Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-09-29
The Story
Of
$ Ginger
Observation-Disclosures

$ Ginger. : !
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Aunt Priscilla came tripping over
to our house one morning. and as
she came in she called out:
Have you seen Ginger?D
Mother and answered both togeth-
er in q breath. "No. Why?"
Because he's been out all night
and hasn't come back yet, and he's
never done such thing before since
he was born. And don't know
where he can be-" 5
"Oh. wouldn't worry" said moth
or. "He'll come back all right before
long. Ginger has found something
very exciting to detain him, You may
be sure squirrels or mice or birds
or something. But Ginger knows
more than some people; he'd find
his way home from-anywhere!"
'sWell, shall advertise, and send
someone out to hunt for him." said
aunty.
Ginger" was q splendid, big black
cat, not white hair or him-all
black from the tip Of his nose to the
end OF his tail.
The next day when allnty came
in she had a newspaper in her hand,
which was shaking with excitement.
''Gladys!" she called. Gladys,
dear, l know where Ginger is! P.
II. Barnum has him, and he's going
round the country In circus show!"
We looked at aunty as If we
thought she had lost her wits. Look
at that" she said, and thrust the
paper into mothers hand. Il was
looking over some old papers before
throwing them away" she went on,
when / happened to see 1t"
Mother looked at the spot aunty
pointed out, and saw in big letters:
WANTED. For Barrum's Circus. A
big black cat without a white hair
on him. Will pay a good price.
That's where he Isl" walled
aunty, the tears running down, her
dear cheeks. Someone sto,e him to
sell to the circus, and I don't know
where the circus is. 1t left Eere some
time ago, and. oh, what will they do
with poor Ginger, all shut up with
lions and tigers and yaks and gnus
and things! He'll be killed and eaten
alive!'
Poor mother did not know what to
say.
well, aunty," / said, "hell be
taken good care Of SO as to look
well in the showyou can take some
comfort in that"
But she only shuddere,l, and re-
piled:
They'll make him Jump through
paper hoop; they'll whip him till
he does; they'll put him with the
tigers; they'll be brutal to him and
destroy his mind and his manners.
That's what they'll do"
The days went on, and Ginger did
not come back. Poor aunty was
quite changed.
One evening we had been invited
over to her house to dine, and there
was no place liked to go better,
because the more you see Of Aunt
Priscilla the more you love her. She
always had the most wonderful thin
old china and silver on the table,
and gave me the loveliest things to.
eat, different from anybody else's,
and always something new to look at
or to play with. Well, we were
sitting in the drawing-room, waiting.
for dinner to be served, when the
paper boy came along and threw the
paper on the steps. heard him, and
ran out to bring it in. There on
the front page,- in great black let
tiers, the first thing saw was.
Great Fire in Bridgton. Barnum's
big buildings, where his animals are,
housed for the Winter, burned to the
ground!
don't know how ever dared
give the paper to Aunt Priscilla,
was SO frightened. But l had to
do 1t, and then we listened while
aunty read the account In trembling
voice.
"Ginger's dead!" she declared,
when she had finished reading. "He's
come to horrible end!" And that
night she laid awake all night
She came over the next morning to-
say that she was going to take the
train for Bridgton and find out. She
could not stand the suspense another
minute. and she would rather know
the worst at once.
Why, my dear, he may never have
been with the circus at ALL" protest
ed mother. Its eighteen miles to
Bridgton. and don't believe I'd go
on such chase"
Il shall leave on the noon train"
said Aunt Priscilla in set voice,
and when she spoke like that we
knew 1t was no use to say more.
So she went over to pack her bag
to take the noon train for Bridgton,
and went over with her, and as
we went into the sitting-room on the
left of the front hall-what do you
suppose we saw? Ginger, sitting up
In the sunshine in his favorite old
spot on the window-sill, calmly wash.
ing his face, and looking out at the
landscape!
We could not believe our eyes, and
aunty screamed right out. Ginger"
she gasped, you darling, you won
derful! Where did you come from?"
and she stared and stared, and no
wonder. Then we rushed up to the
window-sill. Round Ginger's neck was
big collar with the name, Up. T.
Barnum,' let in on silver plate,
and holes had been bored in his
ears and great perky crimson bows
tied into each one.