AUGUSTUS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 213, 8 September 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

AUGUSTUS.

(Dy Ida Moore, Beachiands, age iti.) Yes, Augustus was a large 1-ViVian cat greatly prized by Miss Smith, us it was lier favourite pet, and also because he had 'won several prizes of which she was very proud. i Of eourso Miss Smith was not 'very young, in fact, she was rather old, somewhere about 45 or CO, I think I heard someone say. JBy the people .in the village she was often termed the "old maid," and she was always finding fault with something or other. If it was not the weather, or price of butter, it was the behaviour of those unruly boys who tormented that splendid cat, the socalled Augustus. How and where Miss Smith got that cat it always remained a mystery to me. And what a fuss was made of it. Augustus would not eat steak, or drink milk that was a day old. Each morning, directly after Miss Smith had finished her breakfast and given Augustus his, she would tell the maid to bring in the brush and comb, which she promptly did (the maid) and quickly disappeared after glaring at that detestable Augustus who sat lazily lapping away at his saucer of milk. When he had finished his meal, he was carefully

brushed and combed for nearly an hour, and then he was left to sleep on the mat by the fire, or any other place he was likely to be in the way. Now, I shall tell you of one occasion when I went to visit Miss Smith. She had invited me to her place for the afternoon, and not being able to invent any suitable excuse I had to go. Well, after we had finished our afternoon tea, Miss Smith proposed a walk in the garden, because she thought I would like to see the jonquils and .daffodils that were out. As wo walked along she told me for tho sixth tinrc that afternoon about Augustus and his good qualities. Sucb a gentle and well behaved cat—ho had never stolen a thing, and as for killing birds, Miss Smith declared he would not do such a thing. He was different to other cats in hia ways. Yes, so I thought. Soon wo reached the garden p.nd Miss Smith was so intent on describing various kinds of plants, that she did not hear a loud crash, something similar to the sound of breaking glass. "What's that noise t" I asked looking quickly towards the house. "What's what noise?" snapped Miss Smith as she straightened up, and glared at me over her spectacles. "I might be " Before I could answer, Miss Smith started running up the path, or to be more correct trotting up the path, and hurriedly she entered the house. Thinking the maid had dropped the tray of dishes I quickly ran into the kitchen, but ils I entered I heard another crash. Along tho passage I ran and stopped at the dining- room door. "Augustus! Augustus: What have you been doing?" Miss Smith cried. As for me I could hardly suppress my laughter for there was the noted Augustus running wildly up and down and round and round with the jug of milk stuck on his head. He had not only stolen the milk, but also broken J most of the afternoon tea set. It appeared that when ho had got his head into the jug, and not being able to get it out again, that innocent oat had walked backwards over the edge of the table, and in doing so, had flawed at the table-cloth and pulled the dishes on top of himself. Well, after much pulling and tugging avc managed to relieve that worthy cat of his tight-fitting head piece. "I would not have believed Augustus could do such a thing," Miss Smith said as she surveyed the broken cups and saucers. "Now if that maid had cleared those dishes away when I told her. Augustus would never have been tempted to drink the milk. It is her fault," Miss Smith finished as she eyed me over her spectacles. "Ye-es, perhaps it was," I smiled as I cast a glance at Augustus who was licking the milk off his fur. Soon after I took my leave not altogether feeling sorry that I had paid Miss Smith a visit. , NO MIRACLE. Dusty: Aren't rosy cheeks a sign of good health? Rusty: I should say they were. Dusty: In that case, I saw a girl the other day who was a lot healthier on one side than on the other.