1939-01-13 — Page 31

THE WHITE CAT

(Continued from Page i)

fidant. Whenever he came to see me he used to bring that cat; I didn't like it, but I tried to make a fuss of it just to please him. I saw the cat again as I walked past Green Hollow just before the new tenant moved in. I was out for a walk and looked up at the darken- ed windows. That cat showed itself on the sill of a window on the first floor. As I passed by, it sprang down, apparently into the shrubbery, and after I had gone forward another 50 yards it appeared again in the roadway,

looked up at me and mewed. When I stooped to touch it, it turned and moved back to the gate that leads into the park and across to the cottage here.'

"I said to Mattison: "The best thing I can prescribe for your merves is a stiff whisky and soda. I haven't seen the cat all this

time. I should say that some- thing has happened to it. I have been told that cats like that may die of a broken heart if their owners leave them for any length of time.'

He stopped me with a gesture, then: "That lamp's going out, isn't it?' he said.

"The oil in the reservoir was exhausted: I said to him: 'I will turn out the light and bring some more oil. You don't mind sitting here, I suppose? I open- ed the door that led out to the lawn so that the moonlight might shine into the room. I was only away a few minutes when I heard him call out in fear:

'Critchett! Critchett, come quickly! The cat! I went back to the room and there was Matti- son, standing in the corner. He had left his chair and was star- ing at the

open doorway. I brushed past him and stood on his left side.

"Slowly, with sinister tread, its eyes blood-red, the white cat, Ling Soo, came out of the grounds into the cottage study. Neither Mattison nor I spoke.

The cat stopped in the centre of the room. A capful of cloud slid between the carth and the moon, but the whiteness of that cat lifted itself out of the darkness. And then--then, it began to mew, and what was more horri- fying to me was the manner in which it hunched its back, rais- ed its tail and rubbed the side of its head against an imaginary leg. It was eerie.

"The white beast was rubbing the leg of a ghost! And that ghost was in the room! I thrust a hand into my coat pocket to pull out the revolver that I kept there. I meant to shoot the cat, but the very movement caused it to look in my direction and the instant its eyes met mine it leapt at me-leapt at my face and throat, scratching, biting,

screaming like a human I think I heard Mattison rush to the open doorway, but I don't remember. All I know is that I fought against that infuriated animal. I struck at it with my left hand, I fired my revolver and splintered the glass of a picture on the wall. I felt its talons embedded in my left cheek. I felt the warm blood running down my neck, but whichever way I struck, which- ever way I turned, whichever way I kicked, the beast eluded me.

The devil in it warned it of every action of mine. It drove me mad! I forgot Mattison, I "Torgot everything save that aw-

THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT, JANUARY 13, 1930

ful thing that killing me.

was intent on

"Out of the grounds there seemed to come tornado of voices, a volume that swelled and swelled until I felt that the whole world must hear it. And I shout- ed at the white eat: 'Let go! Let go my throat! I know that I killed your master; I know that he is buried under the floor of this room! I don't want his money now that I have got it! It was Rupert, my cousin, who put the damnable idea into my head; Rupert who went with me to the passport office made up as my old master; it was Rupert who saw that the granting of that power of attorney meant that we would get the whole of the estate into our hands. It was Rupert who sent me all the cables from South America; everything was so easy-so horribly easy!"

me.

"And still the cat fought for a hold on my throat. It tore my cheeks to ribbons! At last I shouted loudly for Mattison. I was exhausted. I dropped to the floor. Mattison came through the doorway and knelt beside There was someone with him, but I couldn't distinguish features. Then, I heard a click- ing sound, and thinking it was the cat that had returned to the attack. I said to Mattisen: 'Don't let it come near me!'

his

Mattison relit the lamp I don't know how, because I had-. n't yet replenished it with oil. The third person in the room 'looked down at me and I follow- ed his gaze; it travelled to my wrists: they were handcuffed.

"Who put these things on me?' said I, and he answered in two words: 'I did.'

I looked across the room at Mattison. All semblance of friendliness was gone from his face.

"I have suspected you for a long while,' he said, and as he said it he stroked the head of the white cat that was now nestling in his arms."

** ** *

James Critchett, for many years the private secretary of old Geoffrey Cranborne, stopped his narrating of the story. The sergeant who had been taking it down, word for word, said: "Is that all you wish tò, say?”

I

""Yes," said Critchett, "save that I am glad it is all over. don't care what happens to me now.'

"

"Very well," said the sergeant, and pushed the foolscap sheets towards the prisoner. "Sign it." he said.

Mrs. M. Read about to slam one in the Pirates-Cardinals clash. Miss Tovarres is the catcher.

Magistrate: How much did the man pay you for your business?

Defendant: He didn't pay. He just put the broken's man-in.

* * *

Electric light official at Totten- ham: This man is behind every quarter. He will always be in the cart.

Magistrate: You mean he will always be here, You mustn't call this court the cart..

"I suppose

I'm

fussy..

but I don't see why, at my age, I should put up with second-best... For

instance, I'm fond of the theatre; but, believe me, I'd rather stay away than see an indifferent play.

THE VIOLET

"The teacher was explaining the difference between the stately rose and the modest. violet.

་

"You see, children," she said, "a beautiful, well-dressed woman walks along the street, but she is proud, and does not greet anybody that is the rose. But behind her comes a small creature with bow- ed head-."

"Yes, miss, I know," Tommy in- terrupted. "That her husband.”

... So that's why, when you offered me whisky, I asked you to make mine a White

Horse. I daresay some men hold that one Scotch whisky is as good as another. Well, when they know as much about it as I do, they will think differently.”

WHITE HORSE

Whisky

You can tell it blindfold!

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