Chapter One

by Ruth Stiles Gannett

　　MY FATHER MEETS THE CAT

　　One cold rainy day when my father was a little boy, he met an oldalley cat on his street. The cat was very drippy and uncomfortable somy father said, "Wouldn't you like to come home with me?"

　　This surprised the cat—she had never before met anyone who caredabout old alley cats—but she said, "I'd be very much obliged if Icould sit by a warm furnace, and perhaps have a saucer of milk."

　　"We have a very nice furnace to sit by," said my father, "and I'm suremy mother has an extra saucer of milk."