The Copy-Cat [24]
said Mrs. Meeks. "Yes, ma'am, I should think there was hundreds of cats and little kittens." "I am so afraid Mr. Van Ness will be disturbed." "Yes, ma'am." "You might go out and look, Jane." "Oh, ma'am, they might be burglars!" "How can they be burglars when they are cats?" demanded Mrs. Meeks, testily. Arnold Carruth snickered, and Johnny on one side, and Lily on the other, prodded him with an elbow. They were close under the window. "Burglars is up to all sorts of queer tricks, ma'am," said Jane. "They may mew like cats to tell one another what door to go in." "Jane, you talk like an idiot," said Mrs. Meeks. "Burglars talking like cats! Who ever heard of such a thing? It sounds right under that window. Open my closet door and get those heavy old shoes and throw them out." It was an awful moment. The three dared not move. The cats and kittens in the bags -- not so many, after all -- seemed to have turned into multi- plication-tables. They were positively alarming in their determination to get out, their wrath with one another, and their vociferous discontent with the whole situation. "I can't hold my bag much longer," said poor little Arnold Carruth. "Hush up, cry-baby!" whispered Lily, fiercely, in spite of a clawing paw emerging from her own bag and threatening her bare arm. Then came the shoes. One struck Arnold squarely on the shoulder, nearly knocking him down and making him lose hold of his bag. The other struck Lily's bag, and conditions became worse; but she held on despite a scratch. Lily had pluck. Then Jane's voice sounded very near, as she leaned out of the window. "I guess they have went, ma'am," said she. "I seen something run." "I can hear them," said Mrs. Meeks, queru- lously. "I seen them run," persisted Jane, who was tired and wished to be gone. "Well, close that window, anyway, for I know I hear them, even if they have gone," said Mrs. Meeks. The three heard with relief the window slammed down. The light flashed out, and simultaneously Lily Jennings and Johnny Trumbull turned indignantly upon Arnold Carruth. "There, you have gone and let all those poor cats go," said Johnny. "And spoilt everything," said Lily. Arnold rubbed his shoulder. "You would have let go if you had been hit right on the shoulder by a great shoe," said he, rather loudly. "Hush up!" said Lily. "I wouldn't have let my cats go if I had been killed by a shoe; so there." "Serves us right for taking a boy with curls," said Johnny Trumbull. But he spoke unadvisedly. Arnold Carruth was no match whatever for Johnny Trumbull, and had never been allowed the honor of a combat with him; but surprise takes even a great champion at a dis- advantage. Arnold turned upon Johnny like a flash, out shot a little white fist, up struck a dimpled leg clad in cloth and leather, and down sat Johnny Trumbull; and, worse, open flew his bag, and there was a yowling exodus. "There go your cats, too, Johnny Trumbull," said Lily, in a perfectly calm whisper. At that mo- ment both boys, victor and vanquished, felt a simul- taneous throb of masculine wrath at Lily. Who was she to gloat over the misfortunes of men? But retri- bution came swiftly to Lily. That viciously claw- ing little paw shot out farther, and there was a limit to Spartanism in a little girl born so far from that heroic land. Lily let go of her bag and with diffi- culty stifled a shriek of pain. "Whose cats are gone now?" demanded Johnny, rising. "Yes, whose cats are gone now?" said Arnold. Then Johnny promptly turned upon him and knocked him down and sat on him. Lily looked at them, standing, a stately little figure in the darkness. "I am going home," said she. "My mother does not allow me to go with fighting boys." Johnny rose, and so did Arnold, whimpering slightly. His shoulder ached considerably. "He knocked me down," said Johnny. Even as he whimpered and as he suffered, Arnold felt a thrill of triumph. "Always knew I could if I had a chance," said he. "You couldn't if I had been expecting it," said Johnny. "Folks get knocked down when they ain't ex- pecting it most of the time," declared Arnold,