Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-06-11

low anu Wullc, uOI uuilhs liOH
whelp. Its eyes were just open; it wa
too young to lap from saucer at first
but after few weeks it learned to lal
milk, on which diet it grew up to be {
docile 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 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 to drink from dipper.
He would sit up, take the dipper in his
fore paws, and carry it toward his
mouth, but he never succeeded in
drinking the water, always spilling it
on9his front, whereupon he would fling
dipper and all over his head.
He slept like 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 so 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 lirnped along to catch the
dogs attention. Thinking their time
tOl ISNCuSc lletti IOll.C, tlity NOuiu
at him. Then he would suddenly sit
up ard knock them down with single
blow Of his paw as fast as they came at
him, even if there were eight or 10 OF
them.
Tom sat at the table with Abner dur
ing meal times, and ate from plate,
catching up bits of food and conveying
them to his mouth on one claw in
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 mis- 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
,se;.!s.isssit or piecs. Of bread, soppingsisj
soberly IN the dlsn, returning fe>>,~;7S
plate.
Abner was of New England stock.
He had come west from a small town
in Connecticut, where his two sisters
Elizabeth and Olive, or "Ojlie," had re-
mained for many years after ne mad
migrated.
When Miss Elizabeth was 80 anu VI
i've about % he began to insist that
they should pay bin visit. He hopea
The would like Wyoming and stay
with him.
The, ,l2 years since they had seen Abb
ner seemed much larger to them, be-
cause he was such an Indifferent letter
writer. There was plenty to write
about, hut he thought the little hap
penings of his life would not interest
his correspondents, and 50 he nao
never mentioned 'Fom.
What would they care about wild
cat?" he reasoned. But now ami then
he made his letter more interesting Dy
enclosing a money order or check,
with the request that they buy some
little presents for themselves to re-
member him by; for Ahner had big,
generous heart, and he had prospered
exceedingly in cattle.
One day it occurred to him to go over
and spend the night with Silas Hope,
ranchman whQ lived five miles away
Accordingly he saddled Mike, his fav-
orite horse, opened window in the
cabin so that Tom could come and go
at his pleasure, and put things to right
a little, in case some wayfarer should
come in while he was gone.
II never occurred to him to lock the
door. If any man in that locality had
locked his door, it would have been
considered an insult to all the other in
habitants of the place. Indeed, there
was not lock bar or bolt on any door
in all the settlement.
Abner Ragner supposed that his
cabin would be tensntless that night,
hut two unexpected visitors had for
some days been on their way to make
him a visit. After many talks, con-
sultations and hesitations mis- two Sis
ters in Connecticut had made up their
minds to 20 out and see him. Olive
had proposed writing to Abner and
telling him when they would arrive at
Medicine Bow, but Elizabeth inter-
posed:
mo, we'll arrive Unexpectedly. L
want to see just how he lives!"
They knew the mail was carried out
to Abner's settlement from the Bow on
Tuesday Of each week, and so timed
their trip as to be able to ride out
with the postman.
On Monday evening they arrived
at the Bow, and the next Morning they
left the hotel and made their way, un-
der the guidance of small boy, to the
postofice store, where, they were told,
they could find Klon;ike, the mail
carrier.
Once out in the crisp air and bril-
liant sunshine. the sisters looked about
them in astonishment at the little
streetless, yardless, fenceless, shade
less, grassless. treeless frontier town