Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-11-25

cage containing a jackdaw dangled
from his fingers. Behind him came a
small, thin, ascetic-looking woman.
with iron gray curls and glittering
black eyes. She had huge bouquet
Of red roses, yellow marigolds, GRIM
son Princess feathers, and purple pc
tunias, combined with striped grass,
and ''live-for-ever," and that plant of
nauseating odor called "old man." The
moment Thompson saw me he called
out at the top of his voice:
"Ha! Hawkins, that you? Well, If
this isn't luck! Been wishing there'd
be some one in the car I knew, on
Aunt James account! And her section
is right next to yours, too! That's
great! Aunt Jane, this is Hawkins
Joe Hawkins; you've heard me speak
of him"
Don't know as I have" said Aunt
Jane, without looking toward me.
Look out, Will Thompson! You're
banging that bird cage around awful
recklessly. That bird will get out first
thing you know
She had the most penetrating voice
ever heard.
"Now, Hawkins will look after you,
Auntie, and be glad to do it," said
Thompson as he began to unload in
her section. Going far, Hawkins?"
NEARLY 300 miles,"
Good! Now, Auntie, you will have
company all of the way. Hawkins is
going as far as you are, Auntie, and
he'll see you through all right. He's
a regular ladies' man, anyhow. Loves
to be attentive to the ladies Ha! ha!
Come, sit right in the section with
Auntie and get acquainted, Hawkins!'
"1'm afraid I'll be crowding her."
"Oh, no; plenty Of room. Come
on"
"Hold that, please" said Aunt Jane,
in tone of command, as sat down
beside her and she deposited large
'wicker-basket with cover on my
knees and thrust the bouquet with its
deadly odor under the handle Of the
basket. There was a sound of scratch
ing and snarling from within the bas-
hOI oAA0 1AoAAC oAO CApld1uCu UIleuy.
"Got two-thirds Angora cat in that
basket that my niece's sister-in-law
gave me-"
The breed of the other third was not
made known to me, but 1 think that
it must have been hyena judging from
what followed.
Bye, bye, auntie," said Thompson
knocking off my hat as he sprawled
over me to deposit kiss on Aunt
James sharp little nose. $50 glad Haw.
kins is with you. He'll look after you
like your own son. Ia, ia, Hawkins
Bye, bye, Auntie.''
'Put up the window, please" said
Aunt Jane as the train started.
obeyed and clouds of dirt swept into
the car.
Presently she brought forth from
her handbag a lemon, folding drink
ing cup, a paper bag of sugar and 6
lemon squeezer, and commanded, rath
er than requested, me to make her {
glass of lemonade. I withdrew to tn.
water tank at the rear of the car will
feelings it is not best to express, ant
with the unwilling assistance of tn,
porter, concocted the lemonade, only
to have the cup collapse just as wa!
handing it to Aunt Jane. She gave {
scream as the lemonade flooded her lal
and jumped up, knocking the cat has
ket to the floor, and the next momen
splitting, snarling mass Of yellow ant
white fur shot over the back of tn,
car seat and raced madly down tn,
aisle. Then it bounded from one emf
OF the car to the other over the heads
Of the passengers, while nervous wo
man in the car tainted, and stout
middle-aged lady screamed steadily a
the top of her voice. An excitable oil
gentleman, with bleeding scratch OF
aisle, breathing the most awful male
dictions on the cat and striking at i
. with an umbrella that flew open a
every blow, A man with a gold-head
ed cane did more effective work, ant
got in one blow that drove the cat tt
the roof of the car, where it chung will
snarling defiance.
"You ought to be prosecuted fo
travelling with such wild beast,
said the bald-headed old gentleman
J shaking his fist at me.
Eyes, you ought" said a woman
who had crawled down between two
seats and was holding her parasol ove
her head for protection.
kitty! Kitty! Kitty" said Aun
Jane cajolingly, as she started dow1
the aisle with a ham sandwich helt
up toward the cat, which suddenl,
gave a bloodcurdling snarl and sho
down into the section Aunt Jane hat
, vacated. The jackdaw gave shril
screech of alarm and with reason, fol
,, the next moment its cage was rolling
: in the aisle empty and the cat haG
, added murder to its other crimes. The
window in Aunt James section was
, still up, and through it the murderer
!. made his escape, to the relief Of the
-...o~~ore ora To tho ioR or<1 ;nd;~