Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-15

| A large, well-fed, handsomely mark
ed cat was slowly meandering up thu
sidewalk. He looked neither to tn
right nor to the left until he turned
sharply in and walked up, decided!
and leisurely,. some veranda steps
He knocked on the screen door will
his huge, white, velvet paw, as If hi
were used to being waited upon. Sure
enough! the door few open as If by
magic. The girls, Esther and Harriet
Immediately ran to get some milk
and all work was stopped to attend
| to the cats wants.
This commanding cat was called
Smarty, and the name certainly suit
ed him. All the family were fond OF
pets, and of cats especially. The!
had saved Smarty from a watery
grave when he was a kitten, because
of his playfulness and attractlveness
But, 10 and behold! when he was
about a month old, he disappeared
All the family were up in arms. In g
day or two the kitten was brought
back. ~. ..
This happened two or three times
Smarty was Congregational minis
ter's cat, but he was a trial to that
family, for he insisted, as kitten,
on becoming Methodist. One time
he made himself famous by jumping
into carriage in the Methodist
church sheds and riding home with
its owners and spending the night
with them. ,.
He deigned to call at the village
grocery store, and, as a reward for
cheese and numerous other dellca-
cies, condescended to catch rat or
two; but his visits were few and
fleeting. At last he disappeared alto
gether, and after two or three weeks
even Harriet lost all hope and
dressed her dolls in mourning and
insisted on wearing black hair rib
bon out of "speck for poor Smarty."
To the surprise of all, this autumn
day four months later, huge cat
came to their door. Smarty as a kit
ten had distinctive marks, and the
family recognized their sudden caller
from the peculiar smut on his nose
and the one perfectly white ear. This
great fellow was certainly wander
err as the family ascertained from
their neighbors; but he was, like
some fortunate people, gifted with
certain attractiveness which went to
the hearts of all and made willing
slaves and adorers. No one could re
fuse Smarty a dish of milk or any
other delicacy he might demand. AS
a result he was a spoiled, conceited
creature: but he still held captive the
hearts of all, and the family eagerly
looked forward to his brief, conde-
visits. ...
By this time Smarty had finished
his meal, washed his paws, and was
ready to be petted. He walked DELHI |
erately into the library, jumped on
The, couch before the CHEEKY, open
IRE, turned around six times, and
curled up into snug cushion. The
family seated themselves in an ad-
hiring circle. The cat condescending-
y allowed them to pat him, gently,
blinked his great yellow eyes, and |
gave them little song. The girls
knew that this would not last long; |
and, sure enough, after a comfortable |
nap, Smarty rose, stretched lazily, |
gave two or three sleepy yawns, |
Jumped down, and ordered the door
TO be opened for his majesty.
He stalked down the path majesti- !
cally, no one knew whittier but him
self, not deigning to look back once
on the little group in the bay-window.
his departure. The tears
were streaming down Harriet's
cheeks.
1t would certainly have been a lu-
dicrous sight for strangr coming
up the quiet village street on that
sunny September afternoon.