party, when Caroline rose from her bed a little earlier than usual--as
she had promised to help Mrs. Trigg to prepare for the great event--and
when she had dressed and gone down to the housekeeper's room, what was her
horror to see Tom, the tabby cat, on the top of the table, ready to spring
upon the cage where the unfortunate bird was. She gave a terrible scream,
which had the effect of scaring away the wicked cat; but the poor bird had
evidently been so frightened at the glaring green eyes that tried to
fascinate it and lure it to its ruin as a serpent does its prey, that it
fell down to the bottom of its cage in a fit.

"Oh, my poor bird," cried Caroline; "it's dead. Oh, do come quick and help
me."

Mrs. Trigg was not far distant, and hearing the cries of distress,
hastened to her room, crying, "What's the matter, Miss Carry? Oh, have you
hurt yourself?"

"No, no," said Caroline; "it's my bird. Tom has killed the poor thing. Oh,
what am I to do?"

[Illustration: AFTER PREY.]

The bird fluttered at this moment, and Mrs. Trigg took it out of the cage,
and holding it before the fire, declared it was still alive, and might
recover. Everything was done for it that could be thought of to restore
the poor bird, but all to no effect, for during luncheon it died. Caroline
was terribly grieved, and declared that the tea-party must be put off, for
it was impossible she could join in any game after such a sad event. But
then, when Mrs. Trigg mentioned that she had made a great many cakes, and
that they would be quite spoiled even if allowed to stay till the next
night, and also that she was going to be very busy preserving her fruit
for the winter, Caroline thought she must try to go to the party. "I
needn't play, you know, Mrs. Trigg," she had said. "I can just sit and
look on; for, of course, the others didn't know what a dear good bird my
starling was."

After tea, Caroline curled herself up into Mrs. Trigg's chair, and sat
watching the others while they played. Pincher, Maud's dog, who had come
with them, was very troublesome, and would hunt after the slipper as
eagerly as the boys did, poking his nose into their faces, and sometimes
even licking their ears with his tongue; and as they had their hands
tucked under them, they could not stop him. Then, when Herbert flung the
slipper over to the other side, and Harry made a grasp at it to get it out
of sight before Charlie could get round, Pincher made a rush after it too