Evening star., 1921-02-27
Pension Office Cat,
Owner of a Bond,
~sGOes to Last Rest

] THE, penslsnaofiice cat is dead. BY
the penSiogh Office eat it is not
meant to refer to any of the mere
cats whichfsat EtimeS have taken up
| their abode sRn1 lived in the pension
office. M enes would have spoken
of the pens5ons office cat as living
anywhere. Heswas of the class of
those who reside This creature was
| installed in the pension Office about
| ten years ago and soon after his in
stallation he owned" the place.
With regal air, whiskers shifting
| the breeze, tail aloft, this gray
striped animal walked. or trod.
i rather. the tiled floors of court and
corridors as one who belongs" He
| was large, we'll fed, even corpulent.
He came and went as he pleased.
He was petted when he chose to per-
NIT it. He took his siestas wherever
it best suited him, on top of desks
! and sacred office papers, or in care
fully prepared hooks in desk draw
ers when he came and asked to have
them opened for him.
|, Birds used to nest in the ventila-
tors of the windows, and one of the
cats pastimes was fishing down these
openings with his gray, white-tipped
paw; for stray young birds. which Ii"
fondly hoped might still finger there.
The years passed only to make HIM
more and more a part of the place.
Often in the morning, if the day " as
fine, not otherwise he designed 10
sit outside Of pne of the doors to
IVn DO a
not to dwell as he did. in these col
umned precincts but to earn their
daily bread in hie palace.
During the war when patriotic
speeches were made by distinguished
men in the large court. in behalf of
the Red Cross, or for the purpose of
raising money for the liberty loans.
the cat took part. Never did he miss
an assembly, and under his fur coat
his heart was stirred by all the lofty.
patriotic utterances until he would
seek a place at the very foot of the
dais raised for the speaker of the oc-
casion. When patriotic songs Were
sung in the morning during those
trying months, the cats soul seemed
to respond, and he would walk softly
about his large court. too moved to
raise his voice with the others.
But the climax of his glory came at
the close of the big drive to put over
the top the last victory loan. Every one
in the pension Office bought, and some
bought again and yet again, and then
in the silence Of the court where all
were gathered. the voice of the depu-
ty commissioner of pensions rang out:
Every one has a bond-the COM
missioner. the chiefs of divisions, the
clerks. the laborers and charwomen.
Now. I propose to buy bond for the
office cat." And he did.
Was there a cat anywhere else on
earth who owned government vic
tory bond? No: not one beside this
supreme cat. who walked now AS
though the earth were not beneath
him. his gray coat puffed out with
pride. his tail tilted at a more AFRO
giant angle. his topaz ewes holding
more insolent stare-this cat p-c
eminent.
Perhaps his pride was too much for
him: perhaps the strain of the war
told on him. as il did on most people.
Soon after that his health began to
fail He showed signs OF age. and
about a wear ago he was revived. TTe
passed the last days Of his life in the
care of one Of the many clerks who
he'd been ford of him.
He missed his old home A longing
for the colnmned court. with its foun-
tain in which goldfish plaved. haunt !,
ed his dreams He was even home
Gus friendly hands Witch IN earlier
davs he had scorned. Rnt he grew
nsed to the change. a-d was grateful
for the care he received. With hi~
passing has gone cat which viii
ALWAYS be part Of. the history OF the
GENEyIEyE FLEMING.