IS3 



to face my enemies. Worn out by hunger, I could 

 go no further. I felt that the end was near. 



" Oh, nurse ! nurse ! " screamed the little boy in 

 the chair, " Oh, they're going to kill that cat ! 

 Oh, don't let them hurt it. It's lame! " 



It was the first word of mercy I had heard for 

 months. The nurse left the chair and went over 

 to the crowd of boys. 



The child in the chair was wringing his hands 

 and almost crying. 



I do not know just what happened after that. I 

 was dulled and hardly conscious. I think the nurse 

 gave the boys some money. Then there was 

 some talk that was ended by the nurse picking me up 

 as though she were afraid to touch me. A man 

 servant came out from the house and carried the 

 little boy in, while the woman followed with me. 

 How warm and beautiful and soft it was in the 

 room where they carried us! 



A lady rose to meet us as we came in. " Oh 

 what a hideous cat ! " she exclaimed. " Don't bring 

 that in here, nurse." 



" Oh yes, mamma ; it must come in," cried the 

 child. " Don't you see ? It's lame like me." 



The lady paused for a moment looking at the 



