o you do?"

We said, both at once, that we were quite well, thank you; that this
was our play-room; and we asked him how he liked being a lodger. We
asked him many things, besides. Was he ill, or only very tired, that he
lay on his bed so much? Did he have his dinner up there, or did he go
down to get it as we did? Did he eat what he liked, or what Miss Miller
liked to give him? Was he fond of Miss Miller? We hated her because
once she had seen Willy leaning out of the window and had told father,
who had had the horrid screen put up.

I don't remember what answers he made to all these questions, piped
forth in eager little voices, whose words tripped each other up in
their hurry, but I know he said he thought the screen a babyish
contrivance and advised us, now we had taken it down, not to put it
back again. I reminded Willy that father would be very cross if we did
not, and Willy reminded me that father being out for two nights,
_that_ didn't matter. We cautioned our neighbour not to let Miss
Miller know the window was open or she would be at her tale-telling
again, and he, on his part, advised our keeping the fact of his being
now such friends with us secret from the servants. He hated servants,
he told us, as much as Miss Miller; and Willy admitted that ours were
certainly sneaks and not to be trusted. I told him that Willy and I
often had secrets, and volunteered the information that I had once kept
one from mother for two whole nights!

He should think we were very lonely with father and mother away, and
only cats of servants left to us, he said; and asked what we should
like best in the world to play with.

We both with one breath cried "a kitten;" because that was the one
coveted treasure which had been persistently denied us hitherto.

Then he said that he most fortunately happened to possess the sweetest
kitten in all the world, of which he would be happy to make us a
present; and Willy said, in deep-toned satisfaction, "would he really,
though?" and I got on my feet to jump for joy.

It was just then that nurse's voice came calling us to say good-bye to
our father and mother. So we slammed down the window in our new
friend's face, and pushed the screen back into position, and, bursting
with our secret, Willy and I went galloping down the stairs.

Oh, those uncarpeted, twisting stairs! Now that Willy and I have "grown
up and gone away," do they creak gaily beneath the happy feet of
children still, I won