Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-30
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEEELL.

ing. and who. already quite forgetful OF
them. had been purring lazily on an
armchair.
Wien Pauline took her place again
her uncle howled so loudly that the cat
got up. unable ID endure the din. She
fixed her eyes steadily on the sick man,
with the Indignation Of a we'll behaved
person whose serenity Is disturbed. II
she could not be allowed to purr In
peace it would be impossible for her
to stop there. And she took herself of
with her tail in the air"
Another striking trait Of cat char
acteT Is shown in several following par
agraphs- II must be understood that
these are mere aS ofS in the story, and
that the tale itself Is not overourdened
with Minouche. as the collection of
these paragraphs in sequence might
lead one to think
THE priest and the doctor had found
Chanteau rolling a paper ball across
the table, ball formed OF a proSpec-
tus discovered inside a newspaper.
"Minouche. who, was lying near.
looked on with her green eyes. She ap-
peared TO disdain such an elementary
plaything. for she had her paws slowed
away beneath her. never deigning to
strike out at it with her claws. though
1t had rolled close TO her nose"
This is good cat observation, but lola
knew his cats even better.
The two others were soon deep in
their game. quite forgetful of all else
/ in the world. when all at once Mi
nouche. who had probably got tired of
seeing the paper ball under her nose,
sprang forward. sent it spinning away,
and bounded in wild antics after it ell
/ round the room.
What Y0riniO,tS nrao t,,rati nrfaG
Chanteau, put out in his play. She
wouldn't have game with mt on any
account little while ago. and now she
prevents one from thinking by playing
all by herself
Never mind her. said the priest.
mildly. Cats have their own way of
amusing themselves"
The next day the doctor calls again
When DR.. CaZenove arrived he found
Chanteau ard Able Horteur playing
draughts in the dining room. From all
appearances they might have been en-
gagged on the game which they had
commenced the day before, and have
never stirred from the room since the
doctors previous visit. Minouche sat
| near them, intently studying the
draught board"
The longing for signs of sympathy
from cat is known to most people who
like them. Seldom is there any answer
His eyes rested upon Minouche, who
lay upon the table, with her feet tucked
under her, in such a state of reStful
beatitude that she had not moved
We'll, you ungrateful animal, you might
rouse yourself to welcome mel He
stroked her as he spoke. and she began
to purr, but still without moving"
X Il
The story progresses, the cat appears
from time to time, as she would normal
ly in such a household. Come and
help me to look whether Minouche has
carried my ball of thread onto the top
of the cupboard"
The reader is presented with a last
picture Of Minouche In her old age
but still alive and happy.
How old is Minouche now?' Gaze
move inquired. I have seen her about
as long as I can remember
"'She Is turned 49, Pauline answered
and she keeps very well yet
"Minouche, who was still at her
toilet on the window sill, raised heI
head as the doctor pronounced her
name. For a moment she held her
foot suspended in the air, then again
began to lick her fur delicately.
She isn't deaf yet, as you see,
| Pauline said, but fancy her sight is
not so good as 1t was. 1t Is scarcely
week ago since seven kittens Of hers
were drowned"
And so Minouche, as far as the
reader of books is concerned, never dies
but remains immortal.