othing to what had happened
to-night.

She felt she would never forget the scene which had followed on the white
cat's attack on Mrs. Crofton. And yet, while concerned and sorry, she had
been shocked at the poor young woman's utter lack of self-control.

It was quite true, as Betty had somewhat bitterly remarked, that she,
Janet Tosswill, did not care for cats. Unfortunately there was a certain
sentimental interest attached to Josephine, for she had been brought from
France as a kitten, a present from Betty to Timmy, by an officer who had
been George's closest pal. She was also ruefully aware that old Nanna
would very much resent the disappearance of "French pussy," as she had
always called Josephine. As for Timmy, Janet had never seen her boy look
as he had looked to-night since the dreadful day that they had received
the War Office telegram about George.

Leaving her room, she walked along the corridor till she came to Timmy's
door. She tried the handle, and, finding with relief that the door was
unlocked, walked in. At once there came a voice across the room, "Is that
you, Mum?"

"Yes, Timmy, it's Mum."

Shutting the door, she felt her way across the room and came and sat down
on Timmy's bed. He was sitting up, wide awake.

She put her arms round him. "I'm so sorry," she said feelingly; "so
sorry, Timmy, about your poor cat! But you know, my dear, that if--if she
were left alive, we could never feel comfortable for a single moment. You
see, when an animal has done that sort of thing once, it may do it
again."

"Josephine would never do it again," said Timmy obstinately, and he
caught his breath with a sob.

"You can't possibly know that, my dear. She would of course have other
kittens, and then some day, when some perfectly harmless person happened
to come anywhere near her, she would fly at him or her, just as she did
at Mrs. Crofton."

"No, she wouldn't--she didn't do anything like that when she had her last
kittens."

"I know that, Timmy. But you heard what Dr. O'Farrell said."

"Dr. O'Farrell isn't God," said Timmy scornfully.

"No, my dear, Dr. O'Farrell is certainly not God; but he is a very
sensible, humane human being--and the last man to condemn even an animal
to death, without good reason."

There was a rather painful pause. Janet Tosswill felt as if the child
were withdrawing himself from her, both in a physical and in a mental
sense.

"Mum?" he said in a low, heart-broken voice.

"Yes