The lady consented , and the children went away together . While they were gone , Sam came to find his little friend , and the kind lady , amused at the cat story , asked about the child . `` She aint no friends but me and the kitten , so I thought I 'd give the poor little soul a bit of pleasure . The quarter I 'll get for fetching Green 's hens will get Kitty some dinner , and a book maybe , or something to remember Cattle Show by . Should n't wonder if I earned a trifle more doing chores round to-day ; if so , I shall give it to her for a premium , 'cause I fetched the cat for fun , and would n't like to disappoint the child . '' As Sam laughed , and rubbed his rough hands over the joke of surprising Kitty , the lady looked at his kind old face , and resolved to give him a pleasure , too , and of the sort he liked . She was rich and generous , and , when her little girl came back , begging her to buy the lovely kitten , she said she would , and put five dollars into Sam 's hands , telling him that was Kitty 's premium , to be used in buying clothes and comforts for the motherless child . Kitty was quite willing to sell puss , for five dollars seemed a splendid fortune to her . Such a happy day as that was , for she saw everything , had a good dinner , bought `` Babes in the Wood '' of a peddler , and , best of all , made friends . Miss Puss was brought up by her new mistress , and put on a table among the flowers , where the pretty cage and the plump , tricksy kitten attracted much attention , for the story was told , and the little girl 's droll contribution much laughed over . But the poor-house people did n't laugh , for they were so surprised and delighted at this unexpected success that they were never tired of talking about Kitty 's Cattle Show . XIII . WHAT BECOMES OF THE PINS . Miss Ellen was making a new pincushion , and a very pretty one it promised to be , for she had much taste , and spent half her time embroidering chair-covers , crocheting tidies , and all sorts of dainty trifles . Her room was full of them ; and she often declared that she did wish some one would invent a new sort of fancy-work , since she had tried all the old kinds till she was tired of them . Painting china , carving wood , button-holing butterflies and daisies onto Turkish towelling , and making peacock-feather trimming , amused her for a time ; but as she was not very successful she soon gave up trying these branches , and wondered if she would not take a little plain sewing for a change . The old cushion stood on her table beside the new one ; which was ready for its trimming of lace and ribbon . A row of delicate new pins also lay waiting to adorn the red satin mound , and in the old blue one still remained several pins that had evidently seen hard service . Miss Ellen was putting a dozen needles into her book , having just picked them out of the old cushion , and , as she quilted them through the flannel leaves , she said half aloud , -- `` It is very evident where the needles go , but I really do wish I knew what becomes of the pins . '' `` I can tell you , '' answered a small , sharp voice , as a long brass pin tried to straighten itself up in the middle of a faded blue cornflower , evidently prepared to address the meeting .
Miss XXXXX stared much surprised , for she had used this big pin a good deal lately , but never heard it speak before .
Ellen Puss Sam XIII cornflower day fancy-work pincushion poor-house towelling