River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-06-20

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 it stood, wooing him to its
arms, and in it-Pickham's expression
change; there, on its sacred cushion,
lay huge Maltese cat!
Pickham disliked cats. "Scati' he
said, sharply, with fierce gesture.
The cat opened it's sleepy eyes and
stared at him, rolled over on it's back
and, after apparently trying to stand
on its head, went to sleep again.
It 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 to the chair and reach
ing down took a 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 fours, gave a
tremendous bunch to its back and
such a cape that Pickham shiyered,
anG 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 a cat, the animal
was not Objectionable. It's 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 baby
than the cat-and he was not partial
to babies.
He turned the cnair-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 Is years il 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
1t 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 effec. was akin to an
interior decorators exhibit in a shop
window. He wondered how it would
seem to have a workbasket on the
severe library table, or a womans
cloak that hung on a peg in the din
ing-room where he took his meals,
just back of its owner, who sat OPP
posite to him. He remembered that
one rainy day he had come upon the
owner hurrying along without an UNI
brella and had escorted her under his
to the dining-room. He flushed a lit
tie, thinking how he had taken it all
as a matter of course. Since then she
had never slipped into her seat at
breakfast without a little blush and
a shy good morning." Pickham sud
denly reflected that he would miss
that good morning"
Just here something rubbed against
Pickham's trousers-leg. He glanced
down. The cat had walked up at last,
and was evidently trying to attract
his attention.
Pickham's feeling toward the cat
being a good deal softened, he said:
Poor pussy!" and hopefully opened
the hall door. The cat did not bulge;
it merely lay back its head and cried
"Mew!" with a somewhat strenuous
pitch. Pickham left the door open
and walked slowly back to the cat,
who sat down, curved its tail around
it's forepaws and gazed steadily and
expectantly at Pickham. 1t had all
the repose and dignity of an assured
social position, and Pickham almost
blushed to think that he should have
said Scat" to such a gentlemanly
animal. Nevertheless it was plain
that the cat was not to be trifled with,
and as Pickham gazed down at it ir-
resolutely, the cat stood up, gave
Pickham a severe glance, and again
cried "Mew!"-thts time with sharp
imperiousness; and not deigning
further remarks walked over to the
closet door.
A light dawned upon Pickham; he
opened the closet and took a jar of
milk from the little refrigerator. and
pouring a saucerful, set it down by
the cat. who Tapped it UP expeditions
ly. When the last drop was gone, the
cat purred contentedly, and as Pick
ham stopped to take up the saucer
the cat rolled over on its back and,
stretching out its head, intimated, as
plainly as cat could, that it would
like to be petted. Poor pussy" said
Pickham again, venturing, somewhat
timorously, to scratch its neck.
why. kitty"
Pickham jumped up hastily and
glanced at the still open door. A
young woman was standing there,
beaming with satisfaction, and he
recognized his vis-a-vis at the board