The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-09-16
CHAMBER OF CATS.

have him come, said Mrs. Blackstone
"Only one, and that's enough, goodness
knows"
1.-The cats?" inquired Mr.. Blackstone.
1.-The darned catsp' rejoined his wife,
with vindictive emphasis.
''I'll tell him about the cats when |
write" said Mr.. Blackstone. He did.
Here is the letter:
DEAR REGULUs-Of course we want you to
come, and of course there is plenty of room
though it isn't the best kind of room, tho good
wife fears. You must know our fiat is ths mar
and long the lane between your own
mansion and that where you house your cows.
Our guest chamber is the last room of all at
the rear. 1t is the biggest and the lighteat, hut
we don't use 1t to sleep in because of the cats.
Ihe international cat dueling ground for the
borough of Manhattan is under the windows.
Why don't we kill 'em? When one dies, six
come and bewail his death. So we evacuated
the room for night use and live in the place
the landlord calls the guest chamber. There
isn't time before you coma to take the bed
steads down and transpose them. 1t takes ten
days to do that, including the tirne spent IN
hospital.
So, if Yeu can stand the eats come, and we
hope you viii win your case. Sincerely,
WILLIAM BLACKSTONE.
10 the Hon. Regulus McShane, District At
torney's Office, - County, n. Y.
The Hon. Regulus McShane arrived
ON Saturday evening, and was cpAr
Quoted to his room. There We're win
dows on two sides OF the room. The
bad 4aa 0blIquely into the room between
them. On each of the unwindowed sides
was a closet door. One closet ran through
to the bedroom of the Blackstones. It
contained a fixed washstand ana the
family medicine shelves. The shelves
of the Other closet We're piled high with
discarded shoes, empty mineral water
bottles and fragments of broken furni-
ture.
"'There'' said Mr.. Blackstone. as ne
opened the door of this iIaset and point
ed with pride 10 the display on the
44eives. '"That is your only relief from
cats. That is the magazine. When they
begin to howl, lombard them. Use tho
Spanish method. Don't hit Ii you do,
they'll only make twice as much noise. "
The district attorney smiled grimly.
II rather think I'll stay awake for
fear shouldn't wake up when they
begin to sing.
Don't you think, my dear" her
husband said, don't you think it is
time to Jet the weary traveller within
our hat go to the chamber Of cats? You
trot to bed and I'll take Regulus and
show him what beautiful decorations
there are inside the refrigerator.
She went her way and they went
theirs. So well did the up country dig
pitarE appreciate the refrigerator that
1t was near midnight when he parted
with his host at the door of the chamber
of cats As they passed her door, Mrs.
Blackstone noticed that the district at
torney's feet seemed to drag little
Poor thiNg," she said to herself. as
she winked solemnly at her pillow.
"He is tired. Perhaps he can't help
dragging his feet, the responsibility of
carrying those lovely shoes is heavy
heavy
AS she ,iozed, she heard her husband
saying:
eff you can, old man, you better I'M
dress i'll the dark. The mosquitoes are
awful up here. We would have put in
screens, but II we had you couldn't
have got at the cats"
1t was perhaps an hour later when
Mrs. Blackstone awokess The night was
very still. She wondered what had
walked her. In a moment she knew,
"Pr-r-r- ow-wow ~ came the chal-
lenge from q half block away. "Pr-r-r-
ewr'
"Er-wowu!" came the answer from
under the back window.
"Will," said Mrs. Blackstone hoarse-
ly to the next pillow, Twill, wake up.
They're coming" She sat up and clap
ped her hands softly in her glee.
"Lemme know when they get here"
mumbled Blackstone as he dug his head
into the pillow again. Mrs. Blackstone
sat up and listened.
"Pr-r-r -ow-wowr' The challenger
was drawing nearer. Not one, but three
voices answered him. For moment,
as they converged, all was silent. Thea
came mastery battleeFy, 1t was like
that of a 6-months-old infant who has
swallowed his bib pin.
"Will, said Mrs. Blackstone, "wake
up! They've come" He sat up and
rubbed his eyes.
In the next room they heard the
bump and pounding of bare feet Oh she
floor. They heard door open and the
climbing of glass
nGpodpess, Will" whispered Mrs,
Blackstone, "Id forgotten that you
could hear things in that room SO clear
ly."
Its very still night" her hus-
band mumbled wisely.
The footsteps moved softly across the
room again. "Slum- chunk - The frag.
ments of bottle tinkled ON the hard sur
face Of the yard. This noise had not
died away before there arose the long
vail of the overtures to cat battle
"W 100000, WOW .wowp'
Softly ard cautiously the footsteps
crossed the room again. Again bottle
broke and scattered. Again rose the
wall Of war.
There was nothing cautious about the
footsteps this time. Instead of the clink
of bottles heavy boot soles clattered to-
gether. The time consumed in gather
ing ammunition indicated that an arm
full was being collected.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.!