Show 0 R Q J FA MT SNOWBALL ADOPTS MIDNIGHT he looked Well said Snowball as out of ot door doors this Is certainly pretty bad weather I 1 think I 1 had better put on my mt ii s sweater eater if I 1 am going into the city with master this morning And Snowball was right it was bad weather for neither snowing nor rainIng raining rain- rain Ing it was a little of both and everything everything everything every every- thing was was was' covered with a glare of slippery tJ treacherous ice and it il was unusually unu cold Kit and Puff looked wi with l amazement when Snowball came out with the the- red collar of his sweater dra drawn wn as far as It would go up around his neck completely covering his collar collar col col- col lar and partly covering his face You are not going to town a mornIng mornIng morning morn- morn Ing like this they asked as Snowball started toward where the team was standing Oh yes said Snowball Im no fireside cat like you jou and some of the other tabbies around here When Whim I 1 have work t to do I 1 dont don't let a little Ice and a little cold weather drive me under the stove and flirting flirt flirt- flirting ing his tan tall saucily he Jumped up upp on the seat of the wagon to w walt alt for his master maste In town there were ere a number of long waits while goods were being bought boughtor or delivered and one of the longest of them was In a part of the town where Snowball did not remember of having ever been 6 fore The houses were tumbledown In appearance with here and there a blind swinging loosely on one binge hinge and not a few windows from which the glass had been broken This must be the slum district said Snowball to himself and I 1 suppose suppose suppose sup sup- pose there may be some pretty tough characters round about here I shall have to keep a sharper watch than usual to see see that nothing is is' stolen from the wagon While he was walkIng walk Ing lug about trying to watch both sides of the wagon at once he heard a faint from rom the ground and going goms over to to that side of the wagon from which the sound seemed to come he saw the most disreputable little black kitten that he had ever seen His little body was so small and poor that his head looked two sizes too large for him and his eyes were all watery with tears as he l looked up at Snowball Snowball Snow Snow- I ball and again I the matter kitten said Snowball why dont don't you jou OU go home where its it's nice and warm and get something to eat You look hungry I I am up hun hungry ry s said id the kitten but butI ut I aint got n no home homes home Little by little Snowball learned the story atory of the kitten h how w he had belonged belonged be be- longed to a little girl who had bad tired of Of playing with him and how he had hid Did You Ever See Such a Kitten been put out of doors to shift for himself him himself self and what a hard time he had had bad of it in the storm Well said Snowball when master master master mas mas- ter comes back Ill I'll see what we can cando cando do for tor you Wait Walt around a while while When the master was about to Jump on the team Snowball stopped him and called his attention to th the little kitten and told him the story he had Just heard His master agreed with Snowball that something ought to be bedone bedone done and as it was about lunch time they agreed to take the kitten on to the wagon and carry him along to r the place where Snowball got his usual saucer of milk When Snowball got his milk the little kitten got a sau saucer er too and he ate it as if It he had never I had anything good before Tastes pretty good dont don't it said Snowball 11 as u he smoothed his mustache i t little after he had finished Wont you Sou OU have hare a little more The kittle i said aid he would and finished another er as quickly as as' as he be had the first one While the kitten was drinking the tho second saucer Snowball was over in inthe the he corner talking with his his' master rod ind as the kitten finished Snowball laid mid to him I have decided to take lou fou along with me to my home out n the country if you would like to go The rhe kitten was quick to say that he and so Snowball helped him to jet tet et upon the seat of the wagon his naster took a corner of the horse horse- banket and wrapped rapped It around him nd rid so with Snowball close beside tim lim Midnight for that was what Snowball had already na named ed him be- be ause of or his blackness rode out into he country to his new home Kit it t and Puff ua were were er in the house un un- t 2 f der tle tie tove when Snowball walked lIked in IIi with Midnight close behind him and when they saw the kitten they showed th their lr displeasure by arching their theft backs and making their fur bristle up in the fiercest sort of manner Now none of that said Snowball this kitten has come here to live I 1 have adopted him and any unkind thing that you jou ou do to him you will have hayo to answer for to me Sit down he said to Midnight and get warm while I 1 go and take this sw sweater ater off tt and get ready for tor dinner Kit and putt Puff sat at the far side of ot the room and looked scornfully at Midnight Did you ever er see such a looking kitten in your life said Puff Never said Kit Snowball must have taken him out of ot an What do you jou suppose he brought him home for and what is he going to do with ith him 1 What am I going to do with him said Snowball who had returned Just Justin in time to hear the latter part of Kits Kit's remark Im going to make a cat of him the kind of ot cat I 1 would like to have been myself if I 1 could have had my own bringing up Come on he said turning to Midnight well have dinner then Ill I'll sh show w you where youre you're going to sleep and tomorrow morning Ill I'll give you your first lesson i in being a a r real al cat |