The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-10-31
WHO GOT
THE CATp

|
The man who told 1t on himself to
fellow suburbanite. who made solemn
pledge not to repeat 1t, may be sur
| prised to see 1t In print. but the stor,
was really too good to keep, and per
haps he will forgive his friend ant
| his friends friends who have told i
! in turn. Jones lives In New Jersey In
town which has law forbidding the
throwing OF dead eats or dogs in ash
or garbage cans. Now the Joneses
had a most sagacious cat. which was
the pet of the household. In the full
ness of her years Tabby was gathered
of her Tabby's superior intelligence
Jones family unfortunately possessed
no back yard TO use as burial ground
and besides Mrs. Jones felt that cat
OF her Tabhy's superior intelligence
and personality should have mora
unique resting place. A watery grave
appealed strongly to her imagination
and she decided that the mortal re-
mains should be neatly and carefully
done up in paper parcel and dropped
gently overheard by Mr.. Jones when
crossing the ferry on his way to his
Office.
SO the morning after Pussy's de-
cease Mr.. Jones. wearing self-con-
scious look and carrying neat bun
die, left for the city. AS ne was board
ing the ferryboat he ran up against
the pastor Of his church and two OF
the wardens. They Immediately hail
ed Jones, who was a newcomer in
the parish, and he was obliged to join
their group. He stood and chatted,
planning to escape from them before
the boat locked and to make his way
to the least-frequented deck to dump
his bundle overheard. But he reck-
oned without his pastor, who, just as
he was saying goodbye. caught him
by the arm. and with fiatterlng famil- /
iarity walked forward to the gang
plank, asking some question which. in /
all common pollteness, he was obliged /
to stay to answer, and before he knew /
1t he and his parcel were on dry land, /
and the opportunity for Pussy's re-
eeiving watery interment were for
he morning frustrated AS he walk
ID toward Broadway he decided that
he watery-grave idea had had its
nance and that the best thing now
would be TO deposit the mortal re-
mains In the first ash-can he saw; but
With the peryersity Of fate he didn't
zee any. and he was obliged to take
he rapidly growing heavier bundle to
ais office and deposit 1t on shelf.
.rusting the homeward trip would give
aim the desired opportunity. ;
But not so! Juet as he was edging
.oward the railing of the aft deck
when the boat was I'm midstream,
hree ladies' emerged from the cabin
md he groaned inwardly as he recog-
lized the social leaders OF the whist
Tub which he and his wife had recent
Y joined. They greeted him cordially.
md poor Jones knew that Pussy's
hances for reaching the Hudson We're
ad small boy and large basket
+ fruit, and Jones, with his bundle
tucked under one arm, was Obliged to
lay the squire of danes, and help the
ady, the boy, and the basket aboard
trolley car when they landed In
ersey City He usually took the troll
~, but he knew that his sole remain
ng chance for getting rid OF the bun
lie that day lay in his taking the
rain. When he got on board he found
he car filed with the exception of
ne seat. This he took, carefully de-
ositing his parcel in the rack beside
couple already placed there by the
ian whose seat he shared.
When he arrived at his station he
astily made his exit, carefully re-
to forget the bundle. Just
: he was crossing the platform and
le train was beginning to pull out he
as called by the conductor, who ran
tier him with the bundle he left be-
Ind. Poor Jones was, of course most
Dlitely grateful, outwardly, and in. |
ardly most vexed. He walked home
it'll realizing sense that dead cats
-e as difficult to get rid of as the ira
tional live ones.
Mrs. Jones listened to his story with
roper wifely sympathy. but when she
oked at the bundle she gave little
lriek. But this isn't II, Your bundle Z
tied up with white string and this
rs brown," They fastened to unroll
ie parcel and found, not feline
,rpse. but nice tender-looking leg
muttonl Perhaps this may meet !
le eyes Of that man In the car who
II the other bundle. and perhaps he
Ill then have his faith in his butcher
nd human nature restored. Let us Z
1pe so.