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The Candle and the Cat
SUNSHINE LIBRARY.
=Aunt Hannah and Seth.= By James Otis.
=Blind Brother (The).= By Homer Greene.
=Captain’s Dog (The).= By Louis Énault.
=Cat and the Candle (The).= By Mary F. Leonard.
=Christmas at Deacon Hackett’s.= By James Otis.
=Christmas-Tree Scholar.= By Frances Bent Dillingham.
=Dear Little Marchioness.= The Story of a Child’s Faith and Love.
=Dick in the Desert.= By James Otis.
=Divided Skates.= By Evelyn Raymond.
=Gold Thread (The).= By Norman MacLeod, D.D.
=Half a Dozen Thinking Caps.= By Mary Leonard.
=How Tommy Saved the Barn.= By James Otis.
=Ingleside.= By Barbara Yechton.
=J. Cole.= By Emma Gellibrand.
=Jessica’s First Prayer.= By Hesba Stretton.
=Laddie.= By the author of “Miss Toosey’s Mission.”
=Little Crusaders.= By Eva Madden.
=Little Sunshine’s Holiday.= By Miss Mulock.
=Little Peter.= By Lucas Malet.
=Master Sunshine.= By Mrs. C. F. Fraser.
=Miss Toosey’s Mission.= By the author of “Laddie.”
=Musical Journey of Dorothy and Delia.= By Bradley Gilman.
=Our Uncle, the Major.= A Story of 1765. By James Otis.
=Pair of Them (A).= By Evelyn Raymond.
=Playground Toni.= By Anna Chapin Ray.
=Play Lady (The).= By Ella Farman Pratt.
=Prince Prigio.= By Andrew Lang.
=Short Cruise (A).= By James Otis.
=Smoky Days.= By Edward W. Thomson.
=Strawberry Hill.= By Mrs. C. F. Fraser.
=Sunbeams and Moonbeams.= By Louise R. Baker.
=Two and One.= By Charlotte M. Vaile.
=Wreck of the Circus (The).= By James Otis.
=Young Boss (The).= By Edward W. Thomson.
THOMAS Y. CROWELL & COMPANY,
NEW YORK.
[Illustration: “IT IS LIKE A SNOWSTORM,” EXCLAIMED CARO, TAKING HER
TURN AT JUMPING. See page 40.]
_The Candle
and the Cat_
_By
Mary F. Leonard_
_Author of
“Half a Dozen
Thinking Caps”_
[Illustration]
_New York_
_Thomas Y. Crowell & Co._
_Publishers_
COPYRIGHT, 1901,
BY THOMAS Y. CROWELL & CO.
_To the memory of
TROLLEY
This little story is dedicated_
Contents
PAGE
CHAPTER I
Caro And Trolley 1
CHAPTER II
The Silver Candlestick 8
CHAPTER III
The Gate In The Orchard 15
CHAPTER IV
The Grayson House 21
CHAPTER V
Trolley Goes Visiting 27
CHAPTER VI
A Local Snow Storm 37
CHAPTER VII
In The Garden 46
CHAPTER VIII
Miss Elizabeth Receives A Shock 56
CHAPTER IX
Annette’s Window 63
CHAPTER X
Old Friends 69
CHAPTER XI
Christmas Candles 78
CHAPTER XII
Goodby 86
THE CANDLE AND THE CAT
CHAPTER I
CARO AND TROLLEY
At the entrance to the driveway leading to the residence occupied by
the President of the Theological Seminary were two flat-topped stone
pillars, and upon one of these on a certain bright September day,
Trolley sat sunning himself.
His handsome coat, shading from a delicate fawn color to darkest brown,
glistened like satin; his paws were tucked comfortably away beneath
him, his long tail hung down behind, and his golden eyes were almost
closed; only the occasional movement of his small aristocratic ears
showed him to be awake.
When Caro came dancing down from the house he turned his head for a
moment and watched her sleepily till she was safely on top of the other
pillar, where she seated herself Turk-fashion, her blue ruffles spread
out carefully, for Aunt Charlotte had cautioned her not to rumple them.
Caro had also been told not to go out without her hat, so it dangled by
its elastic from her arm, while the sun shone down without hindrance
upon the fair little face with its smiling blue eyes, and its crown of
short brown curls.
“Trolley,” she announced presently, “here comes the Professor of
something that begins with ‘Ex,’--I never can remember, it is such a
funny word. It sounds like the book in the Bible where the Commandments
are.”
