Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-07
STRANGE FRIENDSHIP
LUMP IS THE sTEPFATHER OF
FAMILY OF KITTENS,
He il q Collie DoE-How 1t All Came
AbOut-A Story for
Children.

Lump" is the stepfather OF four shoe
store kittens; in fact, they are nearly cats
by now. The relationship of Lump to these
kittens is the thing that attracts attention
among all who know about 1t. 1t occa-
sions surprise and even scandal among the
cats and dogs of the neighborhood that
have heard about 1t, and the result is that
Lump and his stepchildren do not move in
the 400 circles of either canine or feline
ciety. Despite all these things, however,
the great love in this queer family grows
stronger The existence of this affection is
nearly wholly due to Lump. 1t is not the
cat that brings on troubles between the dog
and cat race. 1t is the fighting instinct of
the dog Therefore. if Lump had pos
sessed any other than a good disposition
he could have been accommodated with all
kinds of fighting when he first entered the
shoe store.
Lump one day ran up into the second
story apartments of G. C. Noble, the man.
ager of a local shoe store. Mr.. Noble was
about to eject him from the house, when
Mrs. Noble interposed and said that she
would at least give the hungry little
stranger a good meal. So the puppy had
his first meal. He liked 1t. and he wouldn't
go away Mrs. Noble named him Lump,
the German name for tramp hobo.
Down at the dog record office of the Dis
trict government Lump Is put down as a
black and tan collie, but he has no pedi-
gree and cannot trace his ancestry back to
the days of Harold.
Lump soon got in the habit of going down
to the shoe store and spending part of the
day there. He found the old shoe store
cat. He didn't show any desire to make
things unpleasant, and the cat gradually
grew to like him. Although old cat she
actually put aside enough of her dignity to
rub against Lump. Thus began the friend
ship that has since ripened into love, to
use the expression of famous novelists.
Before This love became undying one
IL 81, 81
little kittens. Despite FER great friendship
for Lump she had much doubt about his
intentions when he began poking around
the box where the kittens lay. The mother
promptly arched her back and made ready
to slap Lump if he became too rude. He
showed himself thorough gentleman and
member of the Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals. He expressed only
great solicitation for the cat mother and
actually went away and got a piece Of
meat for them. This pleased the mother
and in a short time Gfterward Lump en-
tered the family as stepfather. The most
remarkable things are told Of his paternal
deeds.
Proved Himself a Hero.
To divide meat with the little kittens was
nothing uncommon. Lump made up his
mind that the kittens should never be alone
He seemed to fear that something would
happen to them. So. when the old cat went
out to get little fresh air, Lump would
take her place and lie IN the box with them
or remain near He allowed them to
scratch his nose with their sharp little
claws and to sport around him in the mer-
REST fashion. Some of the spiteful 400
said that Lump was doing all this just
raise cats to bite and chase over back
fences. The queen of the hollering DANES
said that he would not risk his life for
them. Not long afterwald this assertion
was proven untrue and Lump made himself
Zero. One day the old mother cat was
out for a visit to some Of the neighbors
who had not utterly repudiated her and
Lump was looking out for the kittens A
man who wanted pair of shoes went into
the store and with him big bull dog. The
brutal dog began smelling around. and be-
fore Lump thought about it was at the box
with the kittens. The big dog Srowled and
started to seize a kitten, when Lump was
upon him. The big dog then attacked little
Lump and there was a fierce fight. When
the store people got the big dog away lit
tie Lump was hardly able to stand, but he
crawled over the cat box, and when he
saw that everything was safe. gave a pa
thetic whine and fell into the box. He was
a badly-wounded dog, bat everybody treat
ed him WELL and he's now with the cat and
kittens again. The kittens do all kinds of
undgnified things with him. but he just
looks solemn and says nothing. Out of
the corners Of his eyes he keeps a warm
lookout for mean dogs and bad boys.