Evening star., 1925-04-09
HAS BEEN IS NOW
ALLEY CATS ANGEL
Once Prosperous Man Wins
Vagrant Felines' Love
by Generosity.
BY REX COLLIER.

BY REX COLLIER.
There was a screech of brakes
down on Ninth street yesterday af-
ternoon, followed by a womans ex-
cited oh"
Pedestrians saw a dirty black and
white cat dart from in front of the
halted wheels of a big shiny touring
car. The cat stood bewildered for q
moment and made another start fol
the curb.
The opening toward which the
feline headed suddenly became filled
with four balloon tires. surmounte &c
by q racy chassis and a swirl of dust
and smoke.
Some nlotorist had seen that open
ing first.
A feline spine became arched ant
covered with black and white bristle.
at the thought of such a narrow
escape.
But something called that cat on
| something that told watchers tha
this downtown, sophisticated, auto
mobile lodging cat had an object II
| life. The object, 1t was clear, la,
across the street and to the south
toward d street
Defes Danger In Haste.
Finally reaching the curb will
| safety, the daring kitty paused no
to look to the right OF left, bu
swung into a brisk canter, undel
menacing human heels and careless
human toes, toward the intersection
half a block away. A watery tongue
licked eager jaws en- route.
Around the corner the animal went
as the broad, uninteresting vista OF
D street came into view, two feline
ears bent forward, two greenish eye,
q
Tenth street, and 1t almost seemed a.
though a feline paw was about to b'
raised to. shade the owners concen
trated gaze.
Then, satisfied that the object in lif'
| had not yet appeared, the pantint
Ninth street kitty dropped on he,
launches, glanced around and nodded
for the first time to two other furry
friends, with equally expectan
countenances.
| AS plainly as though they coult
| talk instead of meow this alley trit
| told spectators that they had a heav,
date at the same time in the sam,
| place, undoubtedly with the sam,
datee The time was 4:30. and the
place was the south side of d street
near the alley back of the cornel
movie palace.
Anxious but Confident.
| Every now and then the cats woult
stand up, peer down the walk towart
| Tenth street. and then recline again
| They were restless. but their very &C
| tions bespoke confidence in the out
| come.
Suddenly one of the trio, that hat
| sneaked "a glance westward, wa
| crystalized into action. The two com
| panions also caught the thrill. The.
started rapidly, though sedately, dowl
| the street. These cats, though of tn
street were we'll behaved.
Their objective soon became ap
parent 1t was an elderly gentleman
with a bundle Of newspapers unde
one arm and a cane in the other hand
AS the cats met him he smiled, sait
| a few words of greeting, but con
tinued walking toward the alley
/ Passing 1t, he halted beside an area
way, laid his bundle and cane down
reached into his pocket for a bag. ant
pulled out a handful of meat scraps
| Hello BIackfe and Tommy ant
Kitty" said the kindly-faced gentle
man. "Hows everybody? Hungr.
again? Well, fall to. And Kitty
how's the babies down there?"-
nodding toward the areaway.
| Reporter Scents Story.
! A curious reporter could stand thi
thing no longer. He stepped forward
identified himself. and asked the VIII.
and wherefore.
/ INV name? What does that matter
lust Cali me The Old Has-Been. IL yo'
| m,,st write something, but l. wish yol
wouldn't. Yep, I'm just an old has
been. Sort Of alone in the world, yo'
Iunderstand, and these cats here keei
ma from getting too lonely. You Sc
In had A cat once-Kitty / called her
I.nd she STAYED with me for Ave yearr
Then she left one day last July.
feIt nretty bad about it So. jus
tnaturally liking cats, I guess. 1 go
Ito feeding these hungry-looking Kit
ties down here after breakfast an
dinner.
Ir started. but after they got to ex
lrectInr me at s o'clock every mornini
nth my bottle of milk and at 4:a
I.ysrv afternoon with my meat JUS
didn;t have the heart to disappoin
them. You wouldn't, either. l bet.
4 Fed Cat Costly Food.
"rust an old has-been. now. Blu
,caa 70 have plenty Of money whe
~ nrinfing business was doing bet
/ tar than II Is now. I used to buy tha
cor of mine as much as $3 worth
saoa ZACH day. She liked sardines
hut they had to be in olive oil, 80 sh
rot them in olive oil. And she ma
an awful hankering for liyer--that ii
calves. liver. no other kind, and
4 honrht her lots OF that. But after tn
war business wasn't 30 good and
had to cut out some OF those or
pensive delicacies. She got just wha
I ate, though.
"But guess Kitty thought I wa
j sIiShtinr her She didn't know tn
truth, Of course. So one day last Jul
4 she disappeared"
4 The Old Has B Been had a moist fiir
| over his eyes - he finished his stors
| Well, I hAyent forGotten my =, me- :,
laughed to the gulping cats As the
rubbed against his trousers. NO sil