The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-07-10


as she rubbed her head against my cheek and
chin. Even then my heart smote me for a
moment for what | was about to do 10 her.
"But hardened my heart, and troted of
towards the river, went upon the bridge, and
found a good place for The deed. At that
moment my good angel left me, for took
from nv pocket the cord and stone that had
provided, and while she was purrlng and
playing with the cord, grlmly tied one end
of 1t around her neck, and the other around
the stone. 1T will soon be over, and after all
she Is nothing but a cat said. And held
her over the bridge to drop her into the
river. Then indeed she chung to me, and
looked astonshed and wild. For the first
time she seemed to know her danger. she
struggled and grasped my coat win her
claws and held on. But pulled her away
by force and threw her into the river
heard the splash and saw the water close over
her | hurried away from the spot, with the
sickening impression that had done muir
der | thought of her at the bottom OF the
Potomac, sutfocatlng TO death and hau 10
keep rerel ting TO myself ON, II VIII soon DC
over with her And after all she Is nothing
bur cat And besides, didn't mother tell
me to drown her? 1t would not do; my
heart was decidedly heavy. Meyer do you
do murder, Bertha No one but murderer
knows how it Expresses ones spirits.
ut was raining hard when reached home.
I found mother just where left her, busy
in the kitchen She was standing at the Ia
bic slicing bread for tea.
DWELL, mother, | have drowned the cat,
said as stood knocking the rain drops oil
my cap. ,
ployment and posing the knife in one hand
and the bread in the other, as she stood star
ing at me-
"'Yes, I've drowned the cat; and now |
want my silver quarter of dollar
"'You did = she said with look of surprise,
sadness and reproach on her face.
Yes tied stone around her neck TO
sink her, and dropped her into the river. And
you promised me quarter OF dollar for do.
ing it, ! answered, sulkily, for felt injured
by her look. :
Without a single word, she put her hand
into her pocket, drew out IA silver quarter,
and gave it to me, turning her head away
felt more injured than before What did
mother mean | OILY did what she told me
! to do.
"But as was going 10 a concert, tried to
throw off all unpleasant thoughts. dressed
myself and came down, and Joined the family.
at tea without much appetite. Besides, |
missed something's missed the little cat
who always sat by my chair and touched me
softly with her paw, now and then, to remind
me TO give her a morsel. | gulped down my
tea, and started off to Concert Hall to see the
mInstrels And soon seated in the front row,
enjoying the unparalleled burlesque of song
and sentiment, 1 forgot all about my deed
of the evening, or, if thought of it at all,
1t was only to laugh at myself as sickly,
sentimental sort OF IA fellow, to think so much
about drowning a cat
a. 7 ! ,
was not very late, yet the family had retired
| | took the key from under the step, where it
was usually hidden for any of the family who
were out at night and opened the door and
went in. The stove was warm and the night
lamp was burning on the table. Everything
had been left comfortable for me- and | sat
down before the fire to dry my wet clothes :
But how empty and desolate and forlOrn the
place looked after all missed something. I
It was the cat, who always slept at night on I
the rug in front of the stove; who always wei I
coined me home, when l came in at night, by {
getting up and rubbing against my shins, !
and purring her pleasure at seeing me. And $
now she was at the bottom of the Potomac, {
with IL stone tied to her neck; and / had s
thrown her there And for mean quarter .
Of n dollar {
IL got ur, took the lamp, and went up stairs $
to bed. But | could not sleep. How the q
wind and the rain dashed against the win. i
dows! How | thought of the cat at the bot. G
tom of the river! And she had but this one S
lite and took that for a base quarter of a c
dollar,' | said to myself. And O., would t
have gladly given all the boyish treasures [
posed in The world il could have brought
her back to life And SO | lay ami tossed '
from side TO side, listening 10 the beating of i
the storm, and thought what mean and cruel f
wretch had been l.
Hush what was that? | started and sat n
up in bed and listened As sure as live, It q
was a scratch and a new at the kitchen door h
sounds as familiar to me IA the children's q
voices, But that | never had expected to
hear again. Well, | have heard Thalberg h
and Ole Bull play; I've heard Lind and hills |,
son sing; I've heard the dinner-bell but OF q
all the instrumental or vocal music | ever e
heard, none ever yet has thrilled my soul C
with such delight as that performance on the o
kitchen door. II
"In less time than it takes to tell it, Jump. n
ed out of bed; and without waiting to draw v
on a single garment, ran down stairs, half u
naked in the cold, and tore open tho kitchen n
COor. There stood my cat, dripping wet, II
with the cord dangling round her neck, and
the empty moose. l saw in an instant how II
was. In falling over the bridge, when she
was thrown, the round stone had slipped from \
the moose, and the poor cat had swan ashore, d
and found her way home through night and C
storm. As soon as she saw me, she Jumped Y
in and rubbed up agains; my shins, with her G.
poor, confdlng new, just as if had never a
tried TO drown her. caught her up in my II
arms all dripping wet as she was | Rugged
her, kissed her, and comfoTed her in man |
ncr that, under any other circumstance
would hav. been supremely absurd. took
her up stairs with me, dried her A. well a. | c
could with my towel, and damp and cold as "
she was, took her TO bed with me. d
ooh, how relieved | was, How | loved d
that Cat Tor getting out of The river and com.
ing home. | talked to her and pct,ed her 4
half OF the night | told her how sorry was.
and how would never do it again But she q
seemed perfectly Indifferent 10 my crime and
repentance and only .cuddled up to my bosom
and purred and sung in funny content. nm. a