244 LOST. 



So sad, weary, and discouraged, I returned home, only 

 to learn there were no tidings of the missing one. 



" I give her up now," said my weeping landlady ; " I 

 shall never see her again. She is lost for ever ; and those 

 two poor pretty little creatures " 



*' By the way," I said, " I wanted to speak to you about 

 them. If she never does return, what do you purpose to do 

 with them ? " 



*' Keep them ! " said the generous and impulsive little 

 woman. 



" I wanted to say, if she does not return, I will, if you 

 like, relieve you of one of them. My sister, who lives with 

 me, and keeps my house, is a very kind, tender-hearted 

 woman. There are no children in the house, and she 

 would, I am sure, be very kind to the poor little thing. 

 What do you say ? " 



'*No, no!" sobbed the poor woman; ''I cannot part 

 with them. I am a poor woman, it is true, but not too 

 poor to give them a home; and while I have a bit and a sup 

 for myself they shall have one too. Their poor mother left 

 them here, and if she ever does return she shall find them 

 here. And if she never returns, then " 



And she never did return^ and no tidings of her fate ever 

 reached us. If she was enticed away by artful blandish- 

 ments, or kidnapped by cruel violence, we knew not. But 

 I honestly believe the latter. Either way, it was her fatal 

 beauty that led her to destruction; for, as I have said before, 

 she was the most perfect creature, the most beautiful Maltese 

 cat, that I ever beheld in my life ! I am sure she never 

 deserted her two pretty little kittens of her own accord. 

 And if — poor dumb thing — she was stolen and killed for 

 her beautiful fur, still I say, as I said at first, she was "more 

 sinned against than sinning." — C. H. Grattan, in Tit-Bits. 



