The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-06

DzFas1ss q ~. -IEz ET81SSx2<A 1TSZ4EsEZ-
snes 70 fhe claims Of friendship | have
never before raes with. II shook ray faith
/ never too rcaass--41 human naslre. 1
determined that ii fature no one should
have the opportunity 81 disappointing III
! trust n them / selected ny present
Mistress on the recommendation Of gen.
| tteuan trend Of raine who had fcrrseriy
| lived with her. lie SAID she was an
| excellent caterer. The only reason he had
/ 1el, her gas that she expected him - -
| De &c at 10 as night. and that hour dfdn 8
! 81 IN with his other arrangements. IL
| made no difference 30 rne-as matter Of
! fact, | do rot care for these midnight re-
unions that ars 50 popular amongst as
! There sre always too many cats for one
! properly 10 enloy oneself. and sooner or
/ later rovdy element IS sure 70 creep in
/ l offered myself 70 her and she accepted
| me gratefully. But have never liked her
| and never snsil. She IS silly Old woman
and BORIS me. She is, however devoted 20
ne. and, unless something extra attractive
tarns up, / shall stick to her.
/ That. my dear. Is the story Of my life.
80 Tar a. 10 has'goae- | tell Ii you TO show
| you hos easy IL - 10 be ''tsken in Fix
| on yoar house and new ritsons.y st the
| back door. When 4 Is opened run In and
/ rub yourself against the first leg yea come
| across Rub hard and look up eontid-
/ ingiy. Nothing gets round human beings.
/ have noticed. quicker than confidence.
| They den't get much Of IL and il pisssss
| them Always re eoniiding. AZ the same
time, Of course. be prepared for en1ergen-
| cles. Ii yo1 are still doubtful as 10 your
reception. try and get yourself slightly
vet. Why people should prefer wet cat
/ 20 dry one have never been able TO un-
/ derstands but that q wet cat Is practically
/ sure 10 be. taken IN and gnshed over, while
dry cat ]. liable to have the garien hose
turned anon him. is an undoubted fact.
/ a tSn 20 IN !
| is offered you, est bit of dry bread. The
| human race Is always stirred 10 its deep
/ est depths by the sight OF . cat eating
| bit OF dry bread
my friends black Tom profted By the
| Chinchilia's wisdom. A cssless couple bad
lately come 10 live next door. He deter
| mined TO adopt them on trial. Accordingly,
| on the first rainy day he went out soon
| after lunch and sat for four hours IN an
| open field In the evening. soaked 30 the
| skin and feeling pretty hungry, he went
| mewing TO their door. One OF the maids
| opened Ii, he rushed under her skirts and
| rubbed himself against her legs. She
! screamed. and down came the master aud
| the mistress to know what was the matter.
"'iss a stray cat, mum. said the girl.
Turn il out. said the master.
"'oh, no. don't, said the mistress.
| "'oh. poor thing, it's vet" said the
| housemaid.
Perhaps it's hungry said the cook
"'Try it with bit of dry bread, sneered
| the master. who wrote for the newspapers
and thought he knew everything.
n stale crust was proffered. The cat
ate il greedily, and afterward rubbed him.
self gratefully against the mans light
| trousers.
This made the man ashamed of himself,
| likewise of his trousers. oh, well, let il
stop if il wants to. he said.
so the cat was made comfortable and
staid in.
Meanwhile his own family were seek
ing for IL high and low. They had never
| cared two straws for il while they had it;
and now IL was gone. they were ineonsol-
able. In the light OF its absence IL APP
peared to them the one thing that
made the place home. The shadows
Of suspicion ha gathered d.n. around the
FIRST regarded as mystery, began
To assume the shape OF a crime.
Each member of the family strongly sus-
pected every other member, and felt 1t to
be his or her duty 10 discover and
expose them. The wife openly ae-
cused the husband of never having
liked the animal, and more than limited
that be and the gardener between them
could give a tolerahly truthful account
of its last moments: an insInuation that
the husband repudiated with a warmth
that only added credenee 10 the original
suFmise
'The bull terrier was had up and search
ingiy examined. Fortunately for him. no
had not had a single fight for two whole
days. Had any recent traces OF blood
been detected upon him, it would have
gone hard with bIm.
THE person who suffered most. how
ever, Was the youngest boy. Three weeks
before. he had dressed the cat in dolls
clothes and taken IL round the garden in
the perambulator. He himself had for
gotten the incident, but justice. though
tardy, was on his track. The misdeed
was suddenly remembered st the very
moment when unavaiiing regret for the
ioss OF the iayorlte was at it's deepest. 80
that TO box his ears and send him. then
and there. straight oil to bed was felt 10 be
positive relief.
'Al the end of fortnight, the cat fnd-
ing he had not after all hettered himself
very much, came back. The family were
90 surprised that at first they could not be
sCre whether he was flesh or blood, or
spirit come to comfort them. After watch
ing him eat half a pound of raw steak,
they decided that he was material, they
caught him up and Rugged him to their
bosoms. For q week they over-fed him
and made much Of him. Then. the excite
ment cooling, he found himself dropping
back into his old position. and didn't like
it, and went next door again.
The next door people had also missed
him. and they likewise greeted his return
with extravaKsnt ebuliitions Of Joy.
This gave the cat an idea He saw that
his game was to play the two families of,
one against the other, which he did. He
spent an alternate fortnight with each,
and lived like a fighting cock. His return
was always greeted with enthusiasm, and
every means were adopted TO induce him
u stay. HIS little whims were carefully
studied. his tayorise dishes kept IN con-
slant readiness.
''Ihe destination of his goiugz leaked
out st length, and then the two families
qnarreileG about him over the fence. NV
friend accused the newspaper uaB OF
having lured him away. The newspaper
man resorted that the poor creature had
come 10 his door wet and starving, and
added that he would be ashamed to keep
81 animal merely 10 Illtreai IT. They have
a ros about him twice week on the aver
age. II viii probably come 10 blows one
OF thess days"
Jephson appeared much surprised by
this story. He remained thoughtful and
silent. / asked him II ne would like 10
hear any more. and as he offered no active
opposition | went on. tMsybe he was
asieeu; thai idea did not occur 10 me 81
the time,l
told aim NJ my grandmother's cat.
yho, after living biameiess life for up-
wards If eleven years. and bringing UP =
family Of something ike s3xty-stx. not
counting those that died in infancy ari
the sategSuft took 10 drink an her old
age, and wss run over while IN state Of
intoxioatioo. ton. the justice of it1 hy
bFeweTs dvaY have read in temper
suce tracts that 10 dumb animal viii
touch y drop of alcoholic i3Quor. Ny adj
vice -. Il you vIsh - keep them respect