. Admission, twenty-five cents each.

"This will be nice for us," remarked Zip, "for while Martha is away, we
can steal into the milk cellar and lick the cream off the pans. Of course
in the morning she will wonder why old Bess, the red cow, did not give as
rich milk as usual. But she will think that the chore boy did not feed her
enough bran, for she would never suspect Tabby, her pet, of doing such a
mean thing!"

And of her own accord, Tabby never would, had not Zip put her up to it.

The next was that Sophie Hooper and James Steadman were going to be
married at last. And he was glad of it, for one, for he had seen them
courting on the little bridge that crossed the creek in the valley for the
last year!

Another was that Mr. Stubbins had a new dog, a red setter hunting dog,
which he believed he was going to hate as it had barked at him from its
kennel when he ran around the house to see their white cat and pass the
time of day with her while the doctor was making a call across the street.

"And really, Tabby, from the way that dog barked and pulled on his chain,
I am sure he would have eaten me up could he have gotten at me! But just
wait until he finds who I am, and I guess he will quiet down!"

CHAPTER II

ZIP'S EXCITING NEWS

"Why, Zip Elsworth! Where in the world have you been? You look all fagged
out and you are spattered with mud from head to foot! The doctor has been
whistling for you for half an hour, and I just heard him tell Martha to
save you a good dinner for you would be mighty hungry when you came in, as
you would have to come a good ten miles if you got left at the last place
he called, for it was away over at Mapleville. He said he never noticed
you were not in the buggy until he was nearly home, and then he thought
you must be running on behind, as you sometimes do so you can chase
chickens, dogs and cows that are in the road, just for the fun of it."

"Tabby, don't talk to me until I have had a drink. I don't want anything
to eat. I am too excited to taste a morsel and it would stick in my throat
if I tried to swallow it."

"Gracious, goodness, me! It must be something awful if it excites you this
way, for you generally love excitement and it doesn't tire you a bit."

"Come with me until I get a drink and take a swim in the watering trough
to get off this mud, and then I will tell you my news. And be prepared for
a big surprise."

"Land sakes!" exclaimed Tabby. "Who has gone an