Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-06-26
"A GAIA BLACK CAT!'
How She Brought a Murderer to
the GalloWs.

IlOW CLlS DIOuElb IL NulNtCISi W
the Gallows.
1t was past eleven O'Clock when |
opened the door and the black cat
walked slowly out and down the steps,
waiting to see if ! followed. | turned
M the collar of my coat, for the air
was chilly, and went out again into the
beautiful October night. The street
wa a. silent as the footballs of the 1.-the
animal softly walking down the steps,
The black cat led the way and | fol-
lowed. Why, | do not know. Two
nights before ! had walked up from my
Office late with a 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 a
huge tree Il black eat. Looking neither
TO the right nor the left, She walked
deliberately before us.
''lla.' said my friend, with a tragic
air, "a cat,-a black cat, Let u, follow
the cat
And then he laughed, and even as he
walked the echoes down the street,
can not tell WHY shiyercd. The cat
walked silently along past the lower
steps of the flights leading down from
the houses, keeping Il pace or two
ahead of US. My friend left me at his
door, saving: "Good-night, Beware
Of the cat | went on to my house,
not far beyond. At the steps the cat
stopped, hcSitatcd for a moment, and
then walked up to the door. Some
what surprised. ! followed.
donot like cats. They seem to me
10 be trcachcrOus, dangerous brutcs,
and | am even half afrai. of them.
But when the black cat stopped at my
door | determined, for some incXplica-
bic reason, to admit her. She seemed
to know my room, for She walked up
the single flight Of stair, before me and
entered tie room As | opened the door,
! found her stretched out on the floor
when had lighted the gaS, and if she
had lived in my room all her life she
could not have appeared more at home.
For the same incNplicable reason that |
admitted the cat TO my house | allowed
her to remain in my room.
The next evening | came in earlier;
j, may have been ten o'clock. The
black cat met me at thedoor and dartcd
by me as | stepped over the threshold.
Then, as ] turned TO see whittier She
had gone, | felt 4 pull at the leg of my
trousers. and saw that the cat had fast
cned a claw there and was certainly
trying TO draw me from the house. |
stopped down and softly StrOkcd the
animal back, at the same time olsen
gaging her claw, Then | turned and
entered the house, and the cat, after a
moment of i~rreSolution, followed me,
mewing strangely.
The next night She again met me at
the door, and the effort to draw me
from the house vas repeated. The de-
sire was SO apparent that | was puz-
zled. and, | own. Il little disturbed.
The cat went with me to my room.
and, sitting there in the freight, with
her bright eyes staring at me, ! formed
purpose TO yield to this curious within
if it were again displayed, | tried to
reason with myself. but reason seemed
to have given way TO an impulse Il,
uncomfortable as it was mysterious.
! passed an uneasy night and then q
day, half hoping that when evening
came my unbiddcn and unwelcome
guest would be gone. | heard the
clocks in the houses along the street
where | lived strike eleven as ! walked
down toward my door. As | stepped
over the threshold ! saw the fiery eye,
of the cat in the dark hall. 4 cold
SILVER passed through my frame.
trembled with an excitement as intense
as it was sudden. My heart began to
beat so loudly that | ~involuntarily held
my hands over it as if to still it. Then
summoning my resolution ! followed
the cat down the steps and 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 impenetrablt
,eii oe,"eeh the earlh ana 'he stars
me oiu' winding Stree,s OF me quarter
oi lhe 'owh IN wnlch , llVeu We're slleh
anu deserted NOW anu tneh a gust o.
vino swept ana swung some shutter
oack upon us hlnSes WIN a hoarse
gia'lhg sound me moaning II th'
vino was luil Of strange meanings t.
me- MY thoughts wandered OH througl