Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1911-01-27
A Home
for
Pussykin
b. TEMPLE BAILEY

with her cat in her arms. 1t was
very cold and Pussvkin had never
slept out of doors. There had always
been a basket in warm corner by
the fireplace, and when the snow and
slcet had beaten against re windows
the little cat and Miss Mary and the
old father and mother lad hasked in
calm content. but now the ia ll,er and
mother were dead snl Miss Marv's
s'ster-in-law ruled in the household.
1t was reign of terror to Miss
Mary and Pussykin Martha Jcn-
kins did not like Gets. and size an
nounccd at oncc that there should be
no cushions in her hcarths'onc COR
ncr. For several months Miss Mary
lad Struggled PussyHin INTO her
bedroom, only to be discovered at
last, and TO Fcsr Martha's s'rident
voice announcing that ''the place for
cat was out Of doors" and that out
IF doors Pussykin must go.
1t was then that Miss Mary had
fed with the cat in Ter arms, seek
lag for some place of shelter. The
shed where the horses were kept Of
fcred little cheer. Miss Mary could
rot imagine the peftcd little animal
comfortable in such place.
ooh, Pussykin, Pussykin," she
said, 'what am l going to do With
you?"
AS she stood in the door with her
bright hair blowing about her round.
troubled face man came tramping
through the snow and stopped in the
roadway in front Of her.
"Why, Nathan Crissey" Miss
Mary exclaimed; "when did you get
homc?"
'SLasf night" he responded, "and
have been busy ever since, opening
my new house and settling things"
Miss Mary held out her hand.
"You look perfectly Splendid" she
said, "and am SO glad you arc
back"
Hc was big fellow. broad siloul-
1ered and handsome, in his corduroy
coat and soft hat. When he had
gone to seek his fortune he had been
raw country boy, one of the poor
whites of the neighhorhood in which
Miss Mary's family we're the aristo-
Gratis.
at seems good TO he back" he
said, holding OH TO Miss Mary's hand
little longer than was necessary.
Then he laughed a little. "You're
He best thing I've seen since came.
DID you know | was going to be your
rcxt door neighbour"
"Why, no. l didn't. Have You
bought the Butler place."
He nodded. eyes, ! am going TO
fix ii over. always liked it, ana
when was boy dreamed that
would 80 away and make my fortune
md come back here to make my
home, and now my dream has come
frac. But | mustn't keep you stand
ing here" he added, quickly, cts
toe cold"
"I'd usk you TO come up to the
house," Miss Mar said. flushing:
"but can't. Martha is cleaning, and
everything is topsy~'urvy. 1t doesn't
seem like home any more, since
mother and father" Her lips
tre,nbled.
81 know" he said, sympathetically.
"When heard tFat you were left
alone. | hurried back. | wanted TO
Tell you that ii there was ANYTHING
] could do for you you must let me
DO it,"
A sudden hope sprang up in Miss
Mary's breast. "Oh!" she cried. s'if
you would only take Pus:ykin. Mar
tha has Turned her out and won's
let her sleep in tie house any more;
if you could find q corner for her."
81 will find more than corner"
he said as h., took the big gray cat
from Ter. "She shall sit on cush-
ion and eat cream TO the end of her
days. She will be a precious treas
ure because she's YOURS"
cat first she wort like it," Miss
Mary said, "to be separated from
me. hut III try to see her every
day: she'll run over here"
He wanted TO tell her that she
need not be separated, that he had
bought the Butte: place with the
hope that SIZE might reign as its mis-
trcss, but he did not feel that this