The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-05-04
THE STUFFED CAT.

| niuI1s
Do you not know this study? That Is
natural because never have introduced
You TO it. Perhaps you would not like
IL. like 1t very much-first OF all be-
cause it is mine. and then because have
arranged it according to my tastes.
There is a little Of everything in it-a
colossal writing desk with an infnity Of
drawers and pigeonholcs, a bookcase.
some shelves for books, two tables. one
large and ono small; adivan. an arm
chair, on tho 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 il, | pass beautiful hours, day or
evening. writing. reading, meditating.
smoking and doing nothing.
II 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 it upside
down, they would be happy. But they
do not venture for fear OF me. Only
when | speak of my study all those
feminine lips curl with smiles. disdain-
ful, ironical or compassionate.
II is especially the stuffed cat that jars
upon their nerves. My wife absolutely
wished to throw him away, give him
away, destroy him. | was 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, viii 90 on TO relate
the fact, the terrible. frightful fact that
has taken place in my delicious den and
to which | am indebted for the gray
hairs that embellish my 3G-year-old locks.
One evening in the autumn all my
family was in the country. | only had
staid in town to attend to some urgent
work.
was all alone in the house. A wom-
an came every morning to clean, to
sweep and air the rooms and went away
after noon. dined at restaurant.
Now, for some days thought that
noticed in my study something strange.
odd. unaccustomed. 1t had the same
effect upon mo as if 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 swore
and perjured herself to the effect that,
faithful TO her trust, she had touched
nothing. but had limited herself to
sweeping the floor and busting the furni-
ture. And no one else ever entered the
room.
One morning il 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 | 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 l was accustomed to have
before my eyes How in the world had
such a strange phenomenon happened?
But this was nothing. For two OF
three evenings, shut up in my study,
writing alone in the large apartment
| thought heard singular noises hero
and there. arose from the desk. went
out of the study and all through the
house, carefully examining every room.
stopping now In this one, now in that. to
listen. Nothing. The rooms were de-
serted; the silence was complete. pro
found.
Then returned TO my study and set
TO work again. But the noises persisted
aud became more decided and frequent.
] would have sworn that some mys-
terious and invisible being was scratch
ing In tho walls or forcing some lock
One evening indeed Il seemed 10 mo
that the noise was just behind me- and
turned mechanically.
Well. | would have taken my oath
that l saw the cat Tie move almost i'm
perceptibly. and his eyes CLEAN brighter.
and his back arch. and his bold. majestic
tail stretch itself in an act Of defiance.
Bnt surely IL was an hallucination, be
cause the cat was still in his place. inn
passible. and gave no sign of moving
from his column.
All these small things. insignificant and
extraordinary at the same time had inn
pressed aud disturbed me. BY instinct.
by nature. don't fancy what ! cannot
explain. am foe TO the supernatural.
the marvellous, the mysterious. | like
TO see clearly within and around myself
], you see, am of a well balanced and
sound temperament. Nervousness. NOR