The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1903-01-17
SHE DELIGHTED IN CRUELTY.

Wise Lover discovered OO1ecG1onaDAe%
Trait in His Sweetheart.
This incident occurred in Washington
not very long ago:
A young man was calling upon the
girl to. whom he was engaged. The
couple were sitting on the front steps
Of the girls home, an hour or 80 be-
fore the fall of darkness, when they
noticed the cat attached to the house
hold Of the girls family going down
the steps leading to the basement area
with a tiny field mouse in its mouth.
That cat had caught the mouse in the
vacant lot alongside the house.
Dropping the tiny mouse over in
corner Of the area the cat proceeded to
torture the little animal after the ac-
cepted feline fashion. -..s
She would permit the mouse to run
away about yard or so, pretending
that she didn't know that there was a
mouse within miles, and then she
would jump out, nail the mouse with
her foot and toss 1t back to the corner.
Then she would pick the mouse up
In both of her paws, throw 1t into the
air, and when 1t came down and start
ed to run, nail it again. The tiny
mouse would squeeze itself into cor
ner and sit up and look at the cat pitt
fully, and then the cat would swipe it
out of the corner with her paw and
step on it, her eyes blazing ecstatically
and her tail swishing. Some natural
historians say that there Is no animal
so atrociously and gloatingly cruel as
the ordinary, purring, domesticated
cat.
THAT mouse" said the young fellow
| to the girl to whom he was engaged,
lis only a youngster yet. Strikes me
he ought to have chance for his
white alley"
ooh, l don't know" said the girl
who, with her chin in her hands, was
dreamily and fascinatingly regarding
the spectacle of the mouse being tor.
| tured by the cat.
Don't you think it horrible to see
the poor little beggar getting the wors,
of 1t that way?' he asked the girl, with
slight note Of surprise in his tone.
She made no reply, but, still with hel
chin resting in her hands, gazed calmly
at the cat tossing the diminutive
mouse into the air and stepping on II
and dabbing at 1t with her paws and
picking it up In her mouth and throw
ing it down again.
Mice get into the house." said the
girl, after awhile.
But that kind don't" said the youne
man, a bit earnestly. THAT'S a field
mouse, and field mice don't bother any
body"
The mouse was sitting up in the ares
corner, with its tiny forepaws folded
in front in a very pleading attitude
while the cat gazed with expanding
eyes at it before beginning to dab at i
again.
"Im going to give that mouse rur
for it's taw marble" said the youns
man, getting up from the steps ant
starting down the area steps.
LET the cat alone" said the girl
quietly, but never removing her gaz'
from the sight OF the tortured mouse.
Teh young man stopped suddenl!
and looked up at the girl.
81 want to give the mouse chanc,
to get away" he said. Surely 20,
don't find enjoyment in watching 1
poor little beast getting handled tina
way"
"You don't have to look at it If yo1
don't want to-" said the girl, with ,
| in I'd in hnr ut
cat alone"
The young fellow gazed steadily a
her for half minute, but she didn'
appear to notice this. She was too in
tent upon the deviltry Of the cat
After twenty minutes of torturinl
its prey, in the course of which
broke the mouse's legs so that the tin,
rodent could only hobble in it's effort
to run away, the cat ate the mouse
The girl never took her eyes from tn
cat until the cat had finished it's prey
Then she gave a sort of satisfied sigl
as she emerged from her fascinate,
trance.
well, the cat has had her supper
she said in a matter of-fact tone t.
. her fiance.
"Good-night," he said to her, and h
tipped his hat to her and walked dow
the street without looking back.
This happened two months ago, say
the Washington Star. The young fel
low hasn't called upon her since. Their
Is going to be no marriage.
: Fin De SiZzIe.
A heshy young man, wearing a loud
checked suit and pair of yellow pat
r ent leather shoes, stood outside fash
ionable West End restaurant one ever
ing recently, and talked volubly to tw