The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1931-11-19
Cupid Gets Out His
Bow and Arrow
By DOROTHY DOUGLAS
!, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
(@ by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.l
(WNU Service.l

| knife that he had ever heard. was
there to be a tremendous slaughtering
in the fiat next door or was 1t merely
that someone was about to carve some
thing?
Certainly whoever was sharpening
that knife intended to- get keen edge
on It.
No wonder the gorgeous blue Per-
sian cat, who occupied a sunny por-
ton of the fence dividing the gardens
one flight below, bounded frantically
up the fire escape outside Johnny's
window and his neighbours to see what
It was all about.
John Raymond would like to have
known, too, as his curiosity was
aroused. Every morning, since the
windows had been opened to welcome
the new spring, he had listened to that
knife-sharpening process and tried to
picture what breakfast dainty could
possibly necessitate so keen knife.
And each morning as the lovely cat
heard 1t, he dashed like streak OF
silver lightning into the open win
| dow.
Raymond had used every cat call in
his vocabulary to. lure the handsome
| net into his own fiat, but Johnny, as
| he had heard the cat called, simply
stared at him with wonderful topaz
eyes and kept his distance.
And the more aloof Johnny kept
himself, the more eager was Raymond
| to induce him inside. Raymond was
not only a cat lover but he painted
| animals in so successful manner as
to have considerable fame to his
| credit.
Then, like flash, the truth dawned
| on Raymond.
The sharpening Of the knife was
some secret code between cat and mas
| ter or mistress, whichever the case
might be. No doubt Johnny knew that
bit of meat was to be cut for him
when that sound reached his ears, and
he lost no time in demanding it.
Consequently, next day, when Ray
mond felt that the fiat next door was
empty of its human Inhabitants, he
got out one of his own carving knives
| and a tempting bit of fresh liver and
sharpened away with all his might.
A flash, and Johnny had whirled
himself into Raymond's open window.
| There was no more aloofness. Johnny
was purring and rubbing most affec-
tionately against Raymond's legs and
| gazing up with his great topaz eyes,
In fact, Johnny put his two silky paws
on the edge of Raymonds breakfast
table and left two smutty paw marks
thereon.
This was the beginning of new
friendship. Johnny, being left for sew
eral hours a day all by himself, made
himself comfortable in Raymond's
sunny fiat.
And Raymond set to work on a
painting that was later to dazzle the
eyes of the animal lovers world. Ray
mond had wisely left bit Of Chinese
blue velvet carelessly on the sunny
window ledge knowing full we'll that
Johnny would easily ensconce himself
| thereon.
| And the painting progressed Won
derfully until one evening when Ray
mond had closed the window with
Johnny on the inside.
Suddenly into his artists dream
burst the sound of frantic calling.
"Kitty, kitty, kitty! Come Johnny
Come Johnny" And later the loud
sharpening of knife.
| Do~o,ood RI hic foot md
opened the window, but as matter of
fact Johnny never moved-he was well
fed and most coy on his blue velvet
cushion.
"Are you calling a blue Persian
cat?" asked Raymond with guilty
look on his face. Because if you are
he's in here with me-"
"Well, I like that! Enticing my
| beautiful cat into your fiat and lock-
ing him in. 1 think I will report
you to"
"My dear young lady," eXpostulated
| Raymond while he definitely admired
the speaker-or at least the little
| glimpse he had of her rs she leaned
from her window. 81 merely wanted
to make a portrait Of your cat-he's
| the most beautiful animal I've ever
seem"
"Oh!" exclaimed Miss Jarvis hang
ing so far out of the window now that
Raymond was fearful of her toppling
out, "could just have a peep at it."
Raymond beamed and Miss Jarvis
discovered what she had felt for a
long time, unbeknown to Raymond.
that she should like her masculine
neighbOr-she had often watched him
going in and out of the fiat but he
seemed always so preOccupied that
she had dispaired of ever knowing
him.
"Only upon the condition that you
refrain from reporting me to the police
as a cat theft haven't any desire
to figure in the papers,
Johnny in the, meantime had arisen
from his velvet cushion, stretched
| himself and yawned comfortably. His
sitting for the day seemed to be over
and he approached Miss Jarvis.
She took him fondly in her arms
and he rubbed his soft head against
her hands in perfectly happy cat love.
He purred and was perhaps telling her
all about the portrait.