Evening star., 1925-06-07
This and That
By Charles E. TracetoeH.

Mr.. Jack Spratt, popular cat-about-
town, stood at the garden gate
twirling his fashionable striped tail.
The well known club cat hesitated.
Should he strike south, or should
he 60 north? Should he investigate
the alleys to the east, or the more
populous thoroughfares to the west?
Judging from the depths of his
round eyes. Mr.. Spratt was in ex-
treme doubt which section to favor
with his elegant presence tonight.
He glanced up Estey alley, he looked
down 1t. he gazed back at the house,
he peered across the way.
Jacks white shirt front, together
with the pure white ruff around his
neck, cleaned like silk under the
light of the gas lamp. His white
paws. fore and aft. were immaculate.
His gray and black striped body
glistened as IL bathed in oil.
Certainly the alley had never seen
a more spick k-and-span fellow. He
fairly oozed feline satisfaction. Con-
tent mantled his starched whiskers.
reeked from the set of his ears and
fairly dripped from that restless tail
What a delicate. sensitive member
cats tail is, to be sure, The cats
whisker may lie, but the cats tail
never! Even though a cat purrs. his
tail will give him away, IL he is de-
ceitful.
When you pet a cat. keep your eye
on the tip of its tail and II the caudal
appendage is agitated. beware! Never
trust a cat that wiggles its tail when
1t purrs.
Back in the yard. Spratt's so-called
owner lolled comfortably on snappy
new piece of garden furniture. bench
made out of wood with the bark on.
I saw "so-calIed owner" because no
body owns a tomcat of the alley breed.
Such a cat owns itself.
II am the master of my fate, sings
the alley cat. whether wild or domesu-
Gated. Henley's famous poem Is the
national hymn of Catdom. Each cat
is the captain of it's own soul and
calls no man master.
Such a cat accepts meat. housing,
petting, attention, warmth, catntp and
other delicacies as his by divine right
He is grateful for it all, in his quiet,
,, we'll bred feline way, but he Is not
your slave because Of it all.
He informs you. with delicate grace,
that he is your equal and is deter
mined to remain 50. The house cat
pays no taxes, yet enjoys the best that
the city affords.
II catch mice he seems to say. If
any one questions his right. Look
me up in the encyclopedia and you
| will find that eminent authorities de-
clare American agriculture would not
exist without me. Yes. decidedly yes -
Therefore Jack Spratt, standing by
| the back gate, could go or come as he
| pleased. Tonight he seemed about to
! duplicate his customary@evening per-
| formance Of seeking adventure afar.
Come back, Jack, tomorrow morn
| ing" l called after him. The cat did
not seem to hear. He continued to
look down the alley. He twirled his
| tail vigorously.
Then. In his peculiar way, he gave
a hearty meow, turned around. and
walked back up the path.
"If you don't mind. ] guess I will
stay home tonight. mister, meowed
Jack. "All dressed up, and no place
to go, you know how 1t is
Spratt's determination to stay was
greeted with enthusiasm by those on
the bench. Here was an opportunity
to introduce him to the new place to
sit.
AS vet Jack had not deigned to
notice it: He had looked at 1t from
the porch with huge scorn. but had
not condescended to make a personal
investigation.
| The new bench arose to the i'm
| portance of q backyard event, how
ever, in our eyes. We wondered If
rain would hurt 1t, and decided In the
negative.
Nothing could harm that bench. we
thought. 1t had the bark on!
Come over. Jack, and sit down on
the nice bench"
"Meow!"
| Old Spratt sauntered over and
sprang up on my lap. eyes wide open
| in the gathering dusk. He stretched
out his paws, and they touched the
bench.
No sooner had his paws hit the
bench, than he pricked up his ears,
stuck out his claws and began to
sharpen them on the bark.
| Hey, stop that. You'll ruin this
new bench"
| But Jack Spratt. following an in
stinct centuries old, continued to
vigorously whet his claws at the
bench's expense. No doubt he will
keep on doing 1t. too, all the rest of
! the Summer