don't you? Over on Hammond Square?"

Twaddles and Dot knew, and they hurried over to Hammond Square
eagerly. Sure enough, Mrs. Tracy was glad to have a kitten, and like
her brother, she wanted to keep the "sample." But when matters were
explained to her and she understood that she could have her kitten
that afternoon, she was quite satisfied.

"That makes two," said Dot, as they went down the steps.

Finding homes for the five other kittens wasn't so easy. The twins
went to every house where they knew any one and some of these people
already had cats and others didn't want any cats. But they listened
politely, though they always laughed, and some of them told the twins
of friends who might be glad to have a kitten.

The poor little "sample" was growing quite rough looking and frowsy,
from being pulled in and out of Twaddles' coat so many times, and it
was almost noon when they had disposed of all but one cat.

"Let's go ask Miss Alder," suggested Dot as they passed a handsome
house set in a circle of evergreen trees.

"She'll chase us," Twaddles argued. "She can't stand children--they
make her nervous."

Dot had heard this, too--Miss Alder was a wealthy and elderly woman
who lived alone except for two maids. She didn't have much to do with
her neighbors and she had nothing at all to do with the children in
Oak Hill. She didn't like them and most of them were afraid of her.

"You needn't come, if you don't want to, but I'm going to ask her,"
said Dot, turning in at the path which led to the white doorway of the
Alder house.

"Well--I'll come--you'll need to show her the sample," Twaddles
murmured, wondering what made his knees feel so queer.

CHAPTER XVII

MISS ALDER'S HOUSE

Dot rang the bell and waited quietly, but Twaddles kept hopping up and
down the steps. He was down, when the door opened suddenly and he was
so afraid Dot would go in and leave him outside that he rushed up the
steps, two at a time, and the maid nearly shut the door in his face.

"Go away, boy!" she said distinctly. "We don't allow boys around
here."

This was discouraging, but Dot refused to be dismayed.

"I'm a girl," she stated firmly. "Could I see Miss Alder?"

"Well--I'll ask," the maid answered. "Wait a minute." And she closed
the door.

"Mother says it is very rude to keep any one waiting at the door,"
whispered Dot. "She always asks 'em in."

"You can come in," the maid announced, opening the door before
Twad