was the beginning of a new era. Pussy came to the door of the
building now whenever pinched by hunger, and the good feeling for the
negro grew. She had never understood that man before. He had always
seemed hostile. Now he was her friend, the only one she had.

One week she had a streak of luck. Seven good meals on seven successive
days; and right on the top of the last meal she found a juicy dead Rat,
the genuine thing, a perfect windfall. She had never killed a
full-grown Rat in all her lives, but seized the prize and ran off to
hide it for future use. She was crossing the street in front of the new
building when an old enemy appeared,--the Wharf Dog,--and Kitty
retreated, naturally enough, to the door where she had a friend. Just
as she neared it, he opened the door for a well-dressed man to come
out, and both saw the Cat with her prize.

"Hello! Look at that for a Cat!"

"Yes, sah," answered the negro. "Dat's ma Cat, sah; she's a terror on
Rats, sah! hez 'em about cleaned up, sah; dat's why she's so thin."

"Well, don't let her starve," said the man with the air of the
landlord. "Can't you feed her?

"De liver meat-man comes reg'lar, sah; quatah dollar a week, sah," said
the negro, fully realizing that he was entitled to the extra fifteen
cents for "the idea."

"That's all right. I'll stand it."

XII

"M-e-a-t! M-e-a-t!" is heard the magnetic, cat-conjuring cry of the old
liver-man, as his barrow is pushed up the glorified Scrimper's Alley,
and Cats come crowding, as of yore, to receive their due.

There are Cats black, white, yellow, and gray to be remembered, and,
above all, there are owners to be remembered. As the barrow rounds the
corner near the new building it makes a newly scheduled stop.

"Hyar, you, get out o' the road, you common trash," cries the
liver-man, and he waves his wand to make way for the little gray Cat
with blue eyes and white nose. She receives an unusually large portion,
for Sam is wisely dividing the returns evenly; and Slum Kitty retreats
with her 'daily' into shelter of the great building, to which she is
regularly attached. She has entered into her fourth life with prospects
of happiness never before dreamed of. Everything was against her at
first; now everything seems to be coming her way. It is very doubtful
that her mind was broadened by travel, but she knew what she wanted and
she got it. She has achieved her long-time great ambition by catching,
not a Sparrow, but two