219 
The Burglar Man 
when his meat was thrown out on the grass for 
him. He would stand off, pretending he did not 
care for it, and just as quick as one of us would 
attempt to go and take it, he would come with a 
bound and a growl, and snatch it away from us, 
then drop it a little further off, and repeat the opera- 
tion. 
Dennis was in the habit of absenting himself from 
us every week for a day or two. Once he was 
absent several days, and upon his return wore a 
beautiful collar, which, however, was missing when 
he returned from his next trip. I suppose some 
folks thought they had found a nice dog, and 
presented him with a collar ; but finding him so 
inconstant, they deprived him of it the next time 
he came around. 
I must not forget to tell you of the very practical 
and effective way that mistress has of teaching 
kittens to know and respond to their names. As 
you probably know, she always gives a kitten a 
name as soon as it is born. Then, whenever she 
picks up one, she keeps repeating its name over and 
over as she pets it. She also occasionally takes one 
away from the rest, up to her room or into the 
library, and there, whether engaged in reading or 
