Latest / Bully and Bawly No-Tail (the Jumping Frogs) / Adventures of Tommy Postoffice, the True Story of a Cat - Gabrielle E. Jackson

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Adventures of Tommy Postoffice, the True Story of a Cat - Gabrielle E. Jackson · Bully and Bawly No-Tail (the Jumping Frogs)

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one of the Adventures of Tommy Post Office, The
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  Speaker 1: True Story of a Cat. This is a LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
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  Speaker 1: by Michael Fossio. The Adventures of Tommy Post Office, The
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  Speaker 1: True Story of a Cat by Gabriel E. Jackson. Chapter
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  Speaker 1: one Tommy's first appearance. Meow, meow, meow, meow meowl. The
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  Speaker 1: first sound came from a dark corner in the cellar
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  Speaker 1: of the r Post Office, far in behind some stored
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  Speaker 1: away mail pouches, and the second was its answer, as
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  Speaker 1: a fine black and white cat made her way daintily
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  Speaker 1: across the dusty pouches, shaking first one foot and then
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  Speaker 1: another to free them from any dirt which might adhere
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  Speaker 1: to them, before entering the corner from which the first
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  Speaker 1: cry proceeded. And indeed she had reason to guard those
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  Speaker 1: snowy stockings she wore, for she had taken infinite pains
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  Speaker 1: to wash them until they were immaculate. Have the first
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  Speaker 1: sounds betrayed the secret of that dark corner? It was
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  Speaker 1: a spot rarely visited by the post office officials, and
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  Speaker 1: that was the very reason it had been sought out
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  Speaker 1: by this mother cat. For hidden there upon some soft
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  Speaker 1: old leather patches were five wee squirming kittens which were
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  Speaker 1: clamoring for their dinner, and their mother, the pet of
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  Speaker 1: every one in the office, was coming with it just
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  Speaker 1: as fast as any mother could. She had stolen away
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  Speaker 1: while her babies were fast asleep to visit Jimmy, the engineer.
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  Speaker 1: For Jimmy and Peggy post Office were boon companions and
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  Speaker 1: shared at dinner daily. As Peggy picked her way along,
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  Speaker 1: she gave an occasional lick to her lips, for thereupon
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  Speaker 1: still lingered both taste and odor of a fine bit
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  Speaker 1: of cold roast beef. A moment later she was crooning
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  Speaker 1: to her children, and as only a loving old mother
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  Speaker 1: cat can. Meantime, events were hurrying along above stairs. The
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  Speaker 1: great mail wagons had backed up to the post office
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  Speaker 1: to take their load of outgoing letters. Carriers were hurrying
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  Speaker 1: in from all parts of the city with their letter
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  Speaker 1: bags filled with mail matter. The clerks were rushing about
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  Speaker 1: the office, and Uncle Sam was being served with alacrity.
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  Speaker 1: Whoever heard of such a rush of mail at this
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  Speaker 1: season of the year a month later, there might be
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  Speaker 1: some sense in it. Heven half enough bags to hold
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  Speaker 1: it all? Where are all those reserved ones? Pete? Hustle
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  Speaker 1: downstairs and get up half a dozen of them? Will you?
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  Speaker 1: Called the head of the department. Pete, the general factotum
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  Speaker 1: of the post office, gave one bound over the pile
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  Speaker 1: of bags, which were already upon the floor, pore through
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  Speaker 1: the door, and vanished below stairs. About ten minutes elapsed,
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  Speaker 1: and then he came struggling up the stairs, bearing in
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  Speaker 1: his arms two of the cumbersome mail pouches, talking what
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  Speaker 1: seemed to be a string of unto eligible nonsense, and
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  Speaker 1: chuckling as though he knew a huge joke. Hustle, you boy,
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  Speaker 1: I say, don't keep the whole office waiting? Why what?
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  Speaker 1: And every man in the department followed the speaker as
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  Speaker 1: he hurried toward the struggling Pete. Some held a handful
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  Speaker 1: of letters, some an open mail pouch which they were
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  Speaker 1: about to swing upon the supporting frame. How's that for
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  Speaker 1: a fine showing for the lady of the post office.
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  Speaker 1: Ain't that as dandy a litter as you ever clapped
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  Speaker 1: your eyes on? Five of 'em? And every one a butte,
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  Speaker 1: here's the very mother's son of em cried Pete as
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  Speaker 1: he held up by its wee neck handle, a tiny
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  Speaker 1: reproduction of Peggy post office, white nose, white shirt front,
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  Speaker 1: white stockings, white tail tip, and all complete. Five pairs
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  Speaker 1: of bright little eyes blinked at the men in the
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  Speaker 1: brilliant sunlight of the office. Five little mouths squealed in chorus.
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  Speaker 1: Five cunning kittens not two weeks old, squirmed and wriggled
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  Speaker 1: about upon the mail pouch. While they're proud but somewhat
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  Speaker 1: anxious smile, warble to them reassuringly, and rubbed herself against
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  Speaker 1: the legs of the admiring audience. Mister Wilson, the head
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  Speaker 1: of the department, chuckled with the light as he said, Peggy,
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  Speaker 1: old girl, you've done yourself proud this time, and no mistake.
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  Speaker 1: Then one of the men lifted the cat to the
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  Speaker 1: table where the kittens were being admired. Peggy fully appreciated
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  Speaker 1: the honor, but was filled with maternal solicitude for her family,
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  Speaker 1: as kittens have been known to disappear mysteriously when discovered
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  Speaker 1: by even the most cherished and trusted friends. Where did
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  Speaker 1: you find her? Pete? Asked mister Wilson. I've hunted in
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  Speaker 1: every hole and corner for those kittens without discovering even
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  Speaker 1: a hair on these bags. Way over in the corner
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  Speaker 1: of the cellar, great old cat was the reply. Well,
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  Speaker 1: next thing to be done is to fix up a
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  Speaker 1: box for her ladyship. As soon as we get this
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  Speaker 1: mail off to it, will you, Pete put her down
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  Speaker 1: behind my desk. It's sort of dark and snug there,
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  Speaker 1: and I guess she'll like it and let them stay
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  Speaker 1: if we don't bother her too much. An hour later,
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  Speaker 1: Peggy post Office and her family were as snug as
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  Speaker 1: bugs and a rug. Pete had found a good sized box,
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  Speaker 1: filled it half full of excelsior, and placed it behind
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  Speaker 1: mister Wilson's desk, and there was as soft a bed
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  Speaker 1: as any reasonable cat could wish for. Missus post Office
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  Speaker 1: and her family were at home, and had they been
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  Speaker 1: content to remain there, this history of Tommy post Office
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  Speaker 1: would never have been written. However, true to her instincts,
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  Speaker 1: this mother cat detested a change in her eyes. No
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  Speaker 1: spacious box ever made, or the softest excelsior ever shaved up,
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  Speaker 1: could compare with that dark corner of the cellar safe
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  Speaker 1: from inquisitive even though admiring eyes and near the familiar
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  Speaker 1: odor of the old leather mail bags. For some unknown reason,
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  Speaker 1: a heavier mail was passing through the r office just
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  Speaker 1: then than had ever been known at that season of
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  Speaker 1: the year for Thanksgiving mails or not as a rule
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  Speaker 1: heavy ones, the men were exceptionally. A night or two
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  Speaker 1: after Peggy had taken up her abode behind mister Wilson's desk,
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  Speaker 1: the night shift of clerks was just coming on, and
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  Speaker 1: there was the usual bustle and hurry of the exchange.
