She walked into the bathroom, watched herself in the mirror as she wiped away the tears, then washed her face and brushed her teeth in preparation for bed. She made one last walk thru of the rooms on the lower floor, turning out lights as she went before she headed for the stairs.

She was nearly at the top when she heard the faint sounds of a flute.
"Well, it's about time!" she said out loud as she strode the last few steps into the bedroom. She looked immediately to the rocker by the window, then halted, surprised to see that it was empty. The room was bright with moonlight, but she walked all around it anyway, searching corners, even looking under the bed. The anger and relief she felt at the sound of the flute faded. She could still hear the flute but couldn't tell from where the sound came. It seemed there was another instrument also. A fiddle? She stopped in front of the window and looked down at the yard. In the bright moonlight she saw Mjolnir trotting across the yard toward the house. surprisingly, he was trailed by another cat. From the size of it, it looked to be a half-grown kitten.

"Ooo kitten, if you value your life you had best leave that old Tom alone," thought Sharon.

The music had stopped. More disappointed than she could say, Sharon turned and headed back down to the ground floor. She didn't want the kitten following Mjolnir into the house. She wondered again if she was doing the right thing to leave him here. Louie would be moving into the house in just a few days and she knew he would take good care of the ancient feline. But Mjolnir obviously preferred the company of women. She shook her head. A rooming house in a college town was no place to bring the likes of Mjolnir.

The flute and fiddle started up again as soon as Sharon reached the bottom of the stairs. The music was clear and strong and obviously coming from the front porch. Queen Anne's Reel. She headed for the front door.

Cassie and Kathy finished out the tune then laid down their instruments. Kathy patted the rocker beside her.

"Come sit a spell," she invited.

Sharon did not hesitate and settled quickly between the two old women. Mjolnir was purring in Cassie's lap. She was thinking the kiteen had found the good sense to get lost when Kathy reached over and deposited the animal onto Sharon's knee. "You'll want to stop and get a carrier for this one on your way out tomorrow. They will have them at that Walmart in Belle. The one right off the Turnpike exit."

Cassie and Kathy finished out the song