l tortoise-shell cat.

She was an elegant creature. Her fur was of moderate length, of pure
black, white, and reddish orange. Her eyes were large, bright, and
affectionate in expression. Her form was delicate, and her motions
active. In character, she was the most attached, graceful little puss I
ever knew.

The moment Fidelle heard Minnie's voice, she walked to the door, and was
ready to welcome her, rubbing her glossy sides against the child's feet,
and making little soft notes of pleasure.

Sometimes Minnie had the headache, or was tired, and lay upon the sofa;
when she did so, Fidelle loved to jump up and walk softly over the
little figure until she came to her mistress's face, when she quietly
lay down near by, or sometimes licked her hand lovingly. She never did
this to Mrs. Lee, or any other member of the family.

Fidelle was an active puss, and often went bird-catching, or mousing
during the night; but generally, when Minnie opened the door of her
chamber in the morning, there was Fidelle ready to receive her.

During the warm weather, it was Minnie's habit to take an early stroll
with her father through the grounds, or to accompany him to the nursery,
garden, and orchards, when he went to give orders to the men who worked
for him.

On such occasions, Fidelle was always on hand, sometimes running along
by her side, and then skipping to the top of a tree, or gamboling on
before her.

When Minnie was very small, she often used to hug the kitten so tightly
as, no doubt, to cause the little creature pain; and then, in running
around the room after it, the young miss used to catch it by the tail;
but Fidelle never resisted, nor, if hurt, revenged herself. She seemed
to understand that Minnie loved her, and that it was her duty to submit
quietly to all the caprices of her young mistress.

One day, when the child was about four years old, a rude boy came, with
his mother, to visit her. Seeing Fidelle frolicking about the room,
highly delighted with a ball of thread, into which she had got her
dainty little feet entangled, Wallace caught the cat by the tail, and
held her by it in the air.

Minnie screamed with all her might, as she flew to the rescue of her
pretty pet.

"Go right away, you ugly boy!" she cried out. "Poor Fidelle! darling
kitty! I won't let you be hurt so."

Puss remembered the insult and abuse. Whenever she saw Wallace coming
toward her, she hid herself behind the sofa; and once, when he c