Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1911-07-14
Punishment
for One

Suddenly the fluffy haired blonde
giggled, quite without reference to re-
marks made by anyone or to the mar
quisette blouse upon which she was
embroidering an elaborate design.
The other members Of the sewing cir
Gle looked up inquiringly.
We'll? demanded young Mrs. Alli-
son, suspiciously. HAS anyone said
something funny or ia 1t last weeks
joke taking root?"
The fluffy haired blonde nodded en-
phatically. How clever you are. Ce-
leste!" she said. That's it, exactly.
I was terribly annoyed at the time,
but all of a sudden just now l saw
hcw funny it was"
"'It! repeated young Mrs. Allison,
with growing scorn. IT. Try to be
to advise you on the subject"
WELL" said the fluffy haired blonde.
with another giggle, you know my
little brother" s
The proverbial small boy" mur-
INJURED young Mrs. Allison, with a
groan.
"L'enfant terrible" put in the girl
who affected French quotations.
The fluffy haired blonde scowled at
them both, impartially. Just plain
little brother" she corrected, with
sternness. "His name Is Edward and
most of you know him perfectly well.
Now, am l telling this story or am
not?"
The girl who affected French quo
tations retired to her fancy work with
offended dignity, but young Mrs. Alli-
son beamed with visible JOY at hav-
ing a drawn heated retort. go on,
DEAR" she urged, sweetly. I'VE love
to hear you prattle of your innocent
baby brother"
The fluffy haired blonde smiled in
turn. Baby brother is going into
long trousers before school opens in
the fall" she informed them. "As for
his being innocent-oh, we'll, it wasn't
his fault this time, anyway.
You know" she went on, "he has a
big yellow brute of a cat he calls
Saunders, though I'm sure don't
know why"
II do" said young Mrs. Allison. She
nodded around the sewing circle,
meaningly. I'VE lived in the same
block with Saunders for year. He's
canny, let me tell you. know that
cat personally. He used to lick the
tops of my cream bottles of a morn
ing-never the milk bottles. But
didn't argue the matter with him, be-
cause l was always too much awed by
his apparent contempt for the whole
human race. When he walked down
the back steps and went over the
fence the very flip of his tail was elo-
quent of his low opinion of the quality
of my cream. Moreover, was forced
to agree with him." she added.
WELL" said the fluffy haired blonde,
gravely, Il believe you're right Saun-
ders is not-um-open to argument,
but he scorns deception and he's
shrewd. He eats our neighbor's
squads by the dozen, but he eats
them in broad daylight, when the
neighbor hesitates to wiring his neck,
as l should. But Edward loves him
with positively touching devotion
and has him in the library every eve
ming at study time.
Might before last, however, the
Desseltons were dining with us. and
both Mrs. Desseltop and Ernestine
are mortally afraid of cats. Ernestine
shrieks if one comes into the room
and Mrs. Desselton likes one about as
much as you like a snake. So Ed
wards little playmate was put in the
garage and the garage door supposed
ly was shut. Very likely 1t was really
shut, too, for there are score of con-
venient cracks around the floor and
the windows which an enterprising
cat can get through, though Edward
maintains learnedly that no feline will
attempt to escape through any hole
where his whiskers touch.
Anyway, we had all gone into the
library after a comfortable dinner and
father was entertaining us with the
hopes of his summer fishing trip.
Mother had just gone upstairs to get
a picture to show Mrs. Desselton,
when the bell rang and the maid
brought me a card. 1t was Mr.. S.
Bennington Saunders, who has come
here from the east to live, you know.
Il slipped through the drawing
room to meet him and bring him in
for All Introduction, and just as l got
half way in and he was approaching
with bland smile and an out.
stretched hand I heard mothers re.
turning step on the stair and mothers
horrific voice from the landing.
Edward!' she cried. Edward!
Saunders has got in. Come and put
him out at once. Hurry, tell you!'"
The fluffy haired blonde laughed
ruefully. Edward came" she said