Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1900-04-27
Lille, GREENE COUNTY, MISS

any OF us, as he would be so much
nearer to it."
At the end Of this conversation was
as much In the dark as | had been a,
the beginning.
But one thing had been borne in up
on my mind very forcibly of late. and
TINT was the change in Susan Ellen
Ever since that memorable night she
mad been n different girl, and seemed
only the shadow. of her former self.
l attributed this state of things to a
morbid, oversensitive conscience which
would persist in attaching great blame
to herself for having left out that win
dow sash. One phase of her charac-
ter. however, l was at a loss to nc.
count for, and that was the sudden
and unaccountable aversion she had
taken to Aunt Samyras poor old vel.
low cat
Formerly, I remembered, she had
been the cats greatest champion, and
many q time had shared meal with
pussy; but now she actually shivered
IL the animal happened to brush
against her.
But 1t was many years before dis
covered the cause of that aversion.
Aunt Samyra was dead; pussy had
died and been buried by me with
many tears under the cypress tree in
the back yard; Susan Ellen had mar
riede Mr.. Wentworth, the young man
who had been her escort to the concert,
the night Of Uncle Ralph's death; the
old home had been broken up and
was drifting about the world In an
aimlcss way.
Susan Ellen had invited me to spend
week with her, and as her husband
was away on business, we had ample
opportunity for the exchange Of long
condolences about old times.
One night, as we sat by the fire, the
subject happened to turn on Aunt
Samyra's old yellow cat, asked her
why 1t was that she took such q sud
den and unaccountable aversion to that
poor animal?
1T Is something I have often want
ed to tell you" she answered, "but
somehow always shrank from doing
so. At first l was afraid, and after
ward l just kept putting it off because
1 knew l ought to have told 1t at first.
You remember the night Uncle Ralph
was killed?"
Il certainly do"
well, that evening I went to con-
6eeGr 6eoGmre witbs dtboui ir iu%yoe %yoeqatRMdtia aRMd WE got
at the front gate few minutes, he
meanwhile calling my attention to the
comet, which was then the universal
topic of conversation. felt guilty
standing at the gate, for Aunt Samyra
had often told me not to do so, and
involuntarily glanced toward the
house, expecting to see her looking at
me. Instead, two curious objects In
Uncle Ralph's window caught my
eye.
"You remember 1t was such bright
moonlight that one could see very dis
tinctly; you remember, also, about my
washing the windows just before I'm
Gle Ralph came to visit us. The bot
tom sash was in, but hoisted on a
piece OF broomhandle so as to take
the place Of the top sash, leaving the
bottom of the window open.
"Now then, on the window Sill,
walking backwards and forwards.
looking at the comet, too, suppose,
was Aunt Samyra's old yellow cat,
while Uncle Ralph, with his head
poked out from the window, was also
regarding the comet with rapt in
tentness.
MY first feeling was one of guilty
dismay; he was looking at the comet
now, to be sure. but If he were to
glance in my direction, and then to tell
Aunt Samyra!
"While hesitated what to do, pus-
sy began running herself against the
piece Of broom-handle that held up
the window. The broom-handle am
afraid, had been put up in 4 ,ery
slanting, Insecure fashion; realized
this in fash ns ! noticed Uncle
Ralph's pistol lying on the window
sill. And had barely realized it when
the broom handle slipped, the window
came down on the pistol. and you
heard the shot, and know the rest"
She paused and took deep breath
"And now want to know which
was responsible for. the murder, thu
cat or the comet?'