The sun., 1908-05-10
THE TALE or THE
l SEVEN TOED CAT
And Of GsorVianna, His Mistress
and a Garden Wall In
Cherry Time.


deorgianna had been preserving cherries.
She had had a long but elightful day In the
big kitchen and the result Of her labors
was set forth in a tempting array ON the
window sill Twelve jars stood there giving
forth an amber radiance in the rays OF the
declining run. You are supposed to fall
in love with Goorgianna. 90 lot Il be known
at once that she had taken out every pit.
0eorgianna felt well pleased with her
self, her father and mother had goneaway
for the day and the cook had day out.
She thought II was delightful TO be left
alone in the big house they had taken for the
summer in village far enough away from
the city to be really In the country and yet
near enough 10 town 80 that her father
could 60 in 10 business when he felt like IT,
What his business was ID no part OF this
tale except that It provided generously not
only for the needs but for some OF the
fanoies Of his wife and daughter.
When they moved in early in June the
cherries were just beginning TO npen. Big
oKhearts grew In the old fashioned garden,
each cherry delicately shaded frcm pink
to golden yellow.
Georgianna made up her mind that she
would have her first try at housekeeping
by preserving some Of these cherries. So
she was a very happy girl whom, week after
the hegira, she got the day to herself.
Georgianna surveyed her treasures
proudly How surprised her mother and
father would be whom they returned And
right then she missed Toodles.
TOodleS was the cat. Not an ordinary
cat, but a maltese Of pedigree with seven
toes. A cat in a thousand Toodles was
very dear to Georgianna.
She went TO the doorway and looked
about the garden. No Toodles was in sight.
While she is standing there it is per-
mitted to take note Of her appearance, for
she Is 80 worried over ToodeS she will not
notice that we are looking
A slip Of a girl was Georgianna, She
was built on delicate lines but with promise
Of maturity showing whore her dress was
wide open at the throat. Her arms, bare
far above the elbow. we're plump.
Brown eyes looked out appealingly from
a face that may not have been classic
but was certainly interesting. Coiled
loosely on the top OF her small, well shaped
head was an abundance OF soft brown
hair, medium tinted, which gloWed red
where the sun kissed It, She wore checked
gingham overdress madelike an apron in
front, but fitting sungly the slender lines Of
| her figure. She was 10,
/ ~
ventured into the garden, where cherry and
apple and pear trees grew 20 close together
that the sunlight merely filtered through.
Here and there she wandered in the dim
aislOs looking anIiously for Toodles and
calling him softly.
At last she brought up againAta stone
wall some five feet high which ran across
the foot Of the garden. She had not gone
this far back into the garden before Above
the wall she could 80 the tTees Of another
garden and the sloplng slate roofs Of
house beyond.
And then she discovered Toodles He
was ourled up on a branch Of an apple
tree which hung above the wall Maybe
he had been chasing birds or maybe he
had gone there to get 4 view Of the next
! garden. However, there he was, and ii
puzzled GeorgiAnna how 10 get him down.
To the credit Of Toodlss let II be said
| that he didn't meow piteouSly for help.
! He appeared to view the. situation philo-
sophically doubtless knowing that some
one would get him down IL he waited.
Georgiauna coaIed and coaXed, while
Toodles sat there blinking amisbly She
decided that II she could only get on the
wall she could reach the branch, pull It
toward her and so capture the trlant
She looked around for some way Of
! getting on the wall She could initiate
Toodles and make the journey by way
Of tree, she supposed but tree climbing
wasn't one Of her accomplishments. Then
she saw a short ladder lying half concealed
in the grass at the foot OF the wall.
She propped the ladder up against the
wall and 1t just reached the top. Up she
climbed boldly and stood on the wall. Even
her anxiety for Toodles was forgotten
for moment while she took a survey OF
the house and garden next door
The house was a big irregular building
painted brown and with plenty OF veranda
room. GeorgiannS had thought her own
garden delightful, but this was far more
lovely True. it was something like hers
except for the roses.
There we're roses everywhere in this
garden over the wall. She observed par
tculary two rose trees full fowered in
white. Right at her feet was an arbor
over which big pink and red prairie roses
clambered in profusion. As far as she
could see there was no one in the garden.
Georgianna turned her attention to
Toodles, who was still sitting peacefully
on the overhanginR branch and blinking
amiably. She coaIed him to jump, but
he would not II he had there would have
! been no story to tell
Georgisnna tried to reach the branch. but
it was just beyond her eager fingers. She
stood on tiptoe, gave a little jump and
grasped a twig Then, swaying unsteadily,
she began to pull the branch down.
She had got it almost near enough to get
! her free hand on Toodes when the twig
she was holding snapped and che lost her
balance Before she cou Id recover herself
she fell plump among the clambering
prairie roses.
The trelliswork was old and rotten, and
Georgianns went right through. She hit
something soft and yielding, then bounced
OF onto the ground,
II all came 30 quickly that she hadn't
time TO cry out. She landed on her back,
lay still moment, found that she wasn't
hurt-at least she felt no psin-Snd then