The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-05-19
PETE.

Pete was very black tramp cat,
and nobody but Ethedwyn loved him,
because he mewed continually, and in
such mournful, half-starved fashion,
that he did no credit whatever to his
good care after he came to grandma's
house.
81 don't like animals around that
look and act as if they were half
starved" said grandma, who was not
given to starving anyone or anything,
as Pete we'll knew. But he kept on
yowling so dolefully that EtheIwyn,
who was visiting grandma, when she
saw the old lady begin to fidget and
look under the table, would jump
down and take Pete out to the sum-
mer kitchen and shut him in. AL
though she kept his saucer full Of
milk there to comfort him, they could
still hear him family crying.
He amt might of good said
Hannah, the kitchen girl. st don't
bleeve he's stopped yowhng long
enough to ketch mouse"
ooh, I most saw him." said Ethel
wyn. ''He ran and jumped at some
thing; didn't stay to see what, cause
ran too
mo. he isn't good for much, I dare
say" said grandma. ''but Ethelwyn
loves him, so 1 suppose Well have to
stand him."
Ethelwyn felt very happy when she
heard this, for she had been afraid
Pete's bad habit would get him into
trouble.
"I'll take him upstairs tonight with
u.s." said grandma, ''for Pm sure I
heard mouse gnawing in the closet
last night, and we'll see if Pete can dc
anything besides cry"
''Oh, I'm sure he'll catch it, said
Ethelwyn, and she talked to him about
it that afternoon, and was quite sure
he understood by the way he looked.
Pete seemed to like grandma's room,
with its bright open fire and brass
fender, and he purred contentedly
when Ethelwyn laid him gently down
on the fluffy rug in front Of the fire
place. Then she jumped into her own
little bed beside grandma's big one,
and they both went off sound asleep.
In the middle Of the night, though,
Pete opened his eyes. There was a
faint scratching in the closet that in
terested him so that he never thought
Of mewing, but stole quietly up, and
when little gray mouse peeped out,
Pete'S black paw shot out suddenly
and knocked it senseless. He had a
great frolic then, knocking it around
like a gray ball, but by and by some
thing popped in the CRATE, and out
came a live coal over the fender, and
onto the fluffy rug. and then it smoked
and smoked. Pete knew something was
wrong, so opened his mouth and
mewed his loudest. Grandma did
not seem to notice him at all, but
Ethelwyn sat straight up in bed and
said: ooh, Pete, dear, please don't cry:
you'll 'sturb grandma, and-oh, grand
ma, wake up, quick. The rugs burn
ing
Grandma jumped up in hurry,
then, and drenched the rug from the
toilet pitcher until the smoke stopped.
81 do declare" she said afterwards.
st heard the cat crying, but I didn't
think it was anything uncommon, so
didn't try to wake up. Its a mercy
you did. Ethelwyn."
''Oh, grandma" said Ethelwyn, hug
ging Pete hard. isn't he the dearest,
smartest-and, grandma. you can't say
he isn't good for an earthly thing now
--Oi o. Or she cried as her bare foot
struck Pete's mouse. He's good for
two earthly things, grandma, darling,
because he's caughted your mouse"
laughing. 'I'm much obliged to Pete
all around, and he shall have cream
tomorrow for his breakfast, for if he
hadn't walked you, we might have been
burned up
ooh, 1 do love him." said EtheIwyn.
I. z. CRITTENDEN.