it was so light, and it had such a good
brim. She went down that very afternoon to make a special call on Mrs.
Butler and Sol; and the canary sang again his melodious song.

CHAPTER IX

CHOOSING A KITTEN

Now the warm weather had come to stay, Mrs. Owen decided that it was
cruel to keep Lady Jane in the house, besides being almost impossible.
The children must take the risk. If she chose to live with the Carters,
it could not be helped. Perhaps Diana needed her more than they did.

"But she is my cat," said Alice. "Can't I go and get her back whenever
she goes there?"

"Yes, if you have the patience."

"I shall have the patience to go a hundred and seventy-five times," said
Alice.

She and Peggy liked Diana, but whenever Mrs. Owen had suggested to her
little girls that they should go to see her, they had always some good
reason for not going. Mrs. Owen suspected it was on account of Lady
Jane. It was awkward to meet Diana when they had locked Lady Jane up,
knowing perfectly well that she preferred to live with Diana. Peggy
thought it was not fair to take advantage of anything so small. But the
cat was Alice's, not hers, as Alice reminded her. And then, one pleasant
day, Lady Jane decided to set up housekeeping for good and all in her
old home. Alice wanted to go down at once and bring her back. But Mrs.
Owen insisted that she should be allowed to stay in the home of her
choice for at least a week.

And before the week was up, Diana telephoned to Alice. "What do you
think, Alice," she said, "Lady Jane has four teenty-tinety kittens--the
darlingest, most cuddly things!"

"Oh, she does have such lovely children!" said Alice, with a pang of
envy.

"They are in a wood-box out in the shed," said Diana. "At least it looks
like a wood-box, but there isn't any wood in it."

"Yes, that is her old house," said Alice.

"Mother has put in an old piece of blanket so as to make them
comfortable," said Diana.

"Has she really?" said Alice.

"Mother won't let us touch the kittens until they get their eyes open.
She says in two weeks she hopes you and Peggy will come down and see
them."

"Not for two weeks?" said Alice. "We always look at them a lot. I'd like
her back before two weeks. That is too long a visit."

"Mother says it is bad for kittens to be handled. She says to forget all
about them for two weeks."

"Ask her if she knows what color they are," said Peggy.

"Have you seen them?" Alice asked.