Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-12-19

and he could do Just what he liked with.
them; no one could prevent him, and
the cats themselves were helpless.
Helpless? Yes, indeed, poor little
things! And they were so soft and
downy. Felicia had caught glimpse
of them as she went down the hall. 1t
may be necessary to science that some
creatures should suffer, but surely it
was cruel to sacrifice this whole family
of six Angoras-the devoted mother
and her five worshiped, nesting babies.
The Professor was out. Felicia half
opened the door of his room and peeped
in. The alluring picture of domestic
felicity that met her eyes decided her.
Madam, the Angora mother, lay pur-
ring, sleepily on soft rug before he
hearth, while five little bundles of soft
down snutiled and wriggled against
her maternal side. In a moment Fe-
licia was on the rug beside them, her
dark locks mingling with the white
fur, five pink noses rubbing in search
ing, puzzled way over her smooth
cheek. For five minutes she gave her
self up to this quiet ecstasy; then puss,
Tesenting this prolonged interruption
of her family privacy, gently but firm
ly showed her disapproval.
Felicia sat up and pushed back the
rumpled hair from her face; then she
looked around her at Prof. Max Eger's
apartments. Just what a professors
rooms should be, she thought-books,
books with atrocious titles every
where, along with profusion of very
ancient-looking curios. This next was
his sleeping room, and beyond, Felicia
saw with a shudder, was the Iabora-
tory. What a horrible collection of
skulls, bottles, test-tubes, alcoholic
specimens and Internal machines it
was! And tomorrow these little dar-
lings might repose on that shelf in bot
ties marked "Felis domestica," and
that inhuman wretch would smile
with satisfaction at his CHASTITY work,
and feel no more compunction than
If he had taken worthless watch to
pieces to find out how it worked.
Could she stand by and countenance
shis slaughter of the iunocents? Her
whole soul revolted against it. Her
He would do the cowardly deed to-mor-
row. 1t was Christmas, a holiday he
might find a bore unless occupied in
the pursuit of his favorite science. Oh
she would stay here until he returned
and dare him to touch a hair of their
innocent heads! Then he would calm
iy look at her through those formida
be glasses-not at her, but a the wal
back of her head-in a way she hat
seen him do, and inquire how long
since she had acquired the right tC
enter his rooms. If he should evel
look at her like that she felt she would
sink through the floor. No, she woulC
not defy, she would beg, entreat. There
was still the intrusion.
She heard the landlady putting NJ
the stairs; she might be discovered
at any minute. One moment of hesita
tion, and then the six cats were bun
died, a wriggling heap, into her skirt
and Felicia was flying up the hall t.
her room. Once there She threw her
self, flushed and breathless, on tn
bed, while the mother eat, with littl
solicitous cries, licked and fond.ed he
iostled children. Now, Felicia was n,
coward; three years of journalism
had thoroughly trained her woman
heritage of nerves, but at every ste,
that passed her door the color tha
never faxed her even during interview