he would have been only too glad of a chance to help kill Malta.

I gave him one of the worst beatings he ever had. I don't suppose it was
quite right for me to do it, for Miss Laura says dogs should never
fight; but he had worried Malta before, and he had no business to do it.
She belonged to our family. Jim and I never worried 'his' cat. I
had been longing to give him a shaking for some time, and now I felt for
his throat through his thick hair, and dragged him all around the
street. Then I let him go, and he was a civil dog ever afterward.

Malta was very grateful, and licked a little place where the Spitz bit
me. I did not get scolded for the broken window. Mary had seen me from
the kitchen window, and told Mrs. Morris that I had gone to help Malta.

Malta was a very wise cat. She knew quite well that she must not harm
the parrot nor the canaries, and she never tried to catch them, even
though she was left alone in the room with them.

I have seen her lying in the sun, blinking sleepily, and listening with
great pleasure to Dick's singing. Miss Laura even taught her not to hunt
the birds outside.

For a long time she had tried to get it into Malta's head that it was
cruel to catch the little sparrows that came about the door, and just
after I came, she succeeded in doing so,

Malta was so fond of Miss Laura, that whenever she caught a bird, she
came and laid it at her feet. Miss Laura always picked up the little,
dead creature, pitied it and stroked it, and scolded Malta till she
crept into a corner. Then Miss Laura put the bird on a limb of a tree,
and Malta watched her attentively from her corner.

One day Miss Laura stood at the window, looking out into the garden.
Malta was lying on the platform, staring at the sparrows that were
picking up crumbs from the ground. She trembled, and half rose every few
minutes, as if to go after them. Then she lay down again. She was trying
very hard not to creep on them. Presently a neighbor's cat came stealing
along the fence, keeping one eye on Malta and the other on the sparrows.
Malta was so angry! She sprang up and chased her away, and then came
back to the platform, where she lay down again and waited for the
sparrows to come back. For a long time she stayed there, and never once
tried to catch them.

Miss Laura was so pleased. She went to the door, and said, softly, "Come
here, Malta."

The cat put up her tail, and, meowing gently, came into the house. Miss
Lau