JULIA AND PUSSY GO HOME.
One morning Julia was riding with her uncle, when they passed Anne and
Rose on their way to school. Anne’s kitten had followed them so slyly,
it was not seen till they were near the schoolhouse door.
Uncle Benjamin bade them teach the puss its A-B-Cs.
[Illustration: Three kids walking with cat following]
“Good-by!” said Julia. “I am going home to-morrow.”
Anne and Rose were sorry they could not see this dear little friend
again.
The next morning, when Julia awoke, Ellen had the bags and baskets
ready to take home again. No, not quite ready, for one basket was to
hold the kitten, and Ellen called Julia to get up and catch it, to be
in time for their journey.
Kitty seemed to know they wanted to take her away from her mother and
sister pussy, and she tried to keep out of their way.
But Charley and Johnny were as cunning as she, and caught her at last.
[Illustration: Cat chasing mouse]
Ellen said puss had gone in the pantry. Charley peeped in, but did not
see her. He heard a stir of the paper on the shelf, and stood still at
the door. He saw a mouse leap off the shelf, and before he could
hit it with his cap, it had run into a hole in the floor, and got
out of the way of boy and kitten; for kitty jumped from behind the
flour-barrel where she had hid, and Charley caught her.
Johnny held the basket while Charley put her in it. Then Ellen tied the
cover down. Julia had put in that basket some bits of meat for kitty’s
lunch; and in another she had a bottle of milk and Johnny’s old tin
cup, to give puss a drink while on the boat.
But before the carriage was out of the lane, the kitten was out of the
basket, and everybody saw her wildly running back to the woods.
“My kitty! O my kitty! I can never go without her!” cried Julia.
“Here, Johnny!” shouted uncle Benjamin, as he turned his horses round,
“you and Charley scamper after that kitten.”
The boys leaped over the stone wall.
“But this will make us late for the boat,” said Mr. Cary.
“Wont the cars do as well? I can’t bear to let the little girl go
without the kitten that was so ‘pesshus.’”
They drove back to the shade of the willow-tree by the gate. Aunt Abby
had stood there watching them. She said if kitty did not come back
soon, they must wait for her and take to-morrow’s boat. But then they
heard the boys shout, and soon the funny fellows came out of the woods
with the runaway.
Papa Cary tied the cover this time, and puss was surely fast.
Again the loving good-bys were said under the old willow, and Julia
could not tell if she were most glad or sorry to start for home.
Kitty did not get overboard. She drank a cup of city milk—poor
thing!—at bed time, beside the bed Julia and Ellen made for her in the
storeroom, where, cook said, there were plenty of mice.