Mentally she said, "by heck," again. "She's some game fighter to tackle Ephraim, but I hope she gets beaten; for Ephraim's all right," she concluded with sudden pride. Soon they reached the Emmit home, an old-fashioned, white framed house, surrounded with hollyhocks and low shrubbery. "Home at last!" exclaimed the large, gaunt master of the house. "How perfectly lovely!" exclaimed Mrs. Catt with enthusiasm. "I've always dreamed that it would be so romantic to live in a place like this!" "Some romance," returned Ford Emmit, laughing heartily, as he deposited the bags on the porch. "We have no time for dreams here; have we, wife? Nine children, and the farm and livestock to it, keep us pretty busy. That's life here!" At this the door opened and out ran four real children, two boys and two girls, rosy and bright as the dawn. The two boys were both bright redheads, like their mother; the girls were fair and blue-eyed, with the exquisite coloring of the Norwegian. "O, Betty," they all cried at once; "we found your pussy dead in the yard. Someone has drowned her." "Yes, I drowned her, myself," declared Mrs. Emmit. "She's been ailing around the house too long. It ain't good for you, children, to be mauling sick cats," and with this practical dismissal of the fact, she lead the way into the house, her visitor, husband, and children, following. But Betty lingered behind, unnoticed. For a moment she stood, pale and defiant, then, swift as a fawn, she ran around the house and started the search for her dead kitten. "Pussy dead! pussy dead!" she muttered to herself in anguish, and the tears came thick and fast, as she looked for her dead pet. At last, in some tall grass, she discovered it, lying cold and wet. "O, my baby! My darling baby!" she moaned piteously; "to think that I was away and couldn't save you!" But kitty did not purr in answer, as was her custom, when her mistress talked to her. Piteously, Betty looked down at the dead thing. It was ugly and she shuddered. "My darling Tinkey! How ugly death has made you!" Then, a sudden thought brought a quick smile to the downcast countenance. "But, Tinkey, this isn't really you! Where are you, Tinkey, where are you? This is only your body. Your body will be res'rected some day, won't it, Tinkey? I'll bury it all nice for you, an' you can look on though I can't see you any more. O, Tinkey, I'll never see you any more!" and again the smile vanished, and the little face puckered up. Slowly the child made her way to a large tree some distance from the house, behind the barn. She laid the kitten under shelter and then retraced her steps mournfully, back to the kitchen door. As she opened it she called, "Edna!" in a subdued, awed voice. Edna put her fair head through the door leading to the sitting-room. There the family and the "company" were evidently resting and talking. "What yer want, Betty?" she asked curiously. "Come right here, Edna Emmit," returned Betty seriously.