The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-02-17
INTERESTING STORY.
LADY GAY.

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Bachelor Billings owned O ca.--A great,
fat, white cat, with one blind eye. He GALL
ed her Lady Gay" The cat was the only
thing he was fond of in the world. 1t was
not his fault He had been badly used,
and his originally aFectionate heart had
been hardened. He had loved his mother
and father fondly. His mother died, and
his father married again and gave him the
regular step-mother Of literature. She hated
him he was miserable he resented her
injustice, and his father logged him. After
that his sister Flora grew up to be his con-
fidant and friend; it was q sweet friend
Ship but she married. The world spoke
i the newly married couple as very
happy" Perhaps they were, but poor Bill
ings was not
After her marriage he never once saw her
lone. If he addressed her, the brother in
law answered for her. If he made any little
statement, the brother-in-law instantly con.
radicted him in stentorian howl, and Flora,
as in duty bound, agreed with her husband.
Whatever he said was objected TO. Flora
had been wont to look up 60 him consider
ably. The brother-in-law was continually
proving him wrong and mistaken, until ho
comported himself in his presence like an
aniable deaf and dumb gentleman, and only
nodded assent to the sage's remarks, and
his sister withdrew her admiration and
.espect.
How he used to long TO chat with Flora
ns OF old; to sit close to her and tell her
everything. He was still young and boyish.
But ii the brother-in-law were away, his sis
ter's father-in-law was on guard, and grunt.
ed out volumes of advice, or preached away
upon certain hobbies of his own.
Billings loved Flora still but she had
sbscome-a sort of meatal and naral giame0e
twin, with no opinions of her own, and of
last he went away. And when he said
Flora, write to me sometimes" the
brother.in-law answered
Yes, we'll write when we have some
thing to say"
Poor Billings cried q little over this, but
he never received any letter from his sister.
She was fond of him, but she was no longer
permitted to say SO. / think the brother.
in-law was afraid that young Billings would
one day try to borrow money.
Billings got into business, and at last fell
in love. Being in love, he also wrote poe
try. He published a volume at his own ex-
pense. II was entitled, Heart and Hand"
Not copy was sold. The critics to whom
he sent it mentioned it as "doggered and
trash" He stored the edition. Only Lie
sweetheart kept copy, specially bound for
her in the most costly way, and declared
him poet equal to Shelley or Byron.
Alas one morning-it was about the
time of the church fair, in which they were
oil interested, and to which he had gladly
endowed the whole edition Of his poems
he received letter from his Kitty. 1t ran
thus:
Good-by. am going to marry Mr..
Eben White. l hope you will be happy
with Minerva Brown"
Minerva was one of the committee Of
arrangements for the fair; o brisk young
spinster, with very long nose and poke
chin.
Jilted2 Yes, Billings was Tilted. 1t was
his fate. Ho left the town that Right, and
saw his false young Kitty no more.
When he in measure recovered from
the blow, he tried friendship. A splendid
fellow was his dearest friend
One day the splendid fellow got up early
they shared room forged o check in
his name, drew his savings and went of in
his new oyercoat and with his travelling
bag to parts unknown.
Crushed by this blow, he sent friendship
to follow love, and after some years took to
veneration as O solace. He became the ad-
mirer of wise old man, with hair and
beard of snow, who became his counsellor
and friend; and accepted, ms in dream,
dinners, suppers, lodgings, new hats and
boots, and many ten-dollar bills.
Alasl this aged person proved TO be n
terrible humbug, made his young adhereni
his innocent tool in a very disgraccful bust
moss, and nearly got him into Jail besides.
Billings had now lost faith in all humani-
ty, but no had heard that dogs were faith
full. He bought dog. Tho dog bit him,
while he was feeding it. From that time
he became as near Timon of Athens as
man doing business in the city could be-
come.
And he was nearly fifty years old when
ono cold night, hearing "mew" outside
the door, he opened it, and let in q cat.
The creature rubbed against his legs. He
fed it with milk and it bumped its back up
to be caressed. It had been 90 long since
he had been fond of anything, and in his
secret soul he SO desired to love something
that he took tho cat to his heart at once.
It had been with him year, when one
morning old Adam, the individual who at
tended to the cleaning OF the windows and
lighting of the fires of his apartment, said
10 him
:" Mr.. Billings, you value that cat, dom
you ?"
This cat-Lady Gay-of course do.H
Well. then beware, sir" said old Adam.
There's lady trying to steal her."
What ?" cried Mr.. Billings.
Yes, indeed, sir. She lies in wait at the
door, and once she put her hand in through
the grating yes, indeed--sir, and had Lady
Gay by the neck but called out Who's
there p and she flowed
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