Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-19

Beat it," He flung his hat !. ..4e door and
the lean. gray animal leaped of the porch.
After the meal the farmer washed up, ex-
changed his working clothes for his Sunday suit
and started for the barn to harness for the trip
to the village. He glanced, on abrupt thought,
down at his shoes; they were cracked, worn
and lusterless, and he hesitated.
They ought to be shined," he said aloud to
himself. "a fellow ought to FIX up decent" he
grinned. "for his wife's funeral! / guess I'd
better go back and clean EN-" He retraced his
steps to the housS
He recalled that week ago Greta had pur-
chased a large bottle of shoe polish for him;
had paid what he considered an exorbitant
price TITS TOO fancy and expensive for plain
fellow like me-" frugally he decided. THE bot
tie amt been opened yet and III take it in next
week and get my money back. Some hog tallow
will do the job on these; that's the way to save
The tallow he found in the kitchen in a large
tin can, and a profusion Of the greasy stuff he
spread on his dusty brogans and vigorously
rubbed it over with a rag. The cracks we're
hidden fairly well and some of the long-loS
luSter was revived. The man surveyed his job
with SNUG complacency, and as he closed the
tin and stepped to the door he saw the cat at
the screen, watching him intently The farmer
paid no attention until abruptly the cat new
ing, stretched itself up and scratched its fore
claws over the wire mesh of the screen.
MOMENTARMY frightened, Erik Jorgenson
jumped back. He picked up a stick threw
open the screen and, as the cat scurried away.
Erik violently cast it at the beast. Tinker ex.
pertly lodged, turned Unexpectedly on him.
arched its back and exposed some long evil.
looking teeth in fierce spat. There was sud.
denly. in the felines malevolent gaze the same
look the man had seen once before. Where?
Oh, yes! Greta had looked like that at him the
time-wen. the time he had knocked her down
because she had let the peaches rot instead OF
canning them The fool woman-the fool cat!
Wrathfully he swung another stick at the ami
NAL and it sped into the field.
The funeral sparsely attended, was soon over.
The farmers shopping for mis- meager weekly
supplies took very little time. Larry Walls, the
sheriff, met him as he came out of the village
post office with his mail, seed catalogue and
the weekly county paper.
"Oh, by the way, Jorgenson,s he remarked,
there's little matter in connection with the
death want to talk to you about, but haven't
the time just now may be by your farm to-
night about 3. Is that all right?"
YES" stoically replied Erik Jorgenson, un-
disturbed. "I,l be there. Come any time"
When he drove into the barnyard at dusk the
faSmer saw no evidence Of the cat. Somewhat
relieved, for it had been getting on his nerves.
he embarrassed his horse, fed and watered it
and the rest Of the stock, and then strolled TO
the house.
After supper of eggs, butterrnilk and crack
ers he Systematically washed and dried the
dishes, swept the kitchen floor and then re-
paired to the front porch calmly to sit and
await his anticipated caller, the sheriff. In SUI
preme content through the twilight, he glanced
to his left at the long rows of tall corn shocks.
They'll fetch another thousand" happily he
estimated. "Iu keep out enough to buy a new
suit, then Ill go to the city and meet some new
girls" He slyly grinned and let his tongue slide
over his lower lip. "a man like me-" he medi-
tated, ought to have nice, strong young wife
on the place. one who can do all the housework
and still have plenty Of time left to help out
in the flelds-and one who won't be so spend
thrifty as the old one wasl"
The shadows heightened, the suns glow in
the west metamorphoSed to purple, a Somber
mantle soon hid the fields and night envel-
Oped ALL Erik Jorgenson sat phlegmatically in
his chair, deep in his cheerful nominations
soft swish back of him made him sit up,
suddenly alert He glanced cautiously around,
saw nothing. Again in a moment came q
scratch along the porch floor. Rapidly the man
turned. Tinker the gray cat, its eyes cleaning
with what seemed to be q baleful gleam was
crouched on its launches preparing, it seemed,
TO leap at the startled man. Erik Jorgenson in
one motion bounded up and madly threw his
chair at the intruder. Tinker with q ghoStly
eaterwaul ned on the porch and into the refuge
OF the gloom.
ERIK swore and went moodily into the dark
ened house. Devil take the cat, anyway
1t behaved, actually as though it really thought
there was something strange about the disap-
pearance Of its mistress. Gould It be possible
the cat was suspicious Of him? No; Q cat never
had sense enough TO be suspicious about any
thing. It hadn't seen him kin Greta; there was
absolutely nothing to fret about