}yiyXIXG HER WAY 



19 



I could lick him. but I wasn't as smart 

 as 1 thought I was. But I"ll bet my face 

 ain't any sorer 'n his back. He told me, 

 after he'd got me licked, that his father 

 just eyerlastin'ly laid that switch on. He 

 won't get o^'er it for a week, I reckon. I 

 don't know which hurt him the worst — 

 the whippin' he got. or Miss Betty's get- 

 tin" the start of him. Is she as cross to 

 you as she was when you first came here ?" 



"She — she ismt as pleasant as I wish 

 she was/' answered Mary, reservedly. ^'But 

 it's natural for her to act as she does, I 

 s'pose. I guess she can't help it." 



"Say, how'd you like a cat?" asked Bob, 

 suddenly. 



"I'd like a kitten ever so much," an- 

 swered Mary. 



''Well, that's what I meant^ — a little 

 cat," responded Bob. "We've got three 

 o' the cutest ones you ever see. One's 

 as black as pitch, an' one's just the color 

 of a pum'kin', an' the other's white, all 

 Avhite, 'ceptin' a black spot over one eye. 

 She's the prettiest, but I guess the black 

 one's goin' to be the boss fighter. I've 

 got him so he'll growl at me, an' scratch 

 like sixty. I'll bring the white one over 

 to you, if you say so." 



"Do you think Aunt Betty'd let me have 

 her?" asked Mary. "I never heard her 

 say anything about cats, but some way I've 

 got an idea she don't like 'em." 



"Prob'ly not," answered Bob. "It'd be 

 kind o' funny if she did, considerin'. But 

 you needn't keep the kitten at the house. 

 She can stay in the old barn. There's lots 

 o' mice there for her to live on, an' you 

 can come an' see her whenever you 

 want to." 



"If you think she'd be contented to stay 

 in the barn you may bring her," said 

 Mary. "But I wouldn't want her about 

 the house if Aunt Betty wouldn't be good 

 to her, and I'm 'most sure she wouldn't." 



"She'll stay at the barn, you needn't 

 worry about that," said Bob, confidently. 

 "I'll fetch her over tomorrow, if nothin' 

 happens." 



And on the morrow he made his appear- 



ance in the orchard with a little white 

 kitten tucked inside his coat. 



"Oh, what a pretty little thing she is !" 

 cried ]\Iary. "Don't she look cunning 

 with that spot over her eye? Put her 

 down by the fence and let me see if I can 

 coax her to come to me. Come here, kitty, 

 come." 



The kitten looked her over well, and 

 seemed to come to the conclusion that it 

 would be safe to trust her, for she came 

 nearer and nearer, and presently Mary 

 had her in her lap, where she cuddled 

 down contentedly and began to purr in 

 sleepy-kitten fashion. 



"Oh, I just love you," cried Mary, hug- 

 ging the kitten close. "I never had a 

 kitten before, and I've always wanted one 

 so much. We'll be good friends, won't we, 

 you dear little thing you?" 



Already her heart had gone out to this 

 little waif and stray of kittendom. Since 

 she had nothing else to love, she could be- 

 stow upon it some of the affection she had 

 no other outlet for. 



When Bob had taken his departure she 

 took the kitten to the old barn. She found 

 a box and made a bed of soft hay and 

 leaves in it, and the kitten seemed to un- 

 derstand that it was for her, for she cud- 

 dled down in it as if she felt quite at home 

 there. 



Mary put the box in a corner where no 

 one would be likely to interfere with it. 

 Then she pried off a bit of rotten old 

 boarding to make an opening through 

 which the kitten could gain access to the 

 yard when she got tired of staying in the 

 barn. This done, she thought it time to 

 go back to ]\Iiss Betty, who might possibly 

 have something for her to do. 



"Good by, kitty," she said, bending 

 down to pat the little white head lovingly. 

 "I'll come to see you ev'ry day." 



So it came about that Mary had a new 

 friend, and the knowledge of it brought a 

 glow of warmth to her heart that drove 

 out some of the chilliness that came from 

 Miss Betty's frigid looks and words. 



