The China Cat saw many strange sights as she sat in the police station,
and some of the sights were sad ones. She heard much about the flood,
too, for it was a very high one, the river having overflowed its banks
in many places.

At last all the poor people were rescued, and the police sergeant, who
had been very busy, was given a few moments' rest. He leaned back in his
chair and looked at the China Cat.

"I think I shall telephone Mr. Mugg and tell him to come here and get
his China Cat," the sergeant said. "This may not be his toy. It may
have been stolen from some other store. But I'll soon find out."

So the police sergeant telephoned to Mr. Mugg. The toy-store keeper and
his daughters, Angelina and Geraldine, were very busy, getting things to
rights after the fire. It had not been as bad as was at first supposed,
being down in the basement. Some smoke and water got up on the main
floor, however, but this was soon cleaned up and the store put to rights
again.

"What's that?" cried Mr. Mugg over the telephone, though of course the
China Cat could not hear what he said. "You have my white China Cat? Oh,
I am so glad! I'll be right down to get her."

"All right," answered the sergeant. "She is here waiting for you. Though
I would not call her very white," he added as he hung up the telephone.

"What do you think of that, Geraldine--Angelina!" called Mr. Mugg to his
two daughters. "Our China Cat, that was stolen when the toys were
carried out on account of the fire, has been found!"

"Oh, I am so glad!" said Geraldine.

"Where is she?" asked Angelina.

"In the police station," her father replied. "I am going down to get
her."

"I'll go with you," offered Geraldine. "I want to see the China Cat
again. I hope she isn't chipped. Who had her?"

But this Mr. Mugg did not know, for the sergeant did not tell him the
whole story over the telephone. A little later Mr. Mugg and Geraldine
were in the police station.

"I have come for my China Cat," said Mr. Mugg, rubbing his hands and
looking over the tops of his glasses.

"Here she is," said the sergeant, and he handed over the pussy who had
been rescued from the flood.

For a moment the toy-store keeper looked at the plaything. Then he sadly
shook his head.

"No, I am sorry to say that is not my China Cat," he said.

Well, you can just imagine how the China Cat felt. Her heart, such as
she had, was beating with joy when she saw Mr. Mugg and Geraldine com