Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-09-03

ORLANDO-"As I remember, It =
was upon this fashion" (
A TWENTY SEVENTH STREET cat
Once upon time. q year or two ago,
Mrs. Gus.sie Grasswidow, which ism
the name of the lady in the case at all,
owned a dOcile husband and the finest
brindle tabby-cat that ever sang u noe
turne on the back fence of a Twenty
seventh street lot.
The husband has gone away some
where, none Of the neighbors know
where, and the 'tabby-cat's bones lie
mouldering in the backyard Of the
boarding house. over which Mrs Gus
sic GrassWidow is still the presiding
genius.
The husband may come back some
day, but the cat never will, by reason
nl which most de1,orablc conditions
!Eable Mrs. Grasswidow an aching void
which never can be flied.
The tale Of this feline is not 4 long
one but ii is pointed and full of inter
est, considering that cats lives are not
as rule replete with incidents that
engage the attention Of men, save when
they MARBLE their glad serenades under
che moon at unholy hours Of the morn
ing.
Mrs. Gussie Grasswidows cat was SIS
years old when it died. so the neighECrs
say: and the neighbGrs got it from Nj $.
GrasswidOW herself, who doubtless
thought when she impaired the lrfor-
nation hat she owed the neghborliuol
an explanation Of some sort.
The neighborhood thought SO, too,
that there was an explanation coming
to it, after it had tired of gossiping
over the eccentric conduct of Mrs.
Grasswidow in the matter Of her beha-
Nicr with reference TO that scrawny.
white wthiskered bunch of animated
tiddle-strngs and fur.
The ancient feline was an heirloom,
having been the property Of Mrs. Grass
widows grandfather on her mothers
side; hence the strong attachment of
the lady for the cat
One day the cat fell sick The next
day it grew worse. Mrs. Grasswidow
summoned the family physician. The
medicine man came to the house ex-
pecting to find member of the fami-
ly i'll. Mrs. Grasswidow asked him to
prescribe for the tabbv and the doctor
went away in high dudgeon.
A veterinary surgeon, whose services
were retained by the man who figured
| in small print as Mrs. Grassw .dow's
husband, pronounced the cat hopelessly
| i'll. He said She could not live many
days. Old age was the matter With
her ana ne could only prescribe rest
ana met Wnlch would at pest OUT pro-
| long the animals existence few
weeks. me cay was put 20 ped IN L
basket. which Mrs. Grasswidow never
permitted out of her sight a moment.
AT night the basket and it's precious oc-
| cupaMt rested upon rug at the ped
slne or WIS t'FassWidoW.
ne weeks passed Dy ana the cat de-
Eelopeu ne" symptoms OF approaching
! dlsso:utlon. but II dlunt ole as the vet
| erlnallitn mad advertised IT TO 90. 1t
| grew WEAKER IN the limbs; IL became
Eilnu ana deat; lts Whlskers fe!l out
ana IT'S mead became as bald as a Drew
cry agents, but 1t swung ON 70 the vital
spark ilke washington avenue lanu
agent @tp-a prospective settler from
NllchASan. IT began 10 utter me most
uneaflniy hnWls ana VOWS aaols aoo'tt
o'clock every morning, that ne ne en- :
DORIS fad ever been forced to i!sten 70
since the cd-ncadcd glrl, VINO USED 70
The DOCK WIth the lainc young man
from ToX HIM, married MIN ana move
INTO me slS-roopl mouse on forly-soc--
| ond street.
| Allcr INC music had Kept uP week
OF more. ahu nal1 o. the tel'''hts on
the block mad moved away before thcll
rents were due, the spectacle or MI
cirasswidow fernnlDutatln the s'Acw.u !,
| ~ 'front.' OF ms mouse; between ! cloch
y. ~. ana me Dfcak Q gay hsS''' lC