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Show OoO00OoO00OoO000 Ephraim's 1 Luck A Cat and a Girl Both Win o o By EVELYN WINTHROP 5 O Copyright, M10, by American I'ross O j Aiuoclalton. ooooooooooooa t -Vruy Walliu-o slununod tht gntc of the chicken .yard and came down tho path with tragedy written on lur stormy eounti'utuioi? and in the very ! jjoho of hiu oiitrttrotchod hand from j which (lnnRh'd tho lifeless rctunlns of i a promising you tig broiler. ' "Anolhor oue'r" queried her sister j disconsolately. 'That makeslet mo nee Hovonty-two chickens killed In the last hJx eeks. At a dollar u pair those HirollerK would have fetched $:Ui!" "It 1h an outrage," sputtered Amy, Hinging tho defunct chicken far from her sight. "Thut cat must ho killed at oneol" "J)ld you send Mrs. lleomer n hill I Jor tho chickens?" asked Louise, Intent I on her needlework. Amy nodded. "Sent It Monday." I "Heard from her today V j ' "Ye-es." "Did she say she was u soldier's widow and that tho gray cat was her , -only solace?" Louise smiled mlschiov-ously. mlschiov-ously. "Word for word. Laugh, If you must, .young woman," went on Amy gloomily, "but remember, please, that I nm not a talented female artist who can earn the prlco of a gown with a few daubs of paint. 1 am a mere, commonplace plodder, and I haven't a talent In the world save for poultry raising, nnd now l begin to doubt ray ability to succeed at that." "I'll see Mrs. Iieomcr myself," announced an-nounced Louise, arising and folding her work with an air of decision. "Sho must either pay you $.10 and promise, Immunity from further annoyance from tho cat or alio must kill tho beast." "She won't do either," mourned Amy . '4l from tho piazza a Louiso passed out lJH tho gate and crossed the street to jHHHMHMHk nbrle-iof the Widow Iteemer. ,f LV,iSc j&allacu,. found , thsiAVldow, W , 'wlilSwnlabl yiWWiwtrw P'--if' j-f fttoday" '.. ' Wt,jr-f rJ Is," agreed Louise coldly. "Mrs. Iteemer. that cat has got to go." "You mum KphralmV" quavered tho widow. "Of course." "I'm a soldier's widow" began --, Ann Ucemer in the melancholy tono sho reserved for that oft repeated $ Btatoment, but Louiso lifted a slim fe linger wnrningly. M "And Kphralm is your only solace," K added tho girl dryly. "We know all jjU that, Mrs. lleomer. and we are very , Rorry, but jou mum ee that we cau't wT continue to lose chickens at this rate. ' wBr lt8 IirtPst?rous. Eplirnlm seems to wit f kl" ubt ,'or "" ,nore Pleasure of the t'Sohp leed. lie's a cold blooded old mur- 'J!Sr,v derer." w, T,le palt Bray Kl)nruln turned a iHu light yellow eye In her direction, and & ' u faint sneer lifted hla black Up. Then Skv. his red velvet tongue darted In and VvS',f out of t,le m,1,; UHl1 ,,ts l'vt'-s woro i; hidden. llff,' Ann Ilcemer sighed. "Very well," Jt ' she sniffed tearfully.- "I'll have to Jl f.V k give him up. 1 guess. He's the only i.-Jayt comfort I've got now. Hut you can i Just take him away nnd kill him, L Louey. I'll kiss him goodby If you ' don't mind." V, "( .vo W'H P"t the cnt In a bag. ', Mrs. Heomer. I'll And somebody to dls- , pose of him." Interposed Louiso lui- 1 iY patiently. &,! With a hard little gllttor In her 1lnck $? eyes. Ann Heemer brought a covered "' " 1i:i?l:et and thrust the scratehi'ig. si)lt- V ting Ephraim within. She tied the ' 'y cover hccurely and gave the basket ct into Louise's hands. Then slie threw " , her eliecked apron over her head and t v t, roclswl mournfally to and fro. v , Ionise paused at the gate and. look- ' ln backward, felt a pang of pity for , v lno oU1 woman. Then sho thought of j ' the mournful Amy across tho street r and Iuphralm's bad reputation In tho ;f 'ommunlty as a chicken slayer and i' pussed through tho gate. It 'Til nm around to Latimer's and sec V If one of tho boys won't chloroform the , JT i. oat. Amy will be rellevwl. Indeed. when I return nnd tell her that Ephraim Eph-raim has gone to Join bis forefathers." j, v 'K It was no light task to carry tho f ' shaking basket within which tho big JVl Brn5' c,,t 'ol,,Iut t'sorlshly for escape 1 fj. '- Iler hands were quite soro when she 'W reached the litlmcr place and found i herself in the midst of n curious group v ' of boys nnd girls at the back door. . ' Mrs. Lailuur .eamt out and Joined I them. "I veant joz;cbHlj o f'!oroform a eat," ' 'l '--i' !' Kjdirsilm. you Ii kno !)- u kllMi' .T our troll- ( r I !l t.'i t,n- of tli. I.os i, i 'lit ri -. .; . ..