The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1907-01-31
THAT "OLD DEAD CAT"

ball of good will and kindness. Sh
had only lived a few weeks anC
when her mistress moved away an
forgot TO find home for the Iittl
thing, she started out to find one TO
herself First however, she Shove
her loyalty to her forgetful mistres
by standing on the back step AM
crying softly to be let in to tn
warmth and brightness of tn
kitchen, She missed the soft hant
and caresses of the "littlest girl'' o
the family, and besides she wa
hungry.
Other cats, big, fierce animaI
with bright, cruel eyes, lived from
slop barrels and refuse piles. Blu
they had known no other means oI
living, and the inhumanity of mar
had forced them to be cruel in turn
The little kitten did not know the
tricks of the trade" and beside:
the other cats would drive her away
So, after mourning awhile beside
the empty house, she started out to
find new home.
She had only gone a little way
when a boy saw her and ran toward
her. She who had never known
cruelty, ran to meet him and purred
as loud as she could to show her
qualification. But the boy seized
her and holding her by the tail,
swung her around his head. Sudden
ly he let her go, and she was sick for
the moment with the rushing move
ment and the whirling. She fell in a
puddle of mud and slime and crawl
ed from it a wet, bedraggled little
animal with eyes big with pain and
terror. The boy laughed and rushed
for her again, but she lodged and
crawed through a hole in the fence
and hid.
Later she came out and, with little
plaintive calls, moved slowly down
the walk. A man, passing, showed
her into the road with his foot and
dog parked at her. She ran into a
store to escape him and clerk
cursed her and threw things at her.
Again she was driven out, and now
it began to rain and was cold. She
shivered and crouched close to the
wall, sick with pain and terror. She
was hungry and mourned for the
milk and occasional bits of meat she
had known in her old life.
A little girl passed and stopping,
held her fingers out to the kitten.
Instantly her fears vanished and the
world again seemed good. The shiv-
ering body crept close to the girl
and nestled with content in the arms
that held her. The little girl ran
home with her find and called her
mother eagerly. The woman came
and looked, and then drew away
with horror. She said things in a
voice that caused the happy kitten
# a minute ago to hide her head in
Fear in the little girls arms. Then,
yit'' tears in her eyes, the little one
.arr.ied the cat back to where she
,ad found it and laid it gently down
IN the walk She turned and ran
md the kitten tried to run after the !
irst human being she had met that |
Law who had shown her kindness.
But kittie's legs were too short, and
The was very weak from cold and
hunger. .
With her head held low, and her !
oft fur wet and bedraggled, she ~
.rawled into an empty box and e
in the darkness moaning t
aintly. The weather grew colder I
md colder, and sharp pains ran all
through the little body. She tried
o cry out for help but could not. {
Ter heart seemed of ice. Everything r
waved before her. She had fallen |
ull length and was lying still. 1t 5
ad begun to snow and a gust blew I
he white fakes into the box. She
vas too weak to shake it off. Soon a
title mound was made. and life 81
yent out to suffer no more from cold s
nd hunger and darkness. A man t,
nned the box in the morning, and p
akink the s.iffened body out, threw -
:. with gesture of distaste, into $,
ne alley. 1t was only an old dead Of
at! W
Forty two years of experience are n,
, fba Iuyal stoUac cn thew nnuSt he =