The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-02-10

W ~ ~ aAh4 &Ahh
q don't see what elseit could have
! been"
"rhat settles it, then; we can't
stand that racket. She may be all
right, but / don't like heryoice. Was
it that broke the pitcher, Edith, or
did it fall?"
"She's probably got a cold or
something" said Mrs. Trent. "It
can't possibly be that that's her nor
malcry."
just then the cat, having finished
what milk there was on the floor,
looked up and plaintively asked for
more, and Trent started up and
opened the kitchen door, and, entic-
ing her out, shut it again. The cat
protested dolefully. The sound was
mufaed to some extent, of course, but
it was sufficiently e~xcruciating to
drive the Trents to the front part Of
their fat.
They had been sitting there for
about ten minutes when there was a
loud rapping at the kitchen door.
Mrs. Trent opened it and the cat shot
IN and took refuge behind the radia-
tor.
ct was your cat said a voice from
the outer darkness. "She was crying
to be let in and I thought I'd come
down to help her = Billings, you
know-on the second floor"
ooh, thank you, very much, Mr..
Billings said Mrs. Trent; "only it
isn't our cat"
"Not your cat?" repeated Mr.. Bill
lings, with a note of incredulity in
his voice.
, "No connection at all" said Trent,
who had wandered out into the kitch-
en-. "Won't you come in? No, itisn't
our cat. You're very welcome to take
her if you want a good mouser and a
frst-class, all-round home pet"
"How do you know she's a good
mouser?" asked the neighbor.
''WelI," said Trent, "she looks it.
I'm not very often mistaken in my es-
, innate of a cat. This is one you can
. bank on, in my opinion"
ct don't believe 1 want any," said
$ the neighbor. "My wife's. nervous
e and she doesn't like cats, anyway.
Goodnight"
/, 81 don't wonder he came down."
: said Trent, when their visitor had
gone. "Well, the only thing 1 can see
: for us to do is to keep it over night and
study up some plan to get rid Of it.
i Don't let it have anything to com
s plain Of while it is here, though"
a The cat Tapped up the milk that
!. Mrs. Trent poured for it and was
G perfectly quiet for the rest Of the
night. Nothing was heard from il
I'm the morning, DuT IA 5uti1hvI-P~
when Mrs. Trent stroked it. "Igues:
r that must have been just a slip Of the
n tongue, after ALL" said Trent.
For nearly two weeks the cat be.
2 haved in a perfectly decOrOus way
d and it seemed to be a settled thing
that she was to be one Of the family
Mrs. Trent had conceived a real af
% lection for the animal. But one fate
full night Trent brought home fsl
and a friend.
If Trent was in some measure pre-
pared, though the shock to him wa
IT not a slight one. The friend graspe,
a. the arms Of his chair convulsively an
IN grew. pale. Then he started up an
was making for the door when Tren
k stopped him and asked him where h
to was going.
"I'm going to prevent them frol
al, roasting that baby to death if Pm nc
adj too late" said the friend.
Mt at isn't a baby; it'sacat."
it Cant we do anything to relieve il
DIV Has it got to suffer in that horrib.
If, way? Why not kill it and put it OIL
ne of its misery's"
If. "That isn't such a badidea, either
id: said Trent.
we AS a compromise Trent proposed
yn take the cat in a basket and lose tt
an. basket somewhere, but rather to h
nd surprise his wife would not agree
this. 81 would sooner have you k
rs. it outright" she said. 81 can ina
ng inc nothing more cruel than turnii
a cat adrift to starve and be torturt
red by every wretched boy or dog tn
it sees it-besides, 1 don't believe y
k can lose the cat"
n" 81 suppose well have to put
out with her, then" said Trent.
her But that proved impossible aft