XIII 
JACK 
Jack was a large black Manx cat that lived on 
Poplar Avenue, the friend of Betsy Whitefoot, as 
you will remember. His tail was only about an 
inch long, and his hind legs were higher than his 
front ones. 
One day when Jack’s mistress called at our house 
he followed her, and, having known him since the 
death of Betsy, I gave him a hearty welcome. 
“ Where did you get this beautiful cat ? ” said 
mistress, the moment she saw Jack. 
“ My husband brought him home one bitter cold 
day last winter,” said Mrs. Vandervere. “ He saw 
some boys chase him through an alley. The poor 
creature was so thoroughly frightened that for 
several days he stayed almost constantly behind 
the cook-stove, refusing to come out. We thought 
the boys had cut off his tail, but when I came to 
wash him I discovered that he never had one. 
When he recovered from his fright we found him 
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