und the small shoulders beside
her. "Do you know I've never seen George Washington."

"You haven't?" Mary Rose twisted around and looked up into her face.
"Oh, you must see him. He's such a wonderful cat. But I can't bring
him here. It's against the law, you know. Would you--Oh, would
you!--come across the alley and see him in his boarding house? You
know he's only a cat," she explained slowly as if she were afraid that
Miss Thorley might expect to find George Washington something more.
"But he's wonderful just the same. He earns his own board, every
single drop. Mr. Jerry's Aunt Mary said so."

Miss Thorley and Aunt Kate smiled at each other above Mary Rose's
yellow head.

"I've never seen a self-supporting cat," Miss Thorley laughed. "I
should love to meet George Washington." She did not understand why she
would love to meet him now, why she wished to go across to Jerry
Longworthy's back yard, when until that afternoon nothing could have
induced her to go there.

"Come on." Mary Rose put out an eager hand and Miss Thorley took it in
hers. They were halfway across the alley when Mary Rose stopped. "I
forgot," she said, and her face was troubled. "I promised to let Mr.
Jerry know when you'd come."

"It's too late to tell him now. We saw him go off in the car." Miss
Thorley did not explain that that was the reason she was willing to
call on George Washington. "I shall be very busy after today, Mary
Rose. I might not be able to come again for several weeks."

"Is that so?" Mary Rose looked less doubtful. "Perhaps I can explain
that to Mr. Jerry." She led the way into Mr. Jerry's spacious yard.
"I expect George Washington's inside," she said when they failed to
find him outside.

"Run in and bring him out," suggested Miss Thorley, sitting down in one
of the wicker chairs that were under the big apple tree that had lived
there ever since Waloo had been some man's farm.

Mary Rose disappeared but before Miss Thorley had looked half over the
yard she was back. "He's asleep," she said in a loud whisper. "Do
come in and see him. He looks perfectly beautiful with a fern at his
head and a bunch of asters at his feet. Please, come." She took Miss
Thorley's hand and tried to pull her to her feet.

Miss Thorley did not wish to go into the house. She had had no
intention of doing more than to slip into the yard for a moment. Now
that she was there she felt uncomfortably conscious. But Mr. Jerr