all that.'

'I didn't want to give way to it like this,' the woman said, 'because I
know you must be tired out yourself, but I really do feel quite done up
now.'

'Oh, I'm all right,' replied Owen, who was really so fatigued that he
was scarcely able to stand. 'I'll go and draw the blinds down and
light the other lamp; so say good night to Frankie and come at once.'

'I won't say good night properly, now, Mum,' remarked the boy, 'because
Dad can carry me into your room before he puts me into bed.'

A little later, as Owen was undressing Frankie, the latter remarked as
he looked affectionately at the kitten, which was sitting on the
hearthrug watching the child's every movement under the impression that
it was part of some game:

'What name do you think we ought to call it, Dad?'

'You may give him any name you like,' replied Owen, absently.

'I know a dog that lives down the road,' said the boy, 'his name is
Major. How would that do? Or we might call him Sergeant.'

The kitten, observing that he was the subject of their conversation,
purred loudly and winked as if to intimate that he did not care what
rank was conferred upon him so long as the commisariat department was
properly attended to.

'I don't know, though,' continued Frankie, thoughtfully. 'They're all
right names for dogs, but I think they're too big for a kitten, don't
you, Dad?'

'Yes, p'raps they are,' said Owen.

'Most cats are called Tom or Kitty, but I don't want a COMMON name for
him.'

'Well, can't you call him after someone you know?'

'I know; I'll call him after a little girl that comes to our school; a
fine name, Maud! That'll be a good one, won't it Dad?'

'Yes,' said Owen.

'I say, Dad,' said Frankie, suddenly realizing the awful fact that he
was being put to bed. 'You're forgetting all about my story, and you
promised that you'd have a game of trains with me tonight.'

'I hadn't forgotten, but I was hoping that you had, because I'm very
tired and it's very late, long past your usual bedtime, you know. You
can take the kitten to bed with you tonight and I'll tell you two
stories tomorrow, because it's Saturday.'

'All right, then,' said the boy, contentedly; 'and I'll get the railway
station built and I'll have the lines chalked on the floor, and the
signals put up before you come home, so that there'll be no time
wasted. And I'll put one chair at one end of the room and another
chair at the other end, and tie some