he isn't lookin', an' I gits de bestest toy ob all! Golly! I's
smarter dan a p'liceman, I is!"

Jeff grinned, showing two rows of white teeth in his black face. Indeed,
Jeff's teeth were the only clean things about him, it seemed. At least
they were white, though I can not say that he ever used a tooth brush.
His teeth were as white as was the China Cat when she was her very
cleanest. But she was not at all clean now. And you know how unhappy
this made her feel.

There was so much excitement now in front of Mr. Mugg's toy shop, with
the fire, the smoke, the water, the fire engines, the firemen and the
police, to say nothing of the crowd that had gathered, that no one paid
any attention to Jeff. Away he sneaked, with the China Cat under his
blouse.

"I's smart, I is!" said Jeff to himself, grinning. "I could 'a' tooken a
lot ob toys; but I liked dis Cat bestest ob all. She's so white!"

Jeff did not mind the black specks from the fire that had settled on the
cat, and he cared nothing about the grimy marks his own dirty hands had
made.

It was broad daylight now, and the firemen were getting the best of the
fire. By pouring a lot of water from their hose down in the basement,
the blaze had been put out, though there was still much smoke.

Jeff, the negro boy, shuffled off down the street on his way back to his
home. When he was nearly there he met some other colored boys.

One of these lads, named Sam, saw that Jeff was hiding something under
his blouse.

"Hello, Jeff!" called Sam. "Whut yo' got there? Something good to eat?"

"Nope, 'tain't nuffin to eat!" declared Jeff. He and Sam talked negro
talk, of course, just like Topsy, the colored doll, whom the China Cat
at first thought would rub off some of her black.

"Whut yo' got then?" asked Sam. "Show me!"

"Yes, show what yo' got, Jeff!" cried the other colored boys.

"Oh, I ain't got nuffin much!" Jeff answered, as he moved away from Sam
and the other boys. Sometimes they had taken things away from Jeff, and
Jeff was afraid that was what they were now going to do. Inside the
blouse of the colored boy the China Cat heard what was said, but she
could see nothing.

"I wonder what is going to happen?" she thought.

"Jeff has got something!" declared Sam to his chums. "Let's catch him
an' take it away!"

"All right!" agreed the other colored boys. They made a rush for Jeff,
but he was too quick for them. Pressing his hands over his blouse, at
the spot whe