"Oh. . . . Then one day Nate he happened to be in here--come to
borrow somethin', some tool seems to me 'twas--and the cats was
climbin' round promiscuous same as usual. And one of the summer
women came in while he was here, wanted a mill for her little niece
or somethin'. And she saw one of the animals and she dropped
everything else and sang out: 'Oh, what a beautiful kitten! What
unusual coloring! May I see it?' Course she was seein' it
already, but I judged she meant could she handle it, so I tried to
haul the critter loose from my leg--there was generally one or more
of 'em shinnin' over me somewhere. It squalled when I took hold of
it and she says: 'Oh, it doesn't want to come, does it! It must
have a very affectionate disposition to be so attached to you.'
Seemed to me 'twas attached by its claws more'n its disposition,
but I pried it loose and handed it to her. Then she says again,
'What unusual colorin'! Will you sell this one to me? I'll give
you five dollars for it.'"

He stopped again. Another reminder from Miss Hunniwell was
necessary to make him continue.

"And you sold one of those kittens for five dollars?" she cried.

"No-o."

"You didn't? Why, you foolish man! Why not?"

"I never had a chance. Afore I could say a word Nate Rogers spoke
up and said the kittens belonged to him. Then she saw another one
that she hadn't seen afore and she says: 'Oh, that one has more