ng for Mother to come down. Mrs.
Tallcat was a lady who always deemed it her duty to call once a week
upon everybody, whether people wished to see her or whether they did
not wish to see her.

Had a census of opinion been taken concerning Mrs. Tallcat's calls,
Mrs. Tallcat would have found, much to her astonishment no doubt, that
she possessed very few votes, and no votes at all from children.

"Would you very much mind if you didn't sit upon the sofa?" commenced
Ridgwell gently.

Mrs. Tallcat, always inclined towards huffiness at a moment's notice,
consequently selected a chair.

"Is the sofa likely to give way?" inquired Mrs. Tallcat suspiciously.

"No," explained Christine, "it is because it is so strong and firm on
its legs that we have chosen it."

"I never allow _my_ boy to play upon the sofa," sniffed Mrs. Tallcat,
as if she were referring to a piano.

"It isn't to play upon," remarked Ridgwell, "but we are expecting a
very, very solid visitor."

Mrs. Tallcat sniffed for the second time. "I never allow my boy to
make any remarks whatever upon visitors who call," responded Mrs.
Tallcat icily.

"Oh, Lal doesn't mind," said Christine cheerfully.

"Who is Lal?" inquired Mrs. Tallcat, "a gentleman friend of your
father's?"

"No," said Ridgwell, "Lal is a lion, and Father doesn't know him yet."

"Tut, tut, tut," snapped Mrs. Tallcat crossly. "Directly _my_ boy
begins to talk nonsense I send him straight to bed."

"It's bad for the health to go to bed at the wrong time," suggested
Ridgwell pensively.

"My boy always does as he's told," announced Mrs. Tallcat triumphantly;
"if he doesn't, he is whipped."

At this point a new idea suddenly struck Ridgwell. "Chris," he
whispered audibly, "we must somehow get the old cat out of the way."

Mrs. Tallcat instantly bridled, and her face became inflamed with
anger. "How _dare_ you!" commenced the indignant lady.

"I mean the _other_ cat," explained Ridgwell, "our own cat."

The explanation, although convincing, was perhaps ambiguous. It was
undoubtedly fortunate that Mother timed her appearance at this point to
a nicety, and so prevented any further complications.

"Dreadful time her boy must have, don't you think, eh, Chris?" asked
Ridgwell.

Christine nodded.

"Only fancy, Chris," pursued Ridgwell, "calling her little boy Tom.
Tom Tallcat; why, he'll be chaffed no end at school. I do feel sorry
for him; and then the way she dresses him, colou