St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1914-09-12
CHAPTER I.

Under q canopied platform stood
young girl, modelling in clay. III
glare Of the California sunshine =
tering through the canvas. becam
mellowed. warm, and golden. Aboy
the girls head-yellow like the stal
OF wheat-there lowered a kind c
aureola, as If there had risen above /
a haze of impalpable gold dust.
A poet know might have cried on
that there ended his quest of tn
Golden Girl. Straight she stood at thi
moment, lovely of face. rounded o
form, with an indescribable sugeestio,
OF letant physical power or magnet
Ism. On her temples there were littl,
daubs OF clay. caused doubtless BY i'm
patient fingers sweeping back occa
sional wind-blown locks of hair. Ther,
was even a daub on the side Of he,
handsome, sensitive nose.
Her hand. still filed with clay
dropped to her side, and a tableau en-
dured for a minute or two, SUGGESTING
remote period, Persian idyl. may.
hap With smile on her lips she
stared at the living model. The cha.
toyant eyes Of the leopard stared
back. flicker Of restlessness in their
brilliant yellow deeps. The tin of the
tail twitched.
You beautiful thing!" she said.
She began kneading the clay again.
and with deft fingers added bits hero
and there to the creature which had
grown up under her strong, supple
fingers.
"Kathlyn! Oh, Xiii"
The sculptre@ paused, the pucker
left her brow. and ahe turned, her
face beaming. for her sister Winnie
was the apple Of her eye, and she
brooded over her like the mother
would have done had the mother lived.
For Winnie, dark as Kathlyn was
light. was as careless and aimless az
thistledown in the wind.
A collie leaped upon the platform
and began paving Kathlyn, and short
~ after the younger sister followed.
Neither OF the girls noted the stiffen-
Ing mustaches Of the leopard. The ant
NAL rose, and his nostrils palpitated.
He hated the dog with hatred not
unmixed with fear. Treachery is in
the marrow Of all cats To breed them
In captivity does not matter. Sooner
or later they viii strike. Never be-
fore had the leopard been 80 close to
his enemy. free of the leash.
Kit. 1t is just wonderful. However
can you do It? Some day we'll make
dad take us to Paris, where you can
exhibit them" 4
A snarl from the leopard, answered
by growl from the collie, brought !
kathlyns head about. The cat leaped,
but toward Winnie, not the collie.
With a cry Of terror Winnie turned !
and ran In the direction of the bunga-
low. Kathlyn, seizing the leash, fol-
lowed like the wind, hampered though
she was by the apron. The cat loped I
after the fleeing girl. gaining at each
bound. The yelping OF the collie
brought forth from various points low
rumbling sounds, which presently de-
veloped into roars.
Winnie turned sharply around the
corner Of the bungalow toward the
empty animal cages, to attract her
father and at the same time rouse
some OF the keepers. Seeing the door
OF an empty cage open; and that it was
approached by a board runway, she
iiew to it, entered, and slammed the
door and held 1t. The cat, now hot
with the lust to kill, threw himself
against the bars, snarling and splitting.
kathlyn called out to him sharply,
Ind fearlessly approached him. She
began talking in monotone. His
ears went fiat against his head, but he
submitted to her touch because in.
'ariably 1t soothed him, and because
ae sensed some undefinable power
his gaze met hers. She
snapped the leash on his collar just as
Ter father came running up, pale and
disturbed. He ran to the door and
opened 1t.
Winnie, you poor little Kitten" he
aid, taking her In his arms, 'how
many times have told you never to
axe that dog about when Kits leopard ! !
on the leash?" y
didn't think" she sobbed.
No. Kit here and must always do
our thinking for you. Ahmed!'' :
Yes, sahib," answered the head ).
,eeper. t
See II You can stop that racket
yer there. Sadie may lose her litter ,
It keeps up"
The lean, brown Mohammedan trot- Il
ed away in obedience to his orders, G
le knew how to stop captive lions Q
rom roaring. He knew how to send
error to their hearts. Al he ran he q
esan to hiss softly. Il
colonel Hare, with his arm about
'innie, walked toward the bungalow. Il
Lock your pet up, Kit" he called
yer MS shoulder, and come into tea."
Aathlyn spoke soothingly to the
opard, scratched his head behind the 81
l"' and shortly low. satisfied rum
g stirred his throat, and his tail no Ii
niger slashed about. She led him to Of
: own cage, never ceasing to talk, Of
exec the door, then turned and L,
aiked thoughtfuny toward the bunga- de
v. -
Sne was wondering what this sift sh
= taat put awe into the eyes az the in
-s-.~ 4