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  Speaker 1: Nobody thought of Peggy, and she was very glad of it,
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  Speaker 1: for she had a little scheme to carry out and
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  Speaker 1: preferred doing so unaided. The men were working rapidly upon
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  Speaker 1: the outgoing Eastern mail, for it would close in ten minutes,
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  Speaker 1: and that meant to work as fast as possible. Here
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  Speaker 1: Pete set up another bag for Hartford. This one will burst,
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  Speaker 1: for sure if there's any more jammed into it. Don't
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  Speaker 1: like to send out a bag with hardly a handful
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  Speaker 1: of letters in it, but this one won't hold another letter,
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  Speaker 1: cried mister Wilson as he struggled to fasten a mail
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  Speaker 1: bag which was almost bursting with the number of letters
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  Speaker 1: which had been crowded into it. Pete swung another pouch
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  Speaker 1: upon the supporting bars, an armful of letters was dropped
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  Speaker 1: into it. Click went the clasp and the bag was fastened,
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  Speaker 1: not to be opened again until the Hartford Post Office
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  Speaker 1: was reached following morning. When mister Wilson came to his
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  Speaker 1: desk the next morning and peeped behind it to say
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  Speaker 1: good morning to the family residing in the box of Excelsior.
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  Speaker 1: Tommy post office was missing. Peggy me out and tried
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  Speaker 1: to tell him what had happened, But mister Wilson had
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  Speaker 1: never studied cat Latin. More than twelve hours had passed
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  Speaker 1: since that mail pouch was clicked together in the r office,
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  Speaker 1: and then far away in one of the New England states,
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  Speaker 1: on a Thanksgiving morning, a strange scene took place, one
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  Speaker 1: that the post office officials had not arranged for hustle boys,
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  Speaker 1: hustle hustle. Uncle Sam doesn't often give his officials a
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  Speaker 1: half holiday. Thanksgiving comes but once a year, and my
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  Speaker 1: landlady has the prize turkey of the town waiting for
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  Speaker 1: me up yonder. I know all about him, for I
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  Speaker 1: bought him for her, And he's a dandy, cried Robert Weston,
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  Speaker 1: as he bustled about in his quick, energetic manner, doing
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  Speaker 1: more in one minute than the average man could compass intent.
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  Speaker 1: Open up those pouches, ben all fired lot of them
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  Speaker 1: for a thanksgiving mail? Where is this run from? Are?
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  Speaker 1: Wonder what the empire state has got to tell about
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  Speaker 1: this time? Down, Koko? What's the use of you trying
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  Speaker 1: to stick your inquisitive nose into this fuss? You just
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  Speaker 1: keep yourself cool and collected. We can attend to this
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  Speaker 1: business and not half try. The last words were spoken
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  Speaker 1: to a handsome little spaniel, which perched high upon a
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  Speaker 1: shelf which ran along one side of the receiving room,
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  Speaker 1: about four feet above the sorting table, was fussing and
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  Speaker 1: whining to be taken down. His master always put him
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  Speaker 1: there for safe keeping, and there he would remain for hours,
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  Speaker 1: watching all that went on with his sharp black eyes
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  Speaker 1: and awaiting his masters. Come Koko to spring fully six
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  Speaker 1: feet into his outstretched arms, confident that those arms would
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  Speaker 1: never fail him, For had not his mother before him
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  Speaker 1: sat upon that broad shelf day after day for years
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  Speaker 1: and trained her son to do likewise? Then, when old
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  Speaker 1: age came creeping upon her and she was forced to
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  Speaker 1: remain at home, she resigned the care of her beloved
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  Speaker 1: master to her doughty son, feeling sure that her responsibility
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  Speaker 1: was wisely shifted. But Coco's ears were sharper than his master's,
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  Speaker 1: and he had heard a sound proceeding from one of
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  Speaker 1: those mail bags, the like of which he had never
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  Speaker 1: heard before. A second later there was shaken upon the
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  Speaker 1: mail table from out of one of the bags, a
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  Speaker 1: wee squirming, half dead kitten, one wild, reckless leap, And
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  Speaker 1: Coco was upon the table, licking and whining over poor
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  Speaker 1: little Tommy post Office. Then excitement reigned supreme for a while,
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  Speaker 1: For never before in all the history of the Hartford
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  Speaker 1: Post Office had a mail pouch dropped upon the sorting
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  Speaker 1: table such a missive as this. If Uncle Sam's postal
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  Speaker 1: officials neglected their duties that Thanksgiving day, the Postmaster General
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  Speaker 1: would have been obliged to accept a funny enough excuse
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  Speaker 1: for their having done so. The wording might have run
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  Speaker 1: somewhat in this wise, owing to the unexpected arrival of
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  Speaker 1: a tiny black and white kitten, whose state of health
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  Speaker 1: required instant attention at the hands of the postal force.
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  Speaker 1: The mail was temporarily delayed. In less than half a jiffy,
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  Speaker 1: Robert Weston had picked up the forlorn little kitten. In
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  Speaker 1: another jiffy, he had sent one of the men out
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  Speaker 1: to buy some milk and funniest of all, a doll's
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  Speaker 1: nursing bottle. When the man returned, the milk was warmed,
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  Speaker 1: and Tommy post Office was initiated in artificial feeding, with
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  Speaker 1: Coco sitting close beside him and cocking up first one
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  Speaker 1: ear and then the other, as though he felt it
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  Speaker 1: in his duty to supervise. The kitten heartened up wonderfully
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  Speaker 1: under this care and took his rations like a little major. Then,
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  Speaker 1: wearied from the hustling about he had undergone in the
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  Speaker 1: mail bag, he was only too glad to snuggle down
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  Speaker 1: beside Coco when mister Weston laid an overcoat upon one
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  Speaker 1: corner of the table and said, here, old man, you've
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  Speaker 1: got a job now, and no mistake, lie there and
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  Speaker 1: take care of this infant until it is time for
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  Speaker 1: us to go home to our Thanksgiving dinner. Coco seemed
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  Speaker 1: proud of his honors. The kitten cuddled close to his
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  Speaker 1: warm side, nestled in under his long silky hair, and
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  Speaker 1: went fast asleep as a dormouse, and neither animal stirred
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  Speaker 1: until eleven o'clock struck upon the big clock nearby. Then
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  Speaker 1: the post office closed its doors for the day, and
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  Speaker 1: the officials went to their various homes to do justice
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  Speaker 1: to our national gobbler. When he was ready to take
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  Speaker 1: his departure, Robert Weston called the dog, picked up the
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  Speaker 1: kitten and dropped it into his pocket, and went his
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  Speaker 1: way to his boarding house, where he was a universal
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  Speaker 1: favourite with old and young, as well as every animal
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  Speaker 1: upon the place. Peggy Post Office, far away in the
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  Speaker 1: post office at r Little guessed the scene in which
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  Speaker 1: her son was figuring as the star actor for Tommy's
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  Speaker 1: adventure had to be related again and again. Tommy himself
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  Speaker 1: shown to everyone, petted, admired, and marveled over, until it
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  Speaker 1: was a wonder His head was not hopelessly turned then
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  Speaker 1: and there. But he was destined to have an eventful life,
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  Speaker 1: and his journey was only the beginning of his wonderful experiences.
