Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-30
REulN1.
(The True Story of Maltese Cat, by
Cally Ryland.)


PHYLLIS was beautiful, sleek. mouse
colored Maltese cat, and she belonged
a Little Girl, who loved her-next to her
grandn1a-better than anythlns eise IL
the world.
She had longed for a kitten for months,
and one morning when she still lay sleep
ing in her little trundle bed, in grandma S
room, Uncle Jack crept In Che had just
come home from long tsip through the
mountains), and pulling out fuzzy grey
ball from his pocket, he dropped it softH
down on the bed beside her and softly
stole away.
"Mew-mew,'' begged the fuzzy ball. and
the Little Girl opened her eyes wide.
Il am Just dreaming, she said to her
self 1--WE dreamt SO often had little
kitten that looked just like the fuzzy ball
I am dreaming of now and she shut
her eyes again. But presently she felt
a soft pat on her hand, and then she
knew she was not dreaming at all. ana
that the fuzzy ball was really little live
kitten.
o, how happy she was. And when she
wiggled her toes under the cover ana the
little fuzzy ball crouched and sprang at
tuem as If they were mice. she laughed
:. loud and called Nanny to come and
see how prettily It played.
what shall I call herr" she asked
Grandmama.
Fuzzy Wuzzy," suggested Uncle Jack.
But the Little Girl scorned so ugly
name for her beloved pet.
Think how she would feel when she
| grows up if call her Fuzzy-Wuzzy, she
snid In q hurt voice. 1T will take away
IL her pleasure in life. Bridget-Eliza says
| people ought to be very careful how they
name their children. She says she might
have been a lady if her mother had not
called her Bridget Eliza, I won't have
my dear little kitten say she might nave
| become a beautiful cat If her mistress
hadn't taken away all her ambition by
calling her Fuzzy-Wuzzy. No: shall
call her Phyllis. think Phyllis just suits
her, don't you Grandmama?
And so she was Phyllis to the end Of the
chapter. Certainly she must have appre-
ciated her pretty name, for she grew
up to be beautiful cat. The fuzzy lock
of the CLOTHES she used to wear when
she was a Kitten as the Little Girl ex-
planned, soon disappeared, and her fur
slone like grey satin, for her little mis-
tress kept a special brush for her and
made her toilet as often as she made her
own.
She was very queer cat, for out of
doors she was as wild as her mountain
sisters and while the Little Girl was at
school she spent her mornings crouched
along the limb Of the Mimosa tree in the
back yard from which she refused to
come down, even for tid-bit Of turkey or
chicken, for she had a fine taste. for
though the Little Girl indignantly denied
it, Phyllis was bit of glutton.
But the moment her little mistress
voice was heard, calling there. Phyi-Phyl-
Phyllis" she bounded to the ground with
every appearance of delight and sprans
into the arms open to her, purrinS softly,
and rubbing her sleek head against the
Little Girls shoulder.
From no other person in the world would
she accept a caress. and even when Grand
mama or Uncle Jack attempted to stroke
her, Up would go her back and her tail
would bristle in the most savage manner.
When the Little Girl grew old enough
to study her lessons at home Phyllis al
ways curled up azily In her lap, till her
little mistress would laugh and say she
could never remember one word OF her
lesson until she had stro}sed 1t first into
Phyllis head. Uncle Jack declared there
was something uncanny about the cat.
He vowed she had climbed up on his
window sill one day and had stared him
out Of counterance, though every one who
has read the Jungle Tales knows that an
animal will turn away his eyes II one
looks at him long enough.
One beautiful day in June, Grandmama
and the Little Girl went away to spend
two weeks in the country. though when
she found there were cruel dogs where
she was going, that chased cats and some
times killed them. the Little Girl begged
hard to stay at home with her beloved
Phyllis whom, of course. she did not
care 20 take with her.
"Wi!I you promise to take care OF her.
Uncle Jack?" she cried when she picked
Phyllis up for last hug. viii you give
her the bits Of chicken she likes best and
let her sleep in her old place On the foot
of nv bed every night? And. Oh, will
you write to me If she is sick so I can
come home and take care Of her?' And
Uncle Jack promised, but he reckoned
without Phyllis.
When she found that her little mistress
had really gona and left her. she was
inconsoIable Day after day and night
after night she wandered about. the house
like a grey ghost. refusing even her IA
vorite norsels Of chicken. and all OF
Uncle Jacks efforts to make her sleep on
the foot of her little mistress bed met
with such a show OF sharp ola7Ts and
arcfed back, that he finally gave up in
despair ana let her wander about at her
own sweet will.
And then-perI1aps because the gentle
influence CT her little mistress had been
taken away-Phvl1is began to show her
self heather animal indeed. She fought
the kitchen cat. a fat, peaceful animal,
with whom she had always lived on the
p!easantest terms. She rode the neigh
bor's dos-that happened in for stray
bone-about the yard like fury, digging
her sharp claws into his back till he howl
ed from pain and fright; and night after
night she engaged in battles Of the most
frightfuI description. from which she
EN- erged with cruel scratches on her no
longer shining head, and her pretty fur
unl:enpt and torn.
Uncle Jack was greatly distressed. but
what could he do? For she allowed no
one to touch her. One day, when Nanny
attempted to care fot. her wounds with
witch hazel. she gave her such taste OF
her bad temper in the shape of two long,
ugly scratches on her hand, that Uncle
Jack sent her to the Doctors office to have
them dressed.
The Little Girl. though she missed her
beloved Phyllis sadly, seemed to be en-
joying her visit so much that Uncle Jack
hadn't the heart to sadden the last few
days of her stay by a report of Phyllis
naughty behavior, and SO. In blissful
ignorance, she pictured in her mind the
joyful moment when she would CALL
Here, Phyl-Phyl-Phyllis," and fee! the
sleek head nestle close under her hand
in.
But alas for Phyllis.
One evening, Uncle Jack coming in late
from the club, found an eerie grey figure |
huddled on the stair landing. glazing at
him with eyes that were green as emer- (,
aids in the semi-darkness.
Hello, Phyllis, old lady, he said. and
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