40 BRUNO 



watching for somebody, easy to guess what 

 "somebody." How glad she was to see me ! 



I sat down on the gate-step, and took her in 

 my arms, wishing with all my heart that we 

 could take her with us too. Still, I knew we 

 could n't. She, a sober, middle-aged cat, to be 

 carried all those many miles! Then it might 

 be weeks after we reached Florida before we 

 decided where to settle. A dog, once there, 

 could trot around after us, but what could we 

 do with a cat? She had never learned to follow 

 for any distance, and she was always nervous 

 about being carried. 



No, it was n't to be thought of. 



I stayed, petting her as long as I could ; then, 

 after urging her to go back and be contented 

 with Aunt Nancy, I bade her a tearful good- 

 by, and carried away an ache in my heart that 

 I sometimes feel yet. 



Dear old Rebecca! 



Some day I hope to go across into cat -heaven 

 and hunt her up. Then she can be made to 

 understand why I was seemingly so hard- 

 hearted as to go off and leave her looking 

 mournfully after me on that sad day so long 

 ago. Maybe she knows now; I hope she does. 



