The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-12-30


she hurried up and down, calling in
the greatest distress.
And while she called there rode into
the alleyway a big man on a brown
horse. He had a CHEEKY face and
kind eye. 1t was the bad man, J. Bar
ton Fenton. He looked at Miss Egg
lantine curiously, but she fairly few
at him, so eager was she for informa-
ton.
"Oh, sir, will you please find out IL
your dogs killed my cat this afternoon
She-she got out-and I'm so afraid
she is dead. She is a pet-black and
white-and her name is Juliana."
The big man looked at her tumbled
hair, her anxious face, her quivering
lips and trembling hands. He took off
his hat and said. very gently:
81 hope that the cat is safe. will
certainly see about it. Will you come
into the yard, there, at the side gate?"
Miss Byzantine obeyed, and in few
moments the bad man came out of the
| stable.
Pm very sorry TO give you such
news" he said; some one threw the
cat over the fence when the pups were
out in the alley. They took it as a
challenge and at once killed it,"
''Killed it'll" repeated Miss Eglan-
tine, in weak voice; KILLED Julianai"
NOW, I'm ever so sorry" repeated
her host, "and I'll do most any thing TO
make up. Have one of the pups?
They're capital fellows and have long
pedigrees. You can take your choice. I"
Miss Byzantine shook her head. She
could not trust herself to speak or move
for fear of tears. She only stared at
him in the most helpless way. In that
disheveled and abandoned hour some of
her girlish beauty returned. Mr.. ].
Barton Fenton felt his heart stir as
never before. Why, here was one of
those women that existed in books. all
heart, all sensibilities. She was really
of another age.
Mr.. ]. Barton Fenton smoked some
very black cigars that night and looked
gloomy. He could not get the sound
of those awful sobs out of his ears.
He soon knew all about the little wom-
an and her hard life. for his hostler,
Sam. was known to the cook at Mr..
Confey's, and the full extent of the
tragedy was revealed to him.
Her paw gwine tub kill 'er some
day, said Betty. confidentially; "he's
drinkin' hard. She don know what ails
i'm"
IT seemed a really pitiful tragedy &c
Mr.. Fenton. the death of the one thing
the poor little woman had to bextow
any love upon. He felt much to blame
somehow. and took ii out on the pups
Then bright thought struck him. and
he sent Sam away on the brown horse
: and haunted the stable until he re
turned.
Sam had a cat under his arms which
yowled at every step. 1t was very
black, long-haired cat. with large greer
gooseberry eyes, and it had tail tina
was a thing to be dreamed about.
, Dish heah's one OBJ de fines of cats
sah." said Sam. with great respect
dish heah cat is with forty dollahs
she say. De woman dat sells 'em sa,
: she send the bill to yuh Office to-mor
row."
Mr.. Fenton regarded it with crit
, ical eye. All cats were alike to him
! at would be a pretty expensive
= 'throw-over-the-fence if the old mai
got frisky, wouldn't it?" unused Mr.
. Fenton, "but I'll risk it. Now, howl
I we send it, Sam, so as to do it il
great shape?"
, "Oh, I'll fix all dat" said Sam
= "You see, 1 gets nice basket, and
] puts the cat in, and ties de top dow
? wild red ribbon an keard. Den
t gets a big bunch OBJ red roses, an
: wild dem two in my hans. 1 walks u
to de front do bell. ring dat bell
e an Betty she comes, an bows an
says: Desc hyar air foah Miss Eg
. lantine Confey, wild de compliment
, OBJ ma marster.' Dab, amt da
e fine?"
: Mr.. Fenton was quite red, but ais
! laughing.
J well, that is rather pointed way
n but don't care. Go ahead. Sam, Blu
don't break me up on roses"
And so a beautiful and strang
3 thing went into Miss Eglantine's lif
S to comfort her in the dark days tina
| were 10 COluc. TcSul
: was a little pink letter of thanks
F.: one quantity worded and earnest.
made Mr.. Fenton very thoughtful.
It was not week after that whe
t Sam brought in the news, one morn
: ing, of Mr.. Confey's sudden and ser
Gus illness. Then there were some day
s of uncertainty. Mr.. Fenton sent Sal
o over to help, and ventured on
S note of sympathy. Sam was full c
the affection Miss Byzantine had fo
: that new cat. It seemed pleasar
: subject to talk about. One night NJ
t Confey's life went out, and with hil
the annuity on which the two ha
d lived for years. The neighborhoo
gathered to the funeral, and wei
4 much edited when Mr.. j. Barton Eel
e ton appeared in fine carriage.
r "Well, to give the devil his due, h
has acted very decently," said tn
r father of the family across til
k street. Maybe he is coming roun
e after seeing how other folks hv
Well, we will all wait to see what /