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Florence was idly in the thoughts, however, of Mrs Balche, the next-door neighbour to the south Happening to glance froently ate, opened it, paused for a orous closure, herself re within its protection "Odd!" Mrs Balche ate, Florence slowly turned andher steps as she went, until at a run she disappeared fro foliage of Mr Atwater's sreat interest; nevertheless, she paused at the sound of a boy's voice, half husky, half shrill, in an early stage of change "What she say, Flor'nce? D'she say we could?" But there ca "Hush up!" from Florence, and then, in a lowered tone, the boy's voice said: "Look here; these are hty funny-actin' cats I think they're kind of crazy or somep'n Kitty Silver's fixed a washtub full o' suds for us"

Mrs Balche was reive it a little cream Mrs Balche was a retired ithout children, and too ti the loss of her husband, she accepted froift of a white kitten, and na few interests in life, and being of a sequestering nature, lived for Violet, and that so ood for the latter's health In his youth, after having shown sufficient spirit to lose an eye during a sporting absence of three nights and days, Violet was not again perh freedoh, now, in his advanced e, he had been fed to such a state that he seldo wavement of the tail when friendly words were addressed to him; and consequently, as he seemed beyond all capacity or desire to run away, or to run at all, Mrs Balche allowed him complete liberty of action

She found him asleep upon her "back porch," and placed beside him a saucer of cream, the second since his luncheon Then she watched him affectionately as he opened his eye, turned toward the saucer his noble Henry-the-Eighth head with its great furred jowls, and began the process of rising for more food, which was all that ever seemed even feebly to rouse his mind When he had risen, there was little space between him anywhere and the floor