Concerning the ''Pretty Lady" 



was one of his distinguishfng features. Besides a 

 broken tail, he had ears which bore the marks of 

 many a hard-fought battle, and an expression which 

 for general " lone and lorn "-ness would have dis- 

 couraged even Mrs. Gummidge. But I loved him, 

 and judging from the disconsolate and long-continued 

 wailing with which he filled the house whenever I 

 was away, my affection was not unrequited. 



But my real thraldom did not begin until I took 

 the Pretty Lady's mother. We had not been a week 

 in our first house before a handsomely striped tabby, 

 with eyes like beautiful emeralds, who had been the 

 pet and pride of the next-door neighbor for five years, 

 came over and domiciled herself. In due course of 

 time she proudly presented us with five kittens. Edu- 

 cated in the belief that one cat was all that was com- 

 patible with respectability, I had four immediately 

 disposed of, keeping the prettiest one, which grew up 

 into the beautiful, fascinating, and seductive maltese 

 " Pretty Lady," with white trimmings to her coat. 

 The mother of Pretty Lady used to catch two mice 

 at a time, and bringing them in together, lay one at 

 my feet and say as plainly as cat language can say, 

 "There, you eat that one, and I'll eat this," and 

 then seem much surprised and disgusted that I had 

 not devoured mine when she had finished her meal. 



We were occupying a furnished house for the sum- 

 mer, however, and as we were to board through the 

 winter, I took only the kitten back to town, thinking 



