Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-06-11
THE LINKS THE car F0RGED.

IHE LINhS THE CAT FORGED.
1t was past / / o'clack when | opened the
door aud the black cat walked slowly out and
down the steps, waiting to see il l followed.
l turned up the collar of my coat, for the air
was chilly, and went out again into the beau
tiful October night The street was as silent
as the footballs of the 1.-the animal softly
walking down the steps. The black cat led
the way, and l followed Why, l do not
know.
Two nights before l had walked up from
my Office late with friend 1t was long past
midnight when we turned into the quiet
street where lived, talking about know not
what. Suddenly there stepped out of the
shadow Of huge tree black cat. Looking
neither to the right nor the left, she walked
deliberately before US.
"Ha - said my friend with tragic air,
"a cat "a black cat Let us follow the
cat"
Aud then he laughed, aud even as he walked
the echoes down the street, cannot tell
whyI shivertd. The cat walked silently
along past the lower steps of the flights lead
ing down from the houses, keeping pace or
two ahead Of u.s. My friend left me at his
door saying, Good night. Beware of the
cat" went on TO my house not far beyond
At the steps the cat stopped, hesitated for q
moment, aud then walked up TO the door.
SJmewhat surprised | followed
do not like cats. They seem to me to be
trescherous, dangerous brutes, aud am even
half afraid Of them. But when the black
cat stopped at my door / determined, for
some inexplicable reason, to admit her She
seemedTto know my room, for she walked up
the single flight of stairs before me and en-
tered the room as | opened the door. l found
her stretched out on the floor when had light
ed the gas and if she had lived in nv room all
her life she could not have appeared more at
home. For the same ine1 phcable reason that
| admitted the cat to my house allowed her
to remain in my room.
The next evening came in earlier il may
have been 10 O'Clock The black cat met me
at the door and darted by me as | stepped
over the threshold. Then, as turned to see
whittier she had gone, felt pull at the leg
of my trousers, and saw that the cat had
fastened a CLAW there and was certainly try
ing to draw me from the house. | stooped
down and softly stroked the animals back.
at the same time disengaging her claw. Then
| turned and entered the honse, and the cat,
after a moment of apparent irresolution, fol
lowed me- mewing strangely.
The next night she again met me at the
door. and the effort to draw me from the
house was repeated. The desire was 80 ap-
parent that was puzzled, and, l own, q lit
tie disturbed The cat went with me to my
room, and sitting there in the freight, with
her bright eyes staring at me, formed a pur-
pose to yield to this curious whim il it were
again displayed. tried to reason with NY
self, but reason seemed to have given way TO
an impulse as uncomfortable as it was mys-
terioup
passed an uneasy night and then q dAv
half hoping that when evening came my un-
bidden and unwelcome guest would be gone.
| heard the clocks in the houses along the
street where l lived strike IL az l walked
down toward. my door. As | stepped over
the threshold saw the fiery eyes OF the cat
in the dark hall A cold shiver passed
through my frame. l trembled with an ex-
citement rs intense as it was sudden. My
heart began to beat 80 loudly that involun-
tarily held my hands over it as il TO still IL
Then summoning my resolution l followed
the cat down the steps aud strobe after her
as she fitted down the street.
1t was a black night. Heavy, swollen gray
clouds had been hanging low in the sky when
darkness came on, and now they drew an i'm
penetrAble veil between the earth and the
stars. The old, winding streets of the quar-
ter of the town in which l lived we're silent
and deserted. Now and then a gust Of wind
swept down and swung some shutter back
upon its hinges with hoarse, grating sound
The moaning of the wind was full of strange
meanings to me. My thoughts wandered ofI
through the black arches OF that dismal night,
and as strobe down the street, drawn ire.
sistibly after the noiseless black cat there
came up before me q vivid picture of the
tragedy which had come into my life only a
year before, when had completed my col.
leee course.
/ saw my fathers house-a large white
building, surrounded by spacious piszzAs and
standing in the middle of a wide, velvet. like
lawn. l saw my father sitting in his com.
Portable library, from which two bay windows
opened upon the piazza. He had left my sis
ter and mother and myself in an adjoining
room, and was sitting at table facing one Of
the open windows. A students lamp cast A
soft mellow light over the room. Behind my
father stood his safe, which contained a large
sum of money, put there to pay his work
men on the following morning. The door
between the library and the room 10 which
we we're was open, and occasionally he spoke
to US. Then came a long silence, and we
heard only the soft patter OF the rain on the
piazzas.
"What can father be doing" asked my sis.
ter at length, that keeps him so quiet I"
WRITING, l suppose" said nv mother.
"He is making up the pay rolls, YOU know. "
Then he'll never get through" replied
my sister, "for he has fallen asleep I'm sure. +"
We listened again. We heard only the
steady, monotonous pat.er of the rain.
We'll" said my sister rising, ''don't you
think ought to wake him up, mother ?"
Yes" answered nv mother.
MY sister went into the next room.
Father" she said, wake up il is grow.
ing late"
There was no answer. The next moment
a piercing shrek rang through the house.