Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-10-25

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sac see all your cats, Ireplisd. 4 love
cats. I was tempted to keep your Tor.
ouato for myself bat | telt that be would
be great loss TO you
HYou ara right, siguorina, said the old
man: IF had lost my Torquato, my pes.
friend would have been taken from me, and
20, since you have brought him back to
me, win show You what only two persons
in all Naples have ever seen, and that Is
the Academy ct Cats. :,
The passage in which We were standing,
was only dimly lighted BY an open door As
the other end, bat / could see that II was
hung with fine old tapestries, and that Ola
portraits Of men, some in armor. others IN
scarlet ecclesiastical robes, looked down
| from the walls. i followed the old gentle
man az he preceded me down ths long pas
ssce, with forquAio Tssso on his shoulder
The door through which the light stresmed
was guarded BY figures in armor with their
y;sors down. As we crossed the threshold
together the two figures saluted as with
their long hslberds. ] started aside. :,
"Do no. fear, Eignorins, said the old
man kindly; "you stepped on toe spring
that works the figures. Had you stepped
twice they would have crossed their haioerds
TO Keep you from entering
Wepassed through several rooms, open
| inc ore out of another, each richly tornlsh-
ed ia the style of different period. In
every room was group of wax figures,
life size, in costumes appropriate to their
surroundings. In one apartment some
court ladies and gentlemen, in powdered
wigs, were seated at q csrdtaOle: 10
another, cavalier and q lady were IN the
act cf singing q duet, each holding Lutte.
| In third, q cardinal in scarlet robes was
seated ot q table, while other ecciesiastics
stood in respectful attitudes about him.
"Do not be afraid" said the old man,
With a weird smile These people are my
friends. They will not harm you.
Encouraged by this approached one OF
the 6vu1es-a beautiful lady in trecento
costume, who greatly resembled the portrait
Of Boecaccio's love, the Princess Fam
meta. 80,
"Do no. touch her She is accused
almost shrieked the old man. ldrew back
in alright.
"These, signorins, are my ancestors,
said my host, az We. passed through the
rooms. Their faces were modelled from
/ their portraits and placed in the rooms IN
which they once dWelt. The men are all
honorable, and the women, though IAN, are
yirtuoas. Never had one fallen until
and strange conYulsive expression over
spread his features. He recovered him.
sslf and locked at me sharply, to see II l
had noticed his mon ent of weakness. APP
parently treasured by my iupass!ve face,
be led the way again through the duaky
twilight of the rooms.
now distinctly heard sound like the
miaucings Of numerous cats My hos'
threw open door, and motioned to me to
cross the threshold. He followed me Into
a large apartment With gallery at one
end and a profusion of gliding about the
walls and ftescoei ceiling. 1t had eViden-
tly been the state ballroom of the palace
In the middle of the room was long table
covered with black velvet, on which stood
several rildtd candelabra containing g
number of wax lights, all burning. Richly
carved, high. backed chairs were placed in
a row about the table. On the chars,
the table, the mosaic floor, the divans along
the sides of the room, were cats! Such
weird. unpleasant catsl Their eyes were
preternsturslly lage and wide open, their
faces peaked, their bodies long and thin.
A dozen or 90 struggled forward to meet
US, purring violently, with their tails in the
air.
aThese. signorina, are my scaiemicians
and my children" said the Gentleman o
the Cate. Down, Torqusto, dovn-go to
ycur felloW-scademieisns He dislodsed
the black cat from his shoulder. The other
cats crowded about the returned prodigai,
and manifested their emotions at seeing
him again in various ways. Some stared
a, him indiferedtly others lsid trieadly
paw upon his neck. two or three rubbed
noses with him One went 60 Tar as to
taeak his ear factiously. lcould not refraln
from exclaimiDg with surprise at The sight
of 50 many cats.
"Only forty, signorina mia" said their
master depricatiugly, the correct number
for and academy never more nor less,
and all males. ! will have no female cres
ture to SOW the seeds discord among my
acsdsmicians Twas about to hold sit
ting of the academy when you came, like
an angel to restore me my Torqusto Each
cat bears the name of one OF our poets or
great writers" continued the Gentleman OF
the Cats. Behold, there is Ludovico All
osto." and he pointed to large white gsunt
beast. "Yonder is Pietro Bembo" "a gray
striped snimaD. Here you have Pistro
Aretino" Ia tortoise shsll, and so he vent
on thr ugh list of names distinguished
in Italian literary history. And these,
be added in conclusion, from the AcsG-
envy of the Cats
Suddenly remember poor Gigis, She
was probably still waiting outside the door
fer me in the hot sun and wondering If l
had get been murdered by the terrible
pszzo.
IL fear, signore, that | must nov return
to nv home" said ss sweetly as could
was half afraid that the Gentleman OF
the Cats might offer some opposition to my
taking nv departure But he did nothing
of the kind. With all his supposed mad
ness, he vas c VeTy courtly old gen!lemna
| Another moment end l stood ouiSae the
door in the sunshine.
/ passed the rest of the day describing
the remarkable things had witnessed to
the delight of::Gigia, whose eager curiosity
the growth OF many years, was nov salts
fed. Siguor Angelo Raspoli came to see
me that evening We established ourselves
comfortably on the terrace, aud drank the
coGee made for Us by the amiable Gigia
while Angelo smoked his cigarette: Th?re
was something infinitely agreeable s5out
this solitude q deux-something leSs re-
mantle than comrsde ike: After few
words about our mutual scqusiotances and
our professional interests, told Signor
Rasp6li of my adventure Of the morning
A curious expression fitted across bis face
as he listened. 1t YVES half humorous, half
compassionate.
'Signorins. you are heroine" he said
at length.
disclaimed the title and remarked that
only fsmiIiue curiosity, combined with q
fondness for cats, had sent me into the mys-