to be killed? "The poor thing has strayed from home," said he to
himself; "I wish I knew what I ought to do; stay--if I keep and feed
it with the milk I get every day for Mrs. Walters, that will be no
better than stealing; and if I tell her it is here, she will drown it.
I wonder if Mrs. Burton would like to have it; but, indeed, I would
like to keep it myself, I am often so lonesome. But I will get Thomas
to try and find out who it belongs to, and tell them--"

He could not finish the sentence, for he was still hesitating as to
what was the line of duty. The little creature, however, pleaded its
own cause. As he took it up and petted it, it nestled up close to his
cheek, and mewed gently, as if uttering a petition for mercy. William
could not resist the appeal. Right or wrong he must keep it; so he
carried it up to his garret, and covered it up in his bed, after which
he returned to the shop to resume his watch, and think how his kitten
was to be cared for--and, far more important, how he was to coax Mrs.
Walters into a cessation of hostilities against the feline tribe, at
least so far as to tolerate the little wanderer.

His uncle and aunt arrived in due time,--the lady in high good humour,
which our hero thought it a pity to disturb by mentioning the presence
of an unwelcome guest. He would tell her in the morning; but when the
morning came, she was in such an angry mood that, as he was well
aware, no benevolence was to be expected from her then. However, the
kitten must be fed, and to do this he was prepared. He found an old
bowl, which had been put in the garret with some cracked crockery.
This he took along when sent on his daily errand for milk for the
family, and, having a penny or two in his pocket, he told Mrs. Burton
about his kitten, and asked if she would not sell him some every day.
Pleased with the conscientiousness which prompted the boy to buy food
for his favourite rather than take a crumb from his employers without
their permission, she told him he might keep his pennies, for she
would give him a little milk every day for his cat. "But, Billy dear,"
she added, "you had better tell Mrs. Walters all about it. Do
everything open and above-board. Don't be ashamed or afraid of
anything but sin. She must find it out at last, and will be more angry
with you for hiding the matter. Always come straight out with the
truth; you will find it the right way in the end."

The old watchman promised to try to find t