the hills' is a much grander sounding name than 'Surly
Sim,' and he does look so lonely off there by himself. I should hate to
think of Dad shutting himself up like that and having folks say he was
crazy. He is kind to animals."

"How do you know, Puss?" asked the boy, quickly, surveying his sister
with apprehensive eyes. "You don't go over there, do you?"

"No, indeed. I'm scared of him. Besides, he runs if he sees anyone
coming. Carrie and I were picking flowers the first time I ever knew he
lived there, or that there was even a house over there. He saw us just
as he climbed out of a hole--a prospect hole, I suppose--and he ran as
tight as he could for the house and shut the door. We were scared and we
ran the other way and never stopped until we got home. Mr. Carson told
us about him then and said he had never hurt anyone, but he would
rather we didn't go over there, for he thought the man was really crazy.
Since then I have often sat up here and watched him when it wasn't too
hot. He just thinks lots of the little dog he has, and it is awfully
homely; hasn't any tail or ears and is the worst-looking color I ever
saw."

Tom laughed at her earnestness. "Poor dog!"

"Well, you needn't laugh; it _is_ homely, and so is the cat. He has my
cat. I couldn't bear to keep it, Tom. Please don't look at me like that.
I was awfully hateful to it, I know, but Dad would call it 'Pussy' and I
couldn't bear the sight of it. When I made sure the man was kind to the
dog, I chased the cat down there. I was afraid it would come back, like
it always did when I shoved it into the prospect holes; but it must have
liked him right away, for it stayed. Now he has an earless cat to go
with the dog. That was long ago, Tom, before the Vanes ever came here to
live. I wouldn't be so mean again, but I did hate that cat terribly
then. I've never tried to coax it back because it was happier there, but
I am truly sorry that I was ugly to it. I don't want people to hate me
because I have such a horrid temper and name. I can't change the name,
but I can hold on to my temper sometimes, though it is hard work and I
don't get along very well."

"You are getting along a great deal better than you think, Puss, and
people don't hate you. They like you more every day, which is better
than going to boarding school, isn't it?"

"Y-e-s," hesitatingly, "but I would like mighty well to go with Carrie."

"Well, I think some day maybe you can. Come home now, i