Show A problem in fur BY BT BLANCHE ELIZABETH WADE copyright 1901 by dally daily story pub co gordon hated cats to him the name cat meant not a round soft silky hall ball with a contented purr somewhere inside but a gaunt prowling creature generally one eyed and scalloped eared and more often with three sound bound legs than with four a monster haunting backyard fences a freak giving vent to unearthly shrieks so badly aimed at the unoffending moon that instead they pierce the innermost depths of poor sensitive mortal souls and stir tip emotions better not described therefore gordon did not jump tor for loy joy after he had read the following letter from a wealthy aunt my aly dear nephew while the le de you gave of your new studio char charmed nied me I 1 observed that you lack one thing and that an important one money aloney aha always aye did my dear aunt that to which I 1 refer Is indispensable to every pretentious studio and to every unpretentious purse aunt no studio my dear nephew should be without a and here gordon was seized with one ot of the aforementioned afore mentioned better not described emotions tor for the word he read was cat A cat went on the letter Is as necessary to an artists success as Is his brush indeed I 1 may say th the cat adds a tone better say a flen fiendish dish noise aunt which Is not to be obtained by mere pictures and furnishings now I 1 do not mean that I 1 think you ought to take in an ordinary animal better none at all than any type knowing you are not so 0 o placed as to be able to make tor for yourself a good selection I 1 have done it tor for you and am now sending you a roost beautiful creature a full blooded angora registered as john alden and aged c ged three months he Is valued tallied at fifteen otteen dollars but as he grows older will increase in ill worth let me know it ho be arrives safely and what you think of him also do not fall to send no me occasional reports of him then followed several pages of directions ions tor for the care of angora cats proper foods etc and gordon dropped the letter with a dis heartened sigh the next day john alden arrived at sight of min him gordon did not ashud oer ller as he had fully intended to do in tread he timidly stroked the long yellow fur and laughed when this act started a spinning wheel in john aliens aldens interior then and there of his own awn accord with no thought of doing so BO tor for the sake of 0 his own interests in pleasing a rich relative ernest gordon mentally swore to do the right thing by hla his new possession and when purrs gave place to hungry mews hat battened ened to his small inner room procured a saucepan lighted his bla oil stove and heated milk according to his bis aunts advice john iden was duly introduced to the elevator boy and to the night watchman each of whom gladly took the oath of allegiance to his furry highness thus was his installation accomplished his reign begun your generous gift came safely wrote gordon to his aunt 1 I like him immensely and appreciate your kind interest in making the success of my new studio complete I 1 have no doubt my angora friend and I 1 will get on famously together his lordship was not long in establishing himself as master of the studio disdaining the comfortable basket gordon bad arranged tor for him he carefully selected the most expensive fabrics whereon to compose his dainty limbs scorning the spool and string provided tor for his amusement he tore up and down velvet curtains and por fieres he whisked as lightly as a feather back and forth in and out among costly vases and marbles and though gordon sometimes drew long breaths he said nothing A week passed during which john 6 1 1 A cat alden met many enthusiastic admirers chief among whom was miss isabel graham who was sitting for her por trait how thoughtful of your aunt the young lady exclaimed at first sight of the cat mr gordon you must be proud to oa own n that dear creature and gordon was not wicked enough io to ask which before the second week was over john toll allen alien signified his determination to seo see something of outdoor out door life and ought fought so frantically at the window screens that gordon took him to the boarding place where there was a strip of yard this was too narrow to suit ills his majesty for more than a day and ns as the landlady could no not t w watch abc atc him all of the time he stole out and sought the acquaintance of th the e alley cats gordon gazed sadly at the dirty tangled fur as puss strolled in III wearily one evening once more ills highness took up iiii his abode at the studio ile he ought to bo be brushed said miss araham arn on oa the following morning as 1 she tried to separate the snarled locks gordon bought a soft brush and worked two hours at the tur fur while thus engaged he made a startling discovery the next day while showing miss graham ome come puritan studies before beginning work on the portrait he exclaimed in a tragic tone 0 miss graham did you know er that that john alden had bad fleas air gordon Gor donl cried she in a shocked voice did you intend that as a jokel 0 sud dently remembering 0 of course I 1 had bad forgotten you mean the cat most ceita certainly returned gordon emphatically well in that case I 1 can tell you ta I 1 L V how thoughtful thought tul ot of your aunt what to do wash him with tar soap or with dog soap and comb them out with a fine comb gordon purchased three combs before he found one that would not break he bought three different kinds of 0 soap and returning to john alden he combed he bathed he rubbed and then combed again at the end of the tussle john alden lay snugly sleeping under a warm drapery high on a bookcase and gordon dressed his own torn and bleeding hands and captured two live fleas on his coat sleeve he has since come to believe that those insects nourish flourish on strong soapsuds tor for after this performance john alden did little but scratch and dig at his bis poor tormented skin he lost his appetite and grew thin miss aliss graham advised more combing and warm caan catnip tea gordon bought catnip at the druggists ile he bought also a walnut mended by the chemist and a bottle ot of cat tonic still the fleas increased and john job alden diminished gordon gordah wrote to his bis aunt take him to a veterinary surgeon advised she tor for the fleas will kill the cat it if not seen to at once what a pity said miss aliss graham when she heard this now 1 I think s that entirely unnecessary poor pussy would die there it if you will trust III him im to me I 1 will take him home and my Y mother will doctor him up tor for you we e live out ot of town in the summer you know and there is lots of delicious grass for him to roam over and no cats in the neighborhood we will w watch atch him closely and he wont run away besides there are oceans of 0 fresh catnip growing about the place and home dried catnip is different from that compressed stuff you bought then too you you might come often you know to to see how he was getting on john alden went to the country A month later a letter went to the a aunt you will be glad wrote gordon to hear bear that john alden la Is en entirely tirel rid of fleas eats like a bear and Is more beautiful than ever you will be surprised to hear bear that I 1 have found that a cat does not add the finishing grace to a studio there Is something else that to which I 1 refer is a wife who knows how to take care of the cat and of the artist As you are not so placed as to make this selection for mo me I 1 have done so myself or rather john alden has at last spoken tor for me as well as tor for himself to the fair priscilla priscilia her name Is isabel graham your affectionate nephew ERNEST GORDON P S I 1 forgot to say june thirtieth E G N B I 1 enclose last months report one soft brush 3 so 50 three one fine combs 43 45 three cakes soap 37 catnip 05 walnut wash 60 50 cat tonic I 1 60 extra dainties 5 carfaro carfare car faro fare to the country 1 total one sleek angora two hearts that beat as one |