Evening star., 1943-03-19

' IL 1dHic CiOSo
to proving to me that while there
may not always be an England, there
will always be gentle and lovely
people. Ill so even further-it
proved to me that no matter what
ever the war lords do In this world,
the world still will be peopled with
men and women who have the time.
the heart and the feeling for little
things, lovely things.
Here's what happened in Berkeley
Square as the sirens still moaned in
| the distance and the fighters traced
their patterns across the sky: Up
ward Of 100 men and women
gathered around an apartment
building to sympathize with a stray
cat which, probably in fright from
the sirens, had leaped through a
railing and become trapped In a
bombed-out basement.
Cat Yellow and Dirty.
1t was a yellow alley cat of the
yellowest and alley-cattiest order.
1t couldn't have gotten into a cat
show with a letter from It's pastor.
lts ribs stuck out. It's ears hung
down. Its tail stood up. 1t was
NANCY and one knew even from a
distance that heas had established
on 1t kingdom. 1t sat there and
meowed. It meowed as the people
discussed what should be done about
the cat. All agreed 1t could not be
left there. This got me, II I may
lapse into American slang.
Here were 100 people just up from
shelters after the dangers of bombs.
Here were 100 people, fully half OF
whom had suffered either the death
OF loved one or the wrecking Of
tneir own homes. But the cat had
70 De taken care Of. They didn't
Know but what the next minute
might find German bomber over
tnelr heads. In listening to tho
helpless cry of a stray animal thev
mad completely forgotten the whistle
OF a bomb or the roar OF enemy air
craft overhead.
A little Cockney, wearing a coat
so dirty you wondered how he man.
aged to wear 1t without a gas mash
ana with an accent sharpened bv
ehe complete lack of teeth, said.
we've got to get the cat" He
started peeling of his overcoat.
A girl stopped him. She wa,
wearing the khaki of the Mechan-
} lzed Transport Corps. A patch on
her shoulder read Australia" II
know kittens. I'll get him." she said
She was a pretty girl and her accent
told you that she had come from a
nome down under where life had
been easy and gentle. She clam
bered over the railing. let herself
down the concrete wall, dropped 5
feet and started purring at the cat
as humans always purr at cats. She
said. Pussy. pussy" She meowed.
Cabbie Takes Animal Home.
The people watching offered su1-
sestions. The crowd had now grown
twice Its original size. Two hobbies
had Joined in the rescue and fur
nished advice Finally, the girl
teased the cat into her arms. It
scratched at her. She purred it into
being quiet. Hands helped her out
OF the bombed basement as the cat
clung to her neck like an expensive
fur. The boobies took the cat.
looked at its collar and found its
name.
A little Cockney cab driver was
an interested spectator. I'll drive
i'm ONE" the cabby said. les 'ad
very bad time. I'll drive the lady
who rescued i'm ome, too" But
she was gone.
In minute every one had gone.
Overhead the fat barrage balloons
swayed like unframed circus eIe-
plants. The bobby on the corner
waved on the trafic. Across the
street in fashionable home where
Anthony Drexel Biddle lives, a door.
man helped out a bejeweled dow.
ager.
Life went on in Berkeley Square,
but for just moment life in
Berkeley Square had stopped long
enoush-all because Of a cato
prove to a calloused reporter that
no matter how wicked or hard those
who r'ln the world become, the ones
they run will never. meyer lose the
softness that makes the world worth
living in.
distributed by McNaught Syndicate, Incl