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  Speaker 1: End of chapter one Chapter two of the Adventures of
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  Speaker 1: Tommy Post Office. The True Story of a Cat by
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  Speaker 1: Gabriel E. Jackson. This LibriVox recording is in the public
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  Speaker 1: domain recording by Michael Fossio. Chapter two, Tommy becomes a pensioner.
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  Speaker 1: Swell the fund, help along a good cause. You ought
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  Speaker 1: to be proud to see your name on the list.
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  Speaker 1: Mister Weston says, were to adopt the kitten, and that
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  Speaker 1: the boys have got to chip in for his support.
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  Speaker 1: So here's a chance for him to do the generous act.
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  Speaker 1: How much do you contribute? Asked Ben the morning which
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: followed Tommy's arrival at Hartford, as he went about among
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  Speaker 1: the men, filled with importance and carrying a little book
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  Speaker 1: and pencil. On the cover was printed in rather irregular letters,
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  Speaker 1: subscriptions for the support and feed of the post office cat.
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  Speaker 1: He ain't got no name yet. The big words had
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  Speaker 1: been spelled by one of the men, whose educational advantages
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  Speaker 1: had been somewhat superior to Ben's, but the last statement
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  Speaker 1: had been his own. Afterthought, what are you trying to
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  Speaker 1: get at anyhow, asked one of the letter carriers as
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  Speaker 1: he looked over the boy's shoulder. Trying to get at
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  Speaker 1: your pocket? So hand over something and write your name
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  Speaker 1: down in this book for the same amount each week.
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  Speaker 1: Mister Weston says that kitten what come in the mail
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  Speaker 1: bag yesterday deserves to be made the p o cat,
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  Speaker 1: and that US Fellers has got to take care of it.
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  Speaker 1: So what's your figure five cents a week? And here's
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  Speaker 1: your nickel for a starter? Say, if the whole force
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  Speaker 1: gives a nickel each week, that cat's gonna bust. Sure,
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  Speaker 1: hand over your subscription list and let me sign. So
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  Speaker 1: the list went the rounds of the office, and not
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  Speaker 1: a man withheld his might, and the kitten's maintenance was
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  Speaker 1: assured from the outset. Meantime, he was, of course nameless. Say,
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  Speaker 1: mister Weston, what are you gonna call him? Asked Ben,
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  Speaker 1: as he handed the subscription book into his superior's hands
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  Speaker 1: and dumped upon his desk the pile of pennies and
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  Speaker 1: nickels which had collected in his cap. Mean to write
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  Speaker 1: to the place he came from and try to figure
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  Speaker 1: out if he has one already. Ben, My boy, that
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: cat's no common every day sort of cat. If you
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  Speaker 1: believe in astrology, you'll know that the stars had something
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  Speaker 1: to do with his arrival, do you? And a mischievous
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: twinkle came into Robert Weston's eyes as he looked at
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  Speaker 1: the office boy in what, sir, guess I ain't not
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  Speaker 1: much in these Chinese names. Don't see what the stars
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  Speaker 1: has to do with this kitten neither. Maybe he saw
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  Speaker 1: some in that mail bag though before he got here, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: I don't see what kept him from being squashed all
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  Speaker 1: the smash the way them things is hustled around. It
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  Speaker 1: was kismet. That's what did it. My boy, That cat
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  Speaker 1: has a mission to fulfill, you see if he hasn't kismet. Kismet.
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  Speaker 1: Don't you mean catnip? That's the stuff that makes him
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  Speaker 1: feel so funny that they act like they was drunk.
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  Speaker 1: I never heard of the other stuff? What is it? No,
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  Speaker 1: I don't mean cat nip. That's good in its way,
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  Speaker 1: but it can't hold a candle to kismet. Ben, That's
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  Speaker 1: the thing what keeps you from being all smashed up
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  Speaker 1: if you happen to find yourself in a railway accident
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  Speaker 1: or from falling off a cliff in the dark. Great
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  Speaker 1: thing Kismet. That kitten knew about it. Sure, that's the
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  Speaker 1: reason he got here without being killed on the way.
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: And Robert Weston, that combination of fun and seriousness, wagged
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  Speaker 1: his head at the mystified boy. Is it a charm
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  Speaker 1: for fair? Ben asked in an awe struck voice. His
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: life had been the life of vicissitudes ever since he
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  Speaker 1: was a wee lad, and booklore was unknown to him.
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: He was, however, naturally quick witted and adaptive, and possessed
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  Speaker 1: a fund of good nature which seemed inexhaustible. It never
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  Speaker 1: occurred to him that, had kismet so ordained, he, instead
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: of a little lost kitten, might have been the one
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: to have a collection taken up for his benefit. So
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: go things in this world. Robert Weston looked at the
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: boy for a moment without replying, and probably something of
• 16:27
  Speaker 1: the above thought passed through his mind. His reply was, Benny,
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  Speaker 1: some fellows think that they can't get on a minute
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  Speaker 1: unless they have on hand a little of the very
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: finest variety going, and that the world is to blame
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  Speaker 1: if they don't happen to get it. But let me
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  Speaker 1: tell you one thing, my boy. You'll be surprised to
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: find out what a good sort you can turn out
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  Speaker 1: yourself if you use your wits. Just try it. But
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: let's see what that kitten's bank account is. He began
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  Speaker 1: to count the coins which lay upon the desk before him.
