The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-12-06
HAL
BOYLE
SAYS

NEW YORK R-The last time
/ saw my goddaughter, Nina, aged
five, her parents had concluded
after much discussion that they
finally would make the Great Sa-
crifice and get her a kitten.
As godparents, Frances and ]
were in on sort of board meeting
to consider whether Nina was
ready for a cat. We examined the
evidence--that is, every place the
family visited where there was a
cat Nina spent all the time Juggling
the animal around in her arms.
She brought the neightbors' cats
to the house. And asked wistfully
if she could show them her bed
room. She put saucers of milk on
the back porch because "then cats
will like me, won't they, mommy?"
The conclusion was unanimous.
Yes, Nina needed a cat.
The question was how to go
about getting one. We all had
something to offer. Nina's mother
remembered a woman who got her
little girl a kitten by answering
an ad in the daily paper.
said that as a godfather /
would like the privilege of giving
Nina kitten and that l remem-
bered vaguely that someone had
offered me one not long ago. l
was sure if / retraced my steps
a bit I'd remember who and when
it was and could easily come up
with kitten.
Everyone politely agreed, yes,
it would be a fine thing, but there
was a when-do-you think-you'n :
get-around-to-it look in their eyes.
Frances remembered cat fan
cier in the office and was sure
that one cat fancier would know
other cat fanciers and if you went
through enough cat fanciers you
were bound by the laws of nature
to come up with a kitten.
Nina'S mother already had
checked her new neighbors and
had put them to checking more
neighbors, so that line was out.
Nina's father offered the solution
Of going to the A. S. P. c. A.
headquarters, wherever that might
be, but we all knew that would
result in coming home with just
any cat. And we wanted the pick
of the lot.
But at the conclusion of the
meeting we were determined TO
have a kitten under Nina's Christ
mas tree by Dec. IS.
The rest of the story / got by
hearsay.
Nina'S mother had a letter to be
mailed and couldn't go out because
the baby was sick. So she bundled
up Nina and her sister, Vona, and
sent them two blocks down the
street to the nearest mailbox. She
watched the two little girls care
fully cross the road with the old
familiar mother feeling of ''why
do / ever scold them? Bless their
little hearts,"
Fifteen minutes later she was
watching again, a little nervous
because they never had gone so
far alone before. Then she saw
them re-cross the street carefully
tiny things in their bright snow
suits. AS they came up on the
porch she saw that Nina had a
small shiny black kitten clutched
to her.
''WhoSe kitten are you playing
WITH" she asked.
Their eyes were sparkling as
they said breathlessly, 'It's ours!"
The mother explained carefully
that it was all right to play with
other peoples kittens but they
shouldn't walk off with them.
Nina insisted that a little girl
had given it to them ir front of
brick house somewhere around the
corner. Twenty minutes and four
phone calls later her mother hung
up the telephone and said. We'll.
Nina, you're right. You can keep
the kitten"
All of which goes TO prove that