The Terrible Twins

hey were willing to afford a home to such of those necessary animals as their owners no longer needed. They had, indeed, one offe

with him for rejecting it: she pointed o

vished such strenuous labor remained empty; and at last the

ikes kittens. It's only when they grow up and stop playing th

to give threepence each for kittens that can just lap. We do

idea," said Ere

s all right. The only thing I'm

bout those silly old accou

ny ledger the items of their expenditure with

Amelia is so used to cats' homes that are given their cats. She's told m

It makes all the less account

tled," said the T

eading abroad the tidings of their munificent offer

even more she loved making no secret of that grievance to those about her. Since she could only discuss this grievance with the Terror and Wiggins, they heard

ve kittens, or cats. We can't have any pocket-money

e stopping empty all the time," said Er

t pocket-money; and besides, Aunt Amelia will soon be wanting to know what's happening t

ycling, a good way from home, we could easily pick up one or two at a time and bring them back with us. We o

uted for stealing them,"

r off in the home, properly looke

it's no good trying to get them that way

come of themselv

ith valerian,

erian?" sa

lking to my father about cats a good deal lately, and he says if you put va

such a lot of useful things as well as

an reputation," said Wiggin

e they reached the village, on their way home, the Terror produced a rag with a piece of string tied to

f the father of Wiggins. All that evening and far into the night t

nough to admit a cat and fitted it with a hanging flap which a cat would readily push open from the outside, b

o say that Polly Cotteril had come from the village with some kittens. The Twins excused themselves politely to t

mewhat feebly, but they lapped. The fifth would not lap. It only mewed. Therefore the Terror took only four of the

they were so small, they put them in one hutch for warmth, wi

ing cats," said the Terror as they returned to the house.

uble of making that little d

n entrance," said the Terror. "But thank goodness, we've b

as already constructed and in process of occupation. Accordingly Erebus wrote a letter, by no means devoid of enthusiasm, informing her that it already held elev

presently found themselves grappling earnest

. Then their father had fallen into the hands of a firm of gambling stock-brokers, had along with them lost nearly all his money, and presently died, leaving Mrs. Dangerfield with a very sm

ldren of the well-to-do. But it did not come in the way of a regular allowance; it had to be obtained by diplomacy or work; and the processes of getting it had

t threepence halfpenny a quart, the kittens wou

hat milk spelled ruin. But they could see no way of reducing the price of m

had fallen on them. Then of a sudden the face of the Terror brightened; and he sa

m-milk, not kittens,"

eeping. Butter-making was its chief indu

will fatten kittens,"

d Erebus. "And you know what they are: if Granfeytner didn'

will sell it," said t

ates us worse than an

one says so. And he won't care whose money he gets so long as he g

and the Twins were not on friendly terms, admitted them with some hesitation. The Twins had never entered the farmer's house before, though

lly dropped a sovereign on the floor and talked of cash payments. Then his face shone; he made the admission, cautiously, that he might be induced to sell skim-milk; and then they came to the discussion of prices. Mr. Stubbs wanted to see skim-milk in quarts; the Terror could only see

diet for them; and he approached the village baker on the matter of stale bread. There were more negotiations; and in the end the Terror made a contract w

cat-hutches, with the best apples the more peaceful and sparsely populated parts of the countryside afforded. But

AMPTON'S

ired in the matter of shape; but both Erebus and Wiggins agreed that it was extraor

e scope and purpose, for it had excited the interest of the neighborhood and was a frequent matter of discussion for fully a week. She had explained to them that she never interfered with the Twins when they were engaged in any harmless employment, and that she was only too pleased that they had found a harmless employment that filled as much of their time as d

r use. They were careful to sally forth when she was taking her siesta after lunch; they went a

sed her admiration of its convenience, its cleanliness, and the extensive scale on which it was being run. She agreed with the Terror that to have saved so many kittens from the awful death of drowning was a great

or said carelessly: "The bicycles are for b

d Mrs. Dangerfield. "But wherever did

w she's very keen-tremendously interested in cats' homes

and she said rather breathlessly: "You got money out

aid the Terr

reat-aunt before the Twins. She bit her tongue with a firmness that filled her eyes with tea

including the squire and the vicar, made visits of inspection to it; and Wiggins brought his father. All of them expressed an admiration of the in

e more than ten pounds left out of the original thirty, urged that it should be raised to a shilling a week. But the Terror would not consent: he said their salaries for "overseeing" would naturally be much higher, and that they would have charged for their w

ittle Deeping were informed that for the time being the home was full. Erebus clamored to have its full complement of thirty kittens made up; but the Terror maintained very f

