Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-07-16
Ole WHITE
: CAT :
BY w. w. JACOBS
Copyright. 1906. by WIltom ". Jacobs
BY W. W. JACOBS
Copyright. 1905, by wu1tom ". Jacobs
~ he traveller stood looking from
the taproom window Of the
Caulidower at the falling rain.

the exception or the garrulOuS OlO MAI
smoking with much enjoyment on the
settle behind him..
It'll do power o. good-said the
ancient, craning his neck round the
edge Of the settle and turning bleared
eve on the window amt like some
folk. never did mind drop o. rain
The traveller grunted and, returning
to the settle opposite the old man, fell
I'd lazily stroking a cat which had
strolled in attracted by the warmth OF
the small fire which smoldered in the
crate.
He's good mouser-said the old
man-but l expect that Smith. the
landlord, would sell i'm to anybody fol-
arr a crown, but we 'ad cat In Clay
bury once that you couldn't ha' bought
for 'undred golden sovereigns.
A white cat with one yaller eye and
one blue one-continued the old man
sounds queer, but it's true.
1t used to belong to old man Clark,
young Joe Clark's uncle. He used to
call it is blue eyed darling, and the
fuss he made O. that cat was sinful.
Young Joe Clark couldn't bear 1t.
but, being down In lis uncle's will for
five cottages and q bit O. land bringing
in about f40 year. he 'ad to 'ide his
feelings and pretend as he loved it.
BE used to take 1t little drops, O cream
and tidbits O. meat, and old Clark was
SO pleased that he promised i'm that
he should ave the cat along with all
the other property when he was dead.
Young Joe said he couldn't thank
i'm enough, and the old man, who 'ad
been ailing long time, made 'im come
up every day to teach i'm 'ow to take
care Of it artar he was gone. He
taught Joe 'ow to cook its meat and
then chop it up fine, 'ow 1t liked q
clean saucer every time for Its milk
and 'ow he wasn't to make noise
when it was asleep.
Take care your children don't wor-
~ it, Joe" he ses one day, very sharp.
zone o. your boys was pulling Its tall
this morning, and l want you to
clump his cad for i'm"
(Which one was ftp ses Joe.
'The slobbery nosed one" ses old
Clark.
'1'n give i'm clout as soon as l get
'ome," SEES Joe, who was very fond OF
Is children.
"Go and fetch I'm and do it ere" ses
the old man. "That'll teach i'm to love
animals"
Joe went of 'ome to, fetch the boy,
and arter his mother lad washed his
face and wiped his nose an put a
clean pinneyfore on i'm he took i'm to
lis uncle's and clouted his 'ead for i'm.
After that Joe and is wife 'ad words
all night long, and next morning old
Clark. coming in from the garden, was
lust In time to see i'm kick the cat
right acrost the kitchen.
He could 'ardly speak for minute,
and when he could Joe see plain wot
q fool he'd been. Fust of all he called
Joe every mama he could think Of
which took i'm long time-and then
he ordered i'm out Of lis house.
'You shall ave my money wen your
betters have done with it." he ses,
"and not afore. That's all you've done
for yourself"
Joe Clark didn't know wot he meant
at the time, but when old Clark died
three months arterward he found out.
His uncle lad made a new will and left
everything to old George Barstow for
as long as the cat lived, providing that
he took care Of 1t. When the cat was
dead the property was to go to Joe.
The cat was only two years old at
the time, and George Barstow, who
was arr crazy with joy, said 1t shouldn't
be rs fault IL 1t didn't live another
twenty years.
The funny thing was the quiet way
Joe Clark took it. He didn't seem to
be at all cut up about it. and when
Henery Walker said it was q shame
he said he didn't mind, and that George
Barstow was a old man, and he was
quite welcome to ave the property as
long as the cat lived.
ut must come to me by the time I'm
an old man, he ses, "and that's all !
care about"
Henery Walker went off, and as he
passed the cottage where old Clark
used to live and which George Barstow
'ad moved into he spoke to the old
man over the palings and told i'm wot
Joe Clark 'ad said. George Barstow
only grunted and went on STOPPING and
prying over is front garden.
"Bin and lost something's" ses Hen
cry Walker, watching i'm.
"No; I'm finding" ses George Bar
stow, very fierce. and picking up some
thing. That's the fifth bit O. powdered
liver I've found in my garden this
Henery Walker went off, whistling,
and the opinion he'd 'ad O. Joe Clark
began to improve. He spoke to Joe
about it that AFTERNOON, and Joe said
that If he ever accused i'm O. such
thing again he'd knock lis 'ead off.
He said that he 'oped the cat 'ud live
to be hundred and that he'd no more
think Of giving it poisoned meat than
Henery Walker would Of paying for is
drink so long as he could get anybody
else to do it for i'm.
They 'ad bets up at this ere Caull
flower public 'ouse that evening as to
'ow long that cat 'ud live. Nobody
gave 1t more than a month, and Bill
sat and thought O. SO many
ways O. killing it on the sly that 1t was