The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-10-06
THE STUFFED CAT.


natural because never have introduced
you to it. Perhaps you would not like
it. like it very much-frst of all be-
cause it is mine, and then because | have
arranged it according to my tastes.
There is little of everything in tia
colossal writing desk with an infnity of
drawers and pigeonholes, bookcase,
some shelves for books, two tables, one
large and one small; divan, an arm
chair, on the floor rugs and cushions
thrown down everywhere, pictures on
the walls, gas lamp in the center. In
one corner on top Of column Of black
wood is a stuffed cat--a magnificent
tiger striped cat with sparkling green
eyes that seems ready to spring down
from its pillar, tired probably Of acting
Simeon Stylites
In this den or study, as you please to
call 1t, l pass beautiful hours, day or
evening, writing, reading, meditating,
smoking and doing nothing.
It is here that retire in hours Of the
blues, in those hours Of unconscious, in
stinctive i'll humor which one cannot ex-
plain or justify and which exactly on
that account one translates into an ex-
traordinary nervous irritation.
This den is the despair Of my wife and
the rest Of the household because they
are positively forbidden to touch, to
even move book or paper under that
pretext Of putting into order which re-
solves itself into real disorder. ! will
wager that if my wife, my sister-in-law,
my nieces, could arrange my den accord
ing to their tastes, turning 1t upside
down, they would be happy. But they
do not venture for fear of me. Only
when I speak Of my study all those
feminine lips curl with smiles, disdain-
full, ironical or compassionate.
It is especially the stuffed cat that jars
upon their nerves, My wife absolutely
wished to throw him away, give him
away, destroy him. Twas obliged to de-
clare to her that such an outrage would
Immediately provoke on my part a de-
mand for legal separation pending the
approval Of divorce by vote of the Italian
chamber Of deputies.
Now that | have presented, so to say,
the surroundings, will go on torelate
the fact, the terrible, frightful fact that
has taken place in my delicious den and
to which I am indebted for the gray
hairs that embellish my 36-year-old locks.
One evening in the autumn all my
family was in the country. I only had
staid in town to attend to some urgent
work.
Twas all alone in the house. A WON.
an came every morning to clean, to
sweep and air the rooms and went away
after noon. dined at a restaurant.
Now, for some days ] thought that
noticed in my study something strange,
odd, unaccustomed. 1t had the same
effect upon me as IL something were not
in its place. would have taken my
oath that certain books had been moved
certain papers had been rummaged.
questioned the domestic, who sworC
and perjured herself to the effect that
faithful to her trust, she had touched
nothing, but had limited herself tc
sweeping the floor and busting the furni
ture. And no one else ever entered tho
room.
One morning it seemed to me that the
stuffed cat, my good cat with the green
eyes that called Tic when he was alive
had been touched. Certainly his attitude
was not the same or l was dreaming
Yes, yes, his head was turned another
way, and the expression of his face, that
of an honest feline, was different from
that which was accustomed to have
before my eyes. How in the world had
such strange phenomenon happened?
But this was nothing. For two OIL
three evenings, shut up in my study
writing-alone In the large apartment
l thought heard singular noises here
and there, arose from the desk, went
out of the study and all through thC
house, carefully examining every room
stopping now in this one, now in that, tt
listen. Nothing. The rooms were de
serted; the silence was complete, pro
found.
Then returned to my study and Sc
to work again. But the noises persiste,
and became more decided and frequent
would have sworn that some mys
terious and invisible being was scratch
ing in the walls or forcing some lock
One evening indeed 1t seemed to IN
that the noise was just behind me, and
turned mechanically,
Well, would have taken my oatl
that saw the cat Tic move almost i'm
perceptibly, and his eyes CLEAN brighter
and his back arch, and his bold, majesti
tail stretch itself in an act of defiance.
But surely 1t was an hallucination, bC
cause the cat was still in his place, in
passible, and gave no sign of movin
from his column.
Allthese small things, insignificant an
extraordinary at the same time, had in
pressed and disturbed me. BY instinc
by nature, don't fancy what l cannC
explain. ! am foe to the supernatural
the marvellous, the mysterious. l Ill
to see clearly within and around mysel
/, you see, am Of well balanced al
sound temperament. Nervousness, mo
bidness and such nonsense annoy IL
and are repugnant to me.
And as think | know myself pret'
well. was surprised and bored by
state of mind so contrary to my habi
and nature. Evidently my physio-ps
geological system was in moment
crisis.
How could get ont Of it-be cure
Must |, too, take the first train and
into tho country Perhaps that won