The Osceola times., 1881-11-05
NEW BRANCH OF THE POSTAL SERVICE.

A short time since the London Teie-
graph, which is always saying something
TO get somebody into trouble, published
an article relative TO engrossing partiality
which the domestic cat feels for its home,
its vehement yearning TO return thither
when circumstances over which it has
no control have resulted in its transfer to
unfamiliar localities, and all that sort OF
thing, winding up by giving an interest
ing actolnt of how certain eminent
Dutch naturalists had utilized Grimalkin
as letter carrier-made sort of carrier
pigeon OF the cat, in fact. OF thirty-seven
cats carried miles from their native vii
layc and turned loose with letters tied
around their necks, not one failed TO get
back 10 the starting point in time.
Well. young Mr.. Tillinghast, out on
West Hill, read this article, and a roman
tic conception occurred to him right on
the spot. While he was burning limi-
ted quantity of old Judge Dfienbaugh' 3
gas. and lust running Miss Diffenbaugh' S
bangs that evening, he told Miss Dilfen-
baugh all about it. Happy scheme! born
Of loves emergencies. MIR. Tillinghast
would carry Elfrida's beloved maltese
home with him that night. The next
evening, when the stars were shining,
and the presence OF the old judge,
returned from circuit, forbade Clarence
about the premise, the maltese home re
turning would bear, bound to its neck by
a silken cord, memorandum of Clar-
ence, his undying affection, and one
thing and another.
Clarence loved the maltese for its mis-
tress' sake, but it Just called for all the
love he had in the warehouse before he
got it home. The maltese was one of the
fiery. untamed Ukraine breed blue as
smoke, with tail like second-growth
bologna sausage and it weighed about
twenty-three pounds. Its name was Gle
epatra. 1t was really Mark Antony
cat; but Miss Difienbaugh called it Cleo
patra because it was such pretty name.
You never can tell whether cat has a
right to vote OF not by the name girl
gives it.
Mr.. Tillinghast tucked the cat under
his coat as well as he could, but the cat
stuck out fore and aft. Nainly he strug
gled with it, bowsprit or spanker would
stand ont in spite of him. And when
he was about half way home he met a
group of friends, ladies and gentlemen,
returning from some festive and expen-
siye ice cream saloon They accosted
him, aud he had to let 20 with one hand
TO lit his hat, and as he did so Cleopatra
got his head out and yelled for fresh air
in voice that blighted the lilacs and
threw one of the ladies into Mysteries
Appalled, by the fearful sound aud its
terrible consequence, Mr. Tillinghast was
hurrying on, when one of the gentlemen
collared him and told him that in his
opinion il was very brutal, cowardly
trick, and one that no gentleman would
be guilty of, and he believed Mr.. Tilling
hast would never have done it had he
not been intoxicated, and he would ex-
pect an explanation and apology from
him when he was sober.
Greatly depressed in spirits, Mr.. Til
linghast pursued his homeward way,
Cleopatra occasionally clawing his ribs
in manner that indicated an early gave.
Often the erratic eccentricities of Cleo
patra compelled the young man to weep
aloud, but they reached home at last,
Cleopatra culed up on the foot Of the
bed, and purred himself to sleep with
the calm content of cat that had made
a substantial lunch OF human ribs, and
Mr.. Tillinghast sat up the greater part Of
the night, writing letter full of poetry,
and bathing his lacerated body.
Next evening he made ready to send
his messenger home. In order TO in
crease the eats vehement yearning" to
return home, Mr.. Tilinghast had fed it
nothing during the day aud Cleopatra, in
the frenzy of hunger, had chased imagi-
nary rats about that room until there
wasn't left in il piece Of fragile furni-
ture big enough to break again. The
only thing that wasn't scratched was the
ceiling, and the only thing that wasn't
broken was the hammer.
"If" said Mr.. Tillinghast, holding his
lacerated hands IN Il bath Of water and
soda, after tying his letter carefully
around Cleopatra's neck with a blue rib
bon, "if your 'yearning' TO return home
is one-half so vehement as mine is to
have you return thither you will be in
the lap Of your angelic mistress before |
can close this door again. Go, messen-
ger of a love that is deep as the sea and
deathless as eternity, go, tell the heart
that holds my own that pens of fire
one half my love"
And so he opened the door. Cleora-
ira went out into the cleaning with the
air of a eat who was Just going to say
something like that anyhow when he
suggested it. Mr.. Tillinghast did not
appear TO notice this peculiar expression
on Cleopatra's countcnance, He was
looking at the sky.
"The stars are shining" he said she
is looking for my message and she is
thinking OF me-"
And Miss Dinenbangh ?
She was sitting in her lonely bower,
looking out into the siar-ii! night, say