Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-10-24

aside the bushes, he discovered Nun
gers cat struggling to release his fore
paws from q bird trap in which they
were caught. Tom lifted the stone,
expecting the cat to run of as soon as
it was released, but it did not move.
Tom picked it up then. as gently as
he could, in Difference to the injured
paws; and inwsrdly raging, though
outwsrdly peaceful, he made his way
through the underbrush to the Hsw:
thorne cottage. Some of the party
were playing croquet, and others were
laughing over tennis, but Tom noted
q long way off that Nan and Harry
Morford were sitting in the shade on
the porch, talking.
As Tom came up the path. holding
the great yellow cat awkwardly under
his arm, Harry spoke first.
ooh, here comes young Bradley
with your cat, Miss Nan. Hand him
over to me, Bradley; 1 just dote on
CATS"
~ found Munger's cat in the woods,
Man," said Tom coolly. "He caught
his feet in trap, and think they'd
be improved by little witch hazel. +"
"Come up, Bradley. So much
Obliged" said Morford. "Here. take
my chair III sit on the steps"
For all the world" thought Tom
angrily, "as if he owned the place. ;"
"l'm ever so much Obliged" said
Nan. somewhat icily, in her effort to
be indifferent. "Come up and sit
down while I go and doctor him up"
"No, thank you," replied Tom, not
pleased at the prospect of tete.a.tete
with Morford. II really can't. |
promised to take mother boating this
afternoon, and have taken too long
stroll, now;" and he started off again.
He did not walk SO rapidly, however,
that he failed to hear Morford's re.
mark to Nan as she rose to go in.
"What an uppish young fellow he
is, to be sure p
1t was pity that Tom angrily quick.
ened his steps before Nan answered.
She waited a minute to steady ner
voice, and then said with distinctness
'If Tom is uppish, Mr.. Morford it
is pity more young men are not like
him )" and she slammed the screen
door behind her as she went into the
house.
Tuesday, the last day of his vaoa.
ton, Tom spent OF the water rowing.
He did a great deal OF thinking, too,
which left him in a very unsatisfied
frame of mind. As far as he was con.
cerned he felt that his weeks vacation
had been wasted, for he certainly had
not enjoyed it. He had been boating,
had played tennis and gone on straw
ride with the hotel girls, but he had
felt all the time that they were not
like Nan. He could not bear the sight
OF Morford. and yet went SO far as to
imagine that Nan was engaged to him,
though it made him pull harder on the
oars to think Of it.
1t was we'll on in the afternoon when
Tom, much disturbed by his days re.
Elections, turned the bow of the boat
towards home. As he neared the dock
he WAS greatly startled to hear fem.
mime scream from among the over.
hanging willows on the banks. He
turned about suddenly, and called out:
"Hello, what's the matter up there?"
Mans troubled face appeared at
once among the leaves as she answered
his hail.
ooh, Tom, Tom, please get Nun.
gers cat out! He fell in the water,
and I can't reach him."
Tom looked around and saw the vel.
low animal foundering in a foot of
water, under an overhanging bank
which it could not climb. It was in
no danger OF drowning, so Tom be-
came emboldened by circumstances.
"Confound Munger's oati Why
aSfrsd r." qe asE tdGSfaes Oh h dassev in
"Mr. Morford's gone back to the
city with the Others" said Nan impa.
tiently. "Do. do fish the poor thing
out!"
"Why didn't he stay?" queried
Tom. "You seemed to enjoy his so.
clety."
II didn't ask him to, and besides,
I don't like him" said Nan, stamping
her foot on the grass. "Will you get
that cat for me?"
"The bath will do him good" said
Tom, splashing the water with his
oars. ''He might have another fit i'll
touched him."
ooh. Toni" cried Nan, running
down on the old wharf, "I'll love you
forever if you'll get the poor thing
out before he browns"
"What" Tom stopped FLASHING.
~ say, please get him OUT" said
Nan, reddening.
'If you meant that. Nan, say 1t
again, said Tom solemnly.
"I'll love you forever il you'll get
him OUT" repeated Nan hastily.
There now, hurry upl I'm sure he's
dead now"
"Pretty lively looking corpse, said
Tom, as he lifted the wet, struggling
sat into the boat. "Do you want him
there?'
"No," said Nan, drawing back.
Let him dry first, please"
1Naoo AN"AS PAo0SS, AAA0 "hS o"Au VIC
familiar voice Of MilIy, behind her,
i've come for Jenny, please, and
much obliged to YOU"
"How do you do, Milly2" said Tom
pleasantly. "We are drying the cat.
he had fit the other day-from over
,ating, and 1 concluded that warm
bath would be beneficial to him. I
the treatment to kill or
,ure."
"Did you have pleasant time in
he city, Milly?" asked Nan, kindly.
"Sure we did," replied the child,
picking up the dripping cat, "except
he baby. He swallowed pin, and
lad to be 'sperimented on by the doc.
or. Cost Ave dollars and was pretty
'xciting."
"Must have been-for the baby"
aid Tom thoughtfully.
"We've all enjoyed having the cat
With u.s." said Nan, land we'll miss it
when rs gone"