The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-08-18
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cellar and got into the coal pile
and came mp as black rs cat could
be, tail and all, Mercy did not know
how she should ever wash her clean;
but Pussy did not wait for that; she
just sat down on the hearth, after
Mercy had taken off that dreadful
dirty ribbon, and licked herself clean
with her little red tongue.
That was the only time Pussy Blue
| Eyes was ever soiled in all her little
life, or ever worried Mercy about her
until the day she was lost. Now,
everybody was wild over it. There
were mamma and papa and grandma.
| And grandpa would have been worried,
too, if he had not gone down town
very early on business. Grandpa was
an old-fashioned gentleman who be-
lieved that 'early to bed, and early
to rise, made people healthy, wealthy
and WISE" and he got up very early to
have his breakfast
| Perhaps he had seen Blue Eyes
that morning. Eliza Jane, who served
| grandpa's breakfast, said she could
not remember whether she had or not,
she was so busy. But Jane, the cook,
| declared that she had wondered why
that kitten cried so, and supposed
some one had trodden on its tail.
''As soon as / had baked all the
| griddle cakes Mr. Gresham would eut,
l came to call Blue Eyes to get some
| milk" she said, "but she wasn't
crying then and | couldn't find her."
Then the rummage I have de-
scribed began, and do not think that
any spot from the bookcase drawers
to the little closet where the preserves
were kept was left unexplored. And
Ann Eliza even opened the big band
box that had come home with her new
bonnet to see if Pussy Blue Eyes
might be hidden away.
''The tricks of cat will puzzle the
wisest," she said, 'and once | did
find one in that same place, and four
kittens with her.
But when they had looked there,
there seemed to be no other place left,
and they decided that Pussy Blue
Eyes had run out to meet the milk
man, as she sometimes did, and that
some wicked boy had stolen her.
''She is so pretty!' said Mercy, as
the tears ran down her face.
"And n real gold bell on her neck
ribbon" said Ann Eliza.
Grandma shook her head and said
that little boys grew worse every day,
and that she thought that their parents
spoiled them.
And, though Mercy was very fond
of griddle cakes and honey, she could
not enjoy breakfast the least bit,
thinking that her poor Pussy Blue
Eyes might be in the hands of some
wicked boy who would pinch her tail
and pull her ears and steal her neck
ribbon and golden bell, and perhaps
end by drowning her in the well, as
Johnny Green drowned the pussy cat
in Mother Goose's famous story, and
with no Johnny Stout anywhere near
to pull her out and save her.
Mercy was very sad little girl all
day, and in the afternoon she felt so
badly from crying so much that
Mamma told her that she would take
her out with her, and that they would
go to grandpa's office and see if he
could remember anything that would
give them an idea where to look for
Pussy Blue Eyes.
81 don't believe he can,' said
Mercy, ''but it will be something to
do" So before long they were both
in car which passed straight by
grandpa's Office window, and out they
jumped and upstairs they ran, and
very glad grandpa was to see them,
though of course he was very sorry
when he heard that Pussy Blue Eyes
was lost.
81 remember seeing her at break.
fast time" he said. She came and
rubbed herself against my foot and
after that heard her crying. Dear
mel / should have looked to see
what allied her, but 1 never thought.
Perhaps she has run away, but if so,
she'll come back. Cats are fond of
the house they live in. Let's hope
she will"
"Here, Tom," he called to the
Office boy. $50 and tell them to
send MS some plates of ice cream from
the restaurant, and get one for your
self-four of us. I've change in my
handbag" said grandpa, $50 best
not change BILL" Then he stopped
under the desk, pulled out his bag,
opened it, and cried out: "Oh, dear
me-dear me! What's this?"
And Mercy ran to look, aud SO did
her mamma, and so did Tom, and
they saw lying flat in the bottom of
grandpa's big handbag little Blue
Eyes fiat, as if she had been n piece of
fur and quite still and quiet.
Mercy screamed and mamma clasped
her hands and grandpa fshed her out
in hurry. At first they thought she
was smothered, but she was only
very sound asleep, and pretty soon
she stretched one paw and then the
other and opened her mouth and gave
such wide cape, and then Mercy be-
gan to cry for JOY, and grandpa to
laugh and tell how he had heard a cat