The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1903-01-01
SHE DELIGHTED IN CRUELTY.
Wise Lover Discovered Objectionable,
Trait in His Sweefhearf

Wise Lover Discovered Objectionable
| 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 so 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 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 a
corner of the area the cat proceeded to
| torture the little animal after the ac-
cepted feline fashion.
She would permit the mouse to run
away about yard or so, pretending
that she didn't know that there was n
mouse within miles. and then she
would jump out. nail the mouse with
her foot and toss it back to the corner.
Then she would pick the mouse up
in both of her paws. throw it into the
air, and when it came down and start
ed to run. nail it again. The tiny
mouse would squeeze itself into a 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 swishipg. 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,
rs only yOungster yet. Strikes me
he ought to have a chance for his
white alley"
"Oh. 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 worst
of it that wayw he asked the girl. with
slight note of surprise in his tone.
She made no reply. but. still with her
chin resting in her hands. gazed calmly
at the cat tossing the diminutive
mouse into the air and stepping on it
and dabbing at it with her paws and
picking 1t 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 young
man. bit earnestly. That's field
mouse. and field mice don't bother any
body"
The mouse was sitting up in the area
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 it
again.
I'm going to give that mouse a run
for its taw MARBLE said the young
man. getting up from the steps and
starting down the area steps.
LET the cat alone" said the girl.
quietly. but never removing her gaze
from the sight Of the tortured mouse
Teh young man stopped suddenly
and looked up at the girl.
II want to give the mouse a chance
to get away" he said. ''Surely you
don't find enjoyment in watching
poor little beast getting handled that
wayw
You don't have to look at it If you
don't want to-" said the girl. with a
certain hardness in her tone. "Let the
cat alone"
The young fellow gazed steadily at
her for half minute, but she didn't
appear to notice this. She was too in
tent upon the deviltry of the cat
After twenty minutes of torturing
its prey. in the course Of which it
broke the mouse's legs so that the tiny
rodent could only hObble in its efforts
to run away, the cat ate the mouse.
The girl never took her eyes from the
cat until the cat had finished its prey.
Then she gave sort of satisfied sigh
as she emerged from her fascinated
trance.
well. the cat has had her supper"
she said in matter-Of-fact tone to
her fiance.
Goodnight" he said to her. and lie
tipped his hat to her and walked down |
the street without looking back
This happered two months ago says
the Washington Star. The young fel- |
low hasn't called upon her since. There
is going to be no marriage.