The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-11-30


there was a kitten thai just simply took
possession of room and made itself
thoroughly at hons there, this was
that kitten.
When Jane went up stairs TO an
nounce the next meal, as was her GUS
tDm, she returned TO the kitchen almost
tottering, aud with distended eyes.
81 bleebe Mis- Arnam doue gone
crazy " she cried. She soften up dere
wifi a kitten in her Lap, an she say for
you to fOtch her dinner up to 'er, an
sasser o. milk for de kitten p
"G'way from here, niggah - cried
Susan, and she hurried TO her mistress
room to disprove James story. She re-
turned with slower footsteps aud
frightened face. Mrs. Arnam had said
to her:
ayes, 1 want my dinner here, Susan,
until the kitten gets used TO the house.
have never had kitten before. /
don't know why have never thought
Of it,
'Dey's somefin wrong wifi Mis- Liza
beth," said Susan when she had gained
the sacred precincts of the kitchen and
Jane had assured her that she 'shoOly
did look pale. Long as 1 been stayin'
here, she amt never eat in her room
yit, an now she gwine ter eat dere ON
account OBJ measly little cat"
On the second day Z queer thing hap
pened. The kitten had performed what
it considered great feat, and Mrs. Ar
nam laughed. The sound Of the laugh
frightened her, and Il sent the kitten
skurrying under the bed. 1t came out
presently and growled at her as gen.
tie intimation not to try that any more,
and that made her laugh again. Jane,
sweeping in the next room, heard it,
and left her work unfinished TO tell
Susan, but Susan seornfully warned
her not to come "tellin' her no sech
trash" There were bounds beyond
which Susan's eredulity could not go.
OF course Jane left the doors open
again before the week was out. She
declared that she ''shet ebery one OBJ
'em. But she must have left them
open, for how else did the kitten get
out? At any rate, before any knew it
the kitten was gone and was not to be
found anywhere in the house.
When mistress and servants had
searched everywhere in vain, Mrs. Ar
nam shut herself up in her room again
and sat down befJre the fire. The lit
/ tie creature that had distracted her
thoughts for a few days and had made
her forget herself was gone, and once
more she was lonely old woman
more lonely and miserable than she
had been before. She sat there looking
/ at gloomy scenes in The glowing Goals
until she could endure 1t no longer, and
then she afose aud ,f...sea -to1. tie
1 room aud finally threw up window
to get rid of the choking pain in the
I heart. And when she leaned out into
7 the cold air, what do you think she
saw? Just below her, seated on the
doorstep, was ragged little boy with
her kitten in his arms.
/ In a moment she was down stairs
and had the door open and had fright
ened the child so that he could do moth
4 ing but stand and stare at her.
"what are you doing with my kit
ten, little boy ?' she demanded grimly
"Taint your kitten It's mine :" he
replied, clasping it closer.
"How did it happen to be yours,
should like to know" asked the angry
old woman.
at was borned mine," was the sim
| pie explanation, and then the woman''
heart sunk. She had never once
thought the kitten might be some
body's property before it came TO her
and behold, she had no right to it from
the first.
She was about to go in and close tx
door, but she paused to ask eoldly:
"what were You doing on my door
sstep~
awe was a-warmin' ourselves saiC
the child, and this reminded him of hi
own discomfort so that he began L
shiver and to shrink together.
| Truly, it was bitter day. Even il
that sunny nook the cold was intense
The child was blue with it. She hs'
not noticed that before.
"Come in and warm at my fire-yo'
and the kitten" she said.
Now what had come over her? Wha
magic spell had been working on tina
hard old heart? She sat in her arm
chair, watching the child thaw an
grow rosy red in the grateful warmth
| as he sat on the hassock before the firt
There was no sound in the room bu
the soft cracking of the burning coa
and the gentle purring Of the kittef
and after while the child began
nod. Overcome with drowsiness, b
slipped down to the rug at last an
stretched himself out there, and wht
the kitten crept into his arms he mul
INJURED:
at always sleeps wild me to keep N
warm"
After while the old woman aros
, softly and covered both the sleepel
| with blankets and slipped pillow ul
; der the ehild's head. Foor little tou
r eled curls. How pretty they would
il they were brushed The withere
hand touched them softly. When ha
that hand ever been laid on child
| head beforel And then, as thoug
/ ashamed of such weakness, she s
: down again and looked resolutely in
the fire. What was this child mo
, than any other? There were hnndre'
of such children in the streets-bol
? thieves, every one of them, ready to I
/ pay kindness by stealing anything th'
; could lay their hands on.
But il was no use. She couldn't ke'
r from looking at the child, and som
4 how it did seem pleasant to hear b
r soft breathing in that room, that HI
r been silent 50 long. And after she hi
watched and listened for while 3
5 went into another room and opened
e drawer that had been shut don't knC
how many years, and took out :
.t,;id,s oloak that would surely coy