Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-03-12
THE YELLOW KITTEN

manner, and no one, not even Mrs.
'Lias Miller, pretended to contradict
her.
IT'S the truth, indeed" Mrs. Sarah
CrUmp agreed, with her fat, comfort
allie chuckle. and the society in a body
responded, That's So"
Yes, the yellow kitten was RESPONSE
bic for the wedding that was to come
off tomorrow and that would thus
unite forever not only two very attract
i've young people, but also the we'll
known families of Price and Campbell.
But we have begun at the wrong end
OF the story, for Miss Priscilla ought to
have made, and in fact did make the
remark about the yellow kitten at the
end of the narrative, and not at the
beginning. And thus, to get things
straight, we will start over again in the
oIG-fashioned orthodox way.
Once upon a time mot so very long
ago, either the little village Of Pine
vile flourished like a green bay tree.
II is true it had not arrived at trolley
cars or electric lights, but it was very
charming place to visit nevertheless.
Bicycling was not entirely unheard of,
though those who rode were scarce-a
few visitors at the summer boarding
house in the little hills just outside the
village had introduced the wheel, but
The most conservative PineYillians.
Miss Priscilla Price at the head. quite
froWned down upon the sport, and Miss
Eebocca Slow has said, in season and
out Of season, that eff any niece of hers
so dcmeaned herself as to be guilty of
such an unladylike, worldly amuse-
me8t, she would be sorry, that's all"
and then an expression of having al
ready made a will would pass over her
aUsteTe cOuntenance.
But TO the story. There were two
prominent families in the village who
had lived there since the very existence
OF the settlement, and with whom all
the best people crayed to be connected
in some way. They We're the Campbells
and the Prices. and Miss Priscilla, who
insists upon getting into print just as
If she were a heroine, was one of the
most respected members of the latter
tribe. AS it has been limited before,
this is IN old-fashiOned story, and has
q genuine heroine, to wit, Mabel Camp
bell. OF course, there is a hero, too,
whom the girls said was just too
sweet to live" and their mothers de-
clared that he was a perfectly safe
Young man. while the fathers and
brothers. though not going quite 50 far,
had only good words 10 say of Charlie
Price, at your service.
Now the gentle reader" or. as some
writers prefer to say, the fair reader"
has doubtless guessed the sequel.
Charlie was in love with Mabel, and
the wedding. though properly opposed
by the powers that were, was a natural
consequence But where or when did
The yellow kitten come in? All in good
time, my friends.
The Campbells and the Prices had a
fcud of long standing, originating in
the years gone by over the fence
boundary. each head of the family
cIaiming twelve feet more of ground
than the other considered his due For
tUrately this f I'd was conducted in a
quiet and perfectly lawful manner, and
poison, bowie knives and pistols did not
figure in it. But the feud was a posi-
tive one. Notwithstanding. No Camp
bell or Price had ever been known to
shake hands, not even at church So
r.aI, which Mrs. 'LiaS Miller and Miss
Rebncca Slow denounced far and wide
as Notwithstanding" Bat in spite Of
the disapprOval of many of their COM
mon friends, there was apparently no
chance Of any Of the members making
UP until-wel just before this story
was written.
The places adjoined, as the disputed
boundary line suggested; in fact the
whole village had grown up around
thcm. and what was once an old coun-
try lane where their gates stood. was
now n smart village street.
As children. our hero aud heroine had
several times displayed much CONTEMPT
for the family fuss. and had been seen
playing together, though often forc.bly
separated by indignant parents with
threats os being sent Supperless to bed
If the ofenSe was repeated. Evidently
they had inherited none Of the i'll feel
ing of theS' ancestors, which was
mighty unnatural. Miss Priscilla
thought. though. as she always said.
she banned the mothers on both sides
who certainly had not iGcu!caJed the
proper spirit Of righteous resentment
and uaappeaSed wrath in their on
spring
But when childhood was over Mabel
Campbell was eStranged by circum-
stance from Charlie Price as complete
Is as il m ocean had been between
them instead of a paling fence When
She was Is she came back from board
Ing school and wss pronounced old
enough for plCuicS and SocyalS. and
was. indeed. the Acknowledged belle of
che Young Peoples Pleasure Club. and
the favoriJe even Of matrouS and spin
v;erS At sewing bees and Doccas socie-
ties. and 4 perfect idol IL home SIC
was an only child, and the love that
seemed TO overflow from father and
mother was expended upon iRnumer-
able pets. She had two fat YORKSHIRE
puppies, 4 pug dog, q parrot. and a cat
who recently had added TO the process
sion n yellow kitten. Of the story. This
small animal was up to mischief of all
Sinds. and had the most exploring turn
Of mind, for she was forever getting
lost aud being returned to her mistress
by little boys Of the village. who thus
turned many an honest penny.
One afternoon Mabel had been out in
The woods with her young friends hunt
,uS for cheSnutS, and on her return
was GREETED with the sad tidlngS that
she yellow kitten had again Strayed
from home. \ search throughout the
place was az once begun. Evening
came on. however. and no yellow kitten
put in an appearance. Mabel 14csme
much distressed. as she was sure that
an evil fate had at last overtaken her
pet She begged TO be allowed To send