n her whole glossy coat, from the tip of her
little pink nose to the end of her little black tail."

"What big yellow eyes! And oh, look! look! what funny feet she has!
Why are they so large, papa?" asked Alice.

"That's because she is a seven-toed kitten, little daughter. I expect
that she will catch a great many mice with those big feet of hers, when
she grows to be a cat."

Alice turned one of the funny front paws over. "One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven," she counted. "Yes, there are just seven toes here,
but look, papa, there are not so many on her hind feet. I wonder if
she is hungry. May I feed her, mamma?"

Mamma brought some milk, and soon Topsy seemed to feel quite at home.
She lapped the milk with her little red tongue, until there was not a
drop of it left in the saucer. Then she began to purr and to rub her
face against the hand of her new mistress. Finally she curled up in
Alice's lap until she looked like a shiny black ball, and began
blinking at the fire with sleepy eyes.

Alice was sleepy, too. She curled up in papa's lap, just as kitty had
done in hers, and soon Topsy and she were both fast asleep.

TOPSY STORIES.

II. HOW TOPSY KEPT WARM.

"Is that Topsy crying?" said Alice's mamma, one morning. "Listen a
moment."

Alice stopped playing with her doll and kept very quiet. Yes, she
could hear a faint meow. She ran to the outside door and opened it,
but kitty was not there. She listened again, and again she heard the
same sound: "Meow! meow! meow!"

"Perhaps kitty is at the other door," said Alice's mamma.

Alice turned the knob and pulled the door wide open; but only a rush of
cold air and a few snowflakes came in.

"Where can she be, mamma? Oh, I know now! She is down cellar," said
Alice. But no kitty was there. "Maybe she is in the wood shed. I'll
run and see! No, mamma, she isn't there, either. I don't think she is
happy, wherever she is. She doesn't sound so. Just hear her cry!"

Both listened again to the half-smothered meow.

"No, she doesn't sound very happy, pet," said mamma. "She is shut up
somewhere and can't get out. We must find her."

So the mother and the little girl began to search for Topsy. Upstairs
and downstairs they went, looking everywhere. They opened all the
closet doors, they looked into all the trunks and boxes. They even
peeped into the baby's hamper and lifted the lid of grandmother's big
workbasket; but no kitty did th