The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-23
Due to the Yellow Cat,

EN- the course OF the next few weeks"
said one Of the officials at the Custom
House. "the newspapers will announce
wedding that will soupd OF a singular
litte romance. ItiwonHid Be- indiscreet,
perhaps, for me to mention any names
at present. but 1 don't mind telling you
the fact A certain gentleman who Is in
the government service. and whom, with
your permission, viii call Or. Smith.
took apartments some time ego In the
old quarter near Espianade street. The
rooms were on the. third floor Of a
building given over entirely to dodgers,
mostly Of bohemian tendencies. and the
door directly beneath. on the second
hoor, bore sign reading: "A Metz,
Music That Is not exactly the name.
by the way, but it Is pretty near Il. A.
tAet2 was away on a summer vacation.
but had left behind a large. proving. yell
low cat, which made free OF the prem
ises. Smith, being a bachelor, beguiled
his loneliness by keeping four white mice,
which no was learning to do tricks, and
this yellow cat began to haunt his quar-
tiers with the evident Intention OF making
meal Of his pets. Whenever the door
was opened the cat would rush In and
secrete himself somewhere behind the fur
niture, and as he discovered q new hiding
place every day and was insensible to
kicks and cuffs, Smith finally began to
get desperate. lie Is naturally kind
hearted man and did not want to Kill the
beast, but neither did he relish the idea
Of losing his mice. When ne went out
he used to hang their cage to the gas
burner by a string.
zone day when he came home he found
the yellow cat perched on the suspended
cage, which he had evidently reached by
a prodigious leap. In coming upstairs
Smith had noticed that the apartments
below were open. indicating the return
of A Metz, and he thereupon had an in
spiration. Slamming his door,. he sue?
ceeded, with some difficulty, in captur-
ing the yellow monster, and, ignoring his
howls, he tied his four paws together in
a bunch. Then he attached a placard,
reading: Keep this brute at home and
lowered him out the window on a cord,
leaving him suspended just outside the
easement of A. Metz. Needless to say,
the yowls Of the poor animal alarmed the
neighborhood and they were answered by
inarticulate cries OF rage IN the apartment
below, all Of which filled Smith with ex-
treme Joy. Then somebody reached out
cut the cord and there was sudden ST.
lence. That evening, when he sauntered
downstairs, Smith was confronted on the
lower landing by beautiful young lady,
whom he had never seen before in his
life. Her eyes were flashing. ALLOW me to
inform you she said, with indescribable
scorn, that the other brute will hereafter
remain at homep She laid strong empha-
sis on the other and Smith groveled
The young lady was charmingly petite,
but she seemed to him at least nine feet
high. 4 thought the cat belonged to
Professor Metz he suffered incoherently
I am Professor Meta replied the lady
with icy dignity, and disappeared in her
rooms. Smith went downstairs without
knowing whether he was walking on his
feet or his hands.
"And no Smith, Is you doubtless d.
vined from the first Is going to marry
the beautiful young lady. I would like
TO describe how he made his peace and
convinced her by degrees that he was not
the hardened villain that he seemed. but;
to tell the truth, don't know. Possibly 1t
was by an act Of remuneration, for he
eventually gave away his precious white
mice, and when Miss Metz learned CT his
sacrifice she was so touched that she also
gave away her yellow cat. BY a singular
coincidence they both presented their pets
to the same person, and only yesterday
Smith told me that they were going to
have the cat back as soon as they got
married and began housekeeping. This
story happens to be quite true in every
particular, but 1 hope that little circum-
stance will not excite your prejudice. II
you are skeptieal can show you the
yellow cat."-New Orleans Times-Demo-