Page:Further Chronicles of Avonlea (1920).djvu/37

Rh to the house, night and day, with every kind of a cat in baskets, wanting to know if it was the one we had lost.

“We shall never see Fatima again,” I said hopelessly to Max and Ismay one afternoon. I had just turned away an old woman with a big, yellow tommy which she insisted must be ours —“ cause it kem to our place, mem, a-yowling fearful, mem, and it don’t belong to nobody not down Grafton way, mem.”

“I’m afraid you won't,” said Max. “She must have perished from exposure long ere this.”

“Aunt Cynthia will never forgive us,” said Ismay, dismally. “I had a presentiment of trouble the moment that cat came to this house.”

We had never heard of this presentiment before, but Ismay is good at having presentiments — after things happen.

“What shall we do?” I demanded, helplessly. “Max, can’t you find some way out of this scrape for us?”

“Advertise in the Charlottetown papers for a white Persian cat,” suggested Max. “Some one may have one for sale. If so, you must buy it, and palm it off on your good Aunt as Fatima. She’s very short-sighted, so it will be quite possible.”

“But Fatima has a blue spot on her tail,” I said.