rees.

An explosion from the boys extinguished my last hope of glory, for as
soon as he could speak Joe answered, unable to resist the joke, though
telling it betrayed his own transgressions.

"Johnny planned to be up awful early, and pick the last cherries off
that tree. I wanted to get ahead of him, so I sneaked down before light
to humbug him, for I was going a-fishing, and we have to be off by
four."

"Did you get your cherries?" I asked, bound to have some of the laugh on
my side.

"Guess I didn't," grumbled Joe, rubbing his knees, while Johnny added,
with an exulting chuckle,--

"He got a horrid scare and a right good scraping, for he didn't know any
one was down there. Couldn't go fishing either, he was so lame, and I
had the cherries after all. Served him right, didn't it?"

No answer was necessary, for the two lads indulged in a friendly scuffle
among the hay-cocks, while Mrs. Grant went off to repeat the tale in the
kitchen, whence the sound of a muffled roar soon assured me that Seth
was enjoying the joke as well as the rest of us.

XII.

KITTY'S CATTLE SHOW.

Little Kitty was an orphan, and she lived in the poor-house, where she
ran errands, tended babies, and was everybody's servant. A droll,
happy-hearted child, who did her best to be good, and was never tired of
hoping that something pleasant would happen.

She had often heard of Cattle Shows, but had never been to one, though
she lived in a town where there was one every year.

As October came, and people began to get ready for the show, Kitty was
seized with a strong desire to go, and asked endless questions about it
of old Sam, who lived in the house.

"Did you say anybody could go in for nothing if they took something to
show?" she asked.

"Yes; and them that has the best fruit, or cows, or butter, or whatever
it is, they gets a premium," said Sam, chopping away.

"What's a primmynum?" asked Kitty, forgetting to pick up chips, in her
interest.

"It's money; some gets a lot, and some only a dollar, or so."

"I wish I had something nice to show, but I don't own anything but
puss," and the little girl stroked the plump, white kitten that was
frisking all over her.

"Better send her; she's pretty enough to fetch a prize anywheres," said
Sam, who was fond of both Kittys.

"Do they have cats there?" asked the child, soberly.

"Ought to, if they don't, for, if cats aint cattle, I don't see what
they be," and old Sam laughed,