Barre High School - Barretone Yearbook (Barre, MA)

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SADD3R, BUT V ISER? Dusi-c had fallen over the town of Centerville , and darkness was slowly approaching as is castoiic ry on v arr.i spring niglits. Over in the residential section the young gentlenon had already begun pushing their ladyfriends’ doorbells. Yes, indeed, ronance was in the air; but it was by no ueans confined only to the front porches. Around back of £’ certain spic and span white cottage, spry j ' oung Miss Tabby sat alone, looking dreamily at the faintly gloaming stars. There is not a doubt but that if it had not been her first courting season. Miss Tabby would not be so alone. For when it came to feline charm, there was not another of this spring’s sub-dobs that quite compared. It was the first evening Mother Cat had allowed her daughter to ven- ture about the yard unchaperoned. lust now Tabby was recalling a conversation she had had vith Blackie, the kitten across the street, ’’The best catch of the season, Blackie had announced, is with- out doubt Jon than, Tabby knev all about Jonathan. He had a repu- tation for being the cleverest tom-cat in the neighborhood. Sonehov he alv ays j anagod to keep his black coat looking sleek and handsome. Little chance I have of catching his attention, sighed Tabby, v hen there are all those older, more experienced cats to beguil him. Suddenly Tabby turned her head. In the midst of her reverie she had heard a soft padding of feet. Now she was greeted by a very mas- culine meow. Her heart fluttered, and she looked coyly at her paws, for the object of her dreams was before her. In true cat-wooer fashion, Jonathan opened the conversation. Good evening, my dear little Tcabby, he said. 1 Vhat do you find so interesting in those stars? Oh, sir, Tabby demurely answered, I was wondering if the milky way really has as much milk as its name implies, Ho, ho, little girl, laughed Jonathan. Don ' t you knov ? That is nothing but a band of stars. The statement had the aesired effect upon Tabby, for she kitten- ishly drooped her whiskers, which act is equivalent to a hur.ian blush. Jonathan liked to give the opposite sex an i,.-prcssion that he had been around and had picked up a little knov ledge here and there. So with the conversation started off on the right foot, Jonathan proceeded to v oo Tabby, and she, with just the right amount of reti- cence, allowed him to. The following night Jonathan again mot Tabby on the back stoop. In fact, every night for a v oek he came around to call and gallantly professed his love to her. Because of this favorable state of affairs Tabby was sure she had ner man. Then one night Jonathan failed to make his usual call. The young lady waited first with her tail curled around her foot, then with it flat behind her, and finally as time wore on, it became a furry danger signal v rving straight in the air. All sorts of doubts crossed Tabby’s mind. An accident might have befallen her lover. She put aside that thought as too horrible. Suddenly her v oman’s intuition made her wonder if, just bj ' - chance, Jonathan might have tarried at that house where there were six eli- gible debutantes who had a reputation for getting their man. Her first impulse to such o thought was to hurry to the scene and make

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sure. Lut i.hat v ould iiappcu if Motlior siioulcl catch lae? Tabby ashed herself. And what would the noigiibors say? For the next few nonents she wavered back and forth, trying to convince herself that Jonathan v as her property and she had a right to go after him. But, though Tabby knew little about the nilky way and astronony, she had road every one of Sraily Post ' s lessons on eti- quette and knev tha;t it v as not proper for a 1 ' .y to do the pursuing. She had almost abandoned the iuca when she sat bolt upright and iicowed aloud, Why this is leap year. This rcnarkable truth so en- couraged her that she padded softly down the stairs and hustled out to the street, being careful that Mother Cat should not observe her departure The street before the house with the six flirtatious cats was barely more than an alley, bordered by teneuont houses. Just at the corner of the alloy Tabby hoard soneono speak, 7 hy, Tabby, what on earth are you doing out so late? Jonathan asked in aiiazoiient , Looking for you, gulped the fair lady in eiibarrassncnt , Y hy, I have been catching rats in Jones ' s garage ever since six o ' cloc ' :, Jonathan replied in quick defense. If the truth were known Jonathan had heard of a ncw-couer to the neighborhood. Out of curi- osity he had wandered over to nect her and found her eyes such heav- enly balls of green fir-c thathe couldn ' t tear hinscTf av ay until just ton minutes ago. It v as a much ashaiied young lady that followed Jonathan into the alley. Here the latter began to case his conscience by declaring his undying love to Tabby. In true cat fashion he warmed to the subject until the residents of the tenements were aroused from their sluLibers These folk followed tno instinct of a human being when aroused by the weird howl of a cat in the dead of niglit. Vvhen the first shoo caiie v hirling to the ground only a foot away from the couple, Tabby looked to Jonathan for help. But by this time a flower pot and several pans v ere making quarters close for comfort; and he darted off into the darkness, leaving poor Tabby to care for hei self. Not knov ing the neighborhood, c ' ..o fled in the wrong direction and ran straight into a bucketful of cold water. By the time Tabby had reached safety, she was a pretty disil- lusioned kitty. Here she had exposed herself to ridicule by ciiasing after a ton-cat. Ax d v hat did she find at the end of the chase bur a vain, selfish wooer who never thought of her in tines of danger. Sadly she shook her head. S.ao ' d kno better next time. Her motto would be: Look before you leap Elaine Johnson