The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1914-11-14
MRS. BAKERS CAT
.-iI
BY DON IA ORANGE.

And who was Mrs. Baker!
She was a childless widow who had
reached the age of sixty. She had
SUFFICIENT income to keep her out Of
the hands of charity. She had her
little home in the outskirts Of the
town. and her companion for the last
ten years had been her cat.
On q certain afternoon Miss Ruth
Brighton, wishing for sight of the
country, took a street car for half q
mile and then walked for the same dis
lance to find herself in front of the
Widow Bakers cottage. Just az she
arrived the old woman ran out to the
gate and screamed:
"She's dying!" walled Mrs. Baker.
looking down at an outstretched cat.
Maybe it's only a fit and we can
save her. Get q dish of cold water"
The water was brought and thrown
over the grimalkin, and after a long
minute she opened her eyes and re-
turned to the land of the living.
II am thankful to heaven!" piously
exclaimed Mrs. Baker. as she rolled
her eyes to the sky.
That day Osborne Chalmers had de-
cided to take half holiday and q walk
into the country in the afternoon. He
was going to see things that might In
fluence him to buy an 80-acre farm
when he saw q cottage. an old woman.
Q girl and q blinking old cat.
"Will you come here" called the
Widow Baker.
."Is It anything serious?" he asked.
- he entered the gate.
my old cat has had a At! What
would you advise me to do?"
TT seems to me the better way
would be to get rid Of her"
But how am I going to get rid Of
herr'
"She ought to be carried OF and
drowned"
That was all about the cat for q
week, as far as the two outsiders were
concerned. They both had their walks
and returned to their homes.
Very few people would permit a
widows cat to disturb their peace of
mind, but in this case the occasion was
furnished by Providence. Il put the
idea into Miss Ruth's head to take an.
other country walk and see how the
old cat got along.
81 believe I'll just take a walk out
there" said Mr.. Chalmers. Seems too
bad for that old cat to die.
Miss Ruth arrived at the cottage.
The cat sat on the porch. She hadn't
had another At, but she looked as II
she were going to have one at the
first convenient opportunity.
Eyes, she looks bad" agreed Mrs.
Baker, land I am going to ask a great
favor Of you. You see, am lame, and
can't walk far. and want the old cat
taken away and dropped on the road
somewhere. II she Is carried a mile
I don't believe she can find her way
back again"
But how will I carry herr" asked
Ruth.
II don't know that you'd ever come
back, but I've thought it all out. Well
put her in a paper flour sack that I
have saved. When you get about q
mile away empty her out. say 'Shoor
and that will be the last Of her. She'll
find home somewhere"
Miss Ruth agreed to do the errand,
and after time starte back with the
captive. The cat made no great oh.
jections to being sacked up. It IL
possible that she rather longed for
change of environment.
A cat in a flour sack meows and
snarls and splits. She claws and bites
and walls. She wobbles the sack to
and fro and back and forth.
Miss Ruth was hurryihg along with
that sacked cat when she saw a young
man approaching. It was Osborne
Chalmers. When he saw the wob-
bling sack held out ut arms length he
suspected its contents and FASTENED
his steps. He was too late, however
What is to be will be. It was fore
ordained that that cat was to claw her
way out and out she came. The feline
could have made peaceful and hon
orable retreat into the roadside bush
es. but she did nothing of the kind.
She clawed OF Miss Ruth's hat and
scratched her face-she clawed and
scratched the face of Mr.. Chalmers
when he went to the rescue. Then
she inflicted two or three bites, and
went her way.
The humanitarians were sadly In
need of repairs. and they made for
the Widow Bakers.
The widow stood on her porch with
q glad smile on her face. So did her
old cat!
I'm 30 glad to sec you!" exclaimed
the woman as the clawed and
scratched and bitten couple entered
the gate. The cat has got over her
hts and is playing around as she used
to when she was q kitten. 1t must have