Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-10-23
It's The Cats
By Jerome Beatty

this: Beware. All is lost. Flee the
country"
That's fne!" she admired. only
we don't want him to flee. We want
him to stay home"
That's right" he admitted. well
he pondered, II know-Beware. All
is lost. If y-u so to'your Office today
you Will be murdered. Stay home
where nobody can shoot you"
"Oh. that's swell" Jodie praised.
Sign it "A Friend"
"All right. I'll go dress and when
pop goes to bed III sneak out"
Dinky returned to his oom and
turned on the light and carefully
wrote out the words that he expected
would startle Old Man Clifford into
a Saturday seclusion. He turned out
his light and dressed in the dark, then
sat down on his bed to wait until the
coast was clear.
He heard his father lock the doors
and come upstairs. A moment later,
his shoes in his hands, Dinky was in
the hall below. He was just about to
open the front door when he heard a
noise upstairs. 1t was his father, re-
turning. Quickly Dinky tiptoed through
the library to the sun porch and
stretched out behind the couch, breath
ing softly.
He heard his father enter the library,
turn on the light, and open the doors
of the bookcase. Evidently his father
had decided to come down for a book
to read in bed. 1t took him a long
time to find one.
1t was all right, Dinky thought. In
a minute the coast would be clear.
In a minute, it seemed, he heard a
noise upstairs. He sat up. The sun
was shining. He had slept all night
"Junior!" he heard his mother call.
Josephine! It's time to get up!" He
heard her knock on their doors.
"Yes-sum!" he answered involun-
tarily. He still was half asleep.
Where are you?" she asked, and
started coming downstairs to get
breakfast.
He pulled himself to his feet, rubbed
his eyes, and in a panic pulled on his
shoes. Now he was in for it! He hur-
ried to meet her, trying to think fast.
Il thought I'd get UP early, NOM"
he said. He met her in the hall.
well, of all thingsl And you're a
sight. You haven't washed or brushed
your hair!"
"Yes-sum," he said meekly, and
started up the stairs. He stopped sud-
| denly and whirled and dived at a sheet
of paper that had fallen from his
pocket. He grabbed it and fled.
, whats that?" his mother demanded.
He paused, halfway up the stairs.
"Oh, nothin', mom,' he answered.
All this strange activity upon Dinky's
part had aroused his mothers sus-
picions.
Let me see it, please" she said
firmly.
Jaw, MON, it's just somethin' I found.
It's no good. 7"
Let me see it, please" She took it
out of his hand and read, in a scrawly
hand:
Beware All is lost. If you go to
your office today you will be murdered.
Stay home, where nobody will shoot
you. A Friend.
She turned white. "Junior!" she
gasped. Where did you find this?
Toni" she cried. tom! Look" She
raced up the stairs. Dinky was close
behind her.
wait! Wait, mom!" he yelled.
His father was in the bathroom, half
shaved.
Look, Toni" she almost screamed.
Somebody is threatening you! What
does it mean?"
Jodie came running in. whats the
matter?" she cried, not knowing what
it was all about. Il bet it's Old Man
Clifford"
That's just who it is" her mother
exclaimed, painting. Look, Toni
He took the paper quickly. Hmm
he said warily, a. he read it. What
do you suppose He turned to
Einky. "You wrote this" he accused.
I'VE was just playin'," Dinky con-
fessed.
His mother, f1abbergasted, backed in
TO the bedroom and sank on the bed.
"Well," she gasped, "of all the crazy
things! What in the world will you
children do next! My!" She felt of
her heart. How you frightened me,
Junior!' she said severely. Get
washed and brushed Immediately.
And" she added as an after thought,
you were just playing, not was"
Were just playing" Dinky repeated,
tremendously relieved.
Immediately after breakfast they
hurried into the yard to announce
sorrowfully to the assembled kids that
the cat show was off. 1t was too late
now for another harvest.
1--WE got to do some business now"
said Dinky. Its important"
AS the kids dispersed, Beverly, all out
of breath, came running around the
corner of the house.
whats the idea?" she demanded.
81 was there with my cat and nobody
came. 1 want my dime"
Its all off," said Dinky.
We'll, I want my dime. The other
kids got their dimes"
where's the cat?" Dinky asked.
Cant pay a dime without a cat"
He got away. A dog came along.
I want my dime" Beverly insisted.
"Oh, all right" Dinky managed to