New-York tribune., 1922-08-06
THE BURGLAR
AND THE CAT
Nv Lucie Delarnc-Mardrus
translated By w. /. McPherson
rr STRETCHED his hand toward the
II door with gesture of annoyance.
IT sys-afI yoannef Are von ssouai,,ere,,

-
mt she held back. It was hard for her to
,...s her cat. For in her woman's heart, hav-
"a children, she lavished on this animal all
- treasures of maternal affection
a.. yspoir, Ki-ki, Take care of the house,
assrest!"
.you are foolishi' the young man naunabled,
,..ey;ng her away. "Do cats guard houses?
sov. certainly A dog is at least good for
.ouething But cat!'
And their daily dispute was renewed as they
cont on their way.
The cat, delivered from her couple of un-
..ssuonous servitors, seated herself in the
middle Of the dining room. She licked her
cat carefully, to purify her stripes and spots
fyom contact with unwelcome hands. Was it
~ enough already, in this hot weather, to be
compelled to wear her heavy fur?
e,,,fated by the liver which she had Just
s.tsn. she was filled with Indifference and con-
,smnt dreaming Of slumber and digestion in
some SOFT shady and quiet corner
The mower of slumber in animals is some
thing ;ncommensurable. delicious repose,
vithout any disagreeable starts--a door which
hangs. voices which speak, the useless and an
,o1,;ny babel of eternal human conversation
hen she awoke the obscurity was denser
a me about? The emptiness and silence of
,ha house made an impression on her. Why
we're there no humans there? A change in
the habits of every day-how disagreeable, or,
better still, how scandalous!
With a contemptuous rancor she looked
through all the dark rooms and then decided to
90 and amuse herself in the garden while wait
ing for them. She sensed the twilight outside,
the ancestral hunting hour, the hour of the
Jungle.
Before the closed door scandal turned into
snguish. Locked in? All alone?
Her agitation suddenly yielded to perfect
immobility. Crouching down, she made her
body look like turtle with gray shell.
Posted before the door, she waited: She knew
that you had only to stay near door long
enough and it would open. For her dignity
never admitted that door was opened by
hands.
An immense patience took possession of her
stubbornly, her ears alone betraying her inner
dsquietude, she kept her position for more
than an hour, watching the crack under the
door, waiting for the sound Of returning foot
steps.
Gradually hunger attacked her, making her
little leonine body feel hollow. Instinct began
10 cry from the depths of her imperious being
From the tip of her little reddish nose, of
Egyptian cornelian, to the end of her serpen-
tine tail, it said this, nothing but this: Liver.
LIVER Liver'
Suddenly she stretched, became distended
and uncovered her four-ringed paws once
more. Contempt, disdain, self-sufficiency-all
had flown away. Liver! Liver! Liver.'
The delicate tympanum Of the cats ears
Nbrated. There was rustling from the direc-
ton Of the dining room. Some one-at last!
She rushed to see. Liver! Liver, Liver!"
1t was human, in fact. He had entered
naseessly by the window. Armed with an
electric lamp, he was now looking about.
The burglar gave q start of terror. The
cat was on the table, against his hands. She
h rubbed herself on them, purred, arched her
4 back and tossed her paws.
4 "Liyer! Liver! Liver! Aren't you going
% give me any It's my meal time am all
alone. am hungry And love you"
The man said to himself:
'lf there Is anybody here I will kill him.
That was simple But the unexpected cat
/ aed him with astonishment--with strange
astonishnent. The animals caresses discon-
eerted him.
de made a movement, which he never com.
plsted, In the light of his lamp he had seen,
4 ated to his evil eyes, long, greenish look.
4 = look Of woman in love.
Il YER Liverl Liver."
.ie translated 1t:
I like you! like you! I like you
II was the first time since he was born that
I savlng being had spoken So to him. He had
nown only evil, blows, hatred, prison, sus-
ncion and fear.
de pushed back the animal, who became
.a.ious. His feverish hands collected objects
httie piles, on the end of the table.
Get out"
4 Aow the cat was between his feet She gave
leap. She was again IN the table.
uoht make eyes like that at me, or will
/ diyou!"
Inc two emeralds responded:
adore you!"
men the hands softened. The black fingers
4 a themselves supple. Forgetting his sin
aat
aa' In heavens name, what is the matter
va me?n
1"as So His tears flowed He made an
8, movement which he did not finish Then,