Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-03-07


I'D like to get hold Of that cat. If I
did 1t would never get out alive again"
He stalked modify to the window and
listened, as if fascinated by the low
pitched voice of the woman calling
insistently in the yard below.
Here, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty! she
called.
shes been doing that every night
for a week. grumbled Bob, leaving
the window when the sounds had died
away in a murmur of endearments.
"If had only known there was cat
loving spinster in the house 1 would
have stayed on the outside. No cats
for me-not on your life?'
Bob looked around at the well fur
nished room containing furniture Of
his own. The low bookshelves were
filed with his books. Everything in
the two large apartments was his own.
He resolved to remain there until that
remote time when he would fall in love
and marry. THAT may be-never."
he always told himself cynically.
At breakfast he approached his
boarding mistress concerning cats.
"Ah. Mrs. Porter, didn't hear cat
in the hall just now?" he inquired as
he slipped his coffee.
! Mrs. Porter smiled impersonally.
Probably you have heard a cat, Mr..
Folsom. There are three in this
| house"
"Threew Bob was aghast. "And
are they all lost at night and do their
/ mistresses have to call them home al
precisely p. m, and
Dear me. mol They are very quiet
stay at home cats-that is, all except
Miss Lanes SNOWFALL. He's an An
CORA and quite valuable, believe. He
has been a runaway lately and does
not come home until poor Miss Lane
has become hoarse with calling him
She has a touch of asthma, you know
81 hope SNOWFALL gets over his wan
derlust before long" remarked Bob a:
he pushed his chair away from the ia
BILE
Mrs. Porter looked panied. 81 an
very sorry If 1t annoys you" she sale
rather stiffly, "but Miss Lane is N!
best boarder, and she happens to owl
this house, and Snowfall is the appl
of her eye. Perhaps he will stay II
now"
"Oh, it doesn't matter" Bob hasten
ed to say, already feeling somewha
ashamed at his complaint agains
Snowballs asthmatic mistress. II onl
happened to hear her calling ever
night and 1 wondered-you know" hi
voice trailed into embarrassed silenC
as he escaped into the hall and took hi
hat from the rack.
As he walked toward the front doc
Struggling into his overcoat as he wen
he observed a handsome white Anger
cat sitting on the newell post. "SnoV
ball, I'll be boundr' he said to himsel
lifting his hand to pat the beautifl
creature. But Snowbalrs white pa
shot out and his claws dug deep, lea
ing long ugly scratch on the back {
Bob's hand.
=, Here, kitty, kitty, kitty, kittyw cal
ed a voice from the floor abOy
"Come, Snowbalr'
SNOWFALL mewed delightedly In r
. turn and darted, a flying streak {
white, up the stairs.
Bob sent one upward glance to whel
a face leaned over the banister of Il
second story. A stiffly brushed pon
padour of gray hair above a high for
head and pair of gold spectacles gil
tened down at him. He turned ava
impatiently. Snowball's mistress wi
all that his imagination had painte
her.
AS he went down the street he me
tally cursed the cat that had admin
tered the ugly scratch, and he was f
ed with unreasonable wrath at Mi
d. Lane for harboring the Vicious beast.
That's the main trouble with boar
ing houses" he said to himself. '"Th'
are filed up with old maids and ca
and parrots. / don't believe there
any hope of my finding a home an
where unless / get married-and whe
is the right grip
Where was she? Up to this time 81
had never existed for Bob Folsom. I
had his ideal, and he was especial
convinced that she could not have r,
hair and be loved by him. Meth
could her eyes be green. Her hair mu
be a soft dusky black and her ey
that rare hazel He reached his off
at this juncture and was compelled
drop day dreams in the face of dry l
alities.
That evening as he sat before t
coy hearth fire he heard the voice
the yard calling the recalcitrant Sno
ball.
!" Here, kitty, kitty, kitty The
r were the same deep lower notes liftil
u upward to the last piercing, and
Bob Folsom's nervously sensitive hes
ing, irritating kitty"
For an hour the calling continu
- at frequent intervals and then sudde
ly ceased, much to Bob's relief. "GI
cious," he muttered to himself as
prepared for bed, I'm getting TO be