" As she
spoke Louise came out into full view.
"What are you talking about, and who is this boy?" Mrs. Hazeltine put
up her glass, embarrassing Ikey greatly. "Oh, it is that Ford boy!
Now tell me what you have in that box."
"A cat." Carl's eyes were full of mischief, though his tone was
solemnity itself.
"Mercy upon us! Let it out at once!"
"We can't; it is dead."
"Dead? You wicked boys! Did you kill it?"
"Oh, Aunt Marcia," cried Louise before Carl could reply, "they had to
do it, indeed, _indeed_ they did! It was hurt; some boys shot it with
a toy pistol, and it was dreadful; so we bought some chloroform and
Ikey killed it because he knew how, and now they are sitting on the
box to make sure!"
Horrified and astonished, Mrs. Hazeltine surveyed her young relatives
in silence.
"Why couldn't you have James do it?" she inquired at length.
"He has taken the horses to be shod."
"Where is Zelie?"
"Gone to Chicago with Cousin Helen."
"Well, Louise must go in at once, and may I inquire how long it will
be necessary for you to sit on that box in this damp place?"
"It must be dead now, I think," Ikey said, rising.
Carl was proceeding to make an investigation, when Aunt Marcia
protested, "Wait till I'm gone, if you _please_; _I_ don't care to
have anything to do with such business," and drawing her skirts about
her, she hastily retired.
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