Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-06
WHY THE CAT CAME BACK
BY MINERVA SPENCER HANDY


OF course Queen never should have done
such thing. She had been taught from
the time she was old enough to meow that
to steal was the lowest, commonest thing
that a cat could do. She did not have the
excuse Of being hungry, for a saucer full
of rich milk was standing under the table
inviting her to have a drink She was
guilty of theft for cause beyond her own
naughty nature, for she had been reared in
the lap of luxury, as had her parents before
her.
Queen had everything her heart could
wish for at least she had until that I'M
happy day when she forgot all her teach
ing and deliberately stole the fish that lay
on the kitchen table waiting to be cooked
From this time forth Queens descent was
swift and sure and not a day passed with
out there being stormy scene IN MISS
Mathida's house about some dainty stolen
by this pussy.
At last Miss Matilda made up her mind
that Queen should go. and go she did.
She was given to the washerwoman.
where her life was anything but pleasant,
owing to skim milk and the washerwo-
mans babies, who squeezed her and pulled
her tail from morning until night. Queen
wished again and again that she could
have another chance at Miss Mathilda's 8,
but months passed by without that chance
| making its appearance.
After Queens departure quiet reigned at
that house. This quiet was not for long
| duration, for mice soon made their APP
pearance in ones and twos and in whole
families. Miss Mathilda was greatly afraid
of mice, which was very foolish of her,
but which does not in the least alter the
situation Traps were set, poison used but
lc+iil 4 he y,asno nod hol 1fNrad
near to Miss Matilda you might have Of
ten heard at night sounds like these:
'tScati Go away" followed by noises made
by throwing books and shoes at the whole
family of gnawers. Finally, Miss Mathll-
da hit upon the idea of pretending that a
cat was in the room. She would loudly
meow and call Here, pussy!'' in exactly
| the same way she used to call Queen.
The scheme of Miss Mathilda was sue
cessful so far as the immediate departure
of the mice was concerned. The weak
point about the plan was that Miss Mathil
da had to keep up calling all the time.
This was not the best way to get good
nights rest, and she spent many hours
trying to solve the problem. She might
never have come to any solution had her
eyes not fallen upon a picture of dog
looking into monograph, the lettering
under the picture telling the reader that
the voice issuing forth from the machine
thing" said Miss Matilda. and the next
day a record was made for ''Pussl Puss!'
In a much more natural way than any
printed words can describe
Miss Matfilda was delighted and could
hardly wait for bedtime to see how her
clever plan should succeed
The mice came out as they had been in
the habit of doing and Miss Matilda
reached out to the little table which stood
at the side OF her bed and put the machine
in motion. Meow" it went repeating over
and over again. and Here, puss, In so
natural a way that Miss Mathilda forgot
to be afraid of the mice, she was 50 amused
with the doings OF her photograph. The
| mice scampered back to their holes. and
Miss Matilda sank to sleep TO the music
of Meow, meow.
You remember, the photograph stood on
a table near an open window If mice have
ears. so have cats. They heard the meow
ing" and, what Is more, they heard the IN
vitation OF "Puss, puss." They were not
long accepting the invitation. and as Miss
Mathildas room was easily reached by
balcony, they soon reached IL. When that
good woman next awoke she did not see
mouse anywhere about, but her room was
swarming with cats. cats white, cats black
cats fat and cats thin. One more venture
some than the other jumped up on her bed,
and Miss Matilda saw at q glance that
this cat was her own Queen--Queen. sadly
the worse for wear since he had left her
happy home for the wasnerwoman's resi-
dence. At first Miss Matilda could not
understand how it happened, nor did she
want to. She rang her bell and her maid
hurried to the room. only to shrek when
siie saw uie coiipoIiJ u CdtS winch h<io
taken the places of the company of mice
In five minutes every father, mother, son
and daughter of that cat party had been
chased out of the window except Queen.
whom Miss Mathilda decided to keep as the
least of three evils.
'If do not keep the photograph operat-
ing I have mice" said Miss Matilda. IF
it does the meowing have cats so I think
I'll keep Queen She can attend to the
meowing department. while l can do the
rest"
And she did. The next day the meow
record was sent out In the trash. All the
necessary meowing in Miss Mathilda's
house from that time on was done by Queen
now thoroughly reformed and sadly PEN
itent cat.