The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-06-11
The Story Of Jetty.
"BY MARGARET"

| WnlSkerS, ana Otten wondered now cats,
who had such handsome ones, could be
such disagreeable animals to meet.
Now. Jetty lived in queer old place,
and what do you think it was? 1t was a
large, dreary old mill where plenty of
wheat and corn was stored, but where
few people ever came. But Jetty
didn't care for that! Not he. He lived
with his brother Gustave and his sister
Minette, who were both French rats,
having come long before, with ever SO
many other emigrants, from France to
this country. Glstavc and Minette
were great deal older than lefty; for
he, funny little chap that he was, had
been born i'll the old mill, where after
ward their father and mother had both
been killed in great, cruel trap by
giants who called themselves men.
A good many months had passed since
then, and Gustave, who being French,
was also something of dandy, was
obliged to climb on the book-keeper's
desk at night and thrust his long whiskers
way down into the ink bottle to prevent
them from growing so terribly gray.
And cunning little Miss Minette, when
she found she could no longer see clearly
without spectacles, gave over trying to
read the tables on the bags of grain that
were stored away in the mill, and so
pretended to like wheat quite as well as
corn, which everybody knew was not So
But Jetty. Nothing was the matter
with Jetty's black whiskers and Jetty' s
cleaning little eyes. Jetty could read
very we'll, and could even speak a little
French that Gustave had taught him, to
improve his American manners, you
know.
And what Il pretty little home they
had, to be sure! You'll never guess
where it was, so I'll tell you. 1t was in
an empty old -four barrel that had been
forgotten and left in the garnet of the
mill; and, if you'll believe it, this bar
rel was really turned into quite palace
by Gustave's French taste and Minette's
Observation-Disclosures Bits of cheese,
which some thoughtful neighbor had
presented; old scraps of wallpaper and
plastering, which every rat knews is de.
Iicious after a hearty dinner; nuts, and
even pieces of cake, were slowed away III
one corner. Oh, it was charming little
house, and Minette, Gustave and Jetty
were as happy as happy could be there.
In the evening, when the mill was al
quiet and dark, do you suppose they were
afraid? Not a bit Of it! Then they
scampered all over the building ant
brou ght back splendid loads Of whea
and corn, and sometimes bit of tender
wood, which aren't bad If only you arr
only accustomed to eating them.
But one night Gustave said to his sis
ter:
"My dear, we have promised to cal
on Monsieur Chesapeake, Just over from
Paris, visiting at the Gnawingtons'; yor
remember"
"Oh, to be sure." said Miss Minette
Getty dear will you be afraid to stay
alone for little time?"
afraid! Oh, then how Jetty laughed
Laughed till he tripped over his long tai
and fellhalf the way dowd stairs; laughed
when he picked himself up and brushed
the dust from his sleek little back
laughed until his sister pulled his ear
and told him that people would know
inst to look at him he was an American
rat with no French polish about him!
But when they had really gone anc
the dark old mill was very quiet, Jet.
began to wonder what made his hear
beat so loud, and why he kept thinkin!
of all the dreadful cats he saw the las
time he went out, and he wished hi
sister Minette had never told him Of al
the awful whales she saw on the voyag
across the ocean What if whal
should come right in from the river ant
eat him up while they were gone? Hor
rible!
But Jetty was brave little fellow
. and, shutting his bright eyes so tigh
that I am sure I don't sec how he eve
! expected to get them open again, h
went fast asleep in the old -four barrel
He went to sleep, and dreamed of goin
, to lovely party where there were-oh
chceses upon cheeses and no end of cake
and crackers, and even sugar kisses, too
And, suddenly, just as he was wondering
if a fat old rat, who sat in the corner
e would eat for ever, and why long, lea
f young rat who was next him would pei
f sist in sitting on his tail and hurtin
/ him; suddenly, say, he was wakened b
Y horrible noise and bright, brigh
| light. He started from the flour barre
Y bewildered and only half awake. Wha
t was it? Cats? Giants? Whales? What
e And that terrible light? Had the SUI
: fallen out of the sky right into the oil
{ mill?
j. Jetty rubbed his eyes with his paws
I and then with the end of his tail, an
1 then he saw what it really was. TIL
| miIl-the great, sturdy old mill, that b
/ had thought would stand forever-wa
on fire! The flames were crawling an
: licking the walls and the beams, the roc
S was falling in. Outside, men were rush
e ing frantically from door to door, shout
-. ing and throwing great rivers of waite
e out of what seemed to be huge snakes
. mouths.
t Jetty turned to the stairs, knowing h
S had no time to lose and must escape 8
= soon as possible. But, alas! it was to
t late. His dream of the party had bee
i too fascinating or the smoke must hay
e stihed him, for he had slept so long thu
l. his last chance was gone. The stairs ha
= fallen.
e He thought longingly Of Gustave an
l. his dear MiDette. Hew sorry she woul
Y be never to have little Jetty to pet an
e scold any more.
&c Already the floor where he stood gre
hot. and the very walls of the room wei
in blaze. He ran to the window
:, when, Just at that instant, with a frigh
a full crash, the whole side of the buildin
>, fell, and Jetty was left standing on