The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1905-10-20
JOHN AND THE BlROS,
A Little Story of the Big Blue-Gray
Maltese and the Jays.

Maltese and the Jays.
John was most magniticent-loo
specimen of the domestic cat-a Nal
tese. His bluegray coat was like the
finest, silkiest velvet, and he had
proper care in keeping it in the best
condition. He had the most fastidious
Misunderstanding nothing but the choic-
| est Of morsels, and selecting the soft
est, downiest pillows to repose upon.
He was much-pampered cat, says the
Philadelphia Record. His mistress had
! INDUCED his whims to such a degree
that he became intensely selfish and
exacting, as spoiled children and pets
are apt to become.
John lived In great house In the
middle Of a large square where there
were perhaps hundred OK more noble
trees You should see Johns supersu-
tious manneNhow his nose went up
| In the air when any stranger cat ven
tured upon his preserves. Every par
ticular hair seemed to culver and stand
on end because of injured dignity. He
seemed to say, why do these common
cats come betw1xt the wind and my
nobiHty?"
he feared, too, perhaps, that his
share Of birds would be materially les
sened. He himself played sad havoc
with the robins and the wrens. 1 am
not sure whether the jays, who had a
large colony on the grounds, were able
to hold their own against him.
One warm morning in early summer
as I sat on the piazza my attention
was attracted by the loud cries Of the
jays, and there sat John at the foot
Of tree waving his tail in impotent
fury, for three jays were at his head,
first one and then another tweaking
out with their bills great punches Of
beautiful fur. Take that! Take that.
you murderous villain? they exclaim-
ed, or rather shrieked In unmistakable
way with our birdlings; now we have
you. Take that, and thatw and out
flew great punches of silken, fluffy fur
that had been so carefully combed and
cleaned only a few hourse earlier that
warm June morning. John glared at
his tormentors, CRASHED his teeth, but
to no avail.
At last, apparently satisfied with the
vengeance they had wreaked on their
enemy, the cat, the jays, with wild.
exultant cries, few off to their rookery
In the old trees back Of the house.
John, humbled and discounted, made
his way of, too. Whether he profted
by the drubbing the Jays gave him,
cannot tell
One more episode, In which John
was an actor, must relate A beauti-
full little black and tan had been given
to me some months after went to live
In the house where John seemed to
have such undisputed sway. was i'll
when the little creature was brought
to the house, and for few days was
obliged to lie on the sofa much Of the
time. Gyp, affectonats a. it L. the
nature Of dogs to be, would come to
me, put her paws on the sofa and look
into my face as much as to say, "Why
do you lie here? Why don't you come
out for a run under the treesr"
One day he sat on the side Of the
fire. John on the other. Instead Of
coming to my sofa by the direct line,
Gyp, fearing John. went In a round
about way. John from his place sprang
up to intercept Gyp and gave her a re-
sounding whack on the side Of her
face with his open paw. He had seen
already that Gyp had won a place in
my affections and took this way Of
showing his anger and jealousy. Dear
little Gyp. every one loved her. For
one friend that John had, she had
twenty. Indeed, am not quite sure
that John had one friend, while Gyp
had legions. Many admired him for his
beauty and grace, but Handsome is
that handsome does" you know.