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  Speaker 1: One dollar and thirty three cents. That's a regular Vanderbilt
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  Speaker 1: income for a cat. If the boys turn over that
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  Speaker 1: sum each week, the kitten can wear jewels if he
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  Speaker 1: wants to say, you, little buffer, do you know you
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: have fallen upon your feet? And he reached over to
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  Speaker 1: stroke the sleepy little creature which was curled up in
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  Speaker 1: one corner of his desk, its bed being an old
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  Speaker 1: fur cap which had passed through many and varied experiences
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  Speaker 1: upon its owner's head. The kitten roused up, got upon
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  Speaker 1: its feet, humped up its back to stretched, and yawned
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  Speaker 1: until his mouth seemed ready to split. Who goin to
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  Speaker 1: swallow every one of us? My? Ain't you a big cat? Though?
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  Speaker 1: Ready for your dinner? Now you can have some cream
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  Speaker 1: if you want it. With such an income as this,
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  Speaker 1: Come on and take your bottle like a little major.
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  Speaker 1: A second later, the kitten was tugging away at the
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  Speaker 1: little nursing bottle for dear life ben in convulsions of laughter,
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  Speaker 1: and half a dozen of the men gathered about to
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  Speaker 1: watch the funny spectacle. Thus did Tommy come into his fortune,
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  Speaker 1: And soon after his true name. Before the week was ended,
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  Speaker 1: he was duly christened, and the ceremony was a funny one.
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  Speaker 1: The morning that the letter arrived from r mister Weston
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  Speaker 1: called the clerks together and said, boys, this kitten has
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  Speaker 1: got to be christened. He has come a long journey
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: nameless so far as the world knows, and that won't
• 18:19
  Speaker 1: do for the Hartford Post Office cat. He's got to
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: have a caller, and the caller has got to have
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: his name and the name of the post office on
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: it too. But he can't wear a collar until he
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: gets a little bigger than a pint of peanuts. He'd
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: walk clear through it. And we don't want him to
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: wear a belt. Well christen him to day right now.
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: The collar can come when he has grown into it.
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: His true name is Tommy Post Office and he is
• 18:44
  Speaker 1: the son of Peggy, Post Office of R. So here
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: goes Tommy Tommy Post Office of Hartford, Connecticut, owned and
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: supported by the boys of the office, who pledged themselves
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: to your maintenance. Until you can hustle for yourself and
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: do all the cats try to invade your premises. In
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: the names of the post office boys, I christen you
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: Tommy Post office and set their seal and badge upon
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: you for and aft. Then, taking from his desk a
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: one and two cent postage stamp, he wet them and
• 19:16
  Speaker 1: stuck one upon the kitten's head, and the other upon
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: the end of his tail, where it whisked and flirted about,
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: but stuck tight. Nevertheless, passers by would have been surprised
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: to learn that the laughter which they heard within the
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: staid old walls of the post office was caused by
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: the pranks of a wee kitten whirling about after its
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: own tail, upon which a green one cent stamp was
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: firmly stuck. As though he realized his honors, Tommy Post
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: Office made haste to grow both in size and beauty,
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: to say nothing of intelligence that he was rapidly becoming
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: the smartest cat going. Any man in the employ of
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: the Hartford Post Office would have assured you, but would
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: also have bridled with resentment had your face expressed a
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: doubt which her lips were perhaps too polite to give
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: voice to. But there was no denying that Tommy was
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: going to be a beauty. When the warm days of
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: early spring came, he had grown as big as several
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: pints of peanuts. And had also grown into the handsome
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: collar bought for him. His hair was as black as
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: shiny as jet, his shirt front as immaculate as drifted snow,
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: and his stockings were washed and scoured hourly lest any
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: vestige of dirt should adhere to them. He had learned
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: to know the men, and was boon companion with each
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: and every one of them. He also knew the hour
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: of the day or night that each would arrive to
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: go on duty, and was invariably on hand to welcome
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: them when the big door swung open. He also knew
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: their luncheon hours, whether they happened to be midday or
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: the midnight hour, which night duty made necessary, and was
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: always ready to sit down beside them to wait the tidbit,
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: which he knew would be his share. If they happened
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: to be so hungry that he was in danger of
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: being forgotten, he had a way of recalling his presence
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: to them. This was to jump upon their shoulders, and,
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: just as some particularly dainty morsel was about to pass
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: their lips to reach, one deft paw forward, catch the
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: food upon his claws, and presto, it regaled another palette
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: than its owner had intended. The engineer was Tommy's special friend,
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: and Tommy never failed to be on hand when Dan
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: brought forth his lunch pail. Dan was very fond of
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: cold sausage meat, and Tommy approved its taste. But Tommy
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: was by no means a sluggard. If he lived in
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: this post office, he meant that it should benefit by
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: his industry. So from the earliest kittenhood he began to
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: wage war upon the rats and mice, and as time
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: went on, not a whiskered head dared show itself. By
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: this time, Tommy was six months old and as full
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: of pranks as a six months old kitten well could be.
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: His education had begun the very moment he entered the
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: Hartford post Office, so it is not surprising that by
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: the time time he had spent half a year there
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: he was really remarkable. End of chapter two, Chapter three
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: of the Adventures of Tommy post Office The True Story
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: of a Cat by Gabriel E. Jackson. This LibriVox recording
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: is in the public domain recording by Michael Fossio. Chapter
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: three Tommy as commissariat in Robert Weston. Tommy seemed to
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: recognize his earliest friend, and even though fond of the
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: other men, never showed them quite the delicate intentions which
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: he reserved for Robert. One day, when mister Ruston failed
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: to go home to his dinner at the usual hour,
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: Tommy seemed quite disturbed. He could not understand it at all.
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: All the other men went at stated hours and were
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: welcomed by Tommy upon the return. How he knew that
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: they had been dining, no one could understand, although he
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: seemed to be perfectly sure of it. Perhaps his cat
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: sense of smell revealed it to him. But upon this
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: particular day, as mister Weston sat at his desk, noon
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: hour came and passed without his usual departure for dinner,
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: Tommy was disturbed, seriously disturbed. He jumped upon mister Weston's desk,
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: warbled at him, jumped down again, and ran towards the door,
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: where he paused to look back to see if his
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: friend would take the hint. He did not and could
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: not say to Tommy, I am not going until two
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: o'clock today, and then I am not coming back. The
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: hour crept along, and still Tommy fidgeted. Mister Weston was
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: too absorbed and arranging his affairs for a week's holiday
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: to notice that Tommy was acting in a most unusual manner,
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: rubbing against his legs, brushing against his sleeve, watching him
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: intently with his bright, shining eyes. But at length, the
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: cat could stand it no longer. One o'clock had struck,
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: and his friend must surely be starving. With a more
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: than usually prolonged and vehement now, wow, Wow, Tommy fled
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: from the office. Mister Weston looked up at that moment
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: and caught sight of the vanishing black tail. He laughed
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: and said, what's up, Tommy? Seems to me I have
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: a hazy idea that you've been making some sort of
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: a row about here for the past hour. But I
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: don't get a week's holiday very often, and you must
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: excuse my preoccupation. Then he resumed his work. Twenty minutes later,
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: Tommy came bounding through the outer office as though he
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: were pursued by a wild animal. He was merely a
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: black streak as he leaped along. The swinging door leading
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: into mister Weston's office was closed, but a wit cared
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: Tommy for that he had seen that door opened and
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: shut too many times not to know that a good
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: bang against it would cause it to swing in the
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: desired direction. The bang came and Tommy vanished. Wonder what
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: he's been up to now, said one of the men.
