Ainsworth, the Missing Tabby

Mr. Smiley has a new toy.

Meanwhile, Roderick is home for the car show at the Beaune Estate -- an annual event to which Beauneville denizens bring the cars they drive every day. Molly and Megan join him for the event.

Mr. Whitaker down the street wanted to buy this Hudson Hornet as soon as it arrived at Beauneville Motors. Mrs. Whitaker, however, demurred. "Too sporty," she said. Mrs. Whitaker is not known for being adventurous.

The Whitakers purchased this DeSoto instead, which they still own.

Mr. Ackerman, of the Ackerman's Market Ackermans, remains loyal to the Packard brand. Even after Packard merged with Studebaker and ceased production, Mr. Ackerman purchased this 1956 Packard Clipper, which is really just a Studebaker with Packard branding. "I would never buy a Studebaker," he huffs. To Mr. Ackerman, Studebakers are for the lower sort.

Mr. Van Zandt, the butcher, likes to work for Mr. Ackerman, but thinks his taste in cars is a little priggish. Mr. Van Zandt still drives his father's 1941 Studebaker.

When she was shopping for a car, Megan took this little number for a test drive before she settled on her 1964 Mustang. "I loved this car, but I'm too buxom to drive it," she laughs. Roderick ponders that, then agrees. This car is definitely not for the buxom.

Everyone admires Mr. Filbert's Hudson, but think he looks silly in a cowboy hat.

Mr. Wickett, of Wickett's Bazaar, owns one of two identical 1956 Oldsmobile Holidays owned by Beauneville denizens. (Miss Honeychurch owns the other, which she uses to drive her many cats to the vet).

Mr. Wickett likes to tell a funny story about this car. One day, when Dickie Wickett was about six years old, he saw Miss Honeychurch's car parked in front of Zeppelin Drugs. Thinking it was the family car, he opened the back door and released about a dozen cats, who promptly ran in every direction.

Officer Grady -- not the Officer Grady we know, but his dad -- was right there, and yelled "Hey! This is not your father's Oldsmobile!" Years later, Grady wanted to sue General Motors over this advertisement, but Mr. Barrister convinced him the lawsuit was a no-hoper.

Mr. Wickett loves to tell that story, and cracks up whenever he tells it. Molly doesn't get it. And Dickie gets a little tired of hearing about it.

Miss Honeychurch isn't amused, either. She recovered most of the cats, but Ainsworth never returned home. For some years afterwards, Beauneville residents reported Ainsworth sightings, but all were apocryphal.