The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-10
Eue,ning Story
Kitty, My Pretty White Kitty.
BY s. B. HACKLEY.


BY s. B. HACKLEY.
DE house is full up, sah'' The
shining, white-aproned embodiment of
suavity and importance, on the steps
of the high-class boarding house of
the Misses Lovejoy, in the little health
resort town Of Boiling Springs. bowed
uukil his clipped head well-nigh
touched the elusive pink spider lilies
in the flower boxes beside the piazza
steps. At has to ostend to you de in
tensitest regrets o. my ladies, but
ebbuh room is takened. De last one
was bespoked by wfah dis foahnoon.'
When man all his fifty years gets
everything he wants and goes 700
miles on his physicians recommends
ton of the water and baths for a
rheumatic knee. he naturally feels
wexed when, at his journeys end, he
doesn't get the first of his wishes
granted.
Terry Alderson's fine dark eyes
clouded bit as he turned away and
started across the high sloping street
toward the Coppell House, recon-
mepded as the second best boarding
house in Boiling Springs.
- And just then Miss Nellie,' a little,
slim, auburn-hairedNa and smiling lady
about thirty-five years of age, with
the gentlest, softest brown eyes, came
her gate. His face cleared instantly,
and when she stopped to pat the i'm
mense white cat that advanced to
meet her, with kitty, pretty white
kitty, are you glad to see me?" on
her lips, an unreasoning twinge of
jealousy went over him. Why should
a beauteous creature like that waste
affection on cat?
That evening Anderson sat on the
upstairs porch that opened off his
N
light of the moon he watched Miss
Nellie Lovejoy as she stood by the
row of sweet-scented daturas, whose
great, dew-covered white bells made
a glory of the Lovejoy side yard. Then
he saw her stoop and pet the white
cat that followed her
II wouldn't mind being that cat"
he thought whimsically.
The next afternoon, coming from
the bathhouse at the springs, some
distance from the boarding place, AL
derson overlook Miss Loyejoy going
home from her work as clerk at
Framm'S store. He spoke to her, and
making a pretense of desiring some
information. walked along with her
as far as her gate.
Ten days of religiously drinking the
mineral waters and taking the baths
and Alderson's rheumatic knee was
nearly well, but he was having strange
feelings in the vicinity of his heart. :
He had never cared anything for
women as he knew them in the north,
but he had never before been ac-
quainted with an auburned-hs red
southern lady. with a voice like soft,
ripping water and eyes like pools in
the forest.
Boxes OF roses began quite frequent
ly to come down on number eleven"
the late afternoon train, from the
nearest big town for Miss Nellie Love-
iny- and wicker hnvad ~ n,
lates without number. with "T. NJ.
Alderson's'' card incIosed.
And Miss Nellie glowed and dim
pied and smiled until the Fran1rn GUS
toners, who had always loved her,
fairly Worshiped her.
And in the seventh heaven of de-
light Jonathan received the boxes of
candy and flowers, and watched thru
the front door screen each afternoon
the gentleman from Detroit, as he
fingered at the gate. loath to lift his
hat from his handsome gray head in
goodby to Miss Nellie.
About 8 o'clock one morning of the
fifth week of his stay in Boiling
Springs Anderson was awakened by a
fmeowing" in the back yard. For an
hour there was continuous squalling.
When the cat finally ceased it's noise
Anderson. who loved late sleeping,
could sleep no more. He rose thoroly
exasperated.
The next night there was repetf-
ton of the feline serenade. Anderson
bounded from his bed and saw in the
yard below the balcony the big, white
cat that belonged at the Lovejoy
hoyse. He threw a convenient golf
stick limits direction and returned to
bed, but sleep was gone.
ITO whom does the white cat that
stays at Jour house belong?' Alder
son asked bit stiffly of Miss Nellie,
as he overlook her on her way home
that afternoon.
"Snow Darlfng??" she smiled. "Oh.
he belongs to Mrs. Gilman. an old lady
who has made her home here so long,
and we all make a pet of him. she
went on in her musical tones.
IF he keeps up that after midnight
noise as he did last night and the
night before,' Anderson commenced.
'somebody'H make a corpse OF him"
why. we've didn't hear any
noise" Miss Nellie demonstrated. "you
must have been dreaming, Mr.. Alder
SON"
Three nights went by before the
white cat again serenaded the CoppelI
house. Then two nights together AL
derson's rest was broken. At that
time he was the only boarder who
slept on that side of the house, and
the only one who heard the cater
wau1ing- At the end of the second
night Anderson went to the Lovejoy
house and demonstrated
Miss Nellie was not at home. but
Misses Euphemia and Jessie expressed
their regret and promised to try to get
Mrs. Gilman to keep Snow Darling
in at night. Anderson went home
somewhat Modified.
Jonathan watched him uneasiiy as
he took his departure.
"Ef my ladies knewed what was
good fun 'em," he commented, "dey'd
Observation-Disclosures