OCR Text |
Show A Little Cot Lost A Christmas Story by Martha Banning Thomas TTV'TTER, that little boy in the apartment on the first floor has lost his kitten again 1" Good Heavens 1" Peter whipped the paper over to the financial sheet. "That makes the fourth time, doesn't it? I hope you're not hinting hint-ing that I go out this cold night and hunt for it." "No-o-o, but I talked to his mother moth-er today, and she said Allan's .Christmas would be ruined If they couldn't find that kitten. She said that he wouldn't look at the tree they brought. She said that to divert di-vert his thoughts she gave him a present beforehand a large toy dumpcart He put It on the floor and went to the window. He Just stands there, Peter, looking and looking." "Why don't his own par- ents go out and scour the neighborhood? neigh-borhood? I don't quite see where we come In." 'They h a ve, Peter. But the boy's father is away all day. and has had to work late all : this week. Elis mo t h e r can't leave the child ; alone down there, and he's too little to walk far . . . and she can't push the gocart through all this snow." "Um-m-m . , , well, I see that more snow is expected tonight, "Peter !" Down went the paper with an Irl-rltated Irl-rltated rustle. "Say It out loud. Mary! You want me to get out of my house slippers, put on my coat, and get chilblains hunting for somebody some-body else's cat." Mary sniffed. "I've been out until un-til I had to get dinner," she said. "I know you don't want to, but . . ." A door in the lower hall opened. A childish cry came up the stairs. "My kitty! He'll be all cold and hurtedl My . . . kitty I" The outside hall door shut. "There goes his mother. She didn't even ask me to stay with Allen." "It's got so now a man can't have a moment's peace In his own house, even on Christmas eve, rumbled Peter. Pe-ter. In a minute he was ready to go out. Mary ran downstairs to stay with Allen. Peter slammed out the door. The streets were still deep with snow. All day and all night It had falien. The trees bent under It. The bushes were hidden beneath a white burden. Mary stayed for an hour with Allen. At the end of that time there was the sound of much merriment on the walk. Two persons came In the hall, pounded pound-ed on the door. "That's uium-mie!" uium-mie!" cried Allen. "And I IIP! flwf know she's got kitty!" It was Mummie. It was Peter. It was Kitty. "Found the poor little thing hunched under a box In the back yard of a store! Well, boy . . . take your cat. and Merry Christmas Christ-mas !" On the way upstairs again, Peter's Pe-ter's arm crept about Mary. "That woman Is a good little scout Lots of pluck. I guess when you have a kid . . . you like to please him even If It's a great nuisance. Glad you told me. What say, Mary, we have our tree this minute? I'm bursting with good will, and I feel like presents 1" So they had their tree. And A leu had bis kitty. tf Western Kew.raDer tr.!on. |