Evening star., 1939-10-01

Hank" she shouted. George just
left. Yoo-hoo, L"
A confer shrub at her elbow stirred
Indignantly and said, BE quietr'
Hank stepped out from behind it
and slipped away after George. Kate
let him have head start before fol-
lowing. A hundred yards away, George
was mincing down path. He seemed
in no hurry to get anywhere. He tar
ried to fell hollyhock and to pluck
geranium. Then he bounded toward
the bush where Hank was hiding and
pounced on his bootlace. Kate decided
it was safe to approach. You're heck
of quarry" Hank was groaning.
He thinks you're the quarry. You
ought to stop playing Indian and listen
to my female intuition"
MY personal opinion" he said, "is
that your intuition is as useless as
high-heeled shoes on five-mile por-
tage But maybe I'm wrong. Show me
some intuition.
That was the moment, she knew, to
reach into nearby bush and bring
out the kittens But the kittens weren't
around She made helpless gesture.
Hank turned without a word and
tramped back to the Office. George
preceding him. Haunting his tail.
Kate sighed and went home. Things
did not improve in the next few days.
There was no doubt that George had
the cubs and brought them back
regularly to the Office for milk. Once
they found tiny paw print outlined
in milk. Another time they discovered
a black hair in the saucer But George
never brought the kittens in through
the open window while anyone was
spying on him. They didn't dare guard
the window too closely for fear he
wouldn't bring the cubs at all.
Hank tried grimly to keep George
under observation. 1t was the hardest
tracking he had ever done. George
romped through every thorn patch on
the 700 property. He loved to creep
through the marshy grass of the wild
fowl preserve. where the footing was
just firm enough for cat but too soft
for man. Worst of all. George didn't
have the right attitude toward being
tracked. He liked to change about. He
loved to ambush the mans bootlaCes
and strop his teeth on them.
On the fifth afternoon of the hunt.
Hank returned to the Office and
slumped at his desk. He propped up
one foot and tied trailing lace.
"Where's George?" Kate asked.
Il don't know He gave me the slip
right after undoing this shoelace,"
1T must be upsetting to have him
tug at them while you're hot on his
trail"
Maybe it won't seem SO funny to
you if we lose our jobs" he muttered.
Il found reporter today trying to
pump one of the keepers. If the papers
break this story
He rose and tramped up and down
the room, nearly tripping over loose
bootlace. Thought tied that" he
grumbled.
Kate frowned thoughtfully. She re-
membered distinctly that he had tied
it when he came in. George might have
united it but George wasn't in the
office. Or =. or was he?
Good old George!" she cried.
WHAT"
Il think l can find the kittens"
Don't be silly If can't find them
you couldn't"
She opened her mouth to explain
where the kittens must be, then
hesitated. She ought to make him
promise to take her dancing if she
found the kittens. Maybe he would
learn to like her if they had enough
dates.
''You almost made an agreement
with me once" she said. that if l
learned something about tracking
,,o.,,I +,Lo .,,o J,oc;nu WILL uo,, Sfirk