The Republican., 1889-03-02
A BLACK CAT.
Their Tastes Were So Similar,
After All.

''lt's strange. dreary-looking
place." said Mrs. Linfeld. Il don't
think Pm going to like it here, Dick. "
II thing you will, mother" said
Dick, cheerily. "You see, the weather's
sort O. lowerin.' And this amt the
time Of year for country place to
look pleasant. Besides, any house
that hasn't been lived in for a
year will smell trife musty. And
when I've trimmed away the tree
branches that hang down over the
caves, and sicIzled down the hollyhoch
stalks and high weeds, and got the old
grape vines trained up bit, and
things in decent running order, why,
you won't know the place"
Mrs. Linfield sighed. Hers was a
sad nature, and had been from her
youth up. Dick, her only son, looked
at life from entirely different point of
view.
''Sit down, mother, DEAR" said Dick.
"See how merrily the fire blazes up the
chimney. Listen! AS true as l live!
(holding up his finger) there's cricket
on the hearth! Hear it chirp! There's
luck for US, mother, all ready cut and
dried. And look! black catn'
For, even as he spoke, a stealthy
feline creature glided across the room,
her yellow eyes flashing like pair of
Oriental topazes,
"A black cat eh!' repeated Mrs.
Linfeld, her detected countenance
frightening up little. "Well, I do
b'lieve there's good fortune in that!
Dye s'pose she'll stay here with us,
Richard?"
"Stay here? Of course, she'll stay
here. Why shouldn't she stay here, if
we feed her and make her welcome?
Now, mother, you're set up, aren't you,
with cat? And black one into the
bargain!'
II seen a yellow dog a-skulkin'
round the premises" observed Mrs.
Linfeld, obviously. "Dogs is always
a-worryin' cats. It's their nature''
81 don't care what their nature is"
said Dick, briskly. ''If any dog at
tempts to harm this black cat, I'll kill
it, sure as live!''
He spoke the last seven words with
his head out of the window. trying to
fasten back a refractory blind. that
tapped to and fro against the north
siding Of the house; and as he spoke
them, the black cat sprang past him,
clearing the window-sill with bound,
and vanished into the mimic wild erness
OF bushes that filled the door-yard with
their neglected luxuriance.
Isabel Vennor, from the ragged little
garden-patch, where she was gathering
the few last red tomatoes that hung
vines, saw old Jetspring into the misty
October air, and heard the voice and
its utterance. She stood still. with the
tomatoes in her apron, and her eyes
flashing with Indignation.
kill it!' she cried, under her breath.
''Kill my Jet! So, that's the kind of
neighbors we're goingto have! That's
the new engineer in the button factory,
that Mr.. Dilworth said was so nice and
amiable! Oh! I'm glad I've found him
out from the very beginning"'
She dropped the scarlet burden of
tomatoes. enfolded Jet in her apron,
and hustled back into the house as if
an avenging angel had been in full pur-
suit of her.
Dear me, Bellr' said Mrs. Vennor,
who was quietly knitting by the fire.
"what's the matter?"
''lt's the new neighbors, mother!"
cried Isabel, breathing hard and
quick. II know all about them, and
they're perfect q horrid"
Half an hour later, when the twilight
had fallen darkly on the rocky New
England pasture lots, and the sluggish
course of the little river below, Rich
ard Linfeld knocked at the door OF the
Vennor house.
Gould / borrow box of matches!"
said he, his handsome face inclined,
his hat in his hand. ut seems to be
the one thing we're out of, and"
1--WE have nothing to lend" said
Isabel, hastily, as she closed the door
in his face, with furtive glance at the
black cat, who was watching a mouse
hole in the kitchen closet beyond.
Richard Linfeld went away. consid-
erably surprised. and not a little hurt
into the bargain.
a supposed country neighbors were
obliging," said he; sat least, that's
what I've always heard say"
And for a moment he was almost in
clined to agree with mis- mother. in he-
estimate OF the the new home-that he
was not going to like it.
He walked all the way down to the
Tavern Corners, where there WIS a
general store, which included every
thing from chalk TO cheese.
well, declare" said old Jonas
Deal. my brothers widder lives
next door to ye-in the little red house