The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-04-14
:MiSSParkGr'
Lost Cat.
By Clara Augusta.

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Miss Ann Maria Parker, of Parks
bury, Kept cat-a gray Thomas cat,
with white feet and face, and, as Miss
Parker was wont to observe, "a very
amiable expression Of countenance."
Miss Parker was a single lady Of
about forty-plump, fair and generally
attractive, and in all probability she
would have been somebody's wife long
before if there had been anybody of
the male persuasion in the vicinity who
had not already wife.
But Parksbury had only three eligi-
BILE men within it's precincts. Peter
Hooper, who had only one eye, and was
doubled up like, jackknife with the
rheumatism, stood first on the list.
Peter was widower, and the first Mrs.
Hooper had never done anything in all
her life that pleased him until the day
she babe him farewell and enjoined
1t upon him to put silver plate on
her coffin, and be sure and have a no.
tice of her death in the Parksbury
Chronicle, stating that she was good
wife, and was much lamented by all
her heart-broken friends, and had been
an adyance-paying subscriber to the
Chronicle for more than thirty years.
Peters faith in woman was not very
deep, and there seemed little likeli-
hood that there would ever be a Sec
ond Mrs. Hooper.
The second eligible man was Thomas
Dunbar, and Thomas suffered so bad
ly that he had never been able to pro-
pose to any lady. He had made sew
eral attempts to do so, but had never
succeeded in getting through with the
job in one day, and the next day his
courage would be gone, and so he had
never been made happy.
Lastly, there was Jethro Turner, but
Jethro had mother and seven sisters
to support, SO there was not much
chance of his taking wife at pres
ent.
Miss Parker had always lived in
Parksbury SO you will understand that
her chances for committing matrimony
had been exceedingly small.
She lived alone with her cat, whose
baptismal name was Dick, and was
very strongly attached to the animal,
which was not strange, seeing he was
all the family she had
One luckless day Dick failed to put
in an appearance at dinner time. Miss
Parker was strongly exercised over his
remissness, but consoled herself with
the thought that there were rats in
her neighbor Thorn pson's barn, and
probably Dick was displaying a little
strategy in capturing one OF them for
a lunch But when night came, and
Dick was still absent, her anxiety in
creased, and she could not knit on the
gray stocking she was doing for the
missionary society-her eyes were so
full of water.
Morning dawned, and Dick came not.
Miss Parker put on her bonnet and
Jacket, and went round to all the neigh
bors' barns and called him, and then
she went to all the houses and in
ouired for him. But nobody had set
eyes on him.
One of the neighbors suggested that
perhaps he had gone over to the Han
son place This farm had long been
managed by an agent, and the house
had stood vacant, but only a few days
before it had been purchased by man
by the name of Payson, and Payson
had already taken possession.
Across lots Miss Parker went at the
top of her speed, and arrived at last
within sight of the Payson domicile.
A river ran little distance from the
house. and on the banks of this river
Miss Parker espied a portly gentleman,
walking up and down with a bag in
one hand and cane in the other.
And while she gazed, very far off
and plaintive "me-ye-ow!" was waited
to her ears.
"Its Dicks cry!" she exclaimed,
frantically, land he's in that bag! And
that old wretch is going to drown
him"
Maddened by the thought, she leaped
forward. and reaching the "old
wretch's" sida1 she made dive for the
bag The man stood on the very edge
of the river bank, ten or fifteen feet
above the water, and the footing was
somewhat insecure. He slipped, stone
gave way under his foot, and he went