The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-05-24
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Beauty and Beethoven.
Nv n. RAY aAkEE
Copyright, 1919, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)


Copyright, 1913, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)
t7- HBRE was nothing Angora or 9TH
erwise stylish about Beethoven.
He came Of family Of ordinary
striped gray and black cats, but he was
far from being an ordinary cat. At
least such was the opinion Of Velma
Blake, who, occupied two rooms on
the third floor back in the Jordan
flats. and who adopted the feline wan
derer and christened him.
yeirna was employed as head Of the
music department in the Emporium
five and tencent establishment. She
was q pretty busy girl and also she
out the comma the phrase fits. She
had little time to spend in the care
OF pets, but when a stray cat knocks
at ones. door and one happens to be
particularly fond OF that species of
animal, what can one do but offer
home?
She took him in and fed him, and
as he proceeded to make himself COM
Portable and refused to leave the
vicinity of her rooms when she set
him out in the hall, she was forced
70 the conclusion that she was elected
TO be the creatures mandatory.
velma's roommate didn't care for
cats. why didn't you get dog?"
she demanded, but she managed to
reconcile herself, in time, to the addi-
ton to the little family.
Beethoven proved to be a mysteri-
Gus being. He would vanish for two
or three days at time, and then sud-
denly reappear and remain at home
tor Q period Of equal length. making
his arrival known by the usual wailing
serenade. velma got used TO these.
conings and goings, for there was a
certain amount OF regularity about
them, and soon she was able to FORE
cast almost with certainty the day
and hour the wanderer would return
from his sojourn.
At the front of tho apartment
house, in the basement, lived Ned
9ayre, bachelor young man. He
shared the rooms, with an acquaint
ance, but his life was rather lonely,
for the two had little in common, al.
though they got along well enough
together.
Like Velma, Ned was cat fancier,
ana like her he had taken possession
OF one that paid him a visit on two or
three occasions when his living room
window was open. The roommate
voiced some objections, but thesa
y were overruled, and Beauty, as the
cat was christened, soon occupied a
welcome place in the household, II two
rooms and bath may be called such.
Like Beethoven, Beauty went away
on strange missions which he never
explained or even tried to explain.
Ned's duty as clerk in a haberdashery
kept him away from home most of
the day, and 1t is next to impossible
to follow a cat in the dark, so
Beauty's whereabouts during these
periodical absences remained a secret.
Ned was OF timid nature; that is,
he was timid when a member OF the
other sex was In proximity. However.
he had struck up an acquaintance
: with Velma Blake and had got to the
etage where he could relapse into a
day dream when crossing the busiest
corner OF the busiest street.
He mustered sufficient courage
once a week to take Velma to thea
ire or some other kind of entertain
ment, but had never been in her
apartment, that being against the
rules OF the house. Consequently, he
never was introduced to her Bee
thoven.
Such trivial subjects as cats are not
ottent discussed between young men
and young women who are keeping
company. There are more important
matters such as music, bon-bons, au-
tomobues, vaudeville and clothes: 80
why should couple of stray pets get
into the conversation? It would be
queer way to carry on a love af-
fnir, would It not? Can you imagine
couple holding hands and at the
same time q heated argument con-
earning the merits of their respec.
tive cats? So, in spite of the fact
that both Velma and Ned were very
Sond OF their pets, the subject never
entered their talk.
TWO things puzzled Ned, and the
more he thought about them the
moro puzzled he became. One was
the peculiar and repeated disappear
ei1co OF Beauty and the other wa
how TO win Velma for his lIfelor =,
partner. Rather strange combinl-
ton Of worries for young man. but
NED could not understand the girl
aiiE more than he could the cat.
Similar mysteries concerned yelma,
One was the strange absc. ces of
Beethoven, and the other wa, how to
win Ned for the head OF h.r family.
e one OF them had been ale to look
int the others mind ire would
nave been no trouble scout solving
cue OF the puzzles, I'd of course
that was the more oortant one of
GhatRe.
Just when It ser+led that Ned and