Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-14
This and That
By Charles E. T.ccemeli.

Jack Spratt. summing himself o..
striped tail in high satisfaction.
How was he to distinguish betveei.
timers and cat doctors?
The cat doctor was one thing, the
timer another. The first Jack knew
from experience. the second he could
never know, for Il cat knows nothing
Of either tin or timers.
Therefore ell strange men. tnclUd
ing those who fi% roofs, g,Itters. etc.
arc cat doctors, as !ac as Jac.. Sprat'
Is concerned.
Any man wearing . hat. especiAll.'
II he bears O sctchel or bag IN one
hand, Is a cat doctor 10 JACK. AMI
with these professional gentlemen
Jack has had more than enough to d..
These preliminary statements are
necessary In order 70 give the render
an outline. as It were. Of the cats
mind. At best the mind OF a cat is o
strange thing. One might study II d.
lifetime and still know little more
than when he started out.
We proceed, OF course. on the the
Dry that d cat has mind. Some ma
dispute this, but the friends OF cats
will be In no doubt about the matter.
If cat hasn't q mind. he has some
thing remarkably close TO II.
The timers came TO fix a quite.
pushed down by the recent heav!
snow. Melting, and then freeZir~.
the water became ice. and weighed
down the gutter.
After spending the necessary mum
her Of minutes in the front yard max
ing a thorough examination Of q ire
mendously large "fishin' worm"
brought to the surface by the thav
the timers placed a large ladder
against the house.
1t was at this. minute that Jaca
spratt. attracted by the open froEf
door, sauntered out to get a taste O.
Spring.
"Ah. ha" growled spratt, drawn,
back. Cat doctors.'
Sure enough. there we're two meu
In the front yard. large individuals
who looked threateningly at JACK.
Spratt thought Il high time to beat &
retreat.
He fed hack through the living
room and hid under the davenport
just his white nose and bright eyef
showing.
The timers then discovered THAI
they had no nails. What 70 do? 4
bright thought came. 1t was sur
gested that some of the old laths
used as kindling might contain nails
Accordingly. one Of the men started
into the house to so to the baseInert
after some nails In order to proceed
with their work.
"Lordr' breathed Jack, offering w
a feline prayer. Here they come
after me!'
Without more ado. the cat sprans
up and away, making more than q
zee line for the staircase. up which he
ran. Below him came the tramp Of
feet. At the top of the steps Spratt
looked back. lie saw the man dis
appear.
Feeling a bit rea ssured, Jack ran
into a front room and hoped up OF
table by the window, from whence
he peered through the curtains.
The timer. provided with some
bent and rusty nails. rejoined his
mate in the yard.
Jack Spratt. upstairs. watched the
birds fitting from tree to tree, and
growled at them in his rage
Suddenly he saw O. head. wearing q
hat. come into view directly below
him.
"Cae doctor!'' nneowed Spratt
They're coming UP ladders after
me-"
And with one propulsion Of his
strong hind legs Jack leaped half way
across the room. disappearing like q
streak of striped lightning.
It was an hour after tho timer
had driven his last nail before Jack
Spratt would come out again.