His expression changed from concern to annoyance. But before he could say anything, I quickly added, "We'll get more traps ---"
"Yes, that's a good idea!" he interrupted, standing up. "Let's go out and get some glue boards." He began to make his way toward the garage.
"No!" I cried. "As long as I live here, we won't be cruel to the mouse. We'll get more live-catch traps. Maybe we'll get the ultrasonic mouse chaser."
"Vermin!" roared Earl, in a deafening voice that nearly made me jump. "Your trap hasn't caught any mouse!"
"That's true, but maybe there wasn't any mouse to be caught," I said, as calmly as I could. "It's only one mouse. It's not like we have hundreds of mice running all over the house."
"How do you know how many got in?" he demanded. "Where did you see him?"
"I --- he went down to the basement. I saw only one."
He sucked in his breath noisily. "Some would say that one mouse is one mouse too many! How did he get in anyway?"
"Well," I began, "he could have gotten in when I went out the kitchen door to do the garbage or to feed the birds and rabbits. I've left the door open for five minutes or so. Or --- or maybe he got in when we were going back and forth through the garage."
"That's not good," he said, glaring at me.
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