The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-01-01
MRS. BAKERS CAT
BY DON LA GRANGE.

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 I
country. took a street car for half /
mile and then walked for the same dis |
lance to find herself In front of the |
Widow Bakers cottage. Just as she /
arrived the old woman ran out TO the /
gate and screamed:
"She's dytng!" walled Mrs. Baker,
looking down at an outstretched cat
Maybe fits only q fit and we can
save her Get dish OF cold water.
The water was brought and thrown
ever the grimaIlin. and after long
minute she opened her eyes and re-
turned to the land of the living
81 am thankful to heaven!" piously
exclaimed Mrs. Baker, 40 she rolled
her eyes to the sky.
That day Osborne Chalmers had de-
cided to take half holiday and walk
into the country In the afternoon. He
was going to see things that might In
huence him to buy an S0-acre farm
when he saw cottage, an old woman,
| q girl and q blinking old cat.
"Will you come here?" called the
Widow Baker.
'Ts II anything serious ?" he asked,
az he entered the gate.
my old cat has had 1T! What.
would you advise me to do?"
cit seems to me the better way
would be to get rid Of her"
But how am / going to get rid Of
herr"
she ought to be carried of and
drowned
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
E widows cat to disturb their peace of
mind, but in this case the occasion was
furnished by Providence. It put the
idea into Miss Ruth's head to take an
other country walk and see how the
old cat got along
Il believe I'll just take 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 fit. but she looked as if
first convenient opportunity.
Tes, she looks bad" agreed Mrs.
Baker, and 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. If she is carried a mile
don't believe she can find her way
back again"
But how will carry her?p asked
Ruth.
~ don't know that you'd ever come
back, but I've thought 1t all out. Well
put her in a paper -four sack that
have saved. When you get about a
mile away empty her out, say Shoot
and that will be the last Of her. She'll
find home somewhere
Miss Ruth agreed to do the errand
and after a time started back with the
captive. The cat made no great OBJ
jections to being sacked up. 1t ii
possible that she rather longed for q
change Of environment.
A cat in a flour sack meows ane
snar1s and splits She claws and bites
and walls. She wobbIes the sack t.
and fro and back and forth
Miss Ruth was hurrying along witt
that sacked cat when she saw young
man approaching. It was Osborn,
Chalmers When he saw the wob
bling sack held out at arms length b,
suspected It's contents and hastenet
his steps He was too late, however
What is to be will be- It was fore
ordained that that cat was to claw he
: way out, and out she came The felin
could have made peaceful and hon
orable retreat into the roadside bush
. es, but she did nothing of the kind
She claWed off Miss Ruth's hat an
% scratched her faceshe clawed an
y scratched the face Of Mr.. Chalmer
. when he went to the rescue. The
: she inflicted two or three bites, an
went her way.
The humanitarians were sadly
need of repairs, and they made 70
the Widow Bakers.
The widow stood on her porch wit
: glad smile on her face. So did he
9 old cata
I'm so glad to see you. exclaime
the woman as the cIawed an
! scratched and bitten couple entere
- the gate The cat has got over be
II fits and is playing around as she use
to when she was kitten. 1t must haV
been the fright that did it"
When the wounds Of the victims ha
been dressed the widow sent them Q
| their way with:
II did think the whole world Wa
hard-hearted, but this incident h;
shown me to the contrary May
widows blessing attend youi"
Miss Ruth and Mr. Chalmers wake
away together.
fCopvright, 1914. by the Mcclure Newsp
per Syndicate.1