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Show Johnny, a Cat, and Cupid By DOROTHY DOUGLAS : tt (Copyrlaht.) JOHN RAYMOND listened to the most blood-curdling sharpening of a knife that he had ever heard. Was there to be a tremendous slaughtering in the flat next door or was it merely .that some one was about to carve something? Certainly whoever was sharpening that knife intended to get a keen edge on it and no mistake. No wonder the gorgeous blue Persian Per-sian cat, who occupied a sunny portion por-tion of the fence dividing the gardens one flight below, bounded franticallj up the fire escape to see what it wa all about. John Raymond would like to have known, too, as his curiosity was aroused. Every morning, since the windows bad been opened to welcome -.he new spring, he bad listened to that knife-sharpening process and tried to picture what breakfast dainty could possibly necessitate so keen a knife. And each morning as the lovely cat heard It, he dashed like a streak of silver lightning into the open window. Raymond had used every cat call In his vocabulary to lure the handsome hand-some pet Into his own flat, but Johnny, as he had heard the cat called, simply stared at him with those wonderful topaz eyes and kept his distance. And the more aloof Johnny kept himself, the more eager was Raymond to Induce him inside. Raymond was not only a cat lover but he painted animals an-imals in so successful a manner as to have a considerable fame to his credit as an artist. Then, like a flash the truth dawned on Raymond. Tht sharpening of the knife was some secret code between cat and master or mistress, whichever the case might be. No doubt Johnny knew that a bit of meat was to be cut for li t in when that sound reached bis ears, and be lost no time in demanding demand-ing it. Consequently, next day, when Raymond Ray-mond felt that the Hat next door was empty of its human Inhabitants, he got out his own carving knife and a tempting tempt-ing bit of fresh liver and sharpened away with all his might, A Hash, and Johnny had whirled himself Into Raymond's open window. There was no more aloofness. Johnny John-ny was purring and rubbing most affectionately af-fectionately against Raymond's legs and gazing up with bis great topaz eyes. In fact, Johnny put his two silky paws on the edge of Raymond's breakfast table nnd left two smutty paw marks thereon. That was the beginning of a new fricimslilp. Johnny, being left for several hours a (lay all by himself, he made himself comfortable In Raymond's Ray-mond's sunny Hat. And Raymond set to work on a palming that was later to dazzle the eyes of the animal lover's world. Raymond bad wisely left n bit of Chinese Chi-nese blue velvet carelessly on the sunny sun-ny window ledge, knowing full well that Johnny would easily ensconce binisi-lf thiTeon, And thi! p:iiii!ing progressed won-derfiilly won-derfiilly 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 one cwnliis toward sun-srl sun-srl when Raymond bad closed the window with Johnny on the Inside. Suddenly Into his nrllsi's dream burst the sound of a frantic feminine voire. "Kitty, kilty. KITTY 1 Come Johnny John-ny ( ' i.M K .lullNNY!" and later the loud .sharpening of it Knife. Raymond Jumped to his feet and opened the window, but as a matter of fuel Johnny never moved he was well fed and most co.y on his Chinese blue elvet cushion. "Are you calling n blue Persian eat?" nsKcil Raymond with a guilty I look on his face, "because If yon are he's In here with me." "Well, 1 lil.e llnil I Fnl Icing my bciiui i fill cal Inlo your Hat and locking lock-ing him In. I think I will report you to " "My dear young lady," expostulated Raymond while he definitely admired the speaker or at least Hie llllle glimpse he had of her, "I merely wanted want-ed to make a portrait of your cat ln-'s the most beaiillfiil animal I've eer i een." "(lb!" exclaimed Miss Jarvls, hanging hang-ing so far out of Hie window now Hint Raymond was fearful of her toppling out, "could 1 Just have a peep at II." Raymond beamed nnd Miss Jarvls discovered what she had fell for a long lime, unbeknown to Raymond, thai she should like her masculine neighbor - she had often walched him going In and out of the Hal but he seemed always so preoccupied Hun she had despaired of ever Knowing Mm. "Only upon the coiullllon llml you rcfniln from reporting me to the police po-lice a s ii cal Ihlef - I haven't any do slii' to llgiiro In Hie papers." Johnny in Hie ineanl line had arisen from bis velvet cushion, slrelclied himself and yawned coniforlably. Ills sllllni: for the day seemed In be over nnd he approached Miss Jarvls. She look blin fondly In her arms nml be rubbed his soft bend against her bunds In perfectly happy cal love, lie purred nml was perhaps lolling her all 1 1 1 o 1 1 1 Hie poririill. "And when urn I In see Johnny's ph i lire?" ii'ikeil Miss Jim Is. "I ll bring II round lo your Hal door If 1 may ilr.hl away, If you'll let nie," iai Id R ay ino id, ami while I he lihery Johnny and his r.ohlen nihlioss-I nihlioss-I ilinippi-iii I'd I'ioiii Hie w indow, Cupid o out Imi bow ami in l ow. |