Evening star., 1925-07-05
This and That
By Charles E. Trdcetoeu.

Rejoice. and be glad. all friends
of animals, for Jack Spratt, the cat
came back,
After 1872 days of wandering Jack
returned at dusk, reduced TO
shadow of his former self. his head
bloody, but unbowed, his meow alone
retaining its former vigor
1t was a pitiful little figure more
resembling a rat than a cat, that
came meowing Justify down the
alley just after the rain. A kind
friend picked up the wanderer for us
It's Jack it's jack" rang out
along the way, as lights went on and
neighbors came running To see the
prodigal
What a reception was his, He had
lost 10 of his 3 pounds, his fore
head was torn to shreds. he seemed
but bones and fur. yet no monarch
could have gotten such a welcome.
Jack was glad to get back, too.
Franctically he rubbed his head
against friendly legs. while many
hands tried to pet him at once. His
chief interest was in the refrigerator
Running to it, he meowed vigorously.
Two saucers of milk he consumed
Immediately. All this time an ad-
miring and wonder-struck company
stood around in the kitchen watching
the naI-StarVeQ animal
We'll. WELL the cat came back"
they said, over and over. THE cat
came back"
Jack was a very sick cat, we found
after the first happiness of his return
was over.
Sitting in his old chair, he refused
to rest, but continued to look around
,nsff I11f al
he had attained the haven that he had
sought for two weeks.
Looking at him there, his chest,
shoulder and other bones sticking out
his tail attenuated that had been so
fat. we wondered where he had been.
each person making a theory of his
own.
Some thought he had been locked
up somewhere. others that he had
wandered miles away and had been
working his way back. day by day
or rather night by night
Jack seemed to want to tell us. but
the veil which the Creator has inter
posed between us and the animals re-
mained. God alone knows where
Jack Spratt was during his wander
ings.
. His mouth was so sore, probably
from eating decayed meat garbage,
that he was unable TO eat meat for
several days. One could only conjec-
ture what the cat had been up
against" in his struggles to get home
Yet he seemed happy at last. Graft
tude is not one of Jacks cardinal
traits, but that night he manifested
it plainly, despite his illness. He
would sit in ones lap, purr tremen-
dously, then start uneasily.
&
A visit to the veterinarians helped
him considerably, but the strange sur
roundings frightened him so that it
was thought best 20 bring him home
This second home coming made Jack
more grateful than ever. This time
the wild look was gone from his eyes
and he was soon up to his old tricks
such as sharpening his claws on the
rug, taking the best seat in the room
and demanding veal outlet instead of
round steak.
Jack Spratt is resting up" now,
helping me answer the scores of kind
letters from all parts of the District
of Columbia and nearby States in
quiring about him.
"One touch of cat, you see, Mister.
makes the whole world kim" Jack
meowed, proudly.
He joins me in thanking all those
who sent sympathy, who made tele-
phOne inquiries, VINO CalieQ, VINO
thought they had found him, who in
other ways aided in the cfy-wide
search.
L am hoping that some day Jack
Spratt will tell me the story of his
wanderings, and If he does and If there
is sufficient demand for the tale.
may tell it in this column. along with
the inside story" of perhaps the
greatest cat hunt in civilization.
In the meantime, we will let Jack
slumber and eat in his well deserved
rest, picking up his lost pounds and
his lost health