`` Bruce always loved Jem very devotedly , and the child has never forgotten him in all these years . He has been as faithful in his way as Dog Monday was in his . We have always told him that Jem would come back . But it seems that he was in Carter Flagg 's store last night and he heard his Uncle Norman flatly declaring that Jem Blythe would never come back and that the Ingleside folk might as well give up hoping he would . Bruce went home and cried himself to sleep . This morning his mother saw him going out of the yard , with a very sorrowful and determined look , carrying his pet kitten . She did n't think much more about it until later on he came in , with the most tragic little face , and told her , his little body shaking with sobs , that he had drowned Stripey . '' ` Why did you do that ? ' Mrs. Meredith exclaimed . '' ` To bring Jem back , ' sobbed Bruce . ' I thought if I sacrificed Stripey God would send Jem back . So I drownded him -- and , oh mother , it was awful hard -- but surely God will send Jem back now , 'cause Stripey was the dearest thing I had . I just told God I would give Him Stripey if He would send Jem back . And He will , wo n't He , mother ? ' `` Mrs. Meredith did n't know what to say to the poor child . She just could not tell him that perhaps his sacrifice would n't bring Jem back -- that God did n't work that way . She told him that he must n't expect it right away -- that perhaps it would be quite a long time yet before Jem came back . `` But Bruce said , ` It ought n't to take longer 'n a week , mother . Oh , mother , Stripey was such a nice little cat . He purred so pretty .
Do n't you think God ought XXXXX like him enough to let us have Jem ? ''
So about before if in on that to until with