The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1908-12-15
GRISETTE'S
NINTH LIFE
Little Tale of Normandy and
a Hard-Hearted Artist

oNNo AAOA WALCACu llIll0 u0-
der the faded calico blouse. Talk
not TO me, messieurs. | tell you Girls.
cite must be killed entirely. Oh, but
yes, entirely. Already have given
her away no less than six times.
Thrice to the forester's wife, a careless
one, she, who lets her come back al.
ways to me again. Thrice to Maitre
Perrin up in the village yonder. All.
the miser! One could not blame
Grlsette for not stopping longer in a
mouse where there was no meat, not
even on a feast day. And once | lost
her, pardieu! 1t was in the hills the
tlme when | went to make the little
Vlsit with my daughter. Grisette
awaited me on the doorstep when |
returned. La, la, she sat there lick.
ing her paws with the air of one who
was always welcome Once again she
lost herself. All, but ATTENDED, mes.
sieurs, she really found herself again.
vi that you may be sure. II Is i'm
possible really to lose Grisette, she
VINO eats more Of my food than a man,
VINO expects always the BONES bouch-
es of my table. Oui, oui, messieurs,
this time 1t is impossible that Grisette
comes back. | will no longer furnish
her with comforts. If she were a dog
now-but beast of a cat, non, it is
impossible"
JACK Tilton and l had run across
Mere Barbizon on one of our painting
trips through Normandy in early NAV.
and now it was late June, and we still
fingered under her clean, but other
wise uninviting roof, held to the place
by the fascination that this particular
part or Normandy always has and al
ways will have for painter folk.
NOT were we partial to Grisette, the
huge gray cat, that had-so she
aVerred-become the bane of Mere
Barbizon's existence. Once she had
whsked her tail across a study of
coast, which l thought particularly
me, and which | had some idea of
sending to the salon, and once she had
played havoc with Jacks brushes. No
we would have no reason to regret
Grlsette, but we wanted to see fair
play Your French peasant has a
heart of flint at times, and Mere Bar.
bizon was no exception, as we had
found out on more than one occasion.
Jack, who was lazily cleaning his
brushes, looked over his shoulder at
this point, and said between the teeth
that held his pipe: See here. Mere
barblzon. I'll get rid of that fat ras-
cal for you. This very night. after
dark, Ell? And it shan't cost you a
SOU"
ITEMS, Monsieur Teelton, what
would you do with the cat, eh?" asked
the old woman, anxiously.
"Oh, I'd drown her." answered Jack.
carelessly. "A good big bag, a little
coaxing, and we'll have her fast
enough. Then well row out to the
nets, you and l, and drop her over
board. Adieu, Grisette! See?"
"Bien!" muttered Mere Barbizon.
Il go at once to find the bag"
1t was growing dark when Jack.
carefully carrying the bag over his
shoulder and followed by Mere Bar
bizon and myself, an amused onlook-
err, marched down to the beach and
manned little skiff with his motley
crew. "Sit there" he called to Mere
Barbizon, where you can watch to
see that Grisette plays no more tricks
on you"
Silently We pulled out upon the 81.
lent water, gray now as a doves wing
and growing grayer with the advanc.
ing dark. Now and then sigh broke
from Mere Barbizon, but whether. at
the beauty of the night or as prelimi.
nary to the sad rite about to be per.
formed, 1t was impossible to tell. Her
wrinkled chin was huddled in her
hands, her eyes were fixed on the
bag at her feet. If she had not been
ashamed to show emotion over crea-
ture that she herself had condemned
to death | think she would have given
poor Grisette at least farewell pat.
Presently Jack stopped rowing and
pulled in his oars. The time and
the place" he said, solemnly uncover
ing. IF you have words to say to the
about-to-be-departed, Mere Barbizon,
say them now"
ITEMS! What have to say?" MUIR
INJURED Mere Barbizon. Has she not
always had the best? l have no re-
proaches. /, for one who has eaten
the very roof from my head, the floor
from my feet. Mechanic! Let her go,
messieurs. | shall not weep" But
her voice broke nevertheless, for at
the last words Jack was standing up
with the bag in his hands. He
dropped it heavily over the boats side
and it slid from sight in a moment
1t was quite dark when we beached
the boat and turned up the narrow lit
tie paved way that led to the cottage;
but not too dark to see even a darker
shadow rise from the stem stretch