The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-07-20
How Miss Laura Saved Her Birdie.

Miss Laura c., radiant damsel
of fifteen joyous, rose-tinted sum-
mers, is the happy possessor of a
canary enjoying the euphonious
christian title of Horatio William.
In the absence of her lover Miss
Laura lavlshes her affections in I'M
measure on Horatio William.
This classic appellation having
been found somewhat cumbersome
for every day use mas been abbrevi-
ated to the more simple and en-
dearing one of Dill
Bills health of late has been
dropping and to facilitate his speedy
recovery Laura occasionally allows
him the liberty of the premises.
Last Monday morning while Will
liam was enjoying his constitutional
Miss Laura sat by to see that no
harm should befall him.
Bill hoped about on the floor,
shook his plumage, pecked at some
crumbs and even chased fly across
the floor.
Miss Laura reiapsed into medi-
tative mood languidly gazing
through the window at the fleecy
clouds, the green grass and the
tender foliage of the young year.
The lilacs were blooming, and the
rosebuds were beginning to emulate
the roses in Lmra's cheeks. The
air was laden with sweet perfume
and hill and dale were all a-glow
with the glorious life giving sun
shine.
Miss Laura had momentarily for
gotten her treasure.
1t is not recorded what thoughts
she was thinking, whether of the
young gentleman engaged in the
laudable occupation of persuading
reluctant mustache, (who had been
a visitor at the homestead on Sat
urday night or whether she was
languidly enjoying the pleasant
surroundings, the oracle sayeth not,
but, all of sudden, in the twink
ling of an eye, she was reused from
her reveries by the sound of claws
scratching on the floor, and by the
swiftly vanishing form of cat as
1T disappeared through the open
door, and quicker than thought cat
and bird went bounding away over
the meadow.
Instantly taking in the situation
like startled fawn laura sprang
to her feet and with the agility of
panther she followed. Her bird
had disappeared in the cats mouth.
Like cyclone she flew after cat
and bird, and as she bounded over
the fence three boards high without
knowing it was there she uttered a
scream so terrific that the cat,
frightened out OF, its senses, dropped
the bird in the grass and bolted for
cover.
Miss Laura thought her bird was
gone-that the cat had swallowed
it. She meant to have revenge and
that speedily. She did not tumble
down IN the meadow and roll over
and pull up some grass and cry,
and call her mother as most girls of
tender years would have done. No,
not she. She went back to the
house almost as fast as she had
come out. and seized the biggest
gun on the place. She chose a As
calibre Winchester and went a. gun
ming for that cat.
She soon discovered the criminal
sitting ON its launches and wash
ing its face with its paws after the
manner of cats when they have just
enjoyed good dinner, all uncon-
cious of what was about to happen.
Here was Laura and her Winches-
ter, and there was the cat. She
was not used to this kind of game,
but casting longing glance to the
region where she supposed her bird
was reposing she leveled her VIM
chester and, with both eyes wide
open, she pulled the trigger. The
ball went straight to the mark.
The cat leaped into the air and
came down with a dull thud. The
hair on his tail stood on end like
the quilts on the fretful porcupine.
There was convulsive shudder,
and the nine lives of that offending
feline went out through the rent in
his vitals in less time than 1t takes
to tell it.
Seeing no trace of little Bill our
heroine took the cat by the tail and
her Winchester on her shoulder,
and proceeded to the garden wall
where she threw him over into the
cemetery of offending cats.
Having thus effectually gotten
rid of the transgressor she put the
Winchester in its accustomed place
and went down where she had over
hauled him in the meadow and to