The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-03

and habits-sparks come out of its back
sometimes, and it understands everything
that is said to it,"
NONSENSE DO you mean to say that If
/ said to Peter, Peter. stand on your
head! he Would
The reverend gentleman suddenly stop
ped, and gave great gasp, and the Misses
Shoosmith sprang back and Rugged each
other, trembling, in a corner.
Peter, the black cat had suddenly leapt
from the clergyman's knee on to the table,
and was standing on, his headi
The reverend gentleman stared in horror
at the animal who had obeyed his behest.
Great beads of perspiration broke out sud-
denly upon his brow. The situation was
absolutely paralyzing.
"Oh, Mr.. Jonesv groaned the unhappy
old ladies, "say something'-do some
thing!'
Neither Miss Deborah nor Miss Jane
knew exactly what they expected the be-
wildered curate to do. 1t would be against
his principles to indulge in any cabalistic
words, or to make the sign of the Cross
to dumb animal, and there was no form
of prayer known to the modern Christian
church which could be considered spe-
cially suitable for the occasion.
But the cat settled the difficulty. Hav-
| ing remained on his head for nearly
minute, he fell over on to his side, and
| then jumped back into the easy chair and
| CURED nlTllSeI up as calmly aS tiOuSl nc
| had done nothing out of the ordinary rou-
tine of a respectable cats daily life.
Then the reverend gentleman held out
| his hand, and said he thought it was time
| for him to go home. He begged the good
| ladies to dismiss from their minds any
| idea that the cat had really stood upon
| it's head. They were the victims of their
| own magnation-all three of them. They
| had been talking about an occurrence of
| that sort, and Peter had, by a curious
| coincidence, at that very moment jumped
| on the table, and assumed an attitude ac-
| cidentally which they had mistaken for
| standing on his head.
The sisters begged Mr.. Jones to stay un-
| til they had decided what to do with the
cat. Under the circumstances, they felt
that the presence of a clergyman was at
least a protection against the powers of
| evil They would be satisfied if he would
| only stay till midnight which was the
hour they dreaded, not knowing what its
| effect might be upon Peter
But the reverend gentleman wouldn't
| hear of such a thing. There was nothing
| in midnight, and there was nothing in
| black cats. and he refused to encourage
! by any acquiescence in his hostesses
| wishes such abominable and heathenish
| superstition.
He babe the old ladies good night once
| more, put on his hat and his Inverness
| cape, and went down the gravel path
| trembling in every limb.
And at every sound that he heard that
| night as he made his lonely way to his
| residence he gave a little jump and went
| hot and cold all over. ~
| He had seen a black cat stand on it's
| head with his own eyes, and that it should
| stand on its head had been the test ne
| had applied to prove that black cats nave
no supernatural qualities.
3
When the curate has gone and the Misses
| Shoosmith We're left alone with Peter, they
looked at each other with white faces and
| trembling lips, each sister silently seek,
| ing advice from the other. Miss De-
| borah was the first to make decided at
| tack on the enemy. She went across the
| room to the bookcase, took out the family
| Bible, and placed it solemnly on the table.
Then she addressed Peter, who by this
| time was fast asleep, in these words:
peter, if you are an evil spirit you will
not harm us, for we have never harmed
anyone in our lives. If you choose to re-
main with us we will give you new milk
and fresh fish, and endeavor to make you
happy, but if you would go away an the
night we should be very much obliged to
you"
Then turning out the gas she beckoned
to her sister. and they went out of the
ROOM and locking the door quickly behind
them they went upstairs to bed, and
burnt night-light and slept with their
heads under the clothes.
When they awoke in the morning the
sun was shining in at their windows, and
in the sunlight they felt inclined to laugh
at the terrors of the previous night. After
all, the Rev. Mr.. Jones was probably right
their senses had been deceived. Peter
hadn't really stood on his head at ALL
They went downstairs, and to their in
tense relief there was no Peter. The maid
servant informed them that when she
opened the door the cat had slipped past
her into the garden.
At noon walking in the garden they came
suddenly on Peter under a currant BUSH
He rose, arched his back, rubbed up
against them and purred, and they stroked
him, and said complimentary things to
him There were some birds on the cher
ry tree picking at the ripe cherries. Miss
Deborah clapped her hands three times to
brighten them away.
Instantly Peter ran UP Miss Deborah's
back, jumped on to her bare head, and
stood bolt upright on his hind legs.
Miss Jane tainted dead away, and Miss
Deborah shrieking ran round and round
the garden. But Peter stood his ground
firmly At that moment the Rev Mr..
Jones came up the garden to enquire how
they were after the fright of the previous
evening. When he saw Miss Deborah
rushing about with the black cat standing
on its hind legs On her mead ne Stammered
out trivial excuse and fed. He felt con-
WINGED that insanity of some kind or other
had suddenly made its appearance in that
hitherto happy little Christian household,
and that in some mysterious way his own
mental balance had been overthrown in
sympathy.
When Miss Jane recovered from her
faint she found Miss Deborah sobbing hys-
terically in a garden chair.
The cat was no longer on her head In
an acrobatic attitude. 1t had jumped down
and gone back 10 lie under the currant
bush.
"Oh. Janev sobbed the unhappy old
lady. 81 know what 1t means now. TITS
that wicked gypsy woman who came beg
ging last Tuesday. told her to go about
her business and she was insolent and
said | was a hard-hearted wretch, and
| she'd put the black curse on me-and she's
| done it-Peter is the black cursor
Eyes, yes,' said Miss Jane. oh, my
dear sister, Il is terrible thing to happen
to us in our old age. but we must bear II
patiently--and whatever we do, we must
not offend Peter. So long as we treat him
II