But the firemen carried out a lot of
the toys, and though this white China Cat was stolen, I have her back.
So you want her, do you, little girl?" he asked.

"Oh, I want her very much!" said Jennie Moore, and the China Cat was
placed in her hands.

"Now for some new adventures," thought the toy, as she felt the nice
little girl softly rubbing her white head.

CHAPTER IX

AN OLD FRIEND

Jennie Moore's aunt paid Mr. Mugg for the white China Cat, and the
little girl carried the toy out of the store, not even waiting to have
wrapping paper put around her.

"She is afraid the China Cat may be caught in another fire, or that
something will happen," laughed the aunt, as she followed her niece.

"Oh, I hope there will never be another fire!" exclaimed Mr. Mugg, as he
bowed his customers out of the door. "I can't imagine what started this
one. But I am glad the China Cat is safe, though she did get very
dirty."

"She is clean now," said Jennie, turning her China Cat over and over,
and not finding a speck of dirt on her.

"What are you going to call your China Cat, Jennie?" asked Aunt Clara,
when they had almost reached the home of the nice little girl.

"I will call her Snowball," was the answer. "She is white, just like a
snowball."

"And from what Mr. Mugg said, I imagine she was as black as coal after
the fire," laughed Aunt Clara. "Well, I am glad Snowball is clean and
white now, and that you at last have her. Take good care of her and
don't drop your cat, for I think she will break easily."

"I'll be careful," promised Jennie.

"Oh, how different this is from the time when that terrible black boy,
Jeff, had me," thought the China Cat, as she was taken into Jennie's
home. There the rooms were bright, cheerful and sunny, with soft carpets
on the floor and beautiful ornaments all about.

"Now we'll have some fun, Snowball," said Jennie to the China Cat, as
she set her toy down on a table, while she took off her hat and coat,
for it was winter and the weather was cold, even though it did rain at
times, instead of snow.

"You will not have to be afraid of a flood here, Snowball," went on
Jennie, "for we are far from the river."

"Thank goodness for that," thought the China Cat, who heard all that was
said, though she could not move when Jennie, or any one else, was
looking at her.

Jennie played with the China Cat all the rest of that day. Once the nice
little girl dressed the China Cat up in doll'