New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-22
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Miss Iatimer rose slowly from her chair by the
fire and with a Lttle sigh of reluctance laid her
work aside and crossed the room to an old OAK
bureau that stood sideways in the broad bay
window and drawing out the wooden rests un-
locked and let down the flap, thereby discovering
pile of tradeSmens books and letters TO be an
swered She sat down and attacked them with more
virtue than goodwill, and was deep in the problem
of weights and measures in r. latOn TO pounds, sh
lingS and pence when something leaped suddenly
upon the table beside her, almost upsettlng the
inkstand and dashing the pen from her hand'
That strange gray cat agalnl" cried She, Win
an accent Of VeXatlon due more TO the trlals OF
housekeeping and accounts than TO the presence
of the cat, which was rubbing It's head agSinsO
her shoulder with deep purr OF pleasure NisS
Frances was extremely fond Of animals, ana wheh
the said gray cat mysteriously made lbs appear
ance some days previously, she had not the hetI.
to drive il away. There was something ID d,S
size and stately movements, CAIN SUPERIORITY
in It's big gray eyes, which made the necgSsir!
adjuncts Of dcparJyre-the bri 3kbatS ana shoo
cats!"- assume sort OF moral lncongrulty aInios.
amounting TO n crime. Anyhow the gray O"'
STAYED on in the great house and appeared 20 nav
a special fOndnesS for the wainscoted pirlOr anu
the company of Miss Frances IT was however,
"a djgnifed and administrative creature, anu i,
gave Miss Latimer a kind of mental shock 10 hhCI
that il could and purr after the Fishloh Vi
the veriest kitchen kitten. 1t seemed 10 HIu /"
peculiar pleasure in the connection on ''o Ing
and the bureau and rubbed alternately against
the shoulder of one and the front OF the OtnIr dS
if it had found a secret affinity hetWeen SnclIl'
The interior of the bureau was llned WIN urlM-
eTS, three on either side, ana ABOVE thrH
with pigcOn-hOes full Of letters, docketed pliiS,
etc. The central drawer had hanging hdhule
Of quantity carved brass, and with TINS i1e cav
grayely played, pattng il softly as II would nave
done mouse Miss Frances watched II for some
time, half fascinated by its grace ana Dy Pul-
cling nse of recognition. Where M'n sne sec's
the gray cat before? 1t had the familiarity OF
an old friend. All al once the creature tlfheu
from the handle, and, lifting It's hcad WIN an an
of solemn pride looked straight at Miss L1tlmer'
With mngng of pain and amusement tlr reason
for her pcrpcXitV flashed across her. AS lar as
a cat can rese1n bic a human being, in so far was
the gray cat the very image Oh grcal-auIlb odrdl'
Miss Iatimers amusement gave way TO CON
sciOusness of something like iIrcNerencc; the look
Of proud affection III the ca eyes became u9
beaTablc and with n ltuc shuddcr she illucd ~
oil the table, set il gently on the moor ana brhtu
deliberately to her books. The cat MADE no ~
tomnt 10 disturb her again, and she gradually
shook off the feeling Of discomfort II had cauS'u
her Book after book was added up ana lald on
one side and the sum total OF each SET on d
sliD Of paper I'll at last Miss Latlmcr loosen d
from her chateainc a bunch Of keys ana pro
ceeded TO fit Onc into thc middle drawer ana Opeu
il. The drawer stuck and the force necessary 10
move il pulled il right out OF It's place III tue Ou-
reau Instead Of replacing IT. Miss Frances SET
it down beside her and drew her chec<-book our
of it, The rattle Of the hanging handle as slle ana
so must have attracted the cat, Tor II aled
swiftly IN into its old place upon the flap and began
TO scratch and sniff in the empty receptacle Tor
the drawer. SO intent WIS il upon this that at
last Miss Latlmers curiosity was rouSed, SnS
observed that the cat continued to pat and snlll
at one side only of the hollow
Could there be a mouse in itP Impossible.
The hollow was clear and there was no mole OF
room for any animal larger than a fly.
The cat, seeing that her notice WAS attracted
left the hole and with bcSeeching eyes rubbed
against Miss Latimcrs shoulder. The latter bent
down and carefully examined the hollow: nothing
was to he seen. She put her hand in and felt all
round the sides. \ thrill Of cXcitement went
through her, for aSSurcdly something had moved
against her touch: she pressed more closely and
deliberately and a small, deep drawer sprang out
into the open space She drew il out upon the
flap and that it was full of letters OF the top
of which lay folded slip of paper sealed with her
grcat-aunt Sarah's seal II had veStlge Of
writing or address upon il, and Hiss Latimcr held
il in her hand. h'>it@ting whether 10 open il or
not when suddenly her ewes fell upon the letters !
She took them up and that they were all m
the same hdndwriting-clever, decided and OBJ
viously that Of man--and that they all bore the
same address:
To Miss Frances Iatimcr