The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-06-13
BROTHER ABNER'O AWFUL CAT.

Abner Ragner, q settler IN wild,
deeolate region Of southern Wyoming
so miles from the railroad, captured a
little fat. furry, downy ball Of pale yell
low and white, not unlike a lions
whelp It's eyes we're just open; II was
too young TO lap from a saucer at first,
but after a few weeks II learned to lap
milk, on which diet Il grew up to be
doclle and obedient cat, much beloved
by all who knew It.
Tom, as he was called. was Of about
the height of an English setter. but
with a shorter. thicker body covered
with silky fur Of bright amber on the
back and sides. underneath and on his
paws his coat was pure white, decorat-
ed with rings of black He had an in
telligent pretty cat face. lighted by big
amber eyes, whose pupils. mere Sits
of black down the center. would widen
and narrow according to his emotions,
just like those of any other cat.
Abner never taught Tom any
tricks" except that Of jumping over
broom handle. but the cat was very
initiative, and tried to do many things
that he saw his master do Thus he
he often tried 10 drink from a dipper
lie would sit up, take the dpper in his
fore paws, and carry 1t toward his
mouth, but he never succeeded in
drinking the water, always spilling 1t
on his front, whereupon he would fling
dipper and all over his head.
He slept like a Christian, for he
would get into bed with Abner, put his
head on the pillow, straighten out, and
pull the covers up to his chin. But he
purred 80 loud with satisfaction all the
time he was awake in bed that Abner
could not go to sleep until Toms pur-
ring ceased in slumber.
At the first streak of daylight he
would throw off the covers, spring into
the air nearly to the ceiling and come
down on Abner, if the man did not
move out of the way or else get up.
A great practical joker was Tom.
All the dogs in the neighborhood were
afraid of him, with good reason, and
he knew it. How to get them to at
tack him was his problem. Sometimes
he succeeded by pretending to be Grip
pied, and limped along to catch the
dogs attention. Thinking their time
for revenge had come, they would rush
at him. Then he would suddenly sit
up and knock them down with single
blow of his paw as fast as they came at
him. even ii there were eight or 10 Of
them.
Tom sat at the table with Abner dur
ing meal times, and ate from a plate
catching up bits of food and conveying
them to his mouth on one claw in a
manner considered very conventional
Ahner had lived alone so many years
that he had become somewhat free in
his table manners, and was accustomed
to sop his bread in the gravy dish.
Tom, the mimic, followed his masters
example in this particular, and was
very expert IL it, sinking his claws in
a biscuit or piece of bread, sopping 1t
soberly in the dish, returning it to his
plate.
Abner was Of New England stock.
He had come west from small town
in Connecticut, where his two sisters
Elizabeth and Olive, or ollie, had re-
NAMED for many years after he had
migrated.
When Miss Elizabeth was 80 and Oh
i've about 20 he began to insist that
they should pay bin visit. He hoped
they would like Wyoming and stay
with him.
The u years since they had seen Alb
ner seemed much larger to them, be-
cause he was such an Indifferent letter
writer. There was plenty to write
about, Int he thought the little hap
penings of his life would not interest
his correspondents, and Sc he had
never mentioned Tom.
what would they care about wild
cat? he reasoned But now and then
he made his letter more interesting by
enclosing a money order or check
with the request that they buy some
little presents for themselves to re-
member him by; for Atner had big
generous heart, and ne had prospered
exceedingly in cattle.
One day it occurred to him to go over
and spend the night with Silas Hope, &
ranchman who lived five miles away
Accordingly he saddIed Mike, his fav
orite horse, opened a window in the
cabin so that Tom could come and e
at his pleasure, and put things to RICH
a little, in case some wayfarer SHOULD
come in while he was gone.
It never occurred to him to lock tn
door. If any man in that locality hat
locked his door it would have beef