The door was softly opened, and a cat came walking in,

With eyes like balls of fire and a coat as black as sin.

Then squatting on its haunches, it said, in tones polite,

"There seems to be but two of us to stay in here to-night!"

Tim muttered in a trembling voice, as for the door he run,

"Perhaps you think there will be two, but darn me, there's but one!"

[Pg 16]

Tim staid away the blessed night, but when the daylight came,

It brought him back his courage, and it filled him full of shame;

And then he said, unto himself, "There wasn't any cat

Could make him leave that room again—he'd bet his life on that!"

So when the shades of evening fell, Tim double-barred the door,

And took precautions that, perhaps, he hadn't night before,

And felt quite sure that nothing now could gain admittance there,

And peacefully he dozed and slept, a-sitting in his chair.

Then, all at once, he roused himself, and opening wide his eyes,

Beheld a figure standing there that made his hair arise

Like quills upon a porcupine, and froze his heart with fear,

And headless though it was, it spoke, and said in accents clear,

"There seems to be but two of us to stay in here to-night!"

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