MISS PARKER'S LOST CAT

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 66, 18 March 1905, Page 14

MISS PARKER'S LOST CAT

BY CLARA AUGUSTA. Miss Ann Maria Parker, of Parkstoury, kept a. cat—a gray Thomas cat, with white feet and face, and, as Miss Parker was wont to observe, "a very amiable expression of ooauteuuncp." Miss I'arker was a single lady of at>out fair and generally attractive, and in a>ll probability she would have been somebody's wife IODS before if there had been anybody of tht» male persuasion in the vicinity who had not already a. wife. • But Parkbnry had only three eligible men within Its precincts. Peter Hooper, who ha<l only one eyfi, and was doubled up like a jaok knife with the rheunratism, stood first on the list. Peter was a widower, and tlio first Mrs Hooper had never done auything In all her life that pleased him until tbo day she bade him farewell, and enjoined it upon him to put a silver pJatc on her coflin, and be sure and have a ootid; of her death in ihe I'arkbury "Chronicle," stating that she was a good wife, and was much lamented by all her heartbroken friends, and had been a a advance-paying subscriber to the "Chronicle" for more than thirty years. l'eter's faith in woman was not very deep, and there seemed little likelihood that there would ever be a second Mrs Iloopor. The second eligible man was Thomas Dinbar, and QTiomas stirttered so badly that he had never been able to propose to any lady. He had made several attempts to do so. but h-ad nerer succeeded iv getting through with tho job in one day, and the next day his courage won lit Oe gjom;, and so he had never been made happy. there was Jethro Turner, but Jeth.ro had a mother and seven sisters to support, so there was not much change of his taking a wife at present. Miss Parker had always lived in Parksliory. so you will understand -that h<>r chances for committing matrimony had been exceedingly small. She lived alone with her cat. whose baptismal name was IMek, and was very strongly attached to the animal, wiiich was not strange, seeing he was all the family she had. One luckless day Dick failed to put in an appearance at dinner time. Sliss Parker was strongly eserclsed over his remissnesE, but consoled herself with the thought tiat there were rats in her neighbour Thomson's barn, and probably Dick was displaying a little strategy in capturing one of them for a lunch. Bnt when night came, amd Dick was still absent, her anxiety ancreased, and she could mrt knit on the sray atodoog etc- vas flotas fee ttte

missionary society—her eyes were so full of water. MoTaing dawned, and Dick came not. Miss Parker put on her bonnet and jacket, -And went round to all the neighbours' barns aDd called him, and then slie went to all the houses and inquired for Mm. But nobody had set eyes on him. - Oue of the neighbours suggested that perhaps he had gone over to- the Haneon , place. This farm had long been managed by an ngent, and the house liad stood vacant, but only a few days before It had been purchased by a man by the name of Payson, and Payson liad already taken pos-< session. Across lots Miss Parker went at the top of her speed, and arrived at last within sight of tho Payson domicile. A river ran a little distance from the house, and on the banks of this river Miss Parker espied a portly gentleman, walking up aud down, with a bag in one hand antt a cano in the other. And while she «azed, a very far off and plain •'mc-yc-ow!!" was wafted to her ears. "It is Dick's cry!" she exclaimed, frantically, "and he's in that bag! And that dreadful old wretch is going to drowa him!" Maddened by the thought, she leaped forward, and reaching the "old wretch's" side, she made a dive for the bag. The tnau stood on tbe very edge of the river bank, ten or fifteen feet above the water, and the footing was somewhat Insecure. He slipped, a stone gave way under his foot, and he wet over, bag and all. But there was a fallen nee between him and tho water, and a projecting broken branch caught in the strap of the old gentleman's pantaloons behind, and held him suspended over tho flood. Kverything now depended on the strength of a buckle. Miss Parker's Wood ran cold. '•Don't, for Heaven's sake, let go of the bag!" cried she. "Don't, dear! that's a good m-au! Ycrn stick to the bag, and I'll stick to yon!" i "Yes, but how in thunder am I to git myself unhitched?" cried the old man; "and what in the dickens* is to become of mc when I am onhitched?—that's the question! Drat the cat! I wish he had been in. —Halifax before I had ever set eyes on h-rm T" "Don't drop the bag!" cried Miss Parker; "only hold on a minute longer, and I'll save you both!" 'ITie woman was a heroine in her small way. She had got a hooked stick, aud, cropping out on the body of the tree, she reached down the hook, and Inserted it in the mouth of tho bag. Very seutly and carefully Dick, and the bag, and the ballast it contained were transported to terra fir-ma; but, alas! Miss Parker's foot slipped, through some mismanagement, and sbc wonld have gone into the water had she Dot caught by the old gentleman's very stocky legs and held on. "Gracious Peter!" cried the luckless oM man. "them straps and buckles'll bnst up now for sartin! Lot go my lejrs, old woman! You're pulling my j'ints clean apart!" But Miss Parker kept her hold, and her companion waxed angry and kicked. That kick was fatal! There was a sound of cloth tearing, and tailor's tract going to ruin, generally, and the next moment the unlucky pair were floundering in the water. Fortunately, the river was not deep, and they ouly got a very thorough wetting. Both crept ashore, looking very limp and very much subdued. Miss Parker opened the bag and secured her cat. "I beg your pardon, ma'am,"' said the old gentleman, ''for what. I was going to do to yonir cat. I supposed he was a stray one, and he ate teu of ray choicest chickens. My name is Payson, ma'am." •'And mine is Parker," said the lady, Wushing, and beginning to notice that Mr Paysou was not much above forty, and a very nice looking man. "Miss or Mrs?" said the gentleman, lnsimiatingly. "Miss," returned the lady, blushing rosier than ever. "A very fine auimal that is," said Mr Paysou, stroking Dick's back —"very fine. I really did-not observe that he liad such a very intelligent face." "Very amiable expression <of eouirttenance, I think." retn-rued Miss Parker. "He must be heavy; let mc carrj hsm home for you?" said Mr Payson. "Oil, no." said Miss Parker: "I really couldn't think of it. Yon will take cold in your wet—wet—clothes." But Mr Payson laughed at the idea of wet pantaloons, and -walked home with Miss Parker, though Dick wriggled out of his hands at once, aud trotted behind with a very self-satisfied air, as if thoroughly conscious that he had brought it all about. Of course, you know that Mr Payson married Miss Parker, else I shonld never have written this story, and Dick is very fondly cherished by them both, as the means of tneir present connubial bliss.