Evening star., 1922-09-10
The Cat and the Burglar
-By Nine. Lucie Delarue-Mardrus-

door long enought and II would
open. For her dignity never admit
| ed that a door was opened by hands
An immense patience took posses
4 sion of her Stubbornly, her ears
alone betrayin her inner disQuietude.
| she kept her position for more than
| an hour, watching the crack under
the door, waiting for the sound of
| returning footsteps.
Gradually hunger attacked her.
making her little leonine body feel
hollow. Instinct began to CRY from
the depths OF her imperious being.
From the tip of her little reddish
nose. OF Egyptian cornelian, TO the
end Of her serpentine tail. it said
this, nothing but this: Liver. Liver!
Liver
Suddenly she stretched, became dis
| tended and uncovered her four-ringed
paws once more. Contempt, disdain,
self f-sufficiency-all had flown away.
Liver, Liver! Liver
1t was then that the meowihE
commenced and the bodily suffering.
A heart-rending longing for humans
enlarged her elastic pupils. only two
delicate circles Of emerald now show
ing in her little spotted face.
II was now well on into the night.
How long had this slender shadow
been pouring out her complaints into
the silence?
The delicate tympanum OF the cats
ears vibrated. There was a rustlinE
from the direction OF the dining room.
Some one-at last!
She rushed to see. Liver. Liver
Liver"
1t was a human. in fact He had
entered noiselessly by the window.
Armed with an electric lamp, he was
now looking about
The burglar gave a start of ter
ror The cat was on the table. against
his hands She rubbed herself on
them, purred. arched her back and
tossed her paws.
Liver. Liver. Liverl Aren't you
going to give me any. It's my meal
time I am all alone. / am hungry.
And 1 love you
The man said to himself:
| IF there IL anybody here | will kill
him.
That was simple But the unex-
pected cat filled him with astonish
| ment-with strange astonishmeN.
| The animals caresses disconnected
! him.
He made a movement. which he
never completed. In tho light Of his
lamp re had seen. lifted to his evil
eyes, a long. greenish look. the look
of q woman in love.
Liver! Liver! Liverr"
He translated It:
1T like you! like you, like you"
1t was the first time since he was
born that living being had spoken
so to him. He had known only evil.
blows, hatred. prison, suspicion and
fear.
He pushed back the animal. who
became furious. His feverish hands
collected objects in little piles. on the
end Of the table.
Get OUT
Now the cat was between his feet.
She gave a leap. She was again op
the table.
Don't make eyes like that at me. or
1 will kill you"
The two emeralds responded:
"I adore you:'
Then the hands softened. The black
fingers made themselves supple. For
getting his sinister Job. the robber
cautiously caressed the cat.
"Ah. In heavens name, what Is the
matter with me?'
It was so. His tears flowed. He
made another movement which he did
NOT finish Then, by the window
which he had broken TO enter the
house the man left il, taking nothing
with him, conquered by the first
tender emotion he had felt in all his
life.
THEY returned punctually the next
morning.
Listen to her catel lwauling. One
would think that she was telling us
something!"
But a minute later there was
panic.
I'VE have been robbed!'
When they discovered that nothing
had been taken away. the young wife
remarked; her teeth still chattering:
You see-you see that the cat
guarded the house.
And she didn't know that she was
'telknGr the truth