ained another
victory, and redeemed another puppy.

"Now, it is very singular that she should have taken only two, the
exact number she had been deprived of."

"Isn't that a nice story?" cried Minnie, joyfully clapping her hands.

"I had no idea there were such pleasant things about cats," said Ida,
laughing at her cousin's enthusiasm. "Fidelle has risen wonderfully in
my estimation. But don't let me detain you, dear uncle."

"I see here," he said, "a curious account of a cat, published by M.
Antoine in France."

"In a French cloister, the hours of meals were announced by the ringing
of a bell. A favorite cat belonging to the establishment was accustomed,
as soon as she heard the summons, to run quickly to the dining hall,
that she might be fed.

"One day it happened that puss was accidentally shut up in a room by
herself when the bell rang, and could not therefore obey the summons.
Some hours after, she was let out, and instantly ran to the spot where
dinner was always left for her; but no dinner was to be found.

[Illustration: PUSS RINGING FOR HER DINNER. Page 82.]

"In the afternoon, the bell was heard ringing at an unusual hour. The
inmates of the cloister ran quickly to see what was the cause of it,
when, to their surprise, they saw the cat clinging to the bell rope,
and setting it in motion as well as she was able, in order that she
might have her dinner served up to her."

"I hope they gave her a good one," urged Minnie. "I'm sure she deserved
it for being so smart."

"I have no doubt of it," remarked the gentleman, smiling. "Now, here is
a story of another French cat."

"It was of a kind known as the Angora variety, a very beautiful
creature, with silvery hair of fine silky texture, generally longest on
the neck, but also long on the tail. Some of them are olive, the color
of the lion; but they are delicate creatures, and of gentle
dispositions.

"This one belonged to a hotel in Paris, and having noticed that the cook
always left the kitchen upon the ringing of a certain bell, and thus
left the room clear for her to eat the dainties she had been preparing,
soon acquired the art of pulling the bell herself.

"This trick she practised for some weeks, in the mean time growing plump
and sleek from her abundance of rich delicacies, until the thieving
became so extensive that a person was set to watch for the rogue.

"Concealing himself, therefore, with fire-arms, ready to secure the
villain, the ma