The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1893-07-27

Martha the fact that he must be sent
home. And yet, one day, what did
Aunt Martha do but catch her mistress
in the very act of giving the white kit
ten a saucer of milk!
Il don't think, Martha she said, ex-
planatorily, ''that he gets very well
fed. See how he drinks that milk!''
He's shore little scamp" said
Martha, chuckling. In her big black
body beat a very tender heart for all
dumb creatures, four-footed or feath-
cred
When Miss Lucia sat sewing, next
day, on the latticed porch, the white
kitten walked demurely up the steps
and sat down before her and began to
wash his face.
$50 home" said Miss Lucia, severely.
go home, sirl'
The white kitten curled over and
kicked up its feet, and played with the
hem of her dress
"You ought to go home" said Miss
Lucia, family.
| Presently he found her ball of yarn
| and rolled over it and tangled it into
hopeless snarl. Miss Lucia leaned back
and laughed at him softly. She gave
him some milk and sent him back over
the wall.
The next morning she came out to
the porch, and there, curled up sound
asleep in her rocking-chair, lay the
white kitten.
Miss Lucia looked at him helplessly.
Then she sat down on the steps and fell
to thinking. Reuben Spofford would
be very angry if he knew where his pet
spent most of its time. And it should
not-a soft furry body came creeping
up over her shoulder ard rubbing itself
against her soft pink cheek. A small
paw caught a fallen tress of hair.
The white kitten declined to go home
at all. He enjoyed himself at Miss
Lucia's for two daya. THEN one morn
ing his master came around to the side
,, porch and there he saw the white
kitten climbing up over Miss Lucia's
shoulder. The morning sun shone upon
her head, turning the stray tendrils to
golden She was laughing merrilv.
Reuben blushed and stammered some
thing unintelligible Miss Lucia turned
quickly and the crimson surged up in
her face also. She felt as if she had
stolen the white kitten.
yes" she said hurriedly, ''he-he
would not 60 home. l tried to make
: hir."
She held out the kitten to him, and
Reuben Spofford thanked her and went
, away.
The kitten stayed at home for q week
Miss Lucia knew he must be shut uE
in some room. for the plteous occa-
sional walls she could hear went to hel
/. heart.
Perhaps, Martha" she said, per
+ haps they forget to feed him sometimes
. It's too bad
y The white kitten escaped at last, IL,
came back to Miss Lucia. When mex
= she saw Reuben Spofford pass, she raj
:. out TO him and handed him his pet.
!, But it was of no use. 1t came to pas
! that nearly every evening Reuben Spot
ford was obliged to come over to Mis-
- Lucias and take home the kitten. Th
= white kitten was a larger ball of furri
ness than ever. He had not any nam
= except Puss, but he did not seem t
= mind about that. And by degrees
:. began to seem quite natural that Reu
y y ben Spofford should call for his pet
:. and sometimes tarry little. Afte
:, awhile the two even joked little, in
- :, half embarrassed way, about the pre-
- erence of the white kitten for Mis-
Lucia.
But Puss did not remain kitten a
: ways, and when he became big, sof
- contented cat, lying upon the rug i
=. front of Miss Lucia's fire; and just a
a her feet, it was not so easy to take hil
W ~ home, for he decidedly objected, an
II mentioned the fact quite loudly.
,r Then Reuben Spofford offered him
wv Miss Lucia, as he had done several time
RI before.
n "You might as we'll take him." /
"a said, looking at her very earnestl..
"You see he won't stay with me-
N ooh, l could not ro you of your pet
a she said. 'You-you think SO much
le him.
Id Eyes" he said. "But, see now, Mi
ne Lucia, you had better take him. He
only happy with you.
d. She looked at him with troubled eye
le She knew it was true.
nv Il don't know what to do about it
TX she said II don't want you to give hi
5s up to me-"
,e, Reuben Spofford suddenly forg
of about the old feud, and how long thu
a had been at war.
er WELL" he said, there is anoth
ed way You-you can take me, too
p you will"
h Miss Lucia turned her head aside wi
ng little startled movement. He was I
garding her so earnestly.
lss The movement awoke the white C
DO at her feet. He rose, stretched hi
re! self and arched his back, and in
Ter own audacious fashion climbed rig
into Miss Lucia's lap, and curled hi
ma self up to sleep again.
Lse And of course that settled it.-Tim'
Democrat.
he Hardly an Advertisement
Did you hear about poor Kindley
| ~; Nhat nh him