The Washington times., 1902-05-11

SHOULD never have believed the dar
prophet had he foretold that
i should become such an unmitigate
idiot as TO regret the loss of con
founded, four-legged quadruped of cat
To me cats had always seemed the ugly
inane little imbeciles that babies are. anC
all cats. as all babies, looked exactl,
alike. OF course l could tell the differ.
ence between Maltese and tiger; but
then, / was also able to discriminate be
tween white infant and negro one.
One sweet morning our landlady served
up at the very same table with Carleton
and me the dearest, prettiest, youngest
little widow this beautiful world ever saw
After the meal was over Carleton bet me
a box of cigars she was encumbered by
some pestiferous child. On the way to my
room l paused a second in lower hall.
1t CHANGED TO be in front OF the little
widows door. The tenderest voice that
ever made music in wonan's fairyland
i reached me from within:
"You dear little lovey. you! Come to
| hims muzzer."
/ said swear words backwards and pre-
sented the Havanas to Carleton the same
evening.
In due time we called.
You have never seen my Tommy, have
you?' asked our hostess, soon after we
had seated ourselves in her charming
sitting room. Excuse me one moment
and III bring the dear in"
Say. Carleton what do you do with a
kid when it stiffens its spinal cord and
then caves IN backward?'' 1 whispered.
remembering a past deadly experience.
But before he could answer in trip
ped the little widow with q huge cat in
her tiny. exquisite arms.
Tommy certainly was a peach-a yell
low peach, with red glow on the tip
of its tail. Carleton rubbed its head
the wrong way. l thought I'd go one bet
ter, so l took him-or he took me. I've
never found out which, for the next mo-
ment horrid purr was knotted In my
sensitive whiskers. and prickers stick
ing in my neck
He's loving youi How cunning!" cried
the little widow rapturously; then softly
to Tommy: Now. let go OF the naughty
old hair, or you will hurt that dear little
hand
l don't know how many of my hairs
Tommy eventually got, but he paid In
gospel measure. The men at the club
were forever stopping over me. clutching
at something, giggling about my short
haired blonde" while in the sanctuary at
home / spent long hours wedding out
Tommy's yellow down from my own.
There are few trees in San Francisco.
but we had boasted tall beauty in the
front yard. After Tommy's advent I
Ionged for 1t to be struck by lightning
profanity, as we never have
Tommy's climbing achieve
nents we're simply immense. He always
reached the topmost bough. But come
Town he would not. A man and a ladder
we're necessary adjuncts to his success
ul career Carleton and took turns in |
'eing the man. q have suffered from YER
igo since infancy)
Finally. Tommy had a birthday-with
two candles. My gift was a toy mouse.
Cartoons n box of shrimps. I had a
'neaking hope the latter would kill him.
or l knew the little widow would then
lever speak to Carleton again. She raved
'ver his happy selection" and was cool
o me for three days because the mouse
frightened him almost into commissions
He has such nervous temperament, you
lnoww
But all these are "reminiscences. Tommy
ad disappeared. And after wishing him
n every imaginery place from Halifax to
erichO for the past six months. / lay
wake at nights. trying to conceive where
'ommy really was. But. then. the poor ;
title widow! They say women are ugly
Ihen they cry. They lie. Her beautiful ;
lue eyes looked like sunlit violets bathed
1 dew.
There were five dollars on Tommy's I
from the sacred trunk
and might / not hope to win the gold +.
iece OF tender woman's heart IL l re-
tored her darling to her empty arms.
1t was at leact worth the trial-the
'ial OF walking on precipitous roofs, of
imbing barhei wire fences into snaky
acant lots, of cropping In dark. spooky
,llars. of kneeling in the mud to meas {
re with tape line entrances to sewers. I
lat might prove Thomas had not ended ,
the gutter.
Meanwhile the brute Carleton lazily read
,mic papers. and guessed the cat would
me back when ii got ready
Finally, after exhausting all resources,