Dr. Wells, the dignified Professor of New Testament Exegesis unbent a
little at sight of the novel ornaments on the president’s gateposts.
“Why Miss Caro, you must have wings!” he said, smiling up at her.
“Why no, I haven’t; and neither has Trolley. He just jumps, but I have
to climb. You see that ledge there?--and this place--?”
“Yes, my dear, that will do. Aren’t you afraid you will fall?” the
professor exclaimed uneasily, as Caro leaned over to point out her way
of ascent. “I really think you had better get down.”
“But it is very nice up here; you can see so much,” the little girl
assured him serenely, and Dr. Wells went his way wondering if he ought
not to go up to the house and tell someone of her dangerous position.
“I am not a bit afraid I’ll fall. There’s not the least danger; is
there Trolley?” Caro continued.
Trolley opened his eyes, yawned scornfully and closed them again.
“There is one thing I am afraid of--at least I don’t like it, and
that is the _dark_. I s’pose you don’t mind it ’cause you can see--I
shouldn’t either if I could see in the dark. Aunt Charlotte says I
mustn’t have a light to go to sleep by, and I love a light,--I just
_love_ it!” Caro’s eyes had grown sorrowful and her voice had in it the
sound of tears.
On the porch of the house back among the trees Aunt Charlotte had
waylaid the president. “I don’t know what to do with Caro, Charles. She
isn’t exactly naughty,--and yet you couldn’t say she was good either--”
“You surprise me,” he replied, as his sister hesitated. “She impresses
me as a decided character for one so young.”
“Decided! I should say so! You know--” Aunt Charlotte continued,
“Elinor put her in my charge to be dealt with as seemed to me best, and
I did think after bringing up your five that I knew something about it,
but my hand has lost its cunning. You know I have never allowed a child
a light to go to sleep by, but Caro insists upon having one, and lies
awake and cries without it. What am I to do? Let her cry?”
“Oh no, I shouldn’t do that!” answered her brother hastily, gazing into
his hat as if he hoped to find there some solution of the problem.
“Suppose you let me consider the matter,” he added, as the striking of
the hall clock reminded him of his engagement; “I’ll talk to her.”
“Much good it will do,” said Aunt Charlotte.
With a book under his arm Dr. Barrows started out, so absorbed in
thought of his small granddaughter that he passed through the gate
without seeing her till she called, “Goodby grandpa!”
“Why Caro! Aren’t you afraid you will fall?”
Caro shook her curls vigorously, and then leaning forward she said
plaintively, “Grandpa--please don’t let Aunt Charlotte make me sleep in
the dark.”
“I fear you are a foolish little girl,” replied the president meaning
to look stern, but succeeding only in smiling fondly at the witch on
the pillar, who appropriated the smile and ignored the words.
“You know God made the darkness, Caro,” he continued, conscious that
the remark was not quite original.
“Yes--” unwillingly--then “but grandpa, He put stars in _His_ dark!”
As Dr. Barrows walked down the street he reflected that he should have
but a divided mind to give to seminary matters, if the present state of
affairs continued, and the seminary needed his close attention just now.
It was two weeks since his granddaughter had arrived to spend several
months in his home while her father and mother were traveling. “I am
afraid we have spoiled her a little,” his daughter Elinor wrote, “and
hard as it is for me to give her up I feel sure it will be good for her
to be in Aunt Charlotte’s hands for a time. I know you will love her
and forgive her little failings, as you always did those of--
“Your devoted daughter.”
Love her! he was fairly bewitched by her. He had thought a child in
the house after so many years of quiet might be annoying, but on the
contrary he would have liked to have her always with him.
Aunt Charlotte was ready and anxious to do anything and everything for
her dear Elinor’s child, but somehow her theories which had worked
so well with her brother’s children did not seem to fit the next
generation.
The truth was that in her southern home Caro had been under a very
different rule. Mammy ’Riah who had nursed her father before her,
had, to use her own words “Taught her pretty manners,” and petted and
scolded and worshipped her. The result puzzled Aunt Charlotte and
delighted her brother.
“I can’t explain it,” he said, “but the child has that something,--her
grandmother had it--” and here the president fell to musing over those
far-away days when he had fallen in love with a pretty southern girl.
“Please don’t let her make me sleep in the dark:”--Caro’s grandfather
felt positively chivalrous in his determination to protect her--from
what? His own dear sister in whose wisdom and devotion he had rested
all these years!