- J twt. Mrs. Lntlmcr shoo her hend. "I xlon't want any of my folks to kill a cnt. Miss Wallace; It's awful bad luck, you know. Perhaps Peter Swanson'a folks will do It for you. Swedes don't believe In luck and such things." "Very well," said Louise wearily. "Will you let Wily carry the basket for me? Ephvalm's very heavy," "1 pues there won't be nny harm in thatand he was wishing this uurn Ing that he could earn a quarter," Insinuated In-sinuated Hllly's shrewd mother. "I'll see that h" gets a quarter for tho ol " Tolled Louise. And then, fo'-lowed fo'-lowed by the curious Hilly and trailed by tho remaining Ltttlnnrs. they sought Teter Swamwn. the bhuksmllh. "I couldn't kill no at. mlsi." said Peter apologetically, when Louise had told her story. "They tell me It brings bad luck. Yust now 1 can't afford no bad times. Maybe the Eyetallans in tho Holler might" Louiso sought the Italian settlement In the llmlow. Pletro Honcnglla averred that Kphralnt possessed the evil eye and crossed his brown tlngers slmdderlngly. Even the rattling crisp ness of greenbacks failed to break his resolution. Old Abraham Johnson's black fac expressed mingled greed and alarm when approached by Louise and her funereal train. He gazed longingly at tho money and then clutched the voodoo voo-doo charm that hung about his throat. "I hate to dls'plnt yo Miss Louey. honey, but It am pow'ful bad luck to kill a cat. Dc bery debbll's In dat iSphrnlm. Folks say bo's do recur-nival recur-nival oh ole Eph Heemer, htsself! I need do money rlglit bad. too, miss funk you. houoy." These were examples of tho various Interviews thnt Louiso held that morning. morn-ing. Noon time found her nt her own gate tugging tho heavy basket containing con-taining the still active Ephraim. Her sister drew forward a rocking chair In tho porch and Louiso fell into its comfortable embrace. "What is in the baskctr asked Amy. "Ephraim." "Tell mo about It-do," crowed Amy. Louise told her. "I csn't tlud a per son who will make way with that cut for love or money, nnd I believe Mrs. Heemer knew I couldn't sho gave Ephraim into my hands almost too willingly," she ended plaintively, "t didn't realize that Intelligent people could be so silly and superstitious." "We must dispose of tho cut ourselves, our-selves, then." said Amy tlrmly. "Wj Ji,c.JtoL.suP.crKllUuiC--.. CHn'rall.be fools." 'T? """' ' """ At'thnl instant tbcjmskcl fiiuthlulng the doomed cat nwayed violently on the grass where Louiso had dropped her burden: then the cover Hew up, nnd with a spiteful hiss Ephraim dashed dash-ed out nnd scrambled up the black walnut tree over their astonished heads. "That impish Tommy Latimer must have untied tho cords," said Louise bitterly. "I saw him quarreling wltji Billy over tho basket and I gae them fit) cents too." Amy had picked up a large stone and weighed it in her baud. "1 believo I could lilt that cat," she said viciously, "If I can it will stun him -perhaps kill him." She shuddered slightly, aimed the missile carefully at Die crouching Ephraim. threw the stone and turned her back. Louise had closed her eyes, tightly. They heard the stone crash through tho branches and then there followed a slight groan. After that, silence. "I believo I killed him," moaned Amy. "You certainly came very near It," said an exasperated masculine volco, nnd the sisters turned to view tho Indignant In-dignant countenance of Mr. Ilupcrt Ames. That young gentleman clutched clutch-ed one shoulder as If in pain. Over his head Ephraim crouched, hplttlug angrily and sharpening his claws on tho rouch branch to which ho clung. "Did I htrlke you, Rupert?" demanded demand-ed Amy penitently. "I wiik trying to hit the cat, you see." "You must bo very fond of him." oh-Aervd oh-Aervd Mr. Amos, drawing near to thorn. -"I'm very sorry. I hope you nro not badly hurt. Fetch the witch hazel, please, Louise." Amy lot her hand rest In Rupert's close clasp longer than he had dared hope. "We hardly ex-jHicted ex-jHicted to see you," sho udded pointed- iy. "I felt that you needed jne." lied Mr. Ames cheerfully. "My Inner consclons-ucss consclons-ucss told mo you wore in trouble of some sort and required masculine assistance. as-sistance. What can I dofor.you?" Whcu Louis returned with the lotion lo-tion they told the story of Ephraim and tho slain broilers. "Will jou kill the cat, Huiwrt?" they pleaded tearfully. tear-fully. Mr. Ames shook his heud. "I couldn't," be said regretfully. "You see. I'm Miperstltlous, too. 1 am," he nssertcd in the face of their tn redu-lous redu-lous looks. "I know if 1 killed that cnt and cwry one of Ula nine lhcfl were extliruishod-wlry. Id never have a clian a of marrying Amy after I alir Ldnlse wn?!'-'. nr.i the f-.vift cilurj camp to Ai't, i..i. .. ...... ,. t ..'.'. t boUlCv? -ii uif'Utli itgo.'8ho ahi cold-Iy. cold-Iy. "I'm going to by mi ludependuut j bulstiess woman and" ( "Very good," said Mr. Ames crisply I "I must be running along, now. My motor'o down the road a piece had a ' breakdown, you know, and Just ' thought I'd drop In and see you. Hopj ! you get the best of Ephraim." ; Louise disappeared Into the house, nnd Amy's face lost Its color. "Then ' you won't kill Ephraim?" she faltered. "1 cannot. Amy, but I'll tell you how you can get rid of him. Just mnrry me nnd give up this notion of poultry raising. Louise hylylug to get back to town, and I want you l need you. Lot Ephraim shift for himself." "You merely happened In hero. You liftd a breakdown." said Amy severely. "My resolution not to see you broke down." confessed Rupert, drawing her Into his arms. "For my part. It's great good luck not to kill a cut, eh, Ephraim?" Eph-raim?" Hut tho cnt, taking advantage of lovers' meeting, was merely n pale gray Rtrcak headed for the welcoming arms of the Widow Boomer. |
