The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-06-20

begun to be deeply interested in what 1
was listening to, when suddenly all my
thoughts were distracted, all my wits
scared, by the knock at the studio door,
exactly like that last night. With it.,
too, on the instant came a slight re-
newal of the old SILVER and creepy
goose-fesh feeling. My man ceased
reading; he had heard the knock as
plainly as I.
"What was that, sirp" he asked,
presently.
called him in, and whispering told
him part of my experience of the pre-
vious evening.
"Keep quiet and listen," 1 said, my
teeth all but chattering; ''you will hear
it again in few minutes
We were both silent, and, sure
enough, after short interval there it
was. He was going forward to the
door; checked him.
"No," went on; 'slook out of the
bedroom door; 90 on tip-toe and open
it softly, and see what you can make
out.''
"Ineed not open it at all, sir" he
answered; s'there is window in it with
a curtain across it."
followed him as he went back to
the bedroom, and saw him gently draw
aside the curtain, which had noticed
"What do you see," whispered.
He was looking through into the
ante-room.
Nothing" was the answer, sit is so
dark"
But at that instant the knock was re-
peated.
"Can you not see the studio-door?"
said.
"Yes, sir; 1 can just make it out,
and see something shining in the
middle of it, about three feet from the
foor.''
There was another pause, and in the
silence the knock was heard again. We
both drew back. Before we could eth
er of US speak footsteps were on the
landing, and I recognized the Doctors
voice speaking to the porter, who evil
IDENTIFY was showing him up to my apart
ments. In another moment he had en-
tered the bedroom, to my intense re-
lief. Briefly and hastily he explained
what had happened just then and the
night before.
"Goot gracious!' he exclaimed, in
his broken English, "yy, it must be
poor Cato! 0, tie most wonderful beast
in de world! lid mot tell you of Cato,
tie cat? No, I tare say not Mein
friend Smitt has trained him to all tings
but speak. Fritz tie porter has tie charge
of him: but of course he escape to make
te examination of his masters rooms !;
he toes not understand Wy he is not to
admit himself as usual.'
"But," | interposed, " docs he knock
at the door when he wants to admit HIM
self? How can he do that?"
The Doctor laughed good humoredly.
"Ah, / have not told you. No, nat
urlich, Smitt has put te leetle prass
knecker on tie door for him to strike.
He always strike Wis his leetle hand
so;" and the Doctor, still laughing, i'm
itated the action with his hand against
the corner of a hanging picture-frame
A light was beginning to break in upon
me.
"And has Mr.. Smith, may ask, been
painting Cato's portrait lately?''
go, yes, tie most wonderful likeness in
tie world, tie most wonderful sketch, size
of life-an illusion, deception"
"Ah, and it stands on the chair by
the high window" said.
| eyes, te favorite chair vair Cato sit
always to watch for te mouse; te hole is
tareby below. Smitt has made him to
sit like as in his picture, or, as should
say, re picture as like to him sitting. He
stand on te chair to make te deception
| Lotto fot xr,hn - =
there the picture looks as if te cat was
tie eat there'
"That was it, then, of course" l
went on. He knocked at the door:
opened it; he slipped by me unseen,
and also unseen perched upon his chair
just in front of his picture, until in the
dust CHANGED to observe his tail move. /"
10 yes, 0 yes! ten he see a mouse,
then, ali, ali! he pounces-that is, the
cat out of te bag, as you say.''
ayes, of course" said; land, in the
dusk, with my imperfect sight, l con-
ceived it as l have related.''
"Ah, tear me, yes; vot fuss! how
you have set your pulse going! Come,
now, be calm, and sit down"
We had walked into the studio, and
the cat, having slipped in, and, know
ing the Doctor, advanced with friend
ly purr to meet him. All the while
had been talking, my cold, creepy feel
ing had been upon me, and now in
creased violently
"Ah, to be sure, see now," went on
the Doctor. "you are affected by tie
presence, electrically, of tie cat. Yes, a
strange instance, interesting to observe.
You have known it before?''
"Never to this extent. I have never
liked cats; this one is very peculiar,"