The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-07-27

white cat, and we discussed the modu
operandi Children are savages."
Tom paused here, turned his face farthe
into the gloom, and cleared his throat be
fore proceeding.
Several methods of killing the Whit
cat were suggested" he continued, speak
ing with grim deliberatiou, as though h'
were deriving savage pleasure in seourg
ing himself eve would drown her il
the sea; but that would have necessitated
great walk along the coast to escape OBJ
servation The same objection applied to
the plan of throwing her from the cliffs.
AT last Harry hit upon what We con-
sidered an excellent idea. His father had
pistol, which he kept in portmanteau.
Fortunately he was accustomed to leave
the portmanteau open. The arrangement
was that in the afternoon Harry would
contrive to secure the pistol. Then we
would seek the white cat in the neighbor-
hood of my aunt's cottage, and, if luck at
tended us, we would carry her to field
at the back and-shoot her Nice boys,
weren't we?
Luck did attend us-luck in the shape
of some mischievous, cruel imp of dark
ness. Harry managed to steal the pistol
revolver it was, with FIVE chambers, all
loaded | curse his father to this day for
being such careless idiot Harry, who
was very business like, brought an old sack
with him We found our prey, after a
long search, sleeping in the warm sun on
low wall at the rear of the cottage. She
evidently belonged to one of the neighbors,
but her ownership was never discovered.
Harry pouuced upon her before she could
escape. and after a short but sharp struggle,
in which We were both severely scratched,
We had her secure in the sack Harry tied
up the mouth with strong string.
II had hung back at first with sort Of
shame faint sense of the brutality of
cur behaviour. But the struggle had
driven all this away. The native deviltry of
the boy was ablaze / was furious, ex-
ultant; | drowned the hideoas muffied
sounds sha. came from the sack with wild
laughter. | danced round the wriggling,
writhing mass, and when we had dragged
il into the field suatehed the pistol from
Harry, who was very quiet, to have the
first shot | fred-kneeling close. IL
was the first time | bad fired pistol, but
felt no shock. | remember strange,
piteoas Shrek, and the sack dancing wierdly
in front of me fired again, and remem-
bcr low, grating wall, aud the sack being
troubled for moment aud then still.
Harry took the pistol from me, con
tinued Harding. wiping his forehead, "and
went home ! went on TO the sands aud
tried to play with the boys there, but
couldn't. | was feeling E.lrribly sick.
The voice Of the white cat buEzed IN my
ears. The heaving sack bObbed about be-
tween my eyes and the sunlight
AT supper my aunt noticed iha'
looked in and made me swallow some
medicine When | had erept to my room
sat down 10 the darkness near the open
window to try and cool my head which
felt ike splitting But It was a, my heart
that the chief agony lay-the agony Of an
uubearable burden, the crushing, safoeat-
ing weight Of shame, Of fear, Of remorSe.
Can a child know these things you may
ask | answer thar did but | was not
then child 4 crime had aged me.
was an old man; a murderer Perhaps |
was unlike other boys, ielt that |
would have given anything, sufcrcd any
thing. To have undone what ! had dome
tOFtnre, or even death.
Il sat Tor long time, and at last, sick
and dizzy. | slowly undressed Then !
thought, with faint CLEAN OF hope, Of my
prayers. | sank down By the bed, frst
sitting, then kneeling, aBd tried; but moth
ing uy mother had taugh, me would meet
such case a. that At last few tears
came aud opened 4 way Of escape for the
fearful weight that was sitting me. Soon
was sobbing wildly and unchecked, and
beating my vet face with my open hands.
Once ia my paroxysm | stretched my
arms over the bed; they encountered some
thing soll and strange. | sprang 70 my
feet in mad terror, aud rent the silence Of
the cottage with a piercing shrek. My
aunt hurried into the room with candle,
and there, coiled up in the center Of the
white quilt, which was stained with her
blood, lay the body Of the white eat.
The fastening Of the sack had become
loosened in her struggle; she had escaped
and crawled TO her favoritc place to die,
"What | have told you, concluded
Tom, rising to 20, ''is the solemn truth, so
help me heaven
Should this reach the eye Of Thomas
Harding, whose story | have taken the
liberty Of telling to the world for the sake
Of its moral, | wish him to know that
there Is now no just cause or impediment
to his paying me visit, and that should
be delighted if he would do 50. The fact
is that a year after his last flying visit we
were blessed with baby boy, upon whom
we layished all our aife,tion. II was then
that we discovered that the Duchess was of
an exceedingly jealous disposition, and it
was soon apparent that either she or the
baby must 90
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