The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-08-20

Np'h NV eto N6blliiJ CID III blN AlON II
stance. Then got up. | walked up
and down the room. The cat follow
ed my footsteps. Finally. out of all
patience, | rang as on the evening be-
fore. My servant entered. But the
cat had taken refuge under the bed,
where we looked for it in vain. 1t
had disappeared.
II went out during that evening. /
visited a few friends and then returned
to the house, which / entered by mean
OF my latch key.
"As | had no light, / went softly up
stairs for fear of humping up against
the wall. When ! arrived on the last
step heard my body servant talking
to my wife's maid.
"As my name was mentioned Ills
tened. Then | overheard the recital
OF the adventure of the day before.
"tMaster is certainly losing his
mind. There was no more any black
cat with fiery eyes in that room than
there is in my hand
"These few words alarmed me. Either
the sight was real or it was false. If
real, | was being crushed under the
weight OF a supernatural fact; If false,
II imagined | saw some thing which
did not exist, | was, as my servant
had said, losing my mind, indeed.
"You will understand, my dear
friend, with what Impotence, mingled
with lear ! waited for six o'clock. The
next day, giving out that | wished to
arrange my papers, | kept my man
with me. Six O'Clock sounded while
he was there, AT the last stroke |
heard the same sound and again |
saw my cat.
ut was seated beside me.
II waited a moment without saying
anything, hoping that my servant
would notice the animal and would be
the first to speak. But he came and
went in my room without appear
ing to see anything.
IL chose a moment when, IN the line
m.which he would have to 60 to obey
an order meant to give him, he would
pass near the cat.
"Put my bell on the table, john
| said to him.
Gle was at the head Of my bed, the
bell was on the mantelpiece. In or
der to go from the head of my bed to
the manteipiece, he would necessarily
be compelled to step on the animal.
"He began walking, but just. as he,
was about to step on the cat it jump
ed into my lap.
John did not see it, or at least he
did not pretend to see it.
81 will admit that a cold sweat
stood out on my forehead and that
the words Master must be losing his
mind, came back to me with an un-
pleasant force.
John said to him, don't you
see anything on my knees?'
'tJohn looked al me. Then, like a
man who had made up his mind to a
certain course:
Yes, sir he said, i see a cat
81 breathed freely.
II took the cat, and said to him:
'If that is so, John, take it out
doors at once, beg of you.
His hands came under my hands.
/ placed the animal on his arm; then,
at q sign from me, he left the room.
81 was little re&ssured, but forthe
next ten minutes / looked around me
with d shade of anxiety still remain
ing; but seeing no living thing belong
ing to the animal kingdom, / deter
mined TO see what John had done with
the cat.
II left my room with the intention
of asking him the question, when, just
as / was entering the parlor, / heard
a loud peal Of laughter coming from
the direction OF my wife's dressing
-~nfx~ nA1 i.-G1-1a
heard Johns voice:
StMy duck, master is not losing his
mind; he haslost it. Heisstark, star
ing mad. You know what his idea
is-that he sees a black cat with fiery
eyes. This evening what doyou think
he asked me-if did not see theGcat
on his knees?'
"sAnd what did you answer ask
ed the maid servant.
"0Why, / said that ] did see the
cat,' said John. j was not going to
put out the poor old fellow. Then,
what do you suppose he did7'
"sHow do | know
"sWell, he took the alleged cat on
his knees, putt on my arm and said
to me, 'Takei it away take it away
/ took the cat away and he was salts
fed.
!" But il ssesas took the cat away, the
cat must have existed.
sssNo, mol The cat did not exist,
+ tell you, except in his imagination.
But what good would it have done
him for me to have told the truth?
I'd only get discharged. Not Tor
Joseph I'm well fixed here, and here
/ stay. He gives me forty dollars a
month to see a cat / seq q cat. III he
gave me fifty dollars d month I'd see
two cats
81 did not have the courage to listen
further. / gave q groan and went
back into my room.
my room was empty.
ssThe next day, at six o'clock, as