Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-12-05
A REMARKABLE CAT.
The Part it Played in a Lovers
Reconciliation.

The Part it Played IN q Lovers
Reconciliation.
Perhaps the reader has heard of the
town of Soskowigh, Ind, commonly
pronounced 'Sosky" by it, inhabit-
ants. 1t is nothing but . country
town, and like most country towns has
its local '.character"-its odd genius.
The odd genius in this n happened
to be Malachi Dill, usually called
.'Unclc Malachi" A good old man
was Uncle Malachi, and exc a Quaker.
He was born in the village, and had
lived there all his life except a period
of about six months, during which he
had paid a visit to some relatives OF his
who lived in New England-an adven-
ture of which Uncle Malachi was never
tired of talking. His face, scanned and
wrinkled by many a year of toll,
beamed with benevolence and good
will. Good old man, l seem to see
him yet, walking down some shady
lane in "Sosky," smiling and bowling
to his acquaintance, clad in snuff-col-
eored garments of ancient cut, with his
white beaver hat, his large buckled
shoes and his red bandana flung to the
breeze from its retreat in his coat-tail
pocket. Uncle Malachi had not an
enemy. Good old soul, he had never
spoken an unkind word to man or
beast. The very birds loved him and
f1uttered to meet him, sure of getting
their fill of crumbs and cherries. It
was a pretty sight to see him taking his
stroll of a sunny afternoon, little chill
dren chipping round him, little birds
chipping above him.
Uncle Malachi had three loves-his
cat, Mike, his garden, and his daughter
Dorothy.
This cat wa the wonder of the vii
lage. ''Mike'' was a name used only
by intimate friends and near relatives.
His full court title, and that used by
the vulgar herd, was Ozark Michael
schlem''-a name given him far back
n his early youth by some unknown
bcnefactor. and which was peculiarly
appropriate, inasmuch as it had been
borne by a certain Russian Chief
of Police remarkable for great
sagacity and penetration. Mike was
not attractive at first sight. 1t
was whispered that in his youth he had
been noted for his manly, or rather
tom-catly grace and beauty. But the
meridian of his charms, so to speak, had
passed. His tail was gone. Likewise
one eye. His left ear, too, had a for
aorn appearance-probably mournful
at the absence Of its mate, which had
been lost in the same unlucky fray in
which the tail had vanished. Portions
eof his hide had also been denuded of
the covering with which nature had
provided it. But Mikes lofty soul
scared above these petty vexations.
His friends soon forgot his rather du-
,bious physical appearance in admira-
Sion of his rare intellectual qualities.
There was in his every action such an
jindefinable air of mystery, of precon-
sceived and elaborate design, and a
mien, withal, of such lofty and serene
dignity, thatnot only was the beholder's
wonder and surprise aroused, but his
respect was commanded as we'll. No
one, probably, was more thoroughly
Impressed with the abilities of this re-
markable animal than Uncle Malachi.
Sometimes, after indulging in several
cups of triple-strength tea, which was
Uncle Malachi's sole weakness-if tea
of such strength can be called
a weakness-he had been known
to say, with much empressement,
michael, thou art a wonderful
cat;' which remark was plainly I'M
derstood by Mike, for, though at the
time mewing in a d%eprecating manner,
as though disclaiming all %pretensions
served that for some hours thereafter
his natural hauteur would be largely
Increased. He was not on the best
terms with Miss Dorothy. There was
a certain youthful giddiness and flip
pancy about her which did not meet his
approval. True, he always treated her
with courtly politeness in considera-
ton of her fathers feelings, but never
theless there was a considerable cold
ness between them.
If he had not, however, been utterly
ampervious to the attractions of female
}beauty, this GOODNESS could never have
existed. There surely never was a
more charming bit of femininity than
Miss Dorothy. Her wealth of nut
brown hair, her little snub nose, her
cleaning teeth, her shell-tinted ears,
her sparkling, dancing eyes, her dainty
waist, all made up a picture of butter
fly beauty as delightful as it was Iowa
ible. But little Miss Dorothy was no
shallow-minded doll. She had q heart
,of sterling purity and nobility, and in
iherited from her father the grave and
gentle sweetness of disposition which
characterizes the Quakers.
Miss Dorothy had that indispensable
possession Of every truly sensible
young LADY, lover:
n, I'd Wadham had not hAen in thu