anne of the island-第29章

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came　the　girls　were　very　glad　to　snuggle　down　under　Mrs。　Lynde's

quilts；　and　hoped　that　the　loan　of　them　might　be　accounted　unto

her　for　righteousness。　　Anne　had　the　blue　room　she　had　coveted

at　sight。　　Priscilla　and　Stella　had　the　large　one。　　Phil　was

blissfully　content　with　the　little　one　over　the　kitchen；　and

Aunt　Jamesina　was　to　have　the　downstairs　one　off　the　living…room。

Rusty　at　first　slept　on　the　doorstep。



Anne；　walking　home　from　Redmond　a　few　days　after　her　return；

became　aware　that　the　people　that　she　met　surveyed　her　with　a

covert；　indulgent　smile。　　Anne　wondered　uneasily　what　was　the

matter　with　her。　　Was　her　hat　crooked？　　Was　her　belt　loose？

Craning　her　head　to　investigate；　Anne；　for　the　first　time；

saw　Rusty。



Trotting　along　behind　her；　close　to　her　heels；　was　quite　the

most　forlorn　specimen　of　the　cat　tribe　she　had　ever　beheld。

The　animal　was　well　past　kitten…hood；　lank；　thin；　disreputable

looking。　　Pieces　of　both　ears　were　lacking；　one　eye　was

temporarily　out　of　repair；　and　one　jowl　ludicrously　swollen。

As　for　color；　if　a　once　black　cat　had　been　well　and　thoroughly

singed　the　result　would　have　resembled　the　hue　of　this　waif's

thin；　draggled；　unsightly　fur。



Anne　〃shooed；〃　but　the　cat　would　not　〃shoo。〃　　As　long　as　she

stood　he　sat　back　on　his　haunches　and　gazed　at　her　reproachfully

out　of　his　one　good　eye；　when　she　resumed　her　walk　he　followed。

Anne　resigned　herself　to　his　company　until　she　reached　the　gate

of　Patty's　Place；　which　she　coldly　shut　in　his　face；　fondly

supposing　she　had　seen　the　last　of　him。　　But　when；　fifteen

minutes　later；　Phil　opened　the　door；　there　sat　the　rusty…brown

cat　on　the　step。　　More；　he　promptly　darted　in　and　sprang　upon

Anne's　lap　with　a　half…pleading；　half…triumphant　〃miaow。〃



〃Anne；〃　said　Stella　severely；　〃do　you　own　that　animal？〃



〃No；　I　do　NOT；〃　protested　disgusted　Anne。　　〃The　creature　followed

me　home　from　somewhere。　　I　couldn't　get　rid　of　him。　　Ugh；　get　down。

I　like　decent　cats　reasonably　well；　but　I　don't　like　beasties　of

your　complexion。〃



Pussy；　however；　refused　to　get　down。　　He　coolly　curled　up　in

Anne's　lap　and　began　to　purr。



〃He　has　evidently　adopted　you；〃　laughed　Priscilla。



〃I　won't　BE　adopted；〃　said　Anne　stubbornly。



〃The　poor　creature　is　starving；〃　said　Phil　pityingly。　　〃Why；　his

bones　are　almost　coming　through　his　skin。〃



〃Well；　I'll　give　him　a　square　meal　and　then　he　must　return　to

whence　he　came；〃　said　Anne　resolutely。



The　cat　was　fed　and　put　out。　　In　the　morning　he　was　still

on　the　doorstep。　　On　the　doorstep　he　continued　to　sit；　bolting

in　whenever　the　door　was　opened。　　No　coolness　of　welcome　had

the　least　effect　on　him；　of　nobody　save　Anne　did　he　take　the

least　notice。　　Out　of　compassion　the　girls　fed　him；　but　when

a　week　had　passed　they　decided　that　something　must　be　done。

The　cat's　appearance　had　improved。　　His　eye　and　cheek　had

resumed　their　normal　appearance；　he　was　not　quite　so　thin；

and　he　had　been　seen　washing　his　face。



〃But　for　all　that　we　can't　keep　him；〃　said　Stella。　　〃Aunt　Jimsie

is　coming　next　week　and　she　will　bring　the　Sarah…cat　with　her。



We　can't　keep　two　cats；　and　if　we　did　this　Rusty　Coat　would

fight　all　the　time　with　the　Sarah…cat。　　He's　a　fighter　by　nature。

He　had　a　pitched　battle　last　evening　with　the　tobacco…king's　cat

and　routed　him；　horse；　foot　and　artillery。〃



〃We　must　get　rid　of　him；〃　agreed　Anne；　looking　darkly　at　the

subject　of　their　discussion；　who　was　purring　on　the　hearth　rug

with　an　air　of　lamb…like　meekness。　　〃But　the　question　is　　how？

How　can　four　unprotected　females　get　rid　of　a　cat　who　won't　be

got　rid　of？〃



We　must　chloroform　him；〃　said　Phil　briskly。　　〃That　is　the　most

humane　way。〃



〃Who　of　us　knows　anything　about　chloroforming　a　cat？〃　demanded

Anne　gloomily。



〃I　do；　honey。　　It's　one　of　my　few　　sadly　few　　useful　accomplishments。

I've　disposed　of　several　at　home。　　You　take　the　cat　in　the　morning　and

