The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-08-15
The Archibald Cat.
"Pap, Rommy is gone"

"Pap, Rommy is gone"
Old Henry was Just coming in from
work, wanted his hands washed and
bis supper, didn't know "Rommy," or
"Rommy's" history, and not feeling
interested, blurted out
'Who the blazes is ROmmy, and
where's he gone tor"
"You onfeelin' old wretch, you know
just well enough who Rommy is; and
expect somebody's got him locked up"
SIN the station-house, ehY Glad of
1t. Where's that towelS" grumbled
Henry, with his eyes full of soap and
water.
"You'll repent of your miserable
conduct. Henry Archibald, in hair
cloth and coal ashes for this ~ screamed
Mrs. A. "0h, he was so pretty, and |
brought him up all the way by hand,
and he used to butt me on the nose so
afTectiOnate like. Oh, me- R-o-m-m-y
me- R-O-m-m-y! where on this earth
have the awfully rascally wretches
taken you to-" and the old lady sat
down vaguely upon the coal scutt!e,
with her apron over her eyes; but
Martha having laid hot fiat iron in on
top of the coal she got up quicker than
professional grasshopper.
The old man had just sat down to
| supper but he turned around to Martha,
his beloved daughter, saying:
"LOokee here, Marth, what's the
matter with the old woman, anyway.
Seems to me there's an awful lot Of
racket going on here for man to eat
his supper and feel thankful in"
"Why, papa; Rommy's gone"
"Well all right let him go. amt
tryin' to stop him. Pass me them fried
taters."
"Henry Archibald;" remarked the
old lady as she leaned gingerly against
the stair door. "If I'd ever knowed
you was such an onfeelin' wretch when
you made love to me in the lane twenty
three years ago last Thursday I'd just
busted your head with fence rail, If
I'd had to pay for the rail.
"Haint you got no more bread in this
house." grunted Henry.
"Martha get that Old glutton all the
bread he wants and let him stuff him
self to death, if he wants to-"
"Better eat your supper old woman
and not stand up there a-lookin' as
though somebody had pasted you
against the stair door for the advertise
ment of the fat woman at a side show"
"Eat, heartless villain. How can you
ask me to eat. Oh my Rommy's gone
and you dom tappear to care a cent"
"Can't say / do. Martha pass that
ham,"
"I'll 90 crazy, | know | shall"
event have far to 60" observed
Henry, not noticing the coming storm.
There was pause of silence as big as
the Mammoth Cave for about a second,
and then Mrs. Archibald said, with
CfluCublg SoIlStl diHCu ICCliHS
Henry Archibald, do you mean
that?"
"Of course; I'm mean enough for
anything"
"Henry, do you know who Rommy
is?"
"No, hanged if Cos" and Henry,
preparing to leave the table, turned
around on his chair and faced the old
woman. The baleful glare he saw in
her eye as she yelled
"He's my c-a-a-a-t, an somebody's
stole HIM
Convinced Henry that the kitchen
stove or something else was getting too
warm. He reached for his hat, and
missed it by about three inches; bnt he
struck the street door and disappeared
through it like patent Bliss ghost, and
the rattle of the flying coal and scuttle
convinced him that he had not been a
second too active. AS he passed Oxtoby
leaning over his yard gate he grabbed
off his hat with the remark:
"I'll bring it back in a minute; Pm
just going somewhere for peck of fish
bait. And Pve got such a headache
can't stop"