The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1885-01-17

put 0cr 10 DcO IN tue DIX Deu, Wnefe she
soon fell asleep with Red Ainette by hez
side. When Suzanne awoke two hours
later, she was very red; her little hands
were dry and burning g-Su anne had the
fever. When papa came in to breakfast,
he sent at once fer the toetor.
Nothing serious" declared tho dog
tor, "only q little nervous excitement
We shall calm it down."
That evening the neneno came to
make the bed, in which Fed Minetto
lay, wrapped up to the very tip of her
nose in the big thick warm coyerlet.
The nenenc, who did not sec tho cat,
pulled ut the quilt and threw Min
cite OH the floor-the quilt caught the
edge of the little round table on which
the cup of tisane had been placed; and
the table fell right upon Red Minette,
and broke her back. Suzanne uttered
an awful scream, '.Red Minctte--Red
Minotto too" And the poor little girl
had terrible convulsion.
shook h:s head; no was not at all sat
isficd; the fever was very high; the child
was delirious; my elephant" she cried,
''my led Minette.." And she pressed the
poor mntilated toy to her breast. That
night she was very, very sick, indeed;
and in tho morning the doctor did not
find her any better. The fever was not
broken and now Suzaune's mamma be-
gan to cry.
While the doctor was writing his pre-
scription, Suzette held out Red Minette
to her father:
See, papa--sce low badly she is
hurt"
The doctor prescribed for the child q
potion, tho recipe whereof covered a
whole shoot of paper; but he ordered
nothing for the cat. And all that day
the little girl did not improve bit.
Then Suzanne's father took the cat,
and began to Landage its broken back
with strips of white linen that mamma
had prepared Suzanne watched the
operation. She remarked that they put
medicine in the bandages, and that her
mamma would change the bandages
from time to time. Then she COM
menced to have little hope, and she
drank her own medicine couragcously
Papa took his hat, left the house and
went straight to the very toy Store in
which he had bought Red Minette only
fifteen days before.
There was another cat just like that
one, madame" he said to the store
keeper; II must have it at any price"
The cat had been sold. But the clerk
remembered the name of the lady who
had bought it: and so papa went imme-
dia:ely to the lady's house.
AS he walked on. he kept asking him
self, with a great sinking at his heart,
whether he would find the second Red
Minette, which the lady had bought for
her little boy, still in existence, still
alive" And when hn l,ai told the
lady what anguish ltlle .ouZanne's
mother was in, the lady went. ali JOY
orsly, to her armoirc, and took there
from tho other red cat, intact-bien
vivant.
Il have not yet given it to our little
Paul, she said to monsie because
his last horse still had three legs left
Suzannes papa kissed the lady's hand,
md returned to the house, hiding some
thing under his frock-coat
Suzon was asleep. with her wounded
Minette lying beside her. The father
took Minette, and turned it over and
over in all directions. lie took good
notice Of the blow it had received in the
corner of the left eye, tie scratch upon
its right paw, the extraordinary colo. of
it's whiskers. Then he locked himself
into his study, and set to work.
When Su anne woke up, Red Minette
lay bes de her, still well bandascd, but
look .ng somehow or other much better,
much gayer than before.
Really l think the cat is doing better,
my Suzon." said papa as he kissed the
child; 'see for yourself, little darling!
1t looks to me as if the cats back was
growing together again. Suppose we
take OF the bandages and see:''
Gently, papa gently"
The bandaces and wrappings were
taken off-Red Minette was standing
again firmly on her legs; and there was
no mark even of a bruisa on her back.
''Only she smells so funny" said
Suzanne, all radiant with delight.
"Ah ha. my child that's the medi-
cine"
NEXT day Suzanne was we'll. :.
She's all right. at last cried the doc
tor glcefully and somewhat boastfully
Suzanne's papa only smiled-he did
not propose to have himself prosecuted
for practicing medicine without q Ii
ccnse.