The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1884-10-11

There IS nothing very lunny
mewinq of cat, and under Ordinary
c;rcmmstances it receives no other AZ
tent;on than an expletive or two. WIN
nossibly an old boot or ooot-J"cz
thrown in-or thrown OUT 10 speaA
moro accurately. ,,co
Rnt there are times when the vo'co
NJ Grimalkiu sets everybody on the grim
mr. the eiegle, according as they belong
To the trimming or the giggling sex.
You are seated in the steam car, JOE
instance. Everything is quiet. or IS
ouiet as anything can be which -
rounding along ct the rate OF thirty
miles an hour. The passengers arc
reading their newspapers or their nov
ala. ar sleeping over the funny books
for which they have foolishly parted
with their dimes, when . sudden
..miaou'' pierces the startled air.
Instantly every eye is open, srp!ieS
take the place Of frowns and solemnity.
and an hysterical giggle comes from tho
two Young ladies in the rear seat. Inc
sound arises somewhere about midcar.
and the heads of the passengers in front
swing about in unison, Is II moved pW
machinery, while the heads OF those in
the rear seats are craned forward w
ward the common center OF interest,"
A woman with basket in her lap
and = blush all over her face SITS pc
side a man, apparently her husband'
while upon the seat facing them are
| little girl and q small boy.
The woman is what she would cel
"so Illustrated" and holds on to the
cover of the basket with the desperation
| with which drowning man II SAID 70
| cling TO . straw.
Whv a drowning man should cling
IN 4 straw when there are SO many
things which might prove more etlec-
t,al life preservers is not easily ex-
nlaiued: however, that is nothing to do
with the cat, whose head pushes up the
cover of the basket, showing two eyes
fnll OF wonder and alright, aud .
mouth that opens at regular Intervals
to emit plaintive 'miaou.
The man pretends not to see OF near
the cause of all the commotion. nc
would have the passengers think MN
q stranger, not only to the cat, but to sne
woman at his side and the children I'm
front of him. 1t Is hard, almost im-
possible, for man not to be coward
under such circumstances. But his
assembling is dismal failure. Sell
consciousness is written in every ieat-
ure of bis agonized visage. bis very
thoughts, were it not wicked to 40 So
could be read by the least discerning
passenger in the car.
But the children, the little nuisances,
they sympathize not with their dis
tressed parents. The diversion is q
boon to them. The ride had become
monotonous, and the voice of puss is to
them . glad evaOgel.
PUSSY, pussy, poor pussyr' says the
little girl. coaxingly, reaching forward
to caress the house pet.
ssBe still, Nellie!" says her mother
under her breath, at the same time
pushing the cats nose from view snd
holding ON to the cover tighter than
ever.
Nellie tries to peer through tho
chiuks of the basket, while Johnny
pipes out in his highest treble:
"Pa, want to hold kitty. and ma
won't let us look at her! Kit-kit-kit.' y
Pa frowns, says Johnny" in an
authoritative way, and then fixes his
eve on the hole through which the bell
rope passes over the front door, as
though that were the only thing in this
world which at all interested him.
Presently there is scratching; .
hustle, struggle and
10. ma, kitty's got out!'
As though ma didn't know 1t!
The car is alive with excitement.
!. Everybody is talking with everybody
else, as though they had been ac'
quainted all their lives.
"There she is.
"Ain't she cunning?"
s.Did You ever?''
Such are q few of the more common
J remarks which are heard on every side.
Pa, when the cat got out of the
basket, was forced to let the cat out OF
: the bag. He was compelled to own his
connection with the disturbing element.
He jumps from his seat, scurries about
: the car. running this way and then that,
chasing puss down the aisle then up
again, now reaching under seat. and
now feeling behind the stove, until he
finally grabs puss by the tail, and pull
ing her in rs he would very heavy
fish, he folds her firmly in his arms,
and sweating and putting from his I'M
basket with . desperate lunge; and il
the ears Of the passengers in the seat
behind do not deceive them, he says
something which sounds like jam the
catr' although that is not exactly what
it sounds like, either.
Then father, mother and the children
: sit silent for the rest of the journey.
They looked as though some great sor-
row had fallen upon the family, or as If
: some great crime had been committed
by some one.
When they reached their station they
! are tho cynosure of al eyes. They walk
!, out like criminals bound for the scat
fold. Nobody laughs now. The scene
is too solemn. But none present in the
car will ever forget that cat. and when
ever be thinks of her, . smile will come
to his face, though he be at the time