e'll help you keep 'em," said Mrs. Grandoken. "But this time it won't
do no good."

"Peggy!" blurted Jinnie.

"Shut your mouth! An' don't be Peggyin' me, or I'll swat you," vowed
Peg.

The woman glared witheringly into a pair of beseeching blue eyes.

"Get into your clothes, kid," she ordered immediately, "then you----"

"Then I'll come back, dear," gurgled Jinnie, "and do just what you
want me to." Then with subtle modification, she continued, "I mean,
Peg, I'll do just what you want me to after I've talked about it a
bit... Oh, please, let me give 'em one little kiss apiece."

Peggy flounced to the stove.

"Be a fool an' kiss 'em if you want to... I hate 'em."

In the coarse nightdress Peggy had made for her, Jinnie sat down
beside Milly Ann. The yellow mother purred in delight. She'd brought
them five new babies, and no idea entered her mother heart that she
would have to part with even one.

Out came the kittens into the girl's lap, and one by one they were
tenderly lifted to be kissed. Both Peggy and the kisser were silent
while this loving operation was in process. Then Jinnie, still
sitting, looked from Milly Ann to Peggy.

"I guess she's awful fond of her children, don't you, Peg?"

Peggy didn't answer.

"You see it's like this, Peg----"

"Didn't I tell you not to Peggy me?"

"Then it's like this, darling," drawled Jinnie, trying to be
obedient.

"An' you needn't darlin' me nuther," snapped Peggy.

Jinnie thought a minute.

"Then it's like this, honey bunch," she smiled again.

Peg whirled around on her.

"Say, you kid----"

"Wait, dearie!" implored Jinnie. "Don't you know mother cats always
love their kitties just like live mothers do their babies?"

Peggy rattled the stove lids outrageously. Hearing these words, she
stopped abruptly. Who knows where her thoughts flew? Jinnie didn't,
for sure, but she thought, by the sudden change of Mrs. Grandoken's
expression, she could guess.

The woman looked from Milly Ann to the wriggling kittens in Jinnie's
lap, then she stooped down and again brought to view Jinnie's little
ear tucked away under the black curls.

"Get up out o' here an' dress; will you? I've said them cats've got to
go, and go they will!"

Jinnie returned the kittens to their mother, and when she got back to
her room, Bobbie was sitting up in bed rubbing his eyes.

"I couldn't find you, girl," he whimpered. "I felt the bed over and
you was gone."

Jinnie bent over him