purring on the hearth rug
with an air of lamb…like meekness。 〃But the question is how？
How can four unprotected females get rid of a cat who won't be
got rid of？〃
We must chloroform him；〃 said Phil briskly。 〃That is the most
humane way。〃
〃Who of us knows anything about chloroforming a cat？〃 demanded
Anne gloomily。
〃I do； honey。 It's one of my few sadly few useful accomplishments。
I've disposed of several at home。 You take the cat in the morning and
give him a good breakfast。 Then you take an old burlap bag there's
one in the back porch put the cat on it and turn over him a wooden box。
Then take a two…ounce bottle of chloroform； uncork it； and slip it under
the edge of the box。 Put a heavy weight on top of the box and leave it
till evening。 The cat will be dead； curled up peacefully as if he
were asleep。 No pain no struggle。〃
〃It sounds easy；〃 said Anne dubiously。
〃It IS easy。 Just leave it to me。 I'll see to it；〃 said Phil reassuringly。
Accordingly the chloroform was procured； and the next morning Rusty was
lured to his doom。 He ate his breakfast； licked his chops； and climbed
into Anne's lap。 Anne's heart misgave her。 This poor creature loved her
trusted her。 How could she be a party to this destruction？
〃Here； take him；〃 she said hastily to Phil。 〃I feel like a murderess。〃
〃He won't suffer； you know；〃 comforted Phil； but Anne had fled。
The fatal deed was done in the back porch。 Nobody went near it
that day。 But at dusk Phil declared that Rusty must be buried。
〃Pris and Stella must dig his grave in the orchard；〃 declared Phil；
〃and Anne must come with me to lift the box off。 That's the part
I always hate。〃
The two conspirators tip…toed reluctantly to the back porch。
Phil gingerly lifted the stone she had put on the box。 Suddenly；
faint but distinct； sounded an unmistakable mew under the box。
〃He he isn't dead；〃 gasped Anne； sitting blankly down on the
kitchen doorstep。
〃He must be；〃 said Phil incredulously。
Another tiny mew proved that he wasn't。 The two girls stared at
each other。〃
What will we do？〃 questioned Anne。
〃Why in the world don't you come？〃 demanded Stella； appearing in
the doorway。 〃We've got the grave ready。 ‘What silent still and
silent all？'〃 she quoted teasingly。
〃‘Oh； no； the voices of the dead Sound like the distant torrent's fall；'〃
promptly counter…quoted Anne； pointing solemnly to the box。
A burst of laughter broke the tension。
〃We must leave him here till morning；〃 said Phil； replacing the stone。
〃He hasn't mewed for five minutes。 Perhaps the mews we heard were his
dying groan。 Or perhaps we merely imagined them； under the strain of
our guilty consciences。〃
But； when the box was lifted in the morning； Rusty bounded at one gay
leap to Anne's shoulder where he began to lick her face affectionately。
Never was there a cat more decidedly alive。
〃Here's a knot hole in the box；〃 groaned Phil。 〃I never saw it。
That's why he didn't die。 Now； we've got to do it all over again。〃
〃No； we haven't；〃 declared Anne suddenly。 〃Rusty isn't going to be
killed again。 He's my cat and you've just got to make the best of it。〃
〃Oh； well； if you'll settle with Aunt Jimsie and the Sarah…cat；〃
said Stella； with the air of one washing her hands of the whole affair。
From that time Rusty was one of the family。 He slept o'nights on the
scrubbing cushion in the back porch and lived on the fat of the land。
By the time Aunt Jamesina came he was plump and glossy and tolerably
respectable。 But； like Kipling's cat； he 〃walked by himself。〃
His paw was against every cat； and every cat's paw against him。
One by one he vanquished the aristocratic felines of Spofford Avenue。
As for human beings； he loved Anne and Anne alone。 Nobody else even
dared stroke him。 An angry spit and something that sounded much like
very improper language greeted any one who did。
〃The airs that cat puts on are perfectly intolerable；〃 declared Stella。
〃Him was a nice old pussens； him was；〃 vowed Anne； cuddling her pet defiantly。
〃Well； I don't know how he and the Sarah…cat will ever make out
to live together；〃 said Stella pesimistically。 〃Cat…fights in
the orchard o'nights are bad enough。 But cat…fights here in the
livingroom are unthinkable。〃 In due time Aunt Jamesina arrived。
Anne and Priscilla and Phil had awaited her advent rather dubiously；
but when Aunt Jamesina was enthroned in the rocking chair before the
open fire they figuratively bowed down and worshipped her。
Aunt Jamesina was a tiny old woman with a little； softly…triangular face；
and large； soft blue eyes that were alight with unquenchable youth； and
as full of hopes as a girl's。 She had pink cheeks and snow…white hair
which she wore in quaint little puffs over her ears。
〃It's a very old…fashioned way；〃 she said； knitting industriously
at something as dainty and pink as a sunset cloud。 〃But _I_ am old…fashioned。
My clothes are； and it stands to reason my opinions are； too。 I don't say
they're any the better of that； mind you。 In fact； I daresay they're a good
deal the worse。 But they've worn nice and easy。 New shoes are smarter than
old ones； but the old ones are more comfortable。 I'm old enough to indulge
myself in the matter of shoes and opinions。 I mean to take it real easy here。
I know you expect me to look after you and keep you proper； but I'm not going
to do it。
You're old enough to know how to behave if you're ever going to be。
So； as far as I am concerned；〃 concluded Aunt Jamesina； with a twinkle
in her young eyes； 〃you can all go to destruction in your own way。〃
〃Oh； will somebody separate those cats？〃 pleaded Stella； shudderingly。
Aunt Jamesina had brought with her not only the Sarah…cat but Joseph。
Joseph； she explained； had belonged to a dear friend of hers who had
gone to live in Vancouver。
〃She couldn't take Joseph with her so she begged me to take him。
I really couldn't refuse。 He's a beautiful cat that is； his
disposition is beautiful。 She called him Joseph because his coat
is of many colors。〃
It certainly was。 Joseph； as the disgusted Stella said； looked
like a walking rag…bag。 It was impossible to say what his ground
color was。 His legs were white with black spots on them。
His back was gray with a huge p