Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-02

his masterful tone did not drive her from
her position, he conjectured, a love-making
one might decOy her away
Tut! tut! honey he reproved her, at
fectfonately. That my joke. Any
way TO please you. You're the apple of my
eye, an what you say goes
What you say won't pay for what you
eat, though" Miss Maysie insistenuy re-
marked.
Pete's bland good humOr was impervious.
however. and she left off in sheer disgust.
Henceforth. nevertheless, he put a check on
his fault-fnding.
The western side and roof of the house
were covered with vines, and ladder lean
ed against the caves In the back yard on
which Mrs. Browns cat, Brindle, was in the
habit of climbing to catch the English SPAR
rows that roasted in the leafy mass. Other
cats discovered the storehouse It was to
him, and during one of his noSlngs-around
for a bird for a midnight feast some half a
dozen came to claim an equal right to 1t.
One uttered his reason for so coming in a
long-drawn-ou screech. and Pete walked
up. Two more seconded his act simulta-
neously with blood-curdlng me-ows. and
Pete resolved to end the conference. Brindle
stated his objections in short, rasping splits.
| and protested at length with bowls that ran
uninterruptedy and with GREATNESS rapid
ity from growly to squeaky tones. Pete
rushed for the door and fell back as sud
denly from having run counter to the sharp
edge of the wardrobe. The whole band of
marauders pnitedly shrieked out their def
ance of Brindle and Immediately pounced
on him. And as they walled and yelled.
clawed and scratched, and bumped and
thumped from one end of the roof to the
other, with an uproar that threatened to
tear 1t into splinters, Pete swore out ex-
pletives expressive of increasing degrees of
wrath and fumbled around the room in
search OF the door.
When found he tore out OF the house like
one possessed and sent shower of sticks
and stones rafting on the shingles. Down
the ladder came Brindle with eyes blazing
like live Goals and the others Shot after
him. fairly tumbling over each other to
reach the ground. Pete had stationed him
self at the foot of the ladder to kill the last
cat in Oakdale, he blasphemously vowed.
but when Brindle went by with a wild leap
over his shoulder he as speedily deserted
his post and slyly crept to his room, sick
and faint from the encounter.
AS though cOgniZant of their power over
him, It seemed II all the cats in the
community had conspired together to APP
pear sngly and collectively to have fling
at him Did he chase them off the prem
ises they gathered on Mrs Browns barn,
and from that vantage ground howled the
louder and more unearthly-lke. No sooner
did he light his pipe and puff ii into full
| blast, leaning back comfortably on the pi-
azza than whine from some spot nearby
| would smite his ears. Were he loiling
away the afternoon on the lounge, his
dreams were sure to terminate in a night
mare of caterwauling.
Brindle's voice was the most ear-picrcing.
Z and Pete deSpalred OF HnulnS ms NulHeF-
| able point with brickbats, He lodged
| every attempt on his nine lives at the aus
p!cous instant, and, his peace OF mind in
no way disturbed. came and went at will.
The fence between Miss Maysie's and
Mrs Browns yards had long been a play
ground for him and the handsome mall
| tese Mrs Moore's or Spot" and they
raced and frolicked along the line, some
times scampering into Miss Maysie's piazza,
| on which the windows Of her sitting room
opened.
"Dern the Internal critters cried Pete
| one evening as Brindle shrilly walled out
| his disapproval of the scratch Spot had
given him and jumped on the banlsters.
| They'll kill me yet. I'd walk to other
| end O. nowhere. darned II l wouldn't to git
out o sight an hearin' o that whole race
| O. cats!
Wouldn't you rather rider" pleasantly
asked Miss Maysie.
Ride? Hows man to ride anywhere
when is wife grudges i'm the very victuals
| he eats? Huh! l say ride!' snapped Pete.
IF you'll go and never come back TO
bother me with your carryings-on about
| cats, and everything else. I'll buy you a
| ticket to ride TO that 't'other end o no.
where" she continued, with gentleness
| that did not disguise the sincerity OF her
| offer.
HUH" grunted Pete. and he showed his
| rocking chair farther from the window and
| grabbed up the newspaper he had thrown
| down. Having adjusted his spectacles, he
| folded the paper to suit him and lay back
| In perfect ease.
l A hideous screeching rent the air. Had