Evening star., 1939-10-01
Il Short Story Complete in This Issue

house OF the ZOO. 1t was not really SatlS-
factory tail for lashing. 1t was too long and
languid 1t was less suitable for lashing than
for busting furniture, but he did his best with
it. Meanwhile he crouched beside winding
footpath and waited for prey.
He watched unconcerned while large black
ants marched by He was out for bigger game.
Presently he saw caterpillar descending a
tree and his eyes began glowing like amber
caution signals. He seized the caterpillar,
trotted to the girl on a nearby bench and
dropped the prize into her lap.
Kate Hampstead, who did publicity for the
ZOO, examined the gift and placed it on leaf.
DO you think" she asked, you could work
up to catching man for me? One with nice
pelt Ike Hank Bancroft"
George brought her grasshopper. She
looked it over and released it also.
There's certain resemblance in the long,
gangling legs she told George. But this
grasshopper can only jump about three feet.
Hank does twenty feet per jump getting away
from me-"
For moment she thought about Henry
Bancroft He was curator of Carnivora and
quite fearless in handling lions and tigers. But
with girls he was timid. He would stammer
and retreat and seem ready to fire blank
cartridges to keep them at distance.
In way she approved of his attitude Too
many girls were out to marry the first man
they could catch She was different. She didn't
intend to marry anyone. AS soon as she and
Hank became more friendly she was going to
tell him that Il will tell him, - she mused, ''on
our third date"
The trouble was that they hadn't even had
a first date For months she had been trying to
invite him to a dance, but he was too shy.
He always disappeared before she could finish
the invitation She didn't quite know how he
did it, OF course he was marvellous woods
man and could vanish like smoke into the
shrubbery on the ZOO grounds. But he dis
appeared Just as easily whenever she trapped
him indoors. Probably he had protective
coloration like chameleon, and was sitting
there all the time looking like a desk or
something.
Maybe ought to dig deadfa for him.
she thought
She had finished work for the day but had
been hoping to see Hank before she left. He
was somewhere on the grounds
She watched George 60 back to the edge
of the path and hide behind bush George
belonged to Sue Elaine Leighton wife of the
700 director. People said that George was
sort of matchmaking cat and had brought
about the marriage of Sue Elaine to Blake
Leighton. They said that half dozen of Sue
Elaine's girl friends had borrowed George in
the past and, by an odd coincidence, had
become engaged almost at once.
Kate didn't believe those rumors. 1t was
true that she had offered to keep George this
month while the Leightons we're away. But
that had been merely friendly gesture on her
part She had been very indignant when Sue
Elaine teased her about Hank Bancroft. I'm
not interested in him. she had stated.
"Ofcourse not" Sue Elaine had murmured.
well, darling, if George comes through,
count me in on the fiat silver"
Kate admitted to herself that she did feel
a tiny bit superstitious about George. She
didn't expect him to make Hank propose or
anything like that She would be satisfied if
he figured out way to give her some time
alone with Hank. Even that might be lot to
ask because Hank was not man who could
easily be bulied by house cat. Hank was one
of the greatest biologists in the world. He
went on lone jungle trips, tracked wild
,c;roalc opd ct,died them and vrOte hOOks