give　him　a　good　breakfast。　　Then　you　take　an　old　burlap　bag　　there's

one　in　the　back　porch　　put　the　cat　on　it　and　turn　over　him　a　wooden　box。

Then　take　a　two…ounce　bottle　of　chloroform；　uncork　it；　and　slip　it　under

the　edge　of　the　box。　　Put　a　heavy　weight　on　top　of　the　box　and　leave　it

till　evening。　　The　cat　will　be　dead；　curled　up　peacefully　as　if　he

were　asleep。　　No　pain　　no　struggle。〃



〃It　sounds　easy；〃　said　Anne　dubiously。



〃It　IS　easy。　　Just　leave　it　to　me。　　I'll　see　to　it；〃　said　Phil　reassuringly。



Accordingly　the　chloroform　was　procured；　and　the　next　morning　Rusty　was

lured　to　his　doom。　　He　ate　his　breakfast；　licked　his　chops；　and　climbed

into　Anne's　lap。　　Anne's　heart　misgave　her。　　This　poor　creature　loved　her

　trusted　her。　　How　could　she　be　a　party　to　this　destruction？



〃Here；　take　him；〃　she　said　hastily　to　Phil。　　〃I　feel　like　a　murderess。〃



〃He　won't　suffer；　you　know；〃　comforted　Phil；　but　Anne　had　fled。



The　fatal　deed　was　done　in　the　back　porch。　　Nobody　went　near　it

that　day。　　But　at　dusk　Phil　declared　that　Rusty　must　be　buried。



〃Pris　and　Stella　must　dig　his　grave　in　the　orchard；〃　declared　Phil；

〃and　Anne　must　come　with　me　to　lift　the　box　off。　　That's　the　part

I　always　hate。〃



The　two　conspirators　tip…toed　reluctantly　to　the　back　porch。

Phil　gingerly　lifted　the　stone　she　had　put　on　the　box。　　Suddenly；

faint　but　distinct；　sounded　an　unmistakable　mew　under　the　box。



〃He　　he　isn't　dead；〃　gasped　Anne；　sitting　blankly　down　on　the

kitchen　doorstep。



〃He　must　be；〃　said　Phil　incredulously。



Another　tiny　mew　proved　that　he　wasn't。　　The　two　girls　stared　at

each　other。〃



What　will　we　do？〃　questioned　Anne。



〃Why　in　the　world　don't　you　come？〃　demanded　Stella；　appearing　in

the　doorway。　　〃We've　got　the　grave　ready。　　‘What　silent　still　and

silent　all？'〃　she　quoted　teasingly。



〃‘Oh；　no；　the　voices　of　the　dead　Sound　like　the　distant　torrent's　fall；'〃

promptly　counter…quoted　Anne；　pointing　solemnly　to　the　box。



A　burst　of　laughter　broke　the　tension。



〃We　must　leave　him　here　till　morning；〃　said　Phil；　replacing　the　stone。

〃He　hasn't　mewed　for　five　minutes。　　Perhaps　the　mews　we　heard　were　his

dying　groan。　　Or　perhaps　we　merely　imagined　them；　under　the　strain　of

our　guilty　consciences。〃



But；　when　the　box　was　lifted　in　the　morning；　Rusty　bounded　at　one　gay

leap　to　Anne's　shoulder　where　he　began　to　lick　her　face　affectionately。

Never　was　there　a　cat　more　decidedly　alive。



〃Here's　a　knot　hole　in　the　box；〃　groaned　Phil。　　〃I　never　saw　it。

That's　why　he　didn't　die。　　Now；　we've　got　to　do　it　all　over　again。〃



〃No；　we　haven't；〃　declared　Anne　suddenly。　　〃Rusty　isn't　going　to　be

killed　again。　　He's　my　cat　　and　you've　just　got　to　make　the　best　of　it。〃



〃Oh；　well；　if　you'll　settle　with　Aunt　Jimsie　and　the　Sarah…cat；〃

said　Stella；　with　the　air　of　one　washing　her　hands　of　the　whole　affair。



From　that　time　Rusty　was　one　of　the　family。　　He　slept　o'nights　on　the

scrubbing　cushion　in　the　back　porch　and　lived　on　the　fat　of　the　land。

By　the　time　Aunt　Jamesina　came　he　was　plump　and　glossy　and　tolerably

respectable。　　But；　like　Kipling's　cat；　he　〃walked　by　himself。〃

His　paw　was　against　every　cat；　and　every　cat's　paw　against　him。

One　by　one　he　vanquished　the　aristocratic　felines　of　Spofford　Avenue。

As　for　human　beings；　he　loved　Anne　and　Anne　alone。　　Nobody　else　even

dared　stroke　him。　　An　angry　spit　and　something　that　sounded　much　like

very　improper　language　greeted　any　one　who　did。



〃The　airs　that　cat　puts　on　are　perfectly　intolerable；〃　declared　Stella。



〃Him　was　a　nice　old　pussens；　him　was；〃　vowed　Anne；　cuddling　her　pet　defiantly。



〃Well；　I　don't　know　how　he　and　the　Sarah…cat　will　ever　make　out

to　live　together；〃　said　Stella　pesimistically。　　〃Cat…fights　in

the　orchard　o'nights　are　bad　enough。　　But　cat…fights　here　in　the

livingroom　are　unthinkable。〃　　In　due　time　Aunt　Jamesina　arrived。

Anne　and　Priscilla　and　Phil　had　awaited　her　advent　rather　dubiously；

but　when