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: A second later, a plump, still wriggling mouse lay upon
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: mister Weston's desk. If he hadn't sense enough to know
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: what it was dinner time, Tommy had. The months slipped
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: by spraying had brought its balmy air and soft green foliage.
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: Summer at showers and sultry days, not a fig carred
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: Tommy post office for either. One day was much the
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: same as another to him. Each morning brought him one
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: set of friends who was sure to pet and feed him,
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: play with him, and assure him that he was the
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: finest cat in all Hartford. Each evening saw these depart
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: to give place to another set. It was all the
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: same to Tommy. As autumn days drew near, he began
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: to put on his winter coat, and a truly splendid
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: cat he was. His black coat was thicker and shinier
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: than ever, his shirt front white as driven snow from
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: many ablutions, and his stockings simply immaculate. And Tommy's expression
• 25:52
  Speaker 1: had also changed during the eleven months spent in the
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: Hartford post office. The funny little kitten face had given
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: place to the wise cats, and he now looked at
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: you as though he knew every bit as much as
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: you did, and was well aware of the fact. If
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: he had grown to be a vain, self conscious cat
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: who was all due to the boys who told him
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: twenty times a day that he was the handsomest cat
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: in town. He was known throughout the neighborhood and in
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: the post office grounds as well as in the office itself.
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: Was literally monarch of all he surveyed, and woe to
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: the cat or dog which dared invade Tommy's domain. Dogs.
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: Tommy was fully convinced that dogs belonged in an entirely
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: different world and should, under no circumstances be tolerated in
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: this one, at least all dogs but Koco. He was,
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: of course, an exception and a privileged character, because Robert
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: Weston was his master. During Tommy's kittenhood, Coko had been
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: his guardian, but Tommy had made haste to put kitten
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: hood behind him and to grow into a splendid big
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: cat who needed no guardian whatever, but was fully capable
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: of acting as guardian to some lesser creature should he
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: feel to do so. He and Koko were friends, that is,
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: they passed the time of day when Koko arrived at
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: the office in the morning, and once in a while
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: lapped from the same bowl of water. But these were
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: concessions to politeness. Tommy could take care of himself very well, indeed,
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: and Koko was perfectly willing that he should do so,
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: For Koko had his opinion of cats and felt that
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: his master would have all he could comfortably attend to
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: if he paid the attention he should pay to the
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: friends whom he had known longest. So Koko watched Tommy
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: from the vantage point of his shelf above the sorting table,
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: turned up his little snub nose a degree higher when
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: Tommy gave way to an exceptionally wild kittenish freak or
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: politely crowded over closer to the wall. When Tommy jumped
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: up to take a siesta beside him, as once in
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: a blue moon he would do. It was new now
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: Upon a glorious October day, when Tommy's first adventure began
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: to shape itself. The air was crisp and clear, the
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: sun shining glory, crimson and yellow leaves were fluttering to
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: the ground from the great elms and maples which grew
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: in the post office park, and Tommy was perched upon
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: one of the window seats, watching them as they fell. Presently,
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: the temptation to play with them became too great, and
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: away he went, in hot chase after a particularly gorgeous one.
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: Thither and yonder he darted after the fluttering bits of color,
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: chasing up and down in pursuit of them, over the lawn,
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: down the paths, and even out upon the sidewalk, only
• 28:31
  Speaker 1: to tear back again and dash up a tree in
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: his mad frolic. But Tommy was too well fed to
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: romp very long without a rest, and at length grew
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: weary from his exertions. Next in order was a resting place,
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: and this he proceeded to hunt up. A row of
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: mail wagons stood backed up to the rear end of
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: the office, the horses taking their dinners from their nose
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: bags while they waited for the wagons to be filled
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: with the outgoing mail. Small thought had these sedate animal
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: for the flyaway cat racing over the grass, But when
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: Tommy found himself in need of a resting place, he
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: turned his attention to the wagons for his sense of
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: smell was keen, and those wagons smelt of the mail bags. Indeed,
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: some of the bags were already in them, and Tommy's
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: love of mail bags was not surprising. So into one
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: of the mail bags he jumped, made his way to
• 29:24
  Speaker 1: the front part of it, and in two minutes was
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: fast asleep upon his old friends, the pouches. Then minutes
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: or hours might have passed. Tommy neither knew nor cared.
• 29:35
  Speaker 1: The first intimation he received that his bed was not
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: a fixture occurred when a rude jounce aroused him from
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: dreaming of a feast of fine mice. And at the
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: very moment he thought he was about to pounce upon one,
• 29:48
  Speaker 1: pumpety bumpity bang went his bed, and Tommy was bounced
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: upon his feet in a most unceremonious manner. It was
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: well for the driver of that mail wagon that he
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: could not see through the wooden partition which shut in
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: the mail bags from the storm and shower. Could he
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: have done so, he would have been frightened out of
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: his wits, for Tommy's eyes were simply glaring green sparks,
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: and his tail standing out as stiff as a bottle brush.
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: As he stood, bracing himself upon the mail bags and
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: wondering what upon earth would happen next. He learned very quickly,
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: for Uncle Sam's mail wagons are not, as a rule,
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: either new or modern. They serve many years, and they
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: serve well. Nor are the horses which draw them noted
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: for their youth and blue blood. They too have served.
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: The horse which drew this particular wagon was no exception
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: to his kind. He went galumping along, for everything must
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: make way for such a glorious institution as the United
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: States mail and the wagon behind him bounced and thumped
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: along too, over the car tracks, around corners, rattling over
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: a paved street, rolling along an asphalted one, in and
• 30:59
  Speaker 1: out among a crush of vehicles. It went, for it
• 31:02
  Speaker 1: was late for the mail train soon due at the
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: Big railroad station, and the driver was trying to make
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: up lost time. Tommy felt like a ping pong ball
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: as he was bounced about from one side to the
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: other of the wagon. To syn that he was angry
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: does not convey the very faintest idea of his state
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: of mind. He was wild with rage, frantic with fear,
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: filled from the tip of his nose to the very
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: end of his bristling tail with indignation. Never in all
• 31:30
  Speaker 1: his life that he could recall that he had been
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: treated with so little respect or been so battered about,
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: for he did not remember his journey to Hartford. Wild
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: yowls of protest announced his state of mind to the world,
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: but the nose outside the wagon drowned them. Up Asylum Street,
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: rattled the wagon around a corner and up to the
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: New York, New Haven and Hartford station. That horse knew
• 31:55
  Speaker 1: what was expected of him, and in just about no
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: time had whisked the mail wagon around into its place
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: with the back doors up to the platform. The doors
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: were unlocked and thrown open. Me ow ow ow, a
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: black and white streak, a flash of green lightning a
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: sable plume, and out flew Tommy. The man who held
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: the door bounded backward, lost his balance, and tumbled heels overhead.
