on, for a few days, looking into
the rooms, and trying to contrive how it should be rearranged to
accommodate his new and unexpected family, he suddenly decided to build
on a small wing to the house. He might as well arrange it in the outset
as it would be pleasantest to have it when Jusy and Rea were a young
gentleman and a young lady, he thought. What might do for them very well
now, while they were little children, would not do at all when they were
grown up.

So, as I told you, Mr. Connor being a gentleman who never lost any time
in doing a thing he had once made up his mind to, set carpenters at work
immediately tearing out half of one side of his new house; and in little
over a month, there was almost another little house joined on to it.
There was a good big room for Rea's bedroom, and a small room opening
out of it, for her sitting-room; beyond this another room in which her
nurse could sleep, while she needed one, and after she grew older, the
governess who must come to teach her; and after she did not need any
governess, the room would be a pleasant thing to have for her young
friends who came to visit her. This kind uncle was planning for a good
many years ahead, in this wing to his house.

These rooms for Rea were in the second story. Beneath them were two
large rooms, one for Jusy, and one for Jim. A pretty stairway, with a
lattice-work wall, went up outside to Rea's room, and at the door of
her room spread out into a sort of loggia, or upstairs piazza, such as
Mr. Connor knew she had been used to in Italy. In another year this
stairway and loggia would be a bower of all sorts of vines, things grow
so fast in California.

* * * * *

And now we are really coming to the Cats. They had arrived before the
children did.

When the children got out of the cars at San Gabriel, there stood their
Uncle George on the platform waiting for them. Jusy spied him first.
"There's Uncle George," he shouted, and ran towards him shouting, "Uncle
George! Uncle George! Here we are."

Rea followed close behind, holding up Fairy. "Look at my doggie that
Signor black Jim gave me," she cried, holding Fairy up as high as she
could reach; and in the next minute she herself, doggie and all, was
caught up in Uncle George's arms.

"What makes you cry, Uncle George?" she exclaimed; "we thought you would
be very glad to see us!"

"So I am, you dear child," he said. "I am only crying because I am so