The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1907-06-21

lAO was ~ SiiA W 6NN o"aJ
by himself. He turned on the electric
light, hung up his overcoat and hat,
while visions of his cushioned easy
chair beckoned him delightfully."-.
There ii stood, wooing him to its
arms, and in it-Pickham's expression
change there, on its sacred cushion,
lay huge Maltese cat!
Pckham disliked cats. Scat" he
said, sharply, with a fierce gesture.
The cat opened its sleepy eyes and
stared at him, rolled over on its back
and, after apparently trying to stand
on its head, went to sleep again.
1t was simple enough to call the
janitor, but Pickham felt that it would
be a little absurd. Surely, he ought
to be able TO drive a cat out of his
room without calling for help! He
went softly up 70 the chair and reach
ing down took gingerly hold on two
corners of the loose cushion seat,
raised the corners and slid the cat
to the floor. Scat" he said again.
The cat deigned one glance at Pick
ham, stood up on all tours, gave a
tremendous bunch to its back and
such a cape that Pickham shivered,
and stretched itself full length on it's
side on the big Turkish rug, while the
end of its tail tapped lazily for few
seconds before it dropped fiat. The
cat was asleep.
Pickham rammed his hands into his
pockets and glared down at the cat.
Regarded simply as cat, the animal
was not Objectionable. Its fur was
smooth and silky; it had a plump,
well-fed, prosperous air; moreover; in
its present position Pickham calculat-
ed that it was over a yard long. He
would rather have taken up a baby
than the cat-and he was not partial
to babies.
He turned the chair-cushion over,
to avoid possible hairs, and sat down.
The cat was doing no harm, at least;
and the simplest solution of the prob
lem seemed to be to wait for the cat
to wake up, when it might be lured
into the corridor. Pickham gazed
down at the Gait was a magnificent
specimen-and something seemed to
stir within him at the suggestion of
companionship.
Pickham was in his thirties, and
had spent the last 10 years in build
ing up a profitable business; it had
been an absorbing occupation, and
neither cats nor women had taken his
attention from it. Now, as he looked
at the contented cat, stretched out
upon the rug, he suddenly began to
feel domestic.
A nice girl on the other side OF
the rug, with the cat between them
| it really might be worth while. Pick
ham felt a sudden pang of loneliness
He glanced about his comfortable
bachelor quarters, and they struck
him for the first time as rather
dreary. The furniture seemed angular
and heavy the effect was akin to ar
interior decorators exhibit in a SHOP
| window. He wondered how it would
| seem to have workbasket on the
severe library table, or woman's
| cloak that hung on a peg in the din
| ing-room where he took his meals
| Just back of its owner, who sat op
posite to him. He remembered tha
one rainy day he had come upon the
owner hurrying along without an um
brella and had escorted her under hi:
to the diningroom He flushed a lit
tie, thinking how he had taken it al
as a matter of course. Since then she
had never slipped into her seat a
| breakfast without little blush anC
a shy good morning" Pickham sud
denly reflected that he would miss
that good morning"
Just here something rubbed agains
Pickham's trousers-leg. He glanced
down. The cat had walked up at last
and was evidently trying to attrac
his attention.
Pickhams feeling toward the CO
being a good deal softened, he said
Poor pussy" and hopefully opened
the hall door. The cat did not bulge
II merely lay back its head and erie,
New" with a somewhat strenuou
pitch. Pickham left the door opel
and walked slowly back to the cat
who sat down, curved its tail arounI
its forepaws and gazed steadily an,
expectantly at Pickham. 1t had al
the repose and dignity of an assure,
social position, and Pickham almos
blushed TO think that he should hav
said Scat" to such a gentlemanl
animal. Nevertheless it was plai
that the cat was not to be trifed with
and as Pickham gazed down at it II
resolutely, the cat stood up, CAV
Pickham a severe glance, and agai
cried "Mew!''-this time with shar
imperiousness; and not deignin
further remarks walked over to tn
closet door.
A light dawned upon Pickham; h
opened the closet and took a jar @
milk from the little refrigerator, an
pouring a saucerful, set it down b
the cat, who Tapped it up expeditions
ly. When the last drop was gone, tn
cat purred cohtentedly, and as Picl
ham stopped to take up the sauce
the cat rolled over on it's back anC
stretching out its head, minated, a