The Story Girl started eagerly forward . `` Oh , Mr. Dale , can you tell us anything of Paddy ? '' she cried . `` A silver gray cat with black points and very fine marking ? '' `` Yes , yes ! '' `` Alive ? '' `` Yes . '' `` Well , does n't that beat the Dutch ! '' muttered Dan . But we were all crowding about the Awkward Man , demanding where and when he had found Paddy . `` You 'd better come over to my place and make sure that it really is your cat , '' suggested the Awkward Man , `` and I 'll tell you all about finding him on the way . I must warn you that he is pretty thin -- but I think he 'll pull through . '' We obtained permission to go without much difficulty , although the spring evening was wearing late , for Aunt Janet said she supposed none of us would sleep a wink that night if we did n't . A joyful procession followed the Awkward Man and the Story Girl across the gray , star-litten meadows to his home and through his pine-guarded gate . `` You know that old barn of mine back in the woods ? '' said the Awkward Man . `` I go to it only about once in a blue moon . There was an old barrel there , upside down , one side resting on a block of wood . This morning I went to the barn to see about having some hay hauled home , and I had occasion to move the barrel . I noticed that it seemed to have been moved slightly since my last visit , and it was now resting wholly on the floor .
I lifted it up -- and there was a cat lying on the XXXXX under it .
Aunt Mr. barrel cat floor morning none points procession way