To begin with , there had been something uncanny about the very dawn of his existence . Four years previously Rilla Blythe had had a treasured darling of a kitten , white as snow , with a saucy black tip to its tail , which she called Jack Frost . Susan disliked Jack Frost , though she could not or would not give any valid reason therefor . `` Take my word for it , Mrs. Dr. dear , '' she was wont to say ominously , `` that cat will come to no good . '' `` But why do you think so ? '' Mrs. Blythe would ask . `` I do not think -- I know , '' was all the answer Susan would vouchsafe . With the rest of the Ingleside folk Jack Frost was a favourite ; he was so very clean and well groomed , and never allowed a spot or stain to be seen on his beautiful white suit ; he had endearing ways of purring and snuggling ; he was scrupulously honest . And then a domestic tragedy took place at Ingleside . Jack Frost had kittens ! It would be vain to try to picture Susan 's triumph . Had she not always insisted that that cat would turn out to be a delusion and a snare ? Now they could see for themselves ! Rilla kept one of the kittens , a very pretty one , with peculiarly sleek glossy fur of a dark yellow crossed by orange stripes , and large , satiny , golden ears . She called it Goldie and the name seemed appropriate enough to the little frolicsome creature which , during its kittenhood , gave no indication of the sinister nature it really possessed . Susan , of course , warned the family that no good could be expected from any offspring of that diabolical Jack Frost ; but Susan 's Cassandra-like croakings were unheeded . The Blythes had been so accustomed to regard Jack Frost as a member of the male sex that they could not get out of the habit . So they continually used the masculine pronoun , although the result was ludicrous . Visitors used to be quite electrified when Rilla referred casually to `` Jack and his kitten , '' or told Goldie sternly , `` Go to your mother and get him to wash your fur . '' `` It is not decent , Mrs. Dr. dear , '' poor Susan would say bitterly .
She herself compromised XXXXX always referring to Jack as `` it '' or `` the white beast , '' and one heart at least did not ache when `` it '' was accidentally poisoned the following winter .
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