Clematis Part 21

Clematis did not answer. She gasped, and turned red as a rooster's comb.

"It's her money, Mrs. Alder," said Mr. Ladd, laughing. "She has it tied up for safe keeping. The conductor told me so."

Mrs. Alder lifted one corner of the box to peep in.

There was a scratching sound, and then out popped a little white, furry head, with sharp ears, and one black eye.

It was Deborah.

CHAPTER XIV

THE COUNTRY

When Mr. Ladd saw the little white head peep out, he put his head back and laughed.

"I pity the rats in your barn now, Mrs. Alder," he shouted.

Mrs. Alder frowned at first, but when she looked at Clematis, and saw her anxious face, she smiled.

"What on earth made you bring that cat way up here?" she asked.

"She's my own cat. I was afraid to leave her at the Home all alone.

Would you like to leave your cat alone, where people might throw it away while you were gone?"

Just then a tall man with a gray beard walked up.

"Never mind, Mary," he said. "We have plenty of milk in the dairy, and plenty of rats in the barn."

By this time Clematis had Deborah safe in her arms, and Mr. Alder led the way to the house, while Mr. Ladd drove off, laughing as he went.

"Well, you can take the cat down to the barn. I won't have it in the house," said Mrs. Alder.

"All right, we'll find a place for her," said Mr. Alder. He took Clematis by the hand, and they went down to the barn.

A gray horse poked his head from a box stall to look at the little visitor, and a little red hen called her chickens, and hastened away, clucking, as if she were very angry.

Clematis turned to look at her.

"Did you ever have any chickens?" asked Mr. Alder.

"Oh, no, I never saw any." Clematis could not take her eyes from the little chicks, as they ran after their anxious mother.

"We have lots of things to show you here. Let's put your cat up in the loft now."

They went up a set of stairs, and there was a loft, full of sweet hay.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Clematis stuck one hand out]

"There now, Mrs. Tabby, you will find a good bed, and good hunting here."

"Her name isn't Tabby, it's Deborah," said Clematis, as she put her down.

"Oh, that's quite a name. It suits her very well." Mr. Alder led the way down again.

At the other end of the barn, a red and white calf came up to meet them.

It put out its wet nose to smell the little visitor, and made her start back.

"He wants to say 'how do'. He loves little girls," said Mr. Alder.

Clematis stuck one hand out timidly, and pulled it back again, when the calf tried to lick it with his rough tongue.

"He wants just a little taste," laughed Mr. Alder. "Come on now.

Here is something else."

At the end of the barn, Clematis could hear strange noises. There, in the yard, were some smooth, white animals running about.

When Clematis came near the fence, they ran and put their fore feet up, and stuck their noses out.

"Uff, uff," they said. Then they squealed.

"Oh, I know! Those are pigs!" cried Clematis, clapping her hands.

Eight clean, white pigs were grunting and squealing for their supper.

"Squeal away, piggies," said Mr. Alder. "Supper will be along soon."

In a moment, he brought from the dairy a bright milk pail. Then they went down to the gate, and he called:

"Come boss, come boss. Come Betty."

A sleek, plump cow came over the hill, and hurried down to the gate.

It was just the color of a mouse.

"Dear old Betty. Steady now." Betty pushed through, and walked fast to the barn, where she began to whisper to her calf, and lap it with her great rough tongue.

As Clematis came up, Betty put her head down, and shook her horns.

"Behave, Betty. You ought to be ashamed," said Mr. Alder. "You see, she won't let any strangers near her calf."

Then he took some grain and put it in Betty's box, while he tied her head, and sat down on the stool beside her.

Clematis had never seen a cow milked before, and stood watching the white streams which filled the foaming pail, as if Mr. Alder were a fairy. It seemed like magic.

When the pail was full, Mr. Alder poured some into a s.h.i.+ny can, and took the rest to the dairy.