The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-12-11
yerv neYt night for a pitcher of milk, and

| being successfully eHectet no went uaily !oi
the milk before mill hours, and his pail was
filed by Mary Ann, blooming with the sweet
morning air, neat, trim and lovelyat o'clock
a. m. as city girl Mt her late dinner Joe
grow worse and worse He thought OF Nanny
In mill and market; her face shone above
the machinery, her laugh tinklcd with the
mill bell He made friends with lcicr
also; for cats know lovers when they are cat
Ioyers-just rs well as children know then
friends Tiger was still kept IN the hugh
fenced chicken yard on the Parker prcInScs-
now devoid Of ChiclGns-as measure OF pre-
caution against his straying; he was too dear
to his mistress to be venturcd at large yet.
IL is not TO be denied that NANNY looked with
favorable eyes upon Joe Parker; a personablc
young fellow with a good position does not fall
at tho feet Of every farmers daughter, even II
she is a beauty The anxious and aimless'
have in their ranks many a lovely face and
capable character. Nanny had been no fur
Their than the district school for her educa-
ton, and her home training was too hard,
practical, thorough work. She read no
novels or "story papers," The Weekly Cour-
ant and The Puritan Recorder helped her
through Sundays but on week days she had
work to do, and at night was tired enough to
| go to bed early. So she was simple as well rs
| sensible, in the best sense OF simplicity, ana
did not coquette with Joe any more than was
natural to any girl She dimpled and bllIshed
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
Omnously smooth,
But, alas, there was trouble coming. Tigc,
the Parker cat, hurt himself seriously in an
attempt TO climb the palmgs of his Jail yard,
for they were old and rickcty, and could not
bear his weight. His mistress nuIScd 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
on. Of doors and allowed to roam and rayage
as he would, and at once he lit upon Peter
Dire was The conflict but Mrs. Parker
hastcucd to the rescue with q pail Of water,
and the astouishcd Peter, quite drcnchcd to
t..- ..!l, ia, "Aiie ni,-. Parker picked mp
Tier and carried him into the Eiahan,
amcnting over himaS If be were Il hurt CiuId
NoW MIS- Parker was shy and silent
woman, but very rcsout"; She at once made
up her mind that the Mays cat should
not ir'rude on her premises to dis
turb Tiger She had the garden fence
REINFORCED, and even strip Of wire
netting added to its height on the Mays
side. but she could not cabin, crib or con
fine Tiger himscf-a circumstance that VcXyd
her much. And when Peter came home TO
Mary Ann, after that first duel dripping like
drowned rat She, too, was indignant; hut
Loot .ba Il Snt i'm Ipt lty
night, skir1nishcS by day; II piece was soon
bitten out of Peters lovely waving tail, and |
flyer lost half an ear Nanny made invidous |
remarks about Mrs. Parkcr'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 the Mays. Yet !
they were friendly enough, except on the cat .
question, Mrs May laugh, Mrs. Parker how |
to knit new heels into JOes yarn stockings, |
and Mrs. Parker showed Manny's mother the .
last pattern of crochet edging; they cX- |
changed samples Of cake talked skill ully of |
pickles and preserves in fact, had a liking ,
and respect for each Othcr-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 prcttily con
s"ntcd; they were "kcepin' 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 small home of his own, if only a !
tenement in the village properly remarking: |
We won't mix folks, Manny--t don't sue |
coed; besides, | want you all to mysclf"-a |
peremptory 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 scwed by Manny's deft hands; and
scwcd it was, with no intervention of ma
ckincry, and almost ready, when-how shall |
| tell it,--one pleasant February day Peter
trailed into the house with n bleeding ear, n
blinking eye and one leg so hurt that he could !
not even limp on it. This was the climax
NANNY had winked at Tigcs cnormtics all
that winter for Mrs Parkers sake ncaning
Joos); she had only once hurled basin of .
dishwater over him, three times chased him
with broom handle, and not thrown more
than dozen stones Mt him-which didn't .
count, for women never hit anything they |
throw at, or at least men say So
But now Mannys patience gave n great |
gasp and died She flew out of the door in
tent TO MAIN or Stay, but Tiges black tail Just |
whiskcd 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 catnip 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 in |
at his hour for visitation he found Nanny no
longer tender, arch or sentmental the hazel
eyes had rcdder spark in them than he had
ever seen, the cheeks famed, and the red lips |
were puckered into lovely severity instead
OF wrcathed with smiles
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 a dismayed |
tone, "mothcr sets 10y Tiger so.'
~ can't help it, he's horrid, dreadful |
cat, and he'll murder Peter, and he's got to
be killed"
"But, Nanny, think Of mother; she's goin' |
to be alone and she thinks everything of |
Tiger. Why, she never would forgive me if |
killed him"
"Well, if You like her better'n you do me,
all right. i shall kill him, unless pa will;
SO thcren