Part 11 (1/2)

CHOOSING A KITTEN

Now the warm weather had come to stay, Mrs. Owen decided that it was cruel to keep Lady Jane in the house, besides being almost impossible.

The children must take the risk. If she chose to live with the Carters, it could not be helped. Perhaps Diana needed her more than they did.

”But she is my cat,” said Alice. ”Can't I go and get her back whenever she goes there?”

”Yes, if you have the patience.”

”I shall have the patience to go a hundred and seventy-five times,” said Alice.

She and Peggy liked Diana, but whenever Mrs. Owen had suggested to her little girls that they should go to see her, they had always some good reason for not going. Mrs. Owen suspected it was on account of Lady Jane. It was awkward to meet Diana when they had locked Lady Jane up, knowing perfectly well that she preferred to live with Diana. Peggy thought it was not fair to take advantage of anything so small. But the cat was Alice's, not hers, as Alice reminded her. And then, one pleasant day, Lady Jane decided to set up housekeeping for good and all in her old home. Alice wanted to go down at once and bring her back. But Mrs.

Owen insisted that she should be allowed to stay in the home of her choice for at least a week.

And before the week was up, Diana telephoned to Alice. ”What do you think, Alice,” she said, ”Lady Jane has four teenty-tinety kittens--the darlingest, most cuddly things!”

”Oh, she does have such lovely children!” said Alice, with a pang of envy.

”They are in a wood-box out in the shed,” said Diana. ”At least it looks like a wood-box, but there isn't any wood in it.”

”Yes, that is her old house,” said Alice.

”Mother has put in an old piece of blanket so as to make them comfortable,” said Diana.

”Has she really?” said Alice.

”Mother won't let us touch the kittens until they get their eyes open.

She says in two weeks she hopes you and Peggy will come down and see them.”

”Not for two weeks?” said Alice. ”We always look at them a lot. I'd like her back before two weeks. That is too long a visit.”

”Mother says it is bad for kittens to be handled. She says to forget all about them for two weeks.”

”Ask her if she knows what color they are,” said Peggy.

”Have you seen them?” Alice asked.

”Yes, mother let us look at them just once, and we each chose a kitten for ourselves.”

”Do you mean to say she is going to let you keep them all?” Alice asked. ”Mother never let us keep but two.”

”We can keep them if you will let us have them,” said Diana. ”Of course we know she is your cat, but mother thought maybe your mother wouldn't want the bother of four kittens.”

”You didn't ask her what color they are. Let me talk to her,” said Peggy, and she seized the receiver. ”It is Peggy talking now. What color are the kittens?”

”Tipsy is black with just a white tip to his tail, and Topsy is black with a white vest and four white paws, and Lady Janet is silvery gray, almost exactly like her mother, and Gretchen is gray and white with a gray chin.”

”And your mother doesn't mind the bother of four kittens?” said Peggy.

”Mother,” she said, as Mrs. Owen came into the room, ”Lady Jane has four children, and Mrs. Carter is going to keep all of them if we'll let her.”