Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-15
When Mousse Scored.
BY MINERVA SPENCER HANDY.


| Ever since he had been a. wee bit of
! fluffy kitten he had been thought marvel
| of cleverness. Thus his name. Marvel. AS
| if he had a reputation to sustain. Marvel
seemed to grow more and more wonderful
| So much so that it must be confessed that
| Marvel was about as self-satistied kitten
as lived on the west side of New York.
| When visitors were in the drawing room
| Marvel was praised for his beauty and
grace. When he was in the kitchen the
cook entertained all her visitors with how he
| guarded her turkeys and roast beef while
| she stepped outside to have a word with
| the policeman. When Don's boy friends
ca me to spend the afternoon the tales that
| were told of MarveTs cleverness in The
| matter of rat-killing-well. they were so
| thrilling that Marvel himself was aston
| ished When all these things consid-
cred it is not surprising that Marvel re-
| earded himself as one of the wonders OF
| the cat world.
1t is only fair to Marvel to state that in
the matter of keeping his mistress apart
nent clear of mice Marvel scored his
greatest success. The occupants of all che
other apartments were overrun with these
pests, but never was one seen or heard IN
the territory over which Marvel had con
troll. His glaring eyes struck such terror
to venturesome mice that many of them
died of the shock At least that Is a COM
mon belief in the social circles of mousse
land.
So famous did Marvel's victories become
that Mamma and Papa Mouse no longer
dreaded fox terriers, mouse traps or Rough
on Rats. That is, they did not fear them
with anything like the terror with which
they regarded that dreadful cat In apart
ment "A in the Victora-the house OF MAY
vcls mistress So wildly were the death
pictures described to the little mice that
not one of them even thought of making
the attempt. That is. only one did, and
what happened to him is the reason for
| this story being told
1t was morning when Maryefs mis-
| tresS had gone down town to do some shop
ping. Marvel was lazily doing on velvet
cushion wishing he had been born dog
| instead OF a cat. Such is the ingratitude
of animals! Dogs are taken shopping, e
| flected Marvel, while cats are left at home
to NOPE. / wish life were not easy,
| complained he. Nothing but eat. sleep and
eat again. Don't l wash l might for once
| have the excitement of rat hunt, 1t
| makes my blood thrill! l have not had
| rat. or mouse either, for, let me sec
| nigh to a year, for it was the night
| before Dons birthday, and a mouse dared
! to be tempted by his birthday cake.
In the midst of these dissatisfied musings
| q faint scratch scratch, scratch was heard
Maryel's ears were sharp and he knew that
| his wish about the rat hunt was about to
| be realized. He hoped that the intruder
was big and the contest would be lively
Another victory to be added to my al
! ready long list. reflected the conceited Mar
vel You have my sympathy, Mr.. or Mrs.
| Rat, as the case may be.
Marvel quvered with excitement. His
| eyes grew bigger and bigger; his tail cir
| conference multiplied itself by two, and his
| claws extended that the intruder should be
| greeted at the moment of Its entrance. The
scratching ceased and the lively gnawinS
proclaimed the fact that In another instant
| the rat would make its entrance. 1t tried
| to have 1t a dgnified one for such is the
| fashion among rats of good family. The
| dignity quickly departed. however, as soon
| as he saw Marvel who was very angry
| when he learned that his visitor was not
| rat but the tiniest little bit of mouse.
| How to get away from the monster was
all the mouse thought of, and no wonder
| For the expression MarvePs face was
enough to strike terror to the heart of
| far older and wiser mouse than this one
proved to be.
| Marvel did not give the mouse long for
| reflection. He looked scornfully at 1t, as
much as to say, You foolish creature. The
biggest rat has never escaped me. Don't
| for an instant think that SO Insignificant a
| thing as you have a ghost of chance
| The mouse had evidently about the same
| opinion. His only idea was that he should
die bravely and from some lofty position.
There was nothing above him except a
draped toilet table Respondent in pink silk
and white lace. Marvels mistress was very
proud of IT, and only this morning had ad-
mred it as she sat before 1t making her
toilet Among the various articles mousie
noticed a something that looked as IL 1t
might prove of some use to him, 1t was
toilet bottle-sometimes called an atomZer,
| and It was filled with toilet water. Mousie
| did not know this What he did know was
| that 1t was covered with pink silk net
work that enabled his feet to cling to it un-
| till the final agony should be over. Up. up
the atomizer houndered mousie until he
reached the top. Marvel was surprised at
| the trick, but knew that it was of no use.
All he had to do was to spring on the table
md he w a
| then go his way. AS mousie saw what Mar
vel intended doing he made one leap further
up. when something happened-something
unexpected and unforeseen.
Hiss-s-s-s-s! Such a remarkable noise! But
the noise was not ALL With the siss-s-s-s-s
came a stream of something wet, strong
smelling and very smarting. At least Mar
vel found it so. The stream came with such
violence into MarveHs face that 1t hurled
him over on the floor, while II nearly blind
ed him with its singing sharpness He for
got all about what he had intended to do
| next The fact is. he gave no thought to
the mouse at all. He thought only of HIM
self and his escape from the siss-siss-ing
downpour.
In a few minutes Marvel regained his
feet and enough Of his senses to enable
him to scamper under the bed, where he
manned for the rest of the day.
AS for the mouse. he never knew what
happened or how 1t happened. All he knew
was that when he fell from his clinging po-
sitiOn a few minutes later Marvel had van
ished and he was master of the situation.
He did not stay long to enjoy 1t. Instead
he scampered out of the room as fast his
four legs could carry him.
That evening when hunger had driven
Marvel out of his hiding place he was very
refectful. He listened to his mistress, who
was explaining Dons history lesson to him.
At the words. Napoleon grew too conf
| dent of his power and one day met his de-
feat at Waterloo" Marvel looked up from
his milk. and II any one had understood