The herald., 1896-04-12

ipurring as happy and ccsey as a cat can
be while your master is out in the storm?
Oh you needn't come rubbing against my
leg and singing any songs OF peace to me.
I'm tired OF seeing such laziness and con-
tentmeni. There you are. sleek, dgnified.
fat and lazy, while | am almost the exact
opposite. Burrr-rr, what a Geld night it
Its. There. now, wait until I take off my
coat and shake tho snow of IL Then
VIII hang it up--so--take off my shoes, put
on my slippers and Jacket, draw my chair
uQ to the fire, and light my pipe. Now,
Gow, ! didn't ssy anything about pettins
you. did /? Well, if you must be petted
suppose | shall have to do it. There is
no one else, is theree -hr-r-r-icS--old
t!low-I an es happy as lord tonight.
don't o&act'y know how happy lord can
be II he tries sut he couldn't be any hap
per than / An. You ought TO nave seen
her tonight. Bnt you don't know her, do
you. old fellow? Never mind you shall
know her, for she is coming tomorrow 20
sit for me, ana I viii paint such picture
IL Will surely make my fortune. My for
tune? Nay, oYr fortune--hers, yours and
mine.
Mmmnimmn mmmm, mn1m.
Now what are you saying? How did
meet her? Well, you see poor devil of
AN artist like me doesn't often have such
rare fortune, but it seemed as though an
angel dropped from heaven a moment TO
pluck from danger wee dogge. There!
There! don't arch your back and spit mere
ly because l mentioned your bitterest foe.
It was wee doggie. and you abused 1t.
Oh! oh! You villain! Yoti recognize me
now, do you? You haven't forgotten the
other day when I let you out IN the hall
for run about. hoping you might catch
a fat mouse and save me- the price OF
steak for you, and how you had fight
with u mite of a terrier one-third your
size? Uh. hum. l see you remember 1t
very WE'LL Where are you going? Don't
run away from me as if / were chiding you.
II am not, though you richly deserve It.
For 1t was through your fight with the
little pup that ! made an acquaintance
with her Who Is she? Now you won't
know until she comes here to live.
You remember. Miii-br-r-ick. bow you
proudly walked through the hall like a
Gagged tiger that day, how you soon sew
that your domain was invaded by the tint
est dog you ever saw. It. was then that
Your sleek fur stood on end; ina. your gem
tie eyes shcIe fire, and you SPIT as though
you were trying to get the taste or bad
word out of your mouth. But She little
rascal was not afraid of you. He came
bravely to the attack. and you had to
fight, and fight hard at that. Mrnrmrm,
You came off victorious? Why, Of course
you did. You great, big bully. He wasn't
half your size You made him run? Yes.
and he ran right under the skirts of the
coming by the door. I heard the racket.
the whole house did for that matter. and
| looked to see what it was, wnen in you
bounded, The little doggie, seeing your
fighc, took up the pursuit and darted be,
tween my legs. In an instant l cav that
you had been in the wrong, and took of my
cap to apologize for you. What did this
vision say, but tina. it was al. the fault of
Gyp Gyp--indead! AS If l didn't know
better. How could anything belonging to
her living about her. do ANYTHING wrong:
But, anyway, we made al acquaintance
with each other, she with Gyp IN her arms,
and with you safe behind me. I learned
that she sometimes came here to give m'.sic
lessons too friend of hers. an artist on the
floor above. I didn't know Until then tsat
thora were any hoors above. l thou&at
when 1 came up this far that was surely
directly beneath the vault Of heaven. and
when the portrese asked me. Did wlsn
to look further?" I gasped out, mo, In
deed! My clothes are not fit, for thought
she wanted to introduce me to st. Peter.
Puff puff. puff. Puss. did you ever
was il. my dainty boy? Well, in Difference
70 your wishes. will lay 1t aside. and tel,
you why am in such good humor tonight.
You don't know, for I have kept it hid
den from you but I have been seeing her
every day since. l suppose her friend must
be making great progress in music. for she
sSS'A
her every day. For. just as she would be
coming in l would be going out, and
would meet her en- The way to tho ground.
Or, she would have finished her lesson
AID be starting home, wEen l would just
be coming UP the stains. How aid kno"
The time SO exactly wIen to be there? In
ths morning, loot; o,it of that window. ana
you Will see tho corner OF the street Well,
eLa passes that corner every day she comes.
Now, do you see why I mnved my easel.
even though the light ia not 50 good where
IL is? And some dayg l would walk fc"
hiockt, vita hor. Her fathss did not Ike
tho Idea Of her going TO eeo he" friend,
said she. so 1t vas better that d'a not
call until l met her in sonic other way.
Eut every time 1 walked with he: ana |
every time l spoke to her the blood surged |
nladly through my veins until could hardly
keep from telling her how much l adored
her.
What right has a poor devil like ME 10
tell girl as poor as himself that he wants
to marry her? Why, l can hardly find
decent living for you and myself, let alone
n woman. She is a music teacher. think.
She plays divinely, for I've heard her OF an
afternoon. Perhaps that is thesreaeon l
kavent painted much of late. Listening
to her Well, Ibegin to-morrowsip.e p.earnest,
for she is coming here to let me.paint her,
Oh. what. ioyf Is. it any wonder that l am
half wil4sswith delight? IT,, For , such pic,
tur9E as lTSl6it It1luL WIZ lutAt lily i.siilc
and fortune, and then. Then what? .
Never mind. old boy, you shall see what
you shall see.
Mrow-ow-ow. MrrT-oW Mr-ow-ow-um- ,
ummm | wonder when that foolish fellow |
will come back? Here he has been out for !
an hour, or two, uhen he should have been
hard at work. And what hustle ne was /!
IN this morning. The pace was all upside |
down. After a hint as no gave me last |
night about the fat mouse, think he might |
have let me have a little quiet mere by my |
self this morning. so that l might have |
hunted up something good to eat. AS IL |
would touch half of that paltry roll ne mad
for breakfast J should say not! turned !
my back on it in disgust when he placed 1t |
before me and said it was all we could have |
to-day. He saw I WASN'T going to eat it, |
ami took it himself sSssSthSa shrug Of his !
shoulders. and mutterals 'llngrateful beast.
AS If I didn't know HeATas dying for 1t. |
hut was too generous tdSfEav5sIne Without
anything.
Heigh-ho Men can neyerfmtlpdersta
cats. We are too sensitive for; them. ,JA AGss Assts /
IA the reason We get along better withST,2SeAa /
men. Their natures are so much like 1Ia!lss |.
own. Well, he cleaned up all the place
this morning. Everything was dusty and
dirty before. Now it Is clean and bright.
There rs not much Of it to be sure. but
still it makes rather an attractive picture,
even for wellrbred creature liks myself.
dc hope she is thoroughbred. I hate
theen models with their loud talk and boet-