She is very poorly to-day. Oh
how glad I shall be when my Emilie comes back! Good bye, take the cat,
dear, away, pray do;" and, so saying, aunt Agnes bustled off, leaving
poor Edith more troubled and perplexed with Muff than ever.
CHAPTER EIGHTH.
GOOD FOR EVIL.
Old Joe Murray was seated on the beach, nearer the town than his house
stood, watching the groups of busy children, digging and playing in the
sand, now helping them in their play, and now giving his hint to the
nurses around him, when Edith tapped him on the shoulder. There was
something so unusually serious, not _cross_, in Edith's countenance,
that Joe looked at her inquiringly. "There, set down the basket,
Nockells, and run back quick, tell papa I kept you; I am afraid you will
get into disgrace."
"Mayn't I drown Puss?" said Nockells.
"No! you cruel boy, _no!_" said Edith, vehemently. "_You_ shall not have
the pleasure, no one shall do it who would take a pleasure in it."
"What is the matter Miss?" asked Joe, as soon as Nockells turned away.
"The matter, oh Joe! I want Muff drowned; my cat I mean, my dear cat;"
and then she told her tale up to the point of Miss Webster's refusing to
admit Muff as a lodger, and cried most bitterly as she said, "and I
won't have her ill-treated, so I will drown her, will you do it for me
Joe, please do now, or my courage will be gone? but I won't stay to look
at it, so good-bye," said she, and slipping a shilling into Joe's hand,
ran home with the news to Fred, that the cat was by this time at the
bottom of the tea, and his canaries were safe for ever from her claws.
Pages:
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100