not bother him so long as the cat
had gone also. He turned to the tasks of the day with a light heart.

The afternoon mail brought him a letter from the New York office.
"Regarding W.B. 23645," it said, "and in answer to yours of yesterday's
date. In our previous communication we clearly requested you to have a
veterinary look at the cat. We judge from your letter that you neglected
to do this, as the veterinary would certainly have told you what to feed
the cat. See the veterinary at once and ask him what to feed the cat.
Then feed the cat what he tells you to feed it. We presume it is not
necessary for us to tell you to water the cat."

Flannery grinned. "An' ain't thim th' jokers, now!" he exclaimed. "'Tis
some smart bye must have his fun with ould Flannery! Go an' see th'
veterinary! An' ask him what t' feed th' cat! 'Good mornin', Misther
Pomeroy. Do ye remimber th' dead cat ye looked at yisterday? 'Tis in a
bad way th' mornin', sor. 'Tis far an' away deader than it was
yisterday. We had th' funeral this mornin'. What w'u'd ye be advisin' me
t' feed it fer a regular diet now?' Oh yis! I'll go t' th'
veterinary--not!"

He stared at the letter frowningly.

"An' 'tis not nicessary t' tell me t' water th' cat!" he said. "Oh, no,
they'll be trustin' Flannery t' water th' cat. Flannery has loads av
time. 'Tis no need fer him t' spind his time doin' th' ixpriss business.
'Git th' sprinklin'-can, Flannery, an' water th' cat. Belike if ye water
it well ye'll be havin' a fine flower-bed av long-haired cats out behint
th' office. Water th' cat well, an' plant it awn th' sunny side av th'
house, an' whin it sprouts transplant it t' th' shady side where it can
run up th' trellis. 'T will bloom hearty until cold weather, if watered
plinty!' Bechune thim an' me 'tis me opinion th' cat was kept too long
t' grow well anny more."

Mrs. Warman was very much surprised that afternoon to receive a letter
from the express company. As soon as she saw the name of the company in
the corner of the envelope her face hardened. She had an intuition that
this was to be another case where the suffering public was imposed upon
by an overbearing corporation, and she did not mean to be the victim.
She had refused the cat. Fond as she was of cats, she had never liked
them dead. She was through with that cat. She tore open the envelope. A
woman never leaves an envelope unopened. The next moment she was more
surprised than before.

"Dear Madam,"