e dropped down inside
her. But this Cat isn't that kind."

"I should hope not!" thought the China Cat, while Aunt Clara was looking
her over. "Not that I don't consider my cousin, the Match Cat, as nice
as I am," she told herself, "but I'm just different; that's all! I hope
I may go to live with this little girl. I shall be able to keep myself
spotless and white in her home, I'm sure."

But the China Cat was not yet to leave the toy store. And there were
some strange adventures soon to happen, as I shall tell you.

"Well, Jennie," said Aunt Clara, as she again let the little girl take
the China Cat, "if you think you want this toy you may have it. But we
will not take it with us now. I have some other shopping to do, and if
we carry the Cat with us something may happen to her."

"Oh, can't I take her now?" pleaded Jennie.

"No, my dear," her aunt answered. "Mr. Mugg will put her aside for you,
and I will come in to-morrow and get her."

"Yes, I'll save the China Cat for you," promised the toy man.

"If I may be sure of having her I don't mind," said Jennie. "But we must
be sure and come after her to-morrow, Auntie."

"We will come to-morrow surely," said Aunt Clara, and then, after Jennie
had taken one more look at the toy she hoped soon would be hers, she
followed her aunt out of the store.

Mr. Mugg and his two daughters were very busy in their toy shop that
day. A load of packing boxes arrived, direct from the North Pole
workshop of Santa Claus, and these boxes were stored down in the
basement.

"We will open those boxes some day next week," said Mr. Mugg to his
daughters. "Perhaps among the new toys there may be another China Cat. I
certainly hope so, for when Jennie's aunt comes for this one we shall
feel lonesome."

Mr. Mugg took a box of matches and went down into the basement to light
the gas and see about storing away the cases of new toys. And when the
men had opened some, not taking many of the toys out, however, the
storekeeper was called up stairs by one of his daughters.

"Leave the cases the way they are," he said to the expressmen. "Don't
open any more. I'll do that later in the week."

Then Mr. Mugg turned the gas down low, for he thought he might come back
again, and up the stairs he hurried to see what his daughter wanted. As
he walked across the basement floor the box of matches dropped out of
his pocket, near some straw from one of the packing cases.

"I'll get the matches when I co