The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-10-26
COMFORT IN ms SOLITUDE.
SIR. Cole Receives Present of . Cat
with Open Arms.

SIR. Cole Receives . Present of . Cat
with Open Arms.
''say. come and look at my new cat" is
the remark with y hich John L. Cole has
greeted several Of his neighbors ia the last
few days. And they all went, for IL was
great fun TO see Mr.. Cole play with bis pet
cat. Cats are commonly supposed 10 be
the pets OF girls and old maids, but Mr..
Cole 10 the exception tina. proves the rule.
He once had big tomcat, which, under
his sklifnl suition. became quite an adept
at sparring, and many a merry boxing
match for points did they have az his
rooms ut eos Columbia street. Sometimes
Tom. in the excitement of the contest,
would let his claws show and scratch his
friend on the hand or face. but he did not
mind little thing like that, and never
cried Foul"
Often when the cat was sportively in
clined and Mr.. Cole was absorbed In q
book or newspaper. he would creep up in
the rear and give his master q cuff with
his paw on the back of the head; then the
battle would begin.
But. alas for human depravity. Some
evil-disposed person made away with the
affeetionate Tom, aud Mr.. Coles hearth
Was desolate. No more was his heart
warmed by the loving purr OF his feline
friend rs he rubbed his fur against his leg
or by the soft dab OF his paws as he leaped
on his knee to be caressed. To make mat
ters worse. Mrs. Cole was away at Grand
Forks. {. d., on visit, so he was utterly
alone.
What was his surprise. then. TO receive
q case by express, on which he could dis
tinguish the name .Willianstown, Mass. !"
in stenciled letters. His heart Ieaped with
Joyous expectation when he spied tag on
which was written In q feminine hand !:
"Mr Expressman, please feed this cat
twice day" He hastily ripped off the
lid and out leaped q sprightly kitten,
which had just almost reached maturity.
1t looked frightened, but Mr.. Cole soon
took IL TO his bosom and stroked 1t so ten
derby that few moments snfticed TO calm
its iIuttering heart and cause it to pnrr
con;entedly against his vest
Funny" said he 10 some of his friends
IS they surveyed the sffectiopate pair, II
wrote 10 my wife only few days ago that
I Was feeling so lonesome II she did no,
come pretty soon, should have to get
cat to play with. This is no common cat.
either; it's rare breed; you can tell that
at glance. And fancy a cat coming safe
5000 miles"
Mr.. Cole still thinks that cat came from
Wiiliamstogn, for his friends hesitate 10
undeceiye him. They hate to tell him
that the eat is one which strayed into the
telephone Office. and which Edward C.
sharpe, the hookkeeper. promptly cor
rallied. He took pussy down to the North
ern faciho express Office and there formed
conspiracy with +. F. Harlow, the agent.
TO practice a cruel deception on the lover
OF cats. They put pussy in an old pack
| ing case on which the name OF Williams
town, Mass, was stenciled, tied the tag
on il bearing the direction 10 the express
man TO feed the cat. and TO give the pack.
age further appearance OF genuineness
| pasted on ]; an old New York label. Then
! they gave IL 10 the driver to deliver. and
Instructed him 10 demand IS cents charges.
| although they had already marked on il
rs cents paid" Mr.. Cole declined to be
| caught in this way and the money was
not forthcoming but he gladly took the
| cat and has found comfort in its society
Ii has not travelled Seo0 miles, nor Is il OF
any rare breed, bat 1t has its full share of
the feline virtues and not more than its
| share Of the vices Of its race.