St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1892-03-26
A VALUABLE CAT.
The Feline Protector Of a Lone
Old Lady.
How the Intelligent Animal Disposed ei
Pair of Midnight Marauders
Who We're ON Mischief
Bent.

! An old lady living alone in G large and
dreary house in the western suburbs
has just told some of the neighbors of
an attempt to bu1garize her house a few
nights ago and the marvellous manner
In which the attempt was thwarted,
says Denver correspondent of the St.
Louis Globe-Democrat. The woman is
we'll known to possess considerable
money, as the income from her property
far exceeds her simple expenses, and,
as she has horror of banks, it is the
general impression that she keeps the
money somewhere about the house. She
I is quite alone, except for servant
] woman, who comes in the morning and
7 does the work, returning to her home at
night. There is not even dog on the
place, the old lady having the greatest
antipathy for them. She is apparently
unprotected through the night, but
events have proved that she is pre- tty
well guarded after all. She is always
followed by an enormous cat, brindle
and white, rejoicing in the name of
Dot. He weighs at least sixteen pounds,
| and always attracts great deal of at
tention on account of his size, but he al
lows no one to touch him but his mis-
tress.
On several occasions, when dogs have
strayed into the premises, Dot has at
tackled them with such fury as to send
them bowling and bleeding from the
place. Dots mistress has just told the
story which shows that Dot is as brave
as a lion, and that he has great pres
ence of mind. t.The other night" she
says, II wasn't feeling well, and went
to bed as soon as the servant left. /
sleep upstairs in the south room. Be-
fore going to bed went all round be-
low stairs, and fastened every door and
window, just as / always do. Dot was
sleeping on my bed, just as he always
has done all his life. Away in the night
was awakened by a sudden motion he
made, and l found when put my hand
on him that he had raised his head and
was listening, trembling all over, he
was SO nervous I thought he heard q
rat, and was about to go to sleep again
when he sprang to his feet and stood
beside me, growing once very low.
Then I listened too, and / dis
tinctly heard stealthy footsteps creep
ing up the stairs. l was SO frightened
that a snothcring sensation came
over me, and / came near dying right
there. In all the years / had lived
there alone such a thing had never hap
pened before. / could hear the stealthy
footsteps come up to the top of the
stairs, and then n hand went feeling
along the wall for the door of my room.
Directly he found the door, and then
the hand went feeling for the latch,
and, having found it, turned it slowly,
slowly, and the door opened. / knew
well enough that / was going to be
l5illed-that would be murdered in o
few minutes, but I could not move or
even scream. just lay there as though
l were dead. heard the feet begin to
move slowly. softly across the floor to-
ward my bed, and soon he was touch
ing the bed, and closed nay eyes, ex-
pecting the final blow. And just ut that
moment Dot made an awful leap. and
am sure he must have landed square on
that mans head, for of all the wild yells
that ever came from q mortal throat
that was the worst. Dick Dieki Come
an help. The DEVILS got lne.' he
screamed ard ran for the l1oor Dot
jumped off, but the man must have
been blinded with blood, for he missed
his footing at the top and fell down the
whole flight. At the bottom Dot pounccd
upon him again, and when his eomrade
ran to his assistance Dot gave him q
taste, and / heard him swear that the
whole top of his head was torn of.
The first robber was carried out groan-
ing by way of the cellar window.
didn't notify the police. didn't think
it was necessary. don't know how
they found out how crything in the
house was situated, and / don't care.
They won't try it again"