p
her, I know, but she can't be real pleased being helped. She'd rather
have the money herself. I have been wondering if we couldn't get some of
your father's money away and give it to her, for one."

"Get away papa's money!"

"You don't mean to tell me you are as stingy as that, Arnold Carruth?"

"I guess papa wouldn't like it."

"Of course he wouldn't. But that is not the point. It is not what your
father would like; it is what that poor old lady would like."

It was too much for Arnold. He gaped at Johnny.

"If you are going to be mean and stingy, we may as well stop before we
begin," said Johnny.

Then Arnold Carruth recovered himself. "Old Mr. Webster Payne is awful
poor," said he. "We might take some of your father's money and give it
to him."

Johnny snorted, fairly snorted. "If," said he, "you think my father
keeps his money where we can get it, you are mistaken, Arnold Carruth.
My father's money is all in papers that are not worth much now and that
he has to keep in the bank till they are."

Arnold smiled hopefully. "Guess that's the way my papa keeps HIS money."

"It's the way most rich people are mean enough to," said Johnny,
severely. "I don't care if it's your father or mine, it's mean. And
that's why we've got to begin with Jim Simmons's cats and kittens."

"Are you going to give old Mrs. Sam Little cats?" inquired Arnold.

Johnny sniffed. "Don't be silly," said he. "Though I do think a nice
cat with a few kittens might cheer her up a little, and we could steal
enough milk, by getting up early and tagging after the milkman, to feed
them. But I wasn't thinking of giving her or old Mr. Payne cats and
kittens. I wasn't thinking of folks; I was thinking of all those poor
cats and kittens that Mr. Jim Simmons has and doesn't half feed, and
that have to go hunting around folks' back doors in the rain, when cats
hate water, too, and pick things up that must be bad for their stomachs,
when they ought to have their milk regularly in nice, clean saucers.
No, Arnold Carruth, what we have got to do is to steal Mr. Jim Simmons's
cats and get them in nice homes where they can earn their living
catching mice and be well cared for."

"Steal cats?" said Arnold.

"Yes, steal cats, in order to do right," said Johnny Trumbull, and his
expression was heroic, even exalted.

It was then that a sweet treble, faltering yet exultant, rang in their
ears.

"If," said the treble voice, "you are going to steal dear