Sioux County pioneer., 1922-07-06
The Homeless
Black Cat /
.opyrixht. 1921. Western Newspaper Union
By wINIFRED DUNBAR.

Copyright. 1921, Western Newspaper Union.
Croft Waddington voted ii a blessed
chance that inpelled him to spoil
good suit Of clothes, indulge In u chilli.
ing bath and place himself under
doctors care for week. 1t was all
for cat, u skinny, homeless ill-na-
tured black cat, only-the feline had
leaped into disaster from the soft
graceful arms of tile most radiant
young girl Croft had ever seen. Il
He had been only a week ut Durham
and was stranger there He had
worked too hard for five years for a
great oil concern in the city and lad
broken down. Valued and popular, the
giant monopoly had given him two
months salary in advance and lib
eral bonus and had told him 70 get out
into the country and build up
It was dull at the dead little town
he had come to. He had come upon
the girl on rustic bridge crossing
narrow but deep stream. Alta glance
Croft saw that she was in direful dis.
tress She had been carrying hhlf-cov.
cred up in a light wrap the black cat
IN question. It had given sudden
leap for freedom. The animal missed
the rail aimed for, and with resound-
ing howl and q splash struck the wa
tel. and disappeared under It,, L
There was vivid scream from the
young lady. Croft leaped lightly oyer
the rail. There was a second, splash.
Nina screamed. again. d
with apologies from both," OBJ
served Croft with a faint smile as he
held the wilted and bedraggled feline
towards her. B s',a
"Oh, why did you?' cried Nina, her
eyes sparkling, her, lips distended, her
hand resting gratefully on his arm,
dripping as it was-''but oh, how.
grand !" AZ rs
1T was worth it-for:, the cat, :. de-
clared Croft as Nina caressed the res
cued animal. She flushed and tried to
change the direct theme. sfSt
"YOu know l teach music in the vii
lage," she went on in her artless way.
Il would ask you to the COTTAGE"
proceeded Nina in deep embarrass-
ment, "but you must be-lried."
'The sum will do that" insisted
Croft gaily. "The cottage-your home,
I presume? And in this lovely spot
] should like to see it," and thus, un-;;
kempt as he was, the venturesome
Croft glided along by the side Of the
dainty little miss, an insistent and ad-
mfring cavalier, and-caught the cold
of his life.
He went to sleep that night dream
ing Of IL stroll to that same woodland
cottage. He awoke with sore throat
and fever and a doctor sent for
More than once, after day or two
when he was over the crisis he heard
a gentle feminine voice speak in the
outer apartment. His landlady told
him it was Miss Vincent. d
Then there was a beautiful bouquet
of wild flowers brought to him each
day. !! .,,9s
The next day Croft essayed one of
his customary walks-0f course to-
wards the woodland COTTAGE. She had
chided herself as the cause of his ILL.,
ness--a rush of words. toacheck her
self with a conscious blush in the midst
of telling how he had not left her
thoughts. @
"Hence these tears7" he intimated
smilingly.
'Oh, dear, not" she disclaimed-"it
is Cleo" Il
"Cleo?" he repeated ignorantly. A
CLEOPATRA, the black cat" Nj
"Ah, r understand now," bowed
Croft. "In trouble again?''
"In dreadful trouble" declared Nina,
and the corners Of her pretty mouti,
drew down dislnally. "From the first
aunty has rebelled-says "a black cat
brings bad luck. I have traced her
to a burrow over ltear the creek, but
l can't coax her out"
LET me help you."
Behold the convnfescent, lively as a;
cricket, one-half an hour later bending
over a rock-strewn spot with match
and looking down a cavernous hole.
where two bright eyes glowed. s
'I've got her." he announced, and
drew out the truant. AS Croft did so
he dropped the. lighted match into a.
little pool at one side. There was a.
flash. Ia
."Oil". he said, in some surprise.
"Quite fnd.F Miss Vincent, wish to-
investigate this"
One week later Miss Clarinda Mes
bit walked into town to sign over the
old farm fora royal sum to the great
oil MONOPOLY. s.,
She carried in her arms, tenderly4
cherished, the former token Of misfor-'
tune, Of i'll luck, now, transformed to-
her glorified vision into veritable,
mascot Cleopatra. s
And in her wake like cooling lovers