mily had gone to
bed. Then they would begin to look about for something to eat for they
expected to find potatoes and probably other vegetables there for
Billy to eat and some kind of cold meat for Stubby and Button, and
perhaps a pie or piece of cake, either of which would be very
acceptable to all of them for they dearly loved sweets of all kinds.

The corners of the cellar were quite dark as by this time the sun had
set, so Billy hid himself in one corner behind a pile of kindling,
while Stubby crawled under the stationary wash tubs and Button curled
himself up on top of a high pile of boxes, from which place he could
see a swinging shelf with a plate of cold meat and boiled potatoes, as
well as an uncut pie and some doughnuts on it. In the opposite corner
of the cellar Billy spied a pile of potatoes and some cabbage and
carrots.

"Well, I declare," exclaimed Button, "if we are not lucky! Here we
find a good supper all laid out that will just suit our different
tastes. Meat and potatoes for Stubby, as well as potatoes, cabbage and
carrots for Billy."

"Hark! I hear some one coming!" warned Stubby. "I do hope whoever it
is, they don't find us and drive us out just when a good supper is in
sight, and also a nice quiet place to sleep."

Clumpety, clump, clumpety, clump, down the stairs came a stupid
looking German girl with a plate of fried chicken in one hand and a
dish of lovely crisp lettuce in the other. These she put on the shelf
and then turned and stumped her way up the stairs again. Then they
heard her locking up for the night, as they thought, but soon she
appeared wearing her hat and went out the side door through which they
had come into the cellar. They all kept very still for a little while,
then Button meowed to Stubby to tell him what he could see on the
shelf for them to eat, and where Billy could find some potatoes and
other vegetables. Stubby crawled out from under the tubs and ran to
where Button said the shelf was, but alas, alack! how was he to get at
the things on the shelf? It was six feet above him and so hung from
the ceiling that there was absolutely no way for him to climb up to
it.

[Illustration]

"Gee whiz! It makes me hungrier than ever to smell all those goodies
and not be able to get at them!"

While Stubby was standing there trying to think out a way to reach
them, Button cautiously climbed down from the boxes onto the shelf and
with his nose and paw poked a big, round potato