Las Vegas optic., 1912-06-20
Cupid and
the Cat

"~~~F
Ambrose" remarked Mrs. Grant
wood. lack Wilton is very clever
boy He has written some poetry 70
Genevleve."
Unfortunately. Mr.. Grantwood was
prejudiced against poetry. statuary
and the theater, for he knew that
these things had nothing to do with
the hardware business, and he felt
that they were apt to be improper
30 he banged his fist down on the
table and cried: "Poetryl Then the
boys an idiot"
He's very much In love with Gene
We've" replied his wife irrelevantly
We'll. why can't he court her with
common sense and plain proseg Did
write poetry TO you. Lily Mande
villef" t
Nov. Dad" declared THOMAS
Vaudeville Grantwood, who wah
stanch admirer of Jack Wilton. be
reasonable. You couldn't, you know,
for Lily doesn't rhyme with anything
but silly and chilly and Vaudeville
with Ill and pill The combination
OF words was against you"
Anyway, the verses we're very
pretty" persisted Mrs. Grantwood
whose idea of poetry was bounded on
one side by the psalm of Life" and
on the other by "Curfew Shall Not
Ring Tonight" They began, oh,
Genevieve. for you to grieve.' And he
brought cat, too. when he brought
the poem. Genevieve told him that
the rats were taking the place."
Mr. Grantwood was Modified at
once Good, always knew that boy
had some sense. could scarcely
sleep last night for the rats. They
marched around the room like sol
diers."
AS donor of the cat, Jack Wilton re.
ceived a warm welcome that night
from Genevieve's father. yet the
young mans usually cheerful counte-
nance was clouded He had deter
mined to try his fate that evening, to
tell Genevieve that he loved her. that
life was nothing without her. and a
number of other beautiful remarks
that he had carefully prepared for
the occasion. He had practiced his
speech in his room, had told his Aunt
Sallie that it should be now or never,
and had left home with abounding
selfconfidence. But before he reached
the Grantwood home he experienced
a familiar and sad sensation, his
courage began to dwindle at the front
door it had sunk below the waist
line, and when he was ushered into
the parlor it had ebbed entirely away
Jack Wilton was not afraid of the
choleric Mr.. Grantwood or the neu-
resthenic Mrs. Grantwood; it was the
: girl herself who held him silent
hether it was the smoothness OF
!. ser blonde hair, the whiteness Of her
tiaiy Numbered d the passion
less common sense shining in her
eyes; whether 1t was any or all OF
these things the young man could not
tell. but certain 1t was that he had
never been able to make love to
Genevieve, though he had served long
and faithfully In her train. Many
frantic efforts he had made, but Gene
We've was neither sentimental nor
fiirtatious, and her cheerful friendii-
ness confounded his romantic flights.
So now he gazed in dumb misery
from the rug at her feet to the clock,
while Genevieve sang him all her lit
tie songs and told him all the sokes
in the last installment OF the WON
ans Fireside Friend" 1t was already
1920. and at 1890, as Jack Wilton
knew. Mr.. Grantwood would be heard
coughing violently in the dining
room, and at that signal all visitors
must depart. The time was near and
yet he could not speak.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Tommy Grant
wood awoke with start at slight
sound in his room. and there on the
table was a great gray rat that was
their nightly visitor. Remembering
a molasses pie that he had loved and
lost. Tommy was preparing to fling a
shoe at the visitor when 1.-THE form
sprang from the darkness to the ia.
BILE. The cat was quick, but the rat
was quicker, and with startled
squeak IL Juulpcu iOi eho uOoA anu
scurried downstairs, the new cat hard
behind 1t.
Mrs. Grantwood lying in bed and
watching the clock, decided that it
was time for Ambrose to begin cough
ing in the dining room. Ambrose,
she called. but the words died on hei
Iips. for suddenly there was a strange
humping and humping on the stairs
and a huge rat, pursued by the new
cat. rushed into the room. They ran
both the pursued and the pursuer
right over the sleeping form of old
Ellen. the negro nurse, who lay on 9
pallet by Mrs. Grantwood's bed.
s.Oh, Lord" cried the old woman
-et can't Judgment day. | aim
dressed proper to rise in glory"
Mrs. Grantwood rose in bed and
ouick OF action. threw the brass can
dIestick at the rat as it rushed past
The candlestick was heavy and, i
well aimed, might have done grea
damage to the rat, but unfortunately
it hit old Ellen.