Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-23

to his mistress to be ventured at large yet.
1t is not to be denied that NANNY looked
with favorable eyes upon Joe Parker a
reasonable young fellow with good posi-
| ton does not fall at the feet of every farm
er's daughter, even if she is beauty. The
anxious and aimless have in their ranks
many lovely face and capable chan acter.
| Nanny had been no. further than the dis
| trict school for her education, and her
| home training was too hard, practical thor
ough work. She read no novels or story
papers," The Weekly Co,rdnt and The Pnri-
| tan Recorder helped her through Sundays,
| but on week days she had work to do, and
at night was tired enough to go bed early.
| So she was simple as well as sensible, in
| the best sense of simplicity, and did not
| coquette with Joe any more than was nat
ural to any girl. She dimpled and blushed
when he came in, pretended to be vexed
when Peter preferred his knee to her lap,
called him an awful thing" if he caught
her hand in his with the milk-pail handle,
and was always ready to go TO singing
school and evening meeting with him, SO
that his true love ran ominously smooth.
But, alas there was trouble coming.
| Tige, the Parker cat, hurt himself seriously
| in an attempt to climb the pailings of his
| Jail yard, for they were old and rickety and
| could not bear his weight. His mistress
nIlrsed him in the house for six weeks with
! great care, and when he was quite well
again, and stronger than ever with much
| feeding, he was turned out of doors and al
| lowed to roam and ravage as he would, and
at once he lit upon Peter.
Dire was the conflict. but Mrs. Parker
| hastened to the rescue with pail of water,
and the astonished Peter, quite drenched
| to the skin, fled, while Mrs. Parker picked
up Tiger and carried him into the kitchen,
! lamenting over him as if he were hurt
child. Now Mrs. Parker was shy and ST.
| lent woman, but very resolute; she at once
made up her mind that the Mays cat
| should not intrude on her premises to dis
turb Tiger. She had the garden fence re-
! inforced, and even a strip of wire netting
added to its hight on the Mays side; but
| she could not cabin, crib or confine Tiger
| himself-a circumstance that yexed her
much. And when Peter came home to Mary
Ann after that first duel dripping like a
| drowned rat, she, too, was indignant but
what could she do? Battles set in, howls
by night, skirmishes by day a piece was
soon bitten out of Peters lovely waving
| tail, and Tiger lost half an ear. Nanny
made invidious remarks about Mrs. Park
er's cat every day of her life, and Mrs.
Parker made Joe's meals bitter to his soul
with evil speaking of Peter and Peters
family-meaning the Mays. Yet they were
| friendly enough, except on the cat ques-
ton. Mrs. May taught Mrs. Parker how to
knit new heels into Joe's yarn stockings,
and Mrs. Parker showed Manny's mother
the last pattern of crochet-edging: they ex-
changed samples of cake talked skillfully
of pickles and preserves in fact, had a
liking and respect for each other-all but
the cats.
Before the last pleasant autumn days
were gone Joe had gathered courage to ask
Mary Ann to marry him, and she had
prettily consented they were "keepin'
company" now, and the old folks looked on,
well pleased to think that neither of their
children would stray far from home,
though Joe insisted on having a small
home of his own, if only tenement in the
village properly remarking: 4" We won't
mix folks, Manny-it don't succeed; be-
sides, | want you all to myself "a per-
emptory sort of logic that pleased Miss
Mary Ann and made her assent hearty and
| prompt.
! They meant to be married in April in
no less time could the modest array of
clothing and house linen be made ready,
| for chiefly it must be seWed by Nanny S
| def hands and sewed it was, with no in
| terventon of machinery, and almost ready,
when. how shall 1 tell it !-one pleasant
| February day Peter trailed into the house
with bleeding ear, blinking eye, and one
! leg so hurt that he could not even limp on
it. This was the climax. Nanny had
winked at Tige's enormities all that winter
for Mrs Parker's sake (meaning Joe's)
she had only once hurled basin of dish
water over him, three times chased him
with broom-handle, and not thrown more
/ Of rt-bi 0h Anff
| count, for women never hit anything they
| throw at, or at least men say so.
But now Manny's patience gave great
gasp and died. She few out of the door
| intent to MAIN or Stay, but Tige's black
| tail Just whisked out of the gate; she could
not follow him, so she did the next thing,
which was to wash Peters wounds, put
| him to bed in the cellar, fetch him dry cat
nip and warm milk, and leave him to that
solitude that the wounded animal seeks
and the wounded man shuns.
1t was tea time then, and when Joe came
lin at his hour for visitation he found
Nanny no longer tender, arch or senti-
mental the hazel eyes had a redder spark
in them than he had ever seen, the cheeks
famed, and the red lips were puckered
into a lovely severity instead of wreathed
with smiles.
1" joe she began, rushing at once into
the FRAY You will have to kill Tiger. !
can't stand it. He has chawed up Peter
till he's most dead"
my dear girl" said Joe, in dismayed
tone, mother sets by Tiger So"
" can't help it; he's a horrid, dreadful
cat, and he'll murder Peter, and he's got to
be killed.
{" But, Nanny, think of mother; shes
goin' to be alone and she thinks everything
of Tiger. Why, she never would forgive
me if killed him"
"Well, if you like her bettern you dc
me, all right. I shall kill him, unless pa
will so there !"
Now Joe was not used to girls and their
ways He thought Mary Ann meant
every word she said. He was really fright
ened.
But, Nanny, just think. What will
mother say"
81 don't care cent what anybody says
| will not stand by and see my dear sweet
old cat killed by dreadful beast like that
and not defend him. I'll poison it"
"Oh, Mary Ann !" cried Joe.
Then kill him yourself" she retorted
" / cannot said Joe, steadily.
Well he knew how his silent mother
loved Tiger; like many other women, she
bestowed on her pet all the demonstrativt
affection she was too shy and too reserved
to lavish on Joe. The cat slept on her bed
followed her about the house and garden
sprung up into her lap and purred there as
she sat alone in the evenings and however
fierce fighter of his kind, was devoted
and loving to his mistress. More ehar
ever did she cling to him now, in her word
less jealousy of Joe's new love; for vel
she knew that
'AIy sons my son till he gets him wife,
and deeply she felt, as most mothers do,
that her rule and her joy were over.
Joe looked at Nanny with his heart in
his eyes, but that young PERSONS willful
soul had got the better of her sense and
her affection both she had given Joe hel
final test she would find cut now whether
he loved her or his mother best. Pool
joe
you won't?7 she asked, setting her lip;
in firm red line.
mo" said Joe, with equal frmness.
The situation had come to deadlock.
Just then wild scream was heard and q
scurrylng of feet Mrs. Parker, with face
OF fright, drew herself up on the picket
fence and called for joe
Come quick" she cried "Tige has
tumbled into the cisteru
Joe ran as fast as he could. He knew
the cistern was two-thirds full and its side;
slippery, but he had not an idea what tC
do; he lost his wits-and Mary Ann found