Q: It was very warm for February. Anna and her brother, John, played outside in the beautiful, sunny weather. Dad was washing his car. When Mom came home with the groceries, Dad sent the kids to help carry bags. They ran to the garage to help her. But when they got there, Mom was kneeling on the ground near where their bikes were parked, petting a gray cat with long hair.

"Can we pet her?" Anna asked.

"Be careful," Mom said. Anna knew these directions were for her brother, who was often rough with things.

"She's fat," John giggled.

"She's not fat. She's pregnant," Mom told him.

"What's that mean?" John asked.

"It means she's going to have kittens." Anna said. "Can we keep her?" Anna begged. "Please?"

Mom and Dad looked at each other.

"We could take her to the pound, or she could stay outside here," Mom said. "Long-haired cats give you rashes."

"But you always said you wanted one," Dad told Mom. "Short-haired cats don't bother me, and if she stays here, we have to give the kittens away. Let's send her over to your parents' farm. She can live in the barn, and then if one of the kittens has short hair, we can keep that one."

The kids were excited. They named the cat Socks because she had white feet, and they went to visit her every day. Socks had her kittens in April, and, to everyone's excitement, two of them had short hair. Dad said that since they were brother and sister, they could keep both kittens. Anna named her kitten Lucky, and John named his kitten Spike. The other two kittens, Butterscotch and Squeakers, stayed at Grandma and Grandpa's house, but Anna and John each got a kitten of their very own.

1. Mom
2. gray
3. No
4. Dad
5. beautiful and sunny
6. Anna's brother
7. because Anna's Mom told him to be careful
8. John
9. two
10. in April
11. No
12. Socks
13. Yes
14. No
15. because she had white feet
16. four
17. Grandma and Grandpa
18. Mom's side
19. in the barn
20. because they give you rashes

Numbered questions:
1. Who was the first person to pet the cat?
2. What color was it?
3. Did it have short hair?
4. Who was cleaning the car?
5. What was the weather like?
6. Who was often rough with things?
7. How do you know?
8. What's his name?
9. How many kittens had short hair?
10. When were they born?
11. Was one of them named Lucy?
12. Who gave birth to the kittys?
13. Did anyone know Socks was going to have babies?
14. Was Socks a boy?
15. Why was she named Socks?
16. How many kittens were there total?
17. Who received the other two?
18. What side of the family did Grandma and Grandpa belong to?
19. Where did Socks live?
20. Why are long-haired cats a problem?

Q: CHAPTER XXXIII

From Titherington, the aviator, in his Devonshire home, from a millionaire amateur flier among the orange-groves at Pasadena, from his carpenter father in Joralemon, and from Gertie in New York, Carl had invitations for Christmas, but none that he could accept. VanZile had said, pleasantly, "Going out to the country for Christmas?"

"Yes," Cal had lied.

Again he saw himself as the Dethroned Prince, and remembered that one year ago, sailing for South America to fly with Tony Bean, he had been the lion at a Christmas party on shipboard, while Martin Dockerill, his mechanic, had been a friendly slave.

He spent most of Christmas Eve alone in his room, turning over old letters, and aviation magazines with pictures of Hawk Ericson, wondering whether he might not go back to that lost world. Josiah Bagby, Jr., son of the eccentric doctor at whose school Carl had learned to fly, was experimenting with hydroaeroplanes and with bomb-dropping devices at Palm Beach, and imploring Carl, as the steadiest pilot in America, to join him. The dully noiseless room echoed the music of a steady motor carrying him out over a blue bay. Carl's own answer to the tempter vision was: "Rats! I can't very well leave the Touricar now, and I don't know as I've got my flying nerve back yet. Besides, Ruth----"

Always he thought of Ruth, uneasy with the desire to be out dancing, laughing, playing with her. He was tormented by a question he had been threshing out for days: Might he permissibly have sent her a Christmas present?

1. Carl
2. Titherington
3. Devonshire
4. South America
5. one year ago
6. to fly with Tony Bean
7. no
8. Ruth
9. dance, laugh and play
10. a Christmas present
11. no
12. the doctor's school
13. yes
14. Josiah Bagby, Jr
15. hydroaeroplanes and with bomb-dropping devices
16. at Palm Beach,
17. join him
18. Christmas
19. no

Numbered questions:
1. What was the aviator's name?
2. Where was he from?
3. And where did he live now?
4. Where did he sail to a while ago?
5. How long ago?
6. For what purpose?
7. Was he poor?
8. Who was always on his mind?
9. What did he want to do with her?
10. What did he wonder if he could have given her?
11. Did he have anyone to spend Christmas Eve with?
12. Where did he learn to fly?
13. Did that person have a son?
14. What was he called?
15. What was he testing?
16. At what location?
17. What did he want Carl to do?
18. What was Carl invited to?
19. Could he go?

Q: CHAPTER XII.

THE PRISONER.

It was several moments before Seth could bring himself to believe that Dan and Bill Dean had utterly failed in their efforts to save Jip Collins from the would-be detective.

During the day he had given the matter comparatively little thought, believing that, having set out on their mission of mercy at such an early hour, his roommates would succeed in their efforts.

Sam Barney was known to all his acquaintances as a boy opposed to rising very early, or working very hard, and it had been no more than reasonable to suppose Jip would be warned in time.

Teddy Bowser could give very little information, and that which he did impart only served to heighten the mystery.

He stated that he met Sam at about seven o'clock that morning, and talked with him concerning his visit to Philadelphia with the purpose, as previously agreed upon, of delaying him until nearly nine o'clock.

That then the alleged detective had gone toward Fulton Market with the avowed intention of meeting a friend, and Teddy was positive Jip had not been arrested until late in the afternoon.

"Where was Dan an' Bill when they sent you to tell me?"

"Over by Jefferson Market; that's where Jip's been jugged."

"Were they to wait there for me?"

"That's what they reckoned on, except you thought them firemen of yourn could help out."

"If Jip's really been 'rested I don't believe Ninety-four's men could do anything, 'cordin' to the way Mr. Davis talks. We'll go right down to the market."

1. Sam
2. Barney
3. No
4. Dan
5. Bill
6. Yes
7. They were roommates
8. Teddy
9. Bowser
10. Seven o'clock
11. Yes
12. Fulton Market
13. Meeting a friend
14. No
15. Late afternoon
16. Teddy
17. Yes
18. Yes
19. No
20. A boy

Numbered questions:
1. Who did not like to get up at an early hour?
2. What was his last name?
3. Was he a worker who put forth much effort?
4. Who did not manage to rescue Jip?
5. And who else?
6. Did Dan and Bill have a relationship with Seth?
7. How?
8. Who gave sparse information?
9. And his last name?
10. At what time did he meet Sam?
11. In the morning?
12. Where did the detective go?
13. For what purpose?
14. Was Jip incarcerated in the morning?
15. What time of day then?
16. Who was sure of this?
17. Was it assumed the firemen could be of assistance?
18. Did the roommates leave at an early time of day?
19. Was Sam Barney described as a man?
20. How was he described then?