The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-01-12
The Return of the Cat,
By Eliza Armstrong In Two Parts.)
PART IL

| 10y Eliza Armstrong. IN Two fdrIS-t
| PART IL
Not until the morning of The second day
did Mrs. Mott give up hope. Then, stand
| ing mournfully a. the window, she saw
Ezra pass on the other side of The street,
followed by his dog, and an awful tnoughi
possessed her.
Ezra Mason knows what has become
OF JASON she cried. bursting into tears.
And to think had meant TO marry him
in gray Tin, on New Years day.
Late that afternoon Melinda Thompson
hustled III, her bonnet gracefully encir-
cling ore ear.
Well, Lorilla Mott, have you heard?"
Heard what?" said Mrs. Mott.
THAT Ezra Mason feeds that dog o. tis
on: OF the silver basin he had bought for
your wedding present and lets lim sleep
in the silk quilt you made him for Christ
mas. What do you think of that?''
Think" said Mrs. Mott slowly and de-
H5erately. ''Why. think that a man who
will commit murder will do anything
"Murder!" gasped Melinda.
YES murder For IL Ezra Mason didn't
kill my cat why doesn't he come back -
The strange family with the inv aid boy
had received her advances coldIy and Miss
at Mrs. Aott's disposal. BY nightfall ev-
erybody knew that she had accused Ezra
Mason of killing her cat. Later that ev-
ening they also knew that Ezra had said
he would never speak to woman or
cat again. And this was the 18th of De-
cember, and the gray satin gown in which
Mrs. Mott was to have been metamor-
pbosed into Mrs. Mason hung ready in her
ayIr he xrh ha ,-ir1
changed for larger one, lay forgotten
in Ezra's pocket
It was New Years morning, and Mrs
Mott felt forlorn and miserable, seated be-
fore her untasted breakfast. For the first
time she regretted her quarrel with
Ezra.
eff I hadn't quarreled with him he'd
never have killed JASON she sighed.
'.sn1 I'd Tever have known he'd commit
murder. Now-come ini' she FASTENED 20
open the door.
There stood shy little girl, and-Mrs.
Mott cried aloud-Jason, alive and in the
fur, was rubbing against her legs and
purrings.
'He didn't kill him. after all" she cried;
then, seeing the child's amazed look, she
said: Where on earth did you find him,
He wasn't hurt at all, ma am. He come
to us five days ago; my brothers sick and
we didn't know the cat was yours-my
brother kept him in his room all the time.
The butcher boy saw him this morning
and told us
II suppose he tried hard to get away
and come home?" faltered Mrs. Mott.
Nom. He wanted to stay, and had
to carry him part way"
AS the child was going away with the
dollar Mrs. Mott had thrust upon her that
lady stood on the doorstep with the door
closed to prevent Jason from following his
new friend. She saw Ezra approaching
across the street and said bitterly: ITO
think 1 Quarre!ed with him over an I'M
grateful beast that forgot me in five days,
Nancy" she called, suddenly:
''Yesm," said the child. stopping.
''You can have the cat if you want him.
don't. Then she went into the house
and shgc the door.
Five minutes later a tremendous knock
brought her to the door. There stood
Ezra with the now weeping Nancy, who !
held Jason in her arms
Here's your cat" he said. shortly; 'fhis |
child says a nice crazy lady gave him to /
her.
II gave her the cat. Ezra Mason; I |
guess l can do as like with my own
You gave Jason away?" gasped Ezra |
'Lorilla. the wedding is to be at Z, amt |
to"
''Ye-es. Ezra, and-and you may bring |
-FOUR dog"
'Ha!n't got him." snapped Ezra; imam |
bought him from had stolen him. and |
"A Happy New Year to both of you"
allied Melinda Thompson. passing.-Eliza
in Rock Island Union.