and went off with 'em. I ain't seen a hair of 'em since--no, I
won't say that quite, but I ain't seen THEM."

"And didn't he give you any of the seven dollars?"

"No-o."

"But you had been feeding those kittens and their mother for weeks."

"Ye-es."

"But didn't you ASK for anything?"

"We-ll, I told Nate he might maybe leave one of the kittens, so's I
could have a--er--souvenir of the visit, but he wouldn't do it.
Said those kittens was rare and--er--precious, or words to that
effect. He didn't intend to let another go as cheap as he had that
one."

"Oh. . . . I see. I remember now; I heard some one saying
something, early in July, about the sign on the Rogers' front
fence. 'Rare Cats for Sale' they said it was. I think. Of
course, I never thought of THOSE kittens. He must have sold them
all, for the sign isn't there now."

Jed whistled a few bars. "I don't hardly think he's sold 'em," he
said. "I presume likely he's just gone out of the business."

"I don't see why he shouldn't sell them. Green cats ought to sell
quickly enough, I should think. Were they green, honest and truly,