The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-24
WIDDIES GOT A KITTEN.
AND "DEYIL LOOSE IN mr. KIrCHEN,~
SAID ANNIE

motnor-LiVely subsequent Searches.
Wlddles said he wanted a cat. When he said
II everybody at the table pretended not 10 have
heard. Big Annie made undignined haste for
the kitchen door. From the other side OF the
door came q wbeegy shout OF laughter. Wild
dies looked at the door in digni1ed surprise.
Everybody about the table began to talk very
fast about Christmas and the chances for snow.
BY and by they harked back to clothes and
whether Uncle Daniel had any right to leave all
his money to one child. Annie came back and
stood behind Mrs. leslie. Widdlos turned and
looked over the high back OF his chair straight
into her eye. Annie's black face became as
wood. Her upper lip heightened marvellously.
Widdles smiled to himself and turned back.
Il said" he remarked with startling dis
tlnctness. II want q catl"
+ Gawd. Mis- Leslie" exclaimed Annie.
II amt said a word" Stricken with horror at
her W spontaneous admission Of u~ninten-
tional guilt, she fed again from the room. Wild
dles's aunt talked Christmas again, but his
mother shook her head despairingly.
Its no use," she said. You may have a
cat, Widdles."
when may" Widdles began.
" L Will get one for you tomorrow, my son."
she said. IF you will not say anything moro
about IT,"
Widdles rubbed his brow with his forehnger
thoughtfully, Just as his father always did
when It came to making the decision that a
coachmnn who was good to his horses ought
not to be discharged for drinking hard once q
month.
An right" said widdles. "Yes,mi"
AS I was saying said Mrs. Leslie, II any
body but Maria had Uncle Daniels money"
and the talk around the table went on az IL had
begun. Widdles did not Join in the CONVERSE
ton,
What are you thinking about. widdlesa'
asked his aunt.
I was wondering" he said. whether any
body would ever give me a-a-thing with
c~laws-Crabs have claws. don't they, motherp-
an whiskers an q tail, that's 80 big and yellow
an black an brave that 1t can lick the stufln'
out OF a bull terrier pup five months DID,"
"Graciousl" said his aunt. while Widdles and
his father and mother laughed loud and long.
When Widdles was out of the way that night.
sleeping the sleep OF the intricately unjust.
there was a serious consultation between the
twopeople who were responsible for him and
his doings.
Il tell you. my dear" said Mr.. Leslie, that
since We are committed to the cat we had bet
ter get a good cat, a cat that is worth having
around the house. We can get q frst-rate,
well behaved Angora cat for $50. l suppose. 1
think it's worth while"
Its the watch question over again." said
Widdles's mother. Il said to give him q nickel
watch, and you were for giving him q gold
watch. We gave him the nickel watch and he
smashed it in three h~ours-iust as he would
smash O cat"
Just as he would smash a common cat, my
dear. He wouldn't smash a gold watch or q
cat OF high degree. But I'll leave It to you"
Mrs. Leslie decided for O cheap cat. No one
who has suddenly decided. without a particular
lot of kittens In view. to procure an everyday
common kitten. knows just how hard 1t is to
find. Mrs. Leslie thought that she would see
some kittens somewhere on her way to market
in the morning. But she did not. The butcher
had a box Of kittens behind the counter the
week before. but they had all gone to the place
where most kittens go. The grocer's cat was
a tomcat. she learned for the first time. and she
retired from its presence with a queer feeling
Of embarrassment. The delivery boy over
heard her conversation with the grocer and
suggested that he knew (" a Teller who went to
school with a Swampoodle kid who had a lot of
kittens with their eyes Just OPEN" She begged
the delivery boy Of the grocer and bribed him
to go with her to hunt down those kittens.
She found them along toward shutdown. and a
scrayny. unkempt lot they WERE. She picked
her hand among them. She put It in the bas-
ket she had brought along for the purpose and
99ok IL nome. mlddies was waiting Tor her:
pajamas before she, was fairly inside.
Let me see it please " he demanded.
aunt @c fsH% sh sa iilaPREsIE 3d fSSF with a side slanc. o,
s SSStHHj and df he t toot t sn out T 81 The e Sas Gns. in Th both
his fat hands and looked it over while 1t twisted
81 think he said. cycling its struggles, critt-
s.H 1dn and mas issYSs aHs E1 a tsq| ~ feeI{nsss glance at her.
n nnIIHCnh n Uuontnd IN fnlyn ~ 70 hAI I'LL
him. He almost decided d that his own ' feelings
were hurt when this plan was oyerrgled. n;
the basket to his mother, saying solemnly:
Take it and remembe| hold you respon-
Once he was in bed the family went to the
kitchen and set the stranger down before a
saucer Of milk. II scurFied splitting. for the
dabbed its nose in, the, milk. 1t scurried away
again as soon as they let it 60. They all went
saw It crawl up to the saucer and begin to sniff
rn1 Z Si a leave itthsF0'" said wlddlo''' mother.
td BT / a and %r saFFl Sy., ths next 9eo. mS%Fn M4s Annie Annie
heHn%df| andes! t hssi Silyysr box out to her.
widdles's mother was 80. surprised by the
%DeyLI loose In my Eitchenl" said Annie.
What do you mean. Annie ?" askodher mis-
~" No mo-. no less Devil in my kitchen. Some
Kind er devil cat or dono what. Don't wanteI
why, Annie" said Mrs. Leslie. laughing.
oh @dd 0 @a' TY You srss' ti afraid you oi a rffaiItl fe fright a4c
youI", -. .
lookedH Amt nothing In the world but devil
Nom, and ! amt going n there ttl # gets good
She kept her word and sat on the front stairs
until the entire family had preceded her into
Faint .heart-broken walls for help were
audible, from the kitten. but there was no kit
ten in sight. They moved the coal hods into
the middle Of the room and upset everything In
the closets and peered into the oven and under
They Increased in number and in. their quality
OF volumes. After each suggestion was fruit.
lessly acted upon would com a sullenly trium.
phant assertion from the Kitchen stairs.
Il begin to, believe you are right. Annie
said Mr.. Leslie. running a bucket out from
under the sink for the third time. He dropped
on his hands and knees.
Its louder over here" he said,
From the sink three pipes ran, down through
the kitehen door. The hole In the door was an