Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-02-05
she DELIGHTED IN CRUELTY.

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 Il tiny field mouse i'm its mouth.
That cat had caught the mouse in the
vacant lot alongside the house.
Dropping the tiny mouse over i'm
corner Of tie area The eat proceeded TO
torture the little animal after the ac-
ceptcd feline fashion.
She would permit the mouse to run
away about II yard or so. pretending
that she didn't know that there was
mouse within miles. and then she
would jump out nail the mouse with
her font and toss il back to the corner.
Then she would pick the mouse up
in both Of her paws, throw il into the
air and when il came down and start
ed to run, nail it again The tiny
mouse would squeeze itself into a cor
ncr and sit ny ana look at the cat pitt
fully, and then the cat would swipe 1t
!out of the corner with her paw and
sstcp on H. 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 10 whom he was engaged,
"'is only yOungster yet. Strikes me
The ought to have a chance for his
white alley"
ION, | 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
itured by the cat
Don't you think it horrible to see
the poor little beggar getting the worst
of 1t that way?" he asked the girl, with
a 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 it up in her mouth and throw
ing il down again.
"Micc get into the house" said the
girl. after awhile.
But that kind don't" said the young
man, a hit earnestly. THAT'S a 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 n 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 n run
for It's 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
81 want to give the mouse a chance
TO get away" he said. Surely you
don't find enjoyment in watching a
poor little beast getting handled that
way?'
You don't have to look at 1t If you
don't want to-" said the girl, with
certain hardness in her tone. 'Let the
cat alone"
The young fellow gazcd steadily at
her for half n 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 it's efforts
to run away, the cat ate the mouse
The girl never took her eyes from the
cat until the cat had finished it's 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 a matter of fact tone to
her fance.
Goodnight" he said to her, and he
tipped his hat to her and walked down
the street without looking back.
This happened two months ago, says
the Washington Star. The young fell
low hasn't called upon her since. There
is going TO be no marriage.