be mutually happy together, he wasn't going to disturb you. He
thought it was a great joke on you. And he took them back himself?
Why?"

Mr. Winslow rubbed his chin. "I don't know's I'd ought to say
anything about it," he said. "I haven't afore. I wouldn't
interfere with Nate's sales for anything."

"Sales? Sales of what? Oh, you mean thing! Don't be so
provoking! Tell me the whole story this minute."

Jed painted a moment or two. Then he said: "We-ell, Maud, you see
those kittens got to be kind of a nuisance. They was cunnin' and
cute and all that, but they was so everlastin' lively and hungry
that they didn't give me much of a chance. I was only one, you
see, and they had a majority vote every time on who should have the
bed and the chairs and the table and one thing or 'nother. If I
sat down I sat on a cat. If I went to bed I laid down on cats, and
when I turned them out and turned in myself they came and laid down
on ME. I slept under fur blankets most of June. And as for
eatin'-- Well, every time I cooked meat or fish they sat down in a
circle and whooped for some. When I took it off the fire and put
it in a plate on the table, I had to put another plate and a--a
plane or somethin' heavy on top of it or they'd have had it sartin
sure. Then when I sat down to eat it they formed a circle again
like a reg'lar band and tuned up and hollered. Lord a-mercy, HOW
they did holler! And if one of the kittens stopped, run out of
wind or got a sore throat or anything, the old cat would bite it to
set it goin' again. She wan't goin' to have any shirkin' in HER
orchestra. I ate to music, as you might say, same as I've read