The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-10-07
Tale ofa Cat That Led
A Double Life Despite
His WabbLy Animation
Warm Arms, Warm Milk-Then Raw Steak-and the
Tragic Romance of Feline That Couldn't Stand
Too Much Prosperity

| his being swept into some ones lap
to be cuddled and petted and COM
miserated with.
One day he ventured as far as
across the street. and into a strange
yard. And there re found human be-
ings with the same soft hearts which
he was just learning existed in The
breasts of the race. They also cud
died him and petted him, and there
were occasional dishes of warm milk
for him there. i
That is when Sandy commenced to
lead his double life. His affections and
his time were divided by the street.
Part of his lie was lived on one side
of it and part of the time on the other.
and he was sure of a welcome on
either side.
! And as the Bible records of some
/ ancient ruler, he waxed fat, and got
a little high headed. He conceived
! himself beyond the stage of warm
more fitting for his diet.
! Here the skipper differed with him,
and he was denied the delicacy One
/ evening there was steak for dinner,
and Sandy vociferously demanded his
ration before it had been cooked He
was admonished, and the steak was
| left lying on the kitchen table, for
| moment unmatched.
With prodigious effort and under
huge difficulty he made his deformed
!
mounted first a convenient chair, then
the table. He was discovered in the
act of digging his sharp little claws
into the paper which wrapped the
steak
| He was hailed down. and talked to
very sternly. The first mate even
shook him a little, and would have
spatted him, but his misshapen little
form forbade.
But he was exiled to the back porch,
RI in I1n
steak should have been broiled, when
he was promised a morsel of it.
His Soul in Revolt.
/ But prosperity had gone to Sandy's
head. He was affronted. He had been
denied his rights, and his soul was in
revolt. He would not tolerate such
! degradation and such mistreatment
longer. He took his staggering way
across the street. to his other home.
1t is not recorded what treatment
he received there. Probably there was
no more raw steak forthcoming than
there had been from his hard hearted
first loves. But he stayed the night
there, at any rate, and the skipper and
the first mIte went to bed wondering
what had become of him, with visions
of him lost in the adjoining lots. There
were half az dozen trips to the back
porch to listen for his unmusical voice,
and to call him in case he had lost his
sense of direction. Twice, in the still
watches ofSthe night, the skipper be-
lieved she heard his voice, and the
first mate was hurried on deck to
listen and call again. 49,.
| But morning dawned and there was
no Sandy to squawk a racous greeting
and then pur his delight.
/ Fell With Face Toward Home.
| Late that afternoon, the mystery
was solved.
! In the middle of the street, crushed
~, .f
careless motorists car, Sandy was
| found. His little, crippled legs bear
| ing him sIowlyaand waveringly across
the vast stretch of asphalt toward his
first home, with forgiveness in his
! little heart and that vibrating, husky
pur in his throat-back to be cuddled
and admonished and to play awk
wardly with the fringe of the rugs
his legs had failed him in his time of
need. He fell with his face toward
| home.
| Possibly it wasn't the motorists
! papers would call the death car had
honestly tried to avoid him, perhaps
had only estimated, in his ignorance,
Sandys agility and power to escape.
Possibly the driver counted it a coup
to have killed the kitten.
Be that as it may, Sandys troubles
and his joys were over forever, and
his crushed and misshapen little body
was borne with sorrow and regret 10
a hastily made grave in the back yard
which he had explored so toilsomely.
His very shortcomings had been his
claim to consideration and pity-and
| then affection.
And this is the moral which adorns
the tale of Sandy-no matter if you
! have nine lives don't try to lead
double life, nor let your appetite for
raw meat get out of bounds.