The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-06-06

speaking 10 the porter, VINO eY1dentiy
was showing him up to my apartments.
In another moment he had entered the
bedroom, to my intense relief. Briefly
and hastily / explained what had hap
pened just then and the night before.
tf"Goot graciousI" he exclaimed, in
his broken English, "vy itmust be poor
Cato! O, te mostvenderful beast in the
world It'd I not tell you Of Cato te
cat? No, / taresay not. Mein friend
Smitt has trained him to all things but
speak. Fritz te porter has te charge of
him; but of course he escape 20 make
te examination of his masters rooms;
he toes not understand Wy he is not to
admit him as usual.o M
But" interposed, ".does he knock
at the door when he wants to admit
himself? How can be do that?'
The doctor laughed good-humoredly.
All, I have not told you. No, natur-
Itch. Smitt has put te little brass
knocker on tie door, for him to strike.
He always strike Wis his paw when he
won't to come in; lift so Wis his leetle
hand-so;" and the doctor still laugh
ing, initiated the action with his hand
against the, corner of a hanging picture
frame. A light was beginning to break
upon me.
"And has Mr.. Smith, may / ask, been
painting Cato's portrait lately p
go, yes, te most wonderful likeness in
te world, te most wonderful sketch, size
of life-an illusion, a deception!''
"Ah, and it stands on the chair by
the high Window l said"
Yes, 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 tie decep-
| tion complete, so dat when tie cat is not
there te picture look as if te cat was to
cat there" '74
That was it then, of course" went
on. " He knocked at the door: lopened
it,; he slipped by me unseen, and also
unseen perched on his chair just in front
of his picture, until in the dusk l
CHANGED to observe his tail move"
N"O yes, 0 yes! ten he see mouse,
ten. ah, ah! He pounce-that is, the
cat out of te bag, as you say"
eyes, of course" said: "and in
the dusk, with my imperfect sight, / con-
ceived it as 1 have related"
"Ah, tear me, yes; vot fuss how
you have set your pulse goingl Come
now, be calm, and sit down"
We had walked into the studio, and
the cat having slipped in, and knowing
the doctor, advanced with friendly
purr to meet him. All the while I had
been talking my cold creepy feeling
had been upon me, and now increased
violently.
"Ah, to be sure; l see now," went on
the doctor. "You are affected electri-
cally, of te cat. Yes, strange instance,
interesting to observe. You have known
it before?" a
"Never to this extent. have never
liked cats; this one is very peculiar !"
and shrank within myself as the huge
creature, remarkable alike for its
size and dusky spotted coat, approached.
The doctor made gesture of repelling
it, speaking meanwhile to it in German.
1t seemed to understand in moment,
and with bound lighted upon the chair
in front of the picture, and settling
itself exactly in front of its life like pre-
sentiment upon the canvas, looked as it
had done the night before, like living
portrait.
Yes" unused the doctor, as he sat
down beside me, still with his fingers on
my pulse, it is very interesting, tbs
electric expression of te antipaty, Gu
rious to observe in you-very marked,
increased doubtless by te depression of
nervous energy under which you are
suffering"
"Can you account for it scien-
tifcally" said, still shivering hor-
ribly.
"No; not easy,n he answered, "to
explain te physical alteration vich must
be taking place in te anatomical sub
stratum of your consciousness. Your
Shakespeare knew of it, but not scien-
tifcally, He makes the old Shylock
say:
Some men tare are love not gaping pig;
Some tat are mad If tey behold q cat;
/ g" = for affection.
Mistress Of passion, sways it to te mood
| OF what it likes loates.
Fahl / will drive the beast out of te
room; it is bad to agitate you. Cato,
you must go to prison."
| He drove the cat away, and took such
precautions as prevented my being again
disturbed by him during my months
residence in Dusseldorf month which
thanks to the skillful treatment 1 re-
ceived, ended with the complete restor.
alton of my sight, but not in my recon.
ciliation to cats. N-