Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-09-10

N~-N
air of cat 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 countenance. He was
looking at the sky.
THE stars are shining" he said;
'she is looking for my message and she
is thinking of me.r
And Miss DiffenbaughP
She was sitting in her lonely bower,
looking out into the star-lit night, say
ing, "His messenger, with feet of silence,
is even now on its way to tell me he
loves me yet. l feel his presence near
me-"
In the meantime Cleopatra was car
rying out his contract after the approved
manner of a veteran star-route contract
or. He got along very well for a quar-
ter of mile, and was making pretty
good time when, while streaking down
lonesome alley, he suddenly paused
and said:
81 hope to die if l don't smell fish. :"
And while he was exploring the ash
pile he was suddenly accosted by a lone
some-looking cat on the woodshed.
"Say, old indigo blue, shiny on your
own side!"
"Watchugivinusp" growled Cleopa-
ira, just CHANGING up long enough from
an old mackerel to take the woodshed-
der's measure.
The woodshedder, being on his own
premises, made violent effort to re-
strain his wrath, but he came down to
the ash-pile and said, in voice that
meant business
am trouble you for that fish, if you
please"
"All right" said Cleopatra, "I'n
leave you the bones when I'm through
with it,"
The strange cat reached out to take
the savory fish, and Cleopatra smote
him. In less time than it takes to tell
it, he stood that cat in the corner of the
fence and wiped enough hair off him to
stuff q sofa cushion. And as the wall
ing cat dragged its lacerated body down
the drain, Cleopatra resumed his fish,
remarking, as, he lodged n passing
blacking-brush, that he believed, as
long as he was out, he'd sit up little
while and have some fan with the boys.
And he had it. He went down the al
leys and danced to everything he met.
He nearly tore the ear off smart kitten
that got up on wood-pile and sassed
him and asked him "where he picked
up that paper collar?" He prowled
through back-yards, and he almost hor-
rified the life out of most highly re-
spectacle elderly tortoise-shell tabby
sitting in kitchen window, by creek
ing up close under the window and thea
roaring out to know if "she danced thu
lancersP" He scalped harmless Mex
lean dog all the way down its bare back,
in six red, raw lines, and shouted after
the anguish-stricken animal to "ruu
home and put on his harp" He was hi.
once with an old kerosene torch that
perfumed him up like political process
sion, and he crawled through an old
drain back of the soap-works, and came
out smelling worse than an Indian pic
mic. At last he heard music over in
"StOny Lonesome" and went there and
found the boys were having a little
dance, and the first thing he did when
he went, he spat at the bar-keeper and
slapped a one-eyed cat from Hibernia
"Pile onto me by thousands" He
yelled. ave got just one more eye
than want to take home!"
And they didn't wait for second in.
vitation. They piled onto him then and
there, and the babbling brook that
prattles through the rocks of Stony
Lonesome, when it heard the wild, un'
earthly clamor, turned back and ran III
the hill, and in dumb terror watched
the circling clouds of misty hair drifting
about in the valley below.
In Judge Diffenbaugh's hospitabl,
parlors his chosen friends fingered
though the hour was late. At the piano
Miss Diffenbaugh dreamily wandered
through the enhancing numbers o
"Schubert's Cradle Song" There wa
a familiar voice at the front gate tina
made her heart beat wildly. The voic,
came across. the lawn. 1t was Cleopa
} ira. And this was what he was saying
"Hoop-pee! can lick the first blood.
brindle son of a rat-catcher that eve
climbed a fence! Whoop! I'm the oil
he-Bashi Bazouk from Angular Street
, an dom you fer-furgiz it-donyoufur
, gizit! Dance to me, somebody! / onl!
weigh pound"
: And then that apparition-that mock
/ cry of respectable, home-bred ca
strobe into Judge Diffenbaugh's parlor
and everybody climbed on the table
: and chairs. Miss Diffenbaugh tainted
. The old Judge swore, Cleopatra laughed
sardonically and remarked that 'he'C
been out all night, and he was gettin' t.
be big boy now" His hair was mainl,
gone, and what he had left was no
combed. His face was scratched. On
eye was closed. His ears hung loos
and limp. He hic-cupped in his speecl
| and tried to sing "Old Oaken Bucket.
Around his neck still chung the blue rib
/ bon and letter, crumpled, torn
| stained, unsavory. The Judge received
the letter with pair of tongs, and Gle
) opatra was banished to the barn, which
! the shrieking rats deserted forever whel
they saw him come in. Order was re
stored in the parlor and the Judge reaC
the letter to himself.
. He did not divulge its contents.
The terrified guests thought, ant
, Still think that II UaS q Nihi1ist worn