Twins dashed for the door; and Erebus opened it. On the s

ried Erebus springing upon h

rice, mother!"

eans sure of it himself! Is it my head or my heels I'm standin

of Little Deeping station, laden with wicker bas

ied Mrs. Dangerfield

s' home!" said Si

row on the floor of the hall, then he paid the porter, feebly, and shut the

ought cats-all over London-they've been with me ever since-yowling-they yowled in the taxi-all over London-they traveled down as far as Rowington with me and an old gentleman-a high-spirited old gentleman-yowling-not only the cats but the old gentleman, too--and they trav

me-only it's full of kitt

one through this nightmare for nothing?"

said the Terror with swift politeness.

much more natural. All kitten

prise for Aunt Amelia. She was only

for hours with a high-spirited gentleman and two-two-timid mai

faintly. "I ought to know your powers by now. And I did. I know well that any people who have dealings with y

ug Aunt Amelia?" said the Terror in a pa

"I only thought that you might poss

ully: there seemed to them mor

id Mrs. Dangerfield. "And I'm afraid there's ver

waving his hand over the vocal baskets. "These animals must b

. Wiggins' father-he's a higher mathematician, you know, and understands all this kind of thing-says

" said Sir Maurice with a shudder.

helped carry the cats down to the home; and he put them into hutch

e reduced his appreciative kinsfolk to the last exhaustion by his entertaining account of his parleying with his excited fellow travelers. He could now view it with an impa

hness sometimes caused them to overdo things; and it was on the w

and with an air of inspiration sa

time to work that valerian dodge. And it would mean that we should have to use our bicycles again for the

e shut up now

They get out quite early-when people

with extreme difficulty. He awoke Erebus with extreme difficulty. Five minutes later they were munching bread and butter in the kitchen to st

on to Great Deeping and trailed a rag from there through Little Deeping to the cats' home. When he reached it he found Erebus' bicycle in its corner; and when, after strengthening th

the coffee and bacon lured them straight into the dining-room. After all, as Erebus told the hesitating Terror, there was plenty of time to deal with the new cats, for Aunt Amelia could not

essage from a neighbor. Then Sarah threw open the dining-room door, said "Please, ma'am, it's Lady Ryehampton"; and thei

they rose to welcome her, she greeted them with severe stiffness

er treatment." The frown on her face grew rhadamanthine. "And last night I saw your Uncle Maurice at the station-he did not see me-with cats, London cats, in baskets. On the labels of two

mouth to explain; but t

n't mind ourselves; and of course, if he puts cats in it, he'll have to subscribe to the home. What we have started

e eyes were we

red a short snort; a

of cats to bring them all the way from London to a cats' home

A cats' home is not a cats' home unless it has cats in it; and you've been encouraging these children to grow up careless by calling a

somewhat owlishly: "That's all very well," she said in a less severe tone. "But is there

home. You don't think we'd deceive you, Aunt Amelia?" said the

ad kittens in it, there would be," said

ens in it!" said Mrs. Dangerfield with so

e of deceit!" cried S

look incapable of deceit; a

er: "Well, of c-c-c-course, if there's a c-c-cat

children from careless habits senseless in

e," said Lady Ryehampton. Then, with a return of suspi

id the Terror quickly, and

the hall as they went through it. When they came into the paddock their ears became aware of a dis

erfield's beautiful eyes were wide open in an anxious wonder; the piquant face of Erebus was set in a d

ght haven't got out of thei

be visiting cats," s

Lady Ryehampton and

they are left homeless they will know where to come," said the Terror, lo

ell the managers of my other homes about it and see wheth

were quarreling," sa

in was ear-splitting, excruciating, fiendish. It was as if the voices

large ball of cats came out, gyrating swiftly in a haze of flying fur. Ten yards from the door it diss

battle-song the air se

of doubting sadness: "I sometimes think

back of the home to conceal it from human ken. There with his handkerchief stuffed into his mo

fect, if highly-scented, peace. Twenty-three kittens and eight cats sat staring earnestly through bars of their hutches in a dead stillness. Th

e home, of the fatness and healthiness of the blinking kittens, the neatness and the cleanliness. She gus

much as I did," sai

He's a friend of ours," s

tened to Erebus-to Erebus,

s were red and moist, as if they

iece of work," he said in

ce more; and her face fell. She said une

Oh, no; we couldn't be. Mothe

I am glad I brought my check-boo

Terror dug him sharply in the ribs as Erebus kicked him joyfully on the ankle-bone; that they h