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: Tommy merely used him as a stepping stone to hire things,
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: for he was going somewhere, and going in a hurry.
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: The man scrambled to his feet, took one look at
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: the object flying down the street towards Capitol Park, and cried, Lord,
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: save us, But it's Tommy Post Office. As I live now.
• 32:43
  Speaker 1: It's all me life is worth to go back to
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: that office without that darned cat. But how under hiaven
• 32:48
  Speaker 1: am I ever going to lay hands on that streak
• 32:50
  Speaker 1: of latinin. But Michael Kurran, veteran mail driver for the
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: Hartford Post Office, you not have experienced any concerns about Tommy.
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: Tommy was quite capable of taking care of himself. Nor
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: could Michael spare time to chase after the runaway. His
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: duty lay with the mail bags in his charge and
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: with those about to arrive from New York. The moment
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: the big panting engine drew up to the station, the
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: heavy pouches were hurled from the mail car, caught up
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: by the station hands, and hurried into the waiting wagons.
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: But once his wagon was filled and he choked up
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: the reins to drive back to the post office, Michael
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: held a long conversation with himself concerning Tommy and his
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: possible fate in that big city. But we must follow Tommy,
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: for he was destined to figure in another episode before
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: he reached his old home the post office again. End
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: of chapter three, Chapter four of the Adventures of Tommy
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: post Office. The true story of a cat by Gabriel E. Jackson.
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Recording by
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: Michael Fossio. Chapter four, Tommy, in the guise of Cupid
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: on raced the cat helter skelter pell mell. He neither
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: looked nor cared where he was going. His object was
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: to get out of and away from that dark place
• 34:18
  Speaker 1: in which he had been confined. But agile and active
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: as he was, the big city, the busy streets, the
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: noise and clatter all about him, caused him to halt
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: a moment, and in that moment he was espied by
• 34:30
  Speaker 1: a terrier, which boasted the unenviable record of never having
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: missed his prey. When that prey was a cat. There
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: was a bound, a yelp, and one desperate scratch. Mister
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: terrier drew back a half second, and that was enough
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: for Tommy. Across the street, almost under trolley cars, over
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: the lawn of the pretty park. He darted his pursuer
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: hot upon his heels. It was a wild race for
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: life and liberty, and Tommy paused upon the order of
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: his going. A short distance within the park stood a
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: row of seats. On the end. One sat a young
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: girl reading. Her back was toward Tommy. It would have
• 35:11
  Speaker 1: made no difference to him had her face been turned
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: that way. One side was quite as good as the
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: other to him. For the boost he needed to get
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: up the tree beneath which she was sitting, And the
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: next thing she knew there was a rush, a scramble,
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: a general hurrah, and up her back darted a cat
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: to claw up the tree and glare derisively at the
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: bristling dog, which seemed disposed to follow his example and
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: use the lady for a step ladder. In one instant
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: there was a change of positions. But this girl was
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: not given to shrieking or making a fuss. Her parasol
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: stood beside her, and it had a good stout handle.
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: Mister Terrier did not want a second rap upon his
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: broad crown with it, And when his master came upon
• 35:54
  Speaker 1: the scene, that master received some very wholesome advice upon
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: the subject of permitting his dog to chase a cat,
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: for this girl loved cats. The dog was put in
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: a leash and led away. Next came the problem of
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: rescuing Tommy post office. But Tommy was a wise acre.
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: No sooner had that dog vanished than me hour came
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: from the crotch of the tree where he sat. Poor Kitty,
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: Poor kitty, Come pussy, come down, called the young girl,
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: and Tommy proceeded to accept the invitation. Bit by bit down.
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: He crept at length, turning backward and letting himself down
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: by his claws. The last wriggle, the final clutch was made,
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: and Tommy was safe in her outstretched arms. Poor pussy,
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: you certainly had a close call that time. Now sit
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: here in my lap and get over your fright. Then
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: we'll see what can be done. Let me see to
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: whom you belong. She turned the caller about in order
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: to read the inscription. As she did so, a gentleman
• 36:57
  Speaker 1: stopped in front of her and raised his hat and said,
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: I beg your pardon, but will you tell me how
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: in the name of all that is wonderful Tommy post
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: Office happens to be in your lap? Tommy, you old scamp?
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: How came you way out here? Ye? How? Rawl? Raul
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: warbled Tommy, deserting his rescuer to spring to Robert Western's shoulder,
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: from which vantaged point he grinned upon the girl, as
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: though to say, you didn't know that cats were gifted
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: with second sight. Perhaps I could tell you a thing
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: or two if I wished to, but I guess I won't.
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: Why mister Weston does he belong to you. I've only
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: an interest in him. He is Uncle Sam's property, and
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: I am still guessing as how he came here. I
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: am glad to meet you again, Miss Westfield. You see,
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: I'm renewing my acquaintance on the strength of Tommy's intimacy
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: and having heard you sing so often at Saint Mark's.
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: And Robert Weston smiled pleasantly upon the girl sitting there
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: with the soft autumn light all about her. I am
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: pleased to have you do so. I'm sure how fortunate
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: that you happen long in time to rescue the cat.
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: It looks as th old the rescuing has already been done,
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: and all that remains for me to do is escort
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: this gentleman back home. And thank you in the name
• 38:09
  Speaker 1: of the post office boys for befriending him. You would
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: do well to make your manners, old man, and come
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: back to the office with me. Robert Weston dropped upon
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: the seat as he spoke, and Tommy promptly hopped down
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: upon his lap. Rubbed against him, and then settled himself
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: down for a siesta. Made up your mind to spend
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: the rest of the day here, old man, Tommy warbled contentedly.
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: The park was beautiful in its autumn dress, the air
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: soft and dreamy as one could wish, Mister Weston a
• 38:40
  Speaker 1: tower of strength against officious dogs and mischievous boys. The
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: young lady beside them as pretty as a dream. So
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: what better place could be found? Tommy said within himself.
