The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-07-20


Of . aouse in the somewhat retired village
Of Bilbufy. The house, small and neat,
like its mistress. looked prirnly forth
across tiny aooryard, gay with such
hardy and brilliant blooms as had re-
fused to yield to incipient frosts. On the
steps sat a big gray cat, the Sits in his
cold green eyes dilated, even beyond
their early morning won't, with evident
wonder and dismay. Clearly that door
had not been locked from the outside
within the utmost stretch of hismemory.
What could it mean?
That It meant something serious was
evident, for. when his mistress turned
from her rather protracted wrestle with
the door, her sweet, puckered old face
expressed mixture of anticipation and
regret, slightly tiuged with tinid awe,
but, witliai, dominated by an evident de-
termination to carry her point, whatever
It might be, which must have struck any
bystander capable Of being amused or
touched. Big Tom was capable Of neither;
he could only disapprove. Some people
and some cats are Tary much alike.
The old lady felt her pets mental at
titude, as evidenced by his bodily one.
She slipped the shiny, worn key beneath
the mat (every family in Bilbury was in
the habit of secreting its door key under
its door mat, and every other family
knew III. took up a black leather satchel
fiat sfoo<l waiting beside her and turned
apoloaeticalIv. to the man OF the house:
.sTo1n,nv y she said. strs,l<iuer his ro,Ipl,.
pray head il a deprecatinp wav. am
sorrv ter leave VEIN nrof,er sorry ter
leave va-but isaac an me alwus said
ws,d 90. an,-an' I willw
The hand that had sought to pacify
Tom was suddenly withdrawn to seek a
rocIret handkerchief. vet even while its
owner dried her ewes. her little pointed
chin taolx an n sonblv resolved nrelxer.
ssTbere's meat an milk ii the shed for
20. Tommy. plenty ont. an IN be back
AGAR. Thursday eyenin'. If nothin, hap
pens. If We want ANYTHING more. there's
that old rat in the cellar; We ha,nt caught
him vet. Good-bv. Tommy
But Tommy would not say cood-bv.
Ha shook bis tail. and turned off in a
bufT. while the old lady. thus given the
cold shoulder. turned away, too. and
went slowly out at the white gate ana
down the street. It was early: If any Of
fle neirhbors were stirring they we're
ali in the kitchen end of their houses.
Nd one noticed or spoke to her till she
reached the dingy little flag station. from
which. three times a day. straw passen-
rers could be convened to the junction.
five miles away. there to make such con-
nectios, as they might with trains on the
main line. The station master. a man
with inst enough regular eupiovment to
prevent his doing much Of ANYTHING.
opened his dull eyes almost as : idely as
the cat had done.
ssGoin' ter the city, Mis- Fosdick-alI
alones
.sYes. SIR replied the old lady with
reserve. 81 be-
The man continued to eve her. steadilx
and donbtfnlIy, while he handed out
ticket and she paid for it. hewithered
uHuU. IN ltS DiAck IultL. never EIeLnDlH0s
but. as it touched his. in making the ex.
change, he felt it strangely cold.
"Ruther an unexpected start. amt itY'
he oueried. cheerfnlly. shifting the bright
silver pieces she had given him from one
dirtv naln to the other.
ssNo. sir.n she answered. az Quietly "a
before. .sTve been expectin' to 90 for
some time"
She turned away and he dronped the
money into a drawer: but his face still
wore its doubtful look. and presentlv as
he stood beside her on the platform.
while the short freight train with its red
caboose steamed slowly IN. be yentured
one last remark:
s.I.emme see. Mis- Fosdicle We ba,nt
never Travelled on the cars afore. have
veqr
His tone said. aHadn't Won better think
twice before YOU do il this firnees But
the answer came as quietly as before.
s.No. Mr.. Staphens. i never have. Good
morni,,'. SIR And she stepped toward the
train which was coming t,a standstill in
copnflianee with the reouest conveyed bv
a very dilapidatcd FAC.
He could b,,t helm her nm tbe b;ob
awkward stems and hand her satchel after
bsr. t,,,+ 4l,a l,,lr ~ doubt ;n+ans;tso,1 r.,