Evening star., 1928-12-02
This and That
By Charles E. TrdcetCeu.

Big Hlackie shows up every evening
at 6 o'clock on the kitchen window
sill, hoping for serving of Jack
Spratt's beefsteak.
He sits on the outside looking in. only
his cleaning eyes being visible. These
shine with the usual phosphorescence
OF cat eyes, those mysterious orbs which
strike mankind with terror when they
are larger.
Blackie is a true descendant Of an
cient days. Although thousands Of
years have passed since his ancestors
trod the banks of the Nile, he Is just
as much Of a cat as they were.
Not for q second does he relinquiSh
the feline sixth sense. which guards
the soft body from harm, which permits
It to spring lightly away If danger
threatens.
Blackie sits In the dark on the sill,
glaring into the lighted kitchen, where
he knows there Is refrigerator, within
whose mysterious depths exist profound
chances for dinner
The big, black cat does not see meat.
You might place prime cut Of beef
In front of the closed window, and
he would not recognize it as something
to eat.
Leu IllIIl klchI Tic IuStlC VI PdQcIt
however. which he has learned to asso-
ciate with dinner. or smell the actual
odor Of beef. then his senses would re-
spond, he would begin TO meow Justify.
When Blackie first began to visit
Jacks house, he would not enter the
back door under any allurement Not
even piece Of meat dangled in front
Of him would induce him to set foot
across the sill.
Discretion, he thought, is much the
better part Of valor, or even dinner.
IF I meow long enough. and loud
enough" he seemed to think, they
will throw 1t out to me-"
Sure enough this was exactly what
happened, proving how canny the cat
mind Is when aroused by prospects Of
nourishment.
In a week, however, Big Blackie got
over being afraid. One cold night, when
the red IN the thermometer tube stood
at freezing, he accepted the invitation
to step in.
No sooner was he in the kitchen than
he spied an iron door stop in the
shape of white cat with green eyes.
Blackie stopped short.
His back began to arch, his fur to
rise; he looked vengeance from his
green eyes, and spat vigorously at the
iron cat.
Then, as II perceiving he had been
fooled Blackie turned TO the immediate
business Of the evening.
Carefully he rubbed his Jaws along
the handle OF the big refrigerator door.
thereby indicating TO all and sundry
his complete knowledge of the hiding
place and the abiding place OF plenty
Of good dinner
X ~
When he had partaken OF a plentiful
repast. Blackie felt so at home that he
decided little tour Of investigation
would be in order.
Moving Stealthily, with many q side
glance, so as to prevent himself from
being taken by surprise, the black cat
prowled through the dining room. hall
and living room.
Against table and chair legs he rub
bed his back, expressing feline ap-
proval OF what he found His purr was
large and ample. He was enjoying his
trip.
1t was when he came back 10 the
kitchen that he looked down the base
n1ent stairs, and there
There was Jack Spratt, himself. tiger
stripes, white chest and cleaning green
eyes.
Good Lordl" exclaimed Blackie-at
least. so his hiss sounded, Let me out
Of here!"
He got through the screen door just
as Jack Spratt made dash at him.