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: Let well enough alone. Twenty minutes passed, as twenty minutes
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: have a trick of passing when one is agreeably entertained,
• 39:00
  Speaker 1: and neither Robert Weston nor Tommy took heed. Then Miss
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: Westfield rose to her feet, saying, this will never do
• 39:08
  Speaker 1: for a busy music teacher. Mister Weston, you know I
• 39:11
  Speaker 1: am a business woman nowadays and must look to my
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: pupils voices me ow ow, warrible Tommy. Miss Westfield broke
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: into a merry laugh as she asked, does he understand
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: the human tongue? Mister Weston looks like it wants your
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: voice cultivated? Tommy, old man, what were those chest or
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: throat notes? I am sure that I shall have to
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: take him in hand, What a promising pupil he would
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: make without remarkable rolling of his ours. Shall we begin
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: at once, Tommy, you will have to learn the way
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: to my studio. She stroked the cat, which was now
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: perched upon the seat, and looking at them with wisdom
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: written all over him. You will have to come to
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: Tommy's house, miss Westfield, said mister Weston, looking at her
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: in a manner which caused a pretty color to creep
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: into her cheeks. For although he had seen Mary Westfield
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: many times before, and had occasionally spoken with a pretty
• 40:07
  Speaker 1: soprano of Saint Mark's, somehow he had never realized how
• 40:11
  Speaker 1: very attractive she was until Tommy undertook to awaken him
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: to that fact. Oh no, my pupils shall come to me,
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: mister Weston, and I cannot make an exception in Tommy's case.
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: Very well, then there is only one thing to be done.
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: Tommy's voice must be cultivated, and I shall have to
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: see that he attends to it without further delay. I
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: fear that valuable time has already been lost. I shall
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: bring him to the studio myself. It may have to
• 40:37
  Speaker 1: be after our business hours, for a time is precious,
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: isn't it Tommy, he said, as he stooped to pick
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: up the cat and place him upon his shoulder. And
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: we shall have to take our music lessons in the evening.
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: Will that be convenient, Miss Westfield, provided you do not
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: ask for too many a week. My time too is
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: very valuable, you know, and particularly my evenings. Mary Westfield's
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: eyes were very bewitching, and her voice had a ring
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: of fun in it. They had now reached the edge
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: of the park where their paths divided. Good Morning, mister Weston.
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: I wish you a safe journey with your unusual charge.
• 41:15
  Speaker 1: Good Bye, Tommy post office. I hope to hear good
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: reports of you. Goodbye, Miss Westfield. Many thanks for your
• 41:22
  Speaker 1: kindness to this chap. The boys will appreciate it. Come
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: and see him upon his native heath sometime. He's worth
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: seeing there, I assure you, I do not doubt it.
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: Some time, perhaps I will thank you. Goodbye. Now what
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: freak entered the head of the ever freakish Tommy just
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: at that moment no one will ever be able to tell.
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: He had known Robert Weston as long as he had
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: been able to know anything, and he had known Mary
• 41:47
  Speaker 1: Westfield barely thirty minutes yet right there, in the very
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: midst of the big city, with noise and confusion all
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: about him, he chose to desert the friend whom he
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: had known for months, and in whom he should have
• 41:59
  Speaker 1: had implicit fees, to spring to the shoulder of a
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: slip of a girl, whom the terrier from which he
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: had so recently escaped could have thrown right off her
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: small feet. Mary Westfield gave a jump which very nearly
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: unseated him. The move was so unexpected, you little rascal,
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: cried mister Weston, making a dive for the erratic animal,
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: But Tommy evaded him and sprang to the ground. Then
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: began a pretty chase up the park for about a
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: hundred feet toward Tommy, then stopped and waited for them
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: to overtake him. Mister Weston ran after him, the cat
• 42:35
  Speaker 1: let him come almost within reach, then off he darted
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: again up the hill, straight for asylum avenue, as though
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: the very spirit of mischief were in him. Now it
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: is no use denying that mister Weston had a pretty
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: correct idea of the figure he was cutting as he
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: chased along in the middle of the highway after a
• 42:53
  Speaker 1: runaway cat. But there are times when one is prepared
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: to make a mighty effort to control one's temper. Mary
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: west Field, with a very amused smile upon her lips
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: and her eyes fairly dancing, followed slowly behind the chaser,
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: and the chase anything more tantalizing than that cat, It
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: would have been difficult to conceive of, one moment tearing
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: along the sidewalk, the next rolling over and over in
• 43:18
  Speaker 1: the grass which grew beside it. Tommy seemed to say,
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: what is the use of your trying to catch me?
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: I can escape you every time, and only half try.
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: See see moreover, I am taking you in the very
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: direction you know perfectly well you would like to go
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: if you only had half an excuse. And here I
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: am giving you the best one ever heard of, the
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: rescue of the post office cat. So come on, Number eight.
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: Isn't so very far up that you can ride back
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: in a trolley car? If you are in such a
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: dreadful hurry. There is little doubt that Tommy post Office
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: would have succeeded in carrying out his scheme to perfection
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: had not a small boy interfered. Tommy had not counted
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: upon him. But there he was, and in just about
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: a second, Tommy had run straight into him. There was
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: a wild scramble, and Tommy was a prisoner if mister
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: Weston gave him a little shake when he took him
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: from the boy. The impulse was wholly due to time
• 44:12
  Speaker 1: lost from postal duties, and not because a pair of
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: laughing eyes were looking roguishly into his as Miss Westfield
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: came up. End of chapter four, chapter five of the
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: Adventures of Tommy post Office, The True Story of a
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: Cat by Gabriel E. Jackson. This LibriVox recording is in
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: the public domain recording by Michael Fossio. Chapter five, Tommy
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: pays off old scores right left, Ah, keep those claws
• 44:49
  Speaker 1: fur old, you villain. Do you think I'm going to
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: box with you if you don't play fair? Now sit
• 44:54
  Speaker 1: up and do your little act like a man. One
• 44:57
  Speaker 1: two three, So now again one two three. That was
• 45:02
  Speaker 1: a good one. This odd one sided conversation came to
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: Robert Weston's ears as he sat at his desk one
• 45:09
  Speaker 1: bleak November day. Rising from his chair, he stepped softly
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: to the swinging door which opened upon the sorting room,
• 45:16
  Speaker 1: and there beheld a funny enough sight. It was an
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: idle half hour between the mails and the big sorting
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: table was empty. Seated in the middle of it was
• 45:25
  Speaker 1: Tommy post Office. His head was cocked knowingly to one side.
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: His face wore a half belligerent expression, and his eyes
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: seemed to say, if I only dared, He was reared
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: up upon his saunches with both fore paws on the defensive.
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: In front of him stood one of the post office
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: men teaching him to box. Evidently Tommy was an apt scholar,
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: for he braced himself and hid out in the most
• 45:50
  Speaker 1: approved fashion in return for the harmless passes made at
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: his head by his instructor. Several of the men stood about,
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: some urging on the combatants, some keeping up a running comment,
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: and some convulsed with laughter. Tommy took not the slightest
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: notice of them, but paid strict attention to his trainer.
