The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-18
OUR BLACK CAT.
To the Editor Of the Eagle.

To the Editor Of the hsge.
call her our cat, not because we pur-
chased and paid for her as we would ice or
coal. bus because she cana TO ne like the
gentle dew OF heaven, free as the nighs mir
which sbe breathes, and | might add,
monopolizes Sometimes we silude to her
as cur heirloom, because she fell to Us. we
don't know Just how far she fell, but
Judging from her ability in that line she
must have spent 2 great deal OF time fali-
ing. She usually spins tune while 10
midair-I think that is why we call her
heirloom" One of the first things she
did after deciding to remain with US was
to build a narrow gua9e railway up the
old apple tree ovcrhaHging our back rcot
marvelad at this at first, but when ! saw
what an excellent view it gave her or all
the surrounding back yards and alleys
thus having the advantage OF aII the feline
tribe in the neigh borhood-a sort Of chilled
awe crept through my system regarding
the intelligence OF that cat.
Did | say the cat was black?-inky! mid
night! black! No hasrelief in white or
grew; iust black, ominous color.
Well after she got the road built. she
used ii. mostly nights, IN fact every night
she came MP bringing heavy train. W e
sIeeD by the window, not five feet from the
roof offer an amendment-we lay there
thinking, thinking. Slowly 1t dawns upon
rs that we must raise that roof TO the
second story, move our bed, or kill the
cat
We had already dropped her from The
roof times enough TO cover her Dlnth life.
but these midair acts seemed really neces-
sarv 10 her genera! health.
Nightly she came up the marrow gauge"
with her train, the jewel cases. clocks,
chair. etc, which we thoughtlessiy tossed
out of the window, she used ia erecting a
stage, for did | say they were reherslng
| "Trovatore, the black cat doing the
qypsv role with splendid effect.
" ell at last our neghbors and we, (for
our sorrows had long since become
one) held meetings daily to discuss
| the adyisability of numbering a cat
| which had come TO US In such an open,
! free way. However, after much parlance.
| il was decided the black cat must die. |
/ remcmh Der now that a small flying cloud
| iuIDolltely lis upon he face of the sun, az
( the committee read the decislon. But
! strangely enough this ill-omened fact was
| not construed by any one present, as the
reflection OF after events, casting their
| shadows upon that trying moment.
! At O'Clock next morning-aiter t1elng
up the children-we all assembled TO
watch the old cat die.
| The girl who answers the door bell on
| the south was chosen executioner Judg-
/ inc bv her eye, she suspected the nature OF
! her undertaking. She made a lovely
salad OF butter eggs, rough on rats, placed
| it between two tempting slices OF coli
/ meat. Feeling rather low down, we stoou
/ far OF aud watched the cat eat, which she
| did. not greedilg, but rather as one who
enioYed AN epicUre1n dish, seldom re-
ceiyed. When she had supped the last
! morseI. and smacked her lips approving
| lv. then looked round for more, she rolled
! uD her ewes, seemed TO smile a5 the same
! time giving recitative from Iroya-
| tore.n she turned aud walked maj astlcally
away. One by one we followed thihklng
| iC no more than right to give
decent burial We followed round and
round the back yard. through grape vines
and "cat ALLEYS" but when she entered a
rat hole under the barn we prudeutly
waited outside Then when the cat came
/ forth no more; we wepJ softly aud depart
ed 10 our several homes, sadder, wiser
people.
That night you could have heard the air
vibrate in our neighbOrhood. We were so
| intensely happy in our fancied security.
How we could sleep! Christopher Column
! bust What do you Chlnk! AZ the usual
! time we heard that low recitation IN the
! distance. How it swelled as on IL came,
until, with a mighty chorus, they began
operations promptly ats o'clock on the
roof. We hurriedly closed the window,
crept into bed, covered our heads and
! listened to that weird music the live-iong
! night. In the morning we as nelghOor'
! hood conversed little. The lady on the
north set out gallon OF milk
! highly favored with carbolic acid.
| lauduuam, corrosive sunlimate ana
! from our various windows we slyly
watched her eat. She sipped 1t Ielsureiy
| at first, but when once she had taste she
drank freely until the milk was gone. Tine