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HOME AXD FLOWERS 



no excuse for treating her as she did that 

 she cherished vindictive feelings toward 

 her. She had always hated children, and 

 had attributed to them all bad and dis- 

 agreeable qualities, and in some way she 

 seemed to blame Mary for behaving in 

 such a manner as to prove her theories 

 and beliefs at fault. She knew as' well as 

 any one — she knew it before Mrs. Graham 

 told her of it — that she was in the wrong. 

 But she was too stubborn and self-willed 

 to admit she was wrong by trying to do 

 right. 



Therefore it is not to be wondered at 

 that poor Mary's life was more unpleasant 

 after her grandmother's visit than it had 

 been before. But she had the memory of 

 it to brighten the dark hours, and that 

 was a good deal of comfort and help to 

 her when smarting under her aunt's dis- 

 pleasure. Few children would have borne 

 patiently the treatment she received, but 

 she kept in mind the advice given her by 

 her dying mother, who, perhaps, foresaw 

 something of what her child would have 

 to undergo. 



One way of relief presented itself to 

 ]\Iary, and that was to take Spotty into 

 her confidence. 



"I wish she'd love me as you do," she 

 said to the little kitten. 



Spotty evidently pondered on this re- 

 mark after her little mistress had gone, 

 and came to the conclusion that it was 

 quite unnecessary for them to be sep- 

 arated so much of the time. If her friend- 

 ship was so delightful to the little girl, 

 why not give her a chance to enjoy more 

 of it? 



Prompted by this motive Spotty took 

 longer and longer journeys into the world 

 from the old barn, and, one day, from the 

 outlook of an old apple tree, she discovered 

 Miss Betty's house, and saw her little 

 mistress going in and out of it. She 

 clambered down from the tree so rapidly 

 that she was half bewildered when the 

 ground was reached, but in a moment she 

 had got her bearings and set off on the 

 last half of her journey. 



Mary was sweeping the board walk that 

 ran between the kitchen and the well, and 

 was thinking about something so intently 

 that when a plaintive but delighted "'Mew. 

 mew," sounded in her ears from the cur- 

 rant bushes she almost jumped out of 

 her shoes. 



"That sounded like Spotty's voice," 

 thought Mary. "T wonder — " 



Her wondering was cut short by the ap- 

 pearance of the kitten, who crept out of 

 the bushes and came toward her in a 

 rather undecided manner, as if uncertain 

 what sort of a reception she would receive. 



'^You naughty kitten !" cried Mary. 

 "Haven't I told you, time and again, that 

 you must stay at the barn? You'll be 

 sure to get into trouble if you don't keep 

 away from the house. You must go right 

 straight back this minute." 



Mary took Spotty in her arms and car- 

 ried'her back to the barn. Before leaving 

 her she gave her a severe lecture on dis- 

 obedience in general, and made an appli- 

 cation of it to cats in particular, and es- 

 pecially to this specimen of kittenhood. 



"'You don't know what may happen if 

 you keep on coming to the house," she 

 said, very impressively. "I don't know 

 what might, but I'm very sure it would 

 be something which would make you wish 

 you'd minded me." 



Spotty listened respectfully, but was 

 not convinced. 



Therefore it was not at all to be won- 

 dered at that as soon as Mary was gone 

 she determined to follow her. She had 

 learned the way, and, being a self-willed 

 kitten, she was resolved to suit herself in 

 the matter. She did not believe she was 

 running into danger in doing so. 



So it happened that when Mary went 

 after a pailful of water at supper time she 

 found Spotty curled up in a little round 

 ball on the sunny side of the well curb, 

 where she had evidently disposed hersel: 

 for a rest after her second long journey 

 into the world. And perhaps to wait for 

 the appearance of her mistress. 



"If you aren't back again !" cried Mary. 



