First she ran out to the gate, and screamed to a man going by,—
“How d’ye do, Mr. Man? You mustn’t smoke! My mamma don’t like it!”
“Oh, why did you do that?” said Ninny, her face covered with blushes, as she darted after Flaxie, and brought her into the house.
“Well, then, show me your new picture-book, and I won’t.”
As long as she was looking at pictures she was out of mischief, and Ninny turned the leaves very patiently.
But soon the cat came into the room with the new 038kitten in her mouth, and then Flaxie screamed with terror. She thought the cat was eating it up for a mouse; but instead of that she dropped it gently on the sofa, purring, and looking at the two little girls as if to say,—
“Isn’t it a nice baby?”
Flaxie thought it was; you could see that by the way she kissed it. But when she picked it up and marched about with it, the old cat mewed fearfully.
“Put it down,” said Ninny. “Don’t you see how bad you make its mother feel?”
“No. I’s goin’ to carry it over the bridge, and show it to my grandma; she wants to see this kitty.”