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: Robert Weston joined the group. If I were better versed
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: than the language of the ring, I could no doubt
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: more readily describe the sparring bout which Tommy was holding
• 46:20
  Speaker 1: with his opponent. Since I cannot, I can only tell
• 46:23
  Speaker 1: what I have myself seen. Tommy seemed as well balanced
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: upon his hind quarters as a kangaroo and spatted and
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: hit for dear life with his horror pause. Not once
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: did he unfurl the sharp claws after his reprimand, which
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: he received at the outset, but cuffed away until he
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: had vanquished his opponent and set him from the table.
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: Then a truce was declared and Tommy's manner straightway changed.
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: He jumped from the table, rubbed against the legs of
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: his adversary, and begged for his reward. The man walked
• 46:55
  Speaker 1: to a cupboard, and, taking from it a little package,
• 46:59
  Speaker 1: seated himself upon a bench. Tommy promptly squatted beside him
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: with a knowing look on his little face. Are you
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: going to eat like folks or just cat style? Asked
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: the man. Me owow, answered Tommy. That means yes, does it?
• 47:17
  Speaker 1: Tommy reached out his right paw. The man took from
• 47:21
  Speaker 1: the package a small piece of liver, held it in
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: front of Tommy and the paw. The long claws no
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: longer furled, caught it deftly, and conveyed it to his mouth,
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: where it speedily disappeared. Tommy understood table deportment. Bit by bit,
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: the liver vanished, and when the last morsel had been eaten.
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: The man said, now go make yourself decent. You smell
• 47:42
  Speaker 1: of dinner, and I can't abide that. Down jumped Tommy,
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: and walking gravely to the far corner of the office,
• 47:49
  Speaker 1: began to carefully wash his face and pause. It was
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: a ceremony and not a vestige of his late feast
• 47:56
  Speaker 1: remained at the end of fifteen minutes. Once in order,
• 47:59
  Speaker 1: he came warbling back to his friends. But meantime a
• 48:03
  Speaker 1: male had arrived and they had their hands full. Then
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: Tommy was left to his own resources for a while.
• 48:10
  Speaker 1: One of Tommy's favorite resting places was on top of
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: a cupboard close to the side entrance to the post office.
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: From this vantage point he could watch all that went on,
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: the outgoing and the incoming of the force of clerks,
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: and smell out any dainty which one of them might
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: possibly have concealed about him. So to his roost, as
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: the men called it, he now betook himself, and ere
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: long was in the land of dreams. He was aroused
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: by a sound which caused his tail to swell visibly,
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: and a wicked light to spring into his eyes. Just
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: outside that door came a patter patter of feet. They
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: were not the soft, padded feet of a cat, but
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: unmistakably the feet of a dog. And dogs not allowed
• 48:51
  Speaker 1: at large was Tommy's slogan, so he proceeded to investigate.
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: To jump down from his roost to the window ledge
• 48:59
  Speaker 1: was the first move, but the window was closed that
• 49:02
  Speaker 1: chilly day. Nothing daunted. Tommy walked along the ledge until
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: he reached the package shoot, and the next instant went
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: flying through it to land almost upon the back of
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: a terrier which sat waiting for his master just beneath it.
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: Then things happened. That dog had once made it interesting
• 49:18
  Speaker 1: for Tommy, and now Tommy's turn had come and he
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: was uppermost. Away went the dog, with Tommy clinging to
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: his back and making a vicious dig with his claws
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: for every bound which the dog had given when chasing
• 49:31
  Speaker 1: him over the Capitol Park a few weeks before. He
• 49:35
  Speaker 1: was no match for Tommy while Tommy was uppermost, and
• 49:38
  Speaker 1: this very soon dawned upon him, so he at once
• 49:41
  Speaker 1: set about finding a way to rid himself of his
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: unpleasant burden. Stopping in the midst of his wild career,
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: he flung himself to the ground and Tommy was unseated.
• 49:51
  Speaker 1: Then Tommy thought that he who fights and runs away
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: may live to fight another day, and put his best
• 49:58
  Speaker 1: leg forward to regain the show alter of his beloved
• 50:01
  Speaker 1: post office. But the ever present busy body had to interfere, and,
• 50:05
  Speaker 1: failing to recognize the pet of the office, rushed towards him,
• 50:08
  Speaker 1: scouting scat scat. But Tommy had never learned the meaning
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: of that word. He kept right on, and in another minute, cat,
• 50:17
  Speaker 1: dog and busy body were all snarled up, bang, and
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: down came a cane. It was well for Tommy that
• 50:26
  Speaker 1: the dog's broad back caught it, but he was too
• 50:28
  Speaker 1: eager to eat up that cat to pay any heed
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: to that cane, and it would have fared badly with
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: Tommy had not. The boys in the office become aware
• 50:35
  Speaker 1: of the uproar outside and rushed to learn the cause
• 50:38
  Speaker 1: of it. The war cry of the office was sounded
• 50:41
  Speaker 1: when Fred Wilder, one of the letter carriers, yelled, boys, boys,
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: there's a dog out here doing up Tommy. No less
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: than twenty men rushed pell Mell from the office, armed
• 50:53
  Speaker 1: with whatever could be caught up in their way to
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: the door, and when the master of that dog appeared
• 50:58
  Speaker 1: a moment later, all the he could see of his
• 51:00
  Speaker 1: animal was a forlorn object scuttling across the park, while
• 51:04
  Speaker 1: close at hand, some excited men were conducting a clinic
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: there subject a cat. Was that your dog? Asked one
• 51:12
  Speaker 1: of them, Yes, it was. Has anything happened to him?
• 51:16
  Speaker 1: Demanded the man with some concern. Well, I hope so,
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: and let me tell you just one thing, sonny. You
• 51:23
  Speaker 1: don't want to bring him with you to this post
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: office the next time you come, for the boys have
• 51:27
  Speaker 1: got it in for him. There won't be much of
• 51:30
  Speaker 1: him left hander the bench show. If they get after him,
• 51:32
  Speaker 1: you may as well understand, for we don't stand any
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: nonsense around this cat. A few more courtesies were exchanged,
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: and the man hurried away to learn if his dog
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: was fit to appear in public while Tommy was born
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: in triumph. Back to the office and carefully examined by
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: the entire force lest a scratch appear upon his precious body.
• 51:54
  Speaker 1: But he was none the worse for his frakus, and
• 51:56
  Speaker 1: promptly set about consoling himself for any nerve shock he
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: might have sustained from his recent encounter. By this time
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: there was not a hole or corner of the office
• 52:05
  Speaker 1: which he did not know with his eyes shut and
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: into which he had not poked his inquisitive nose. So
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: it is not necessary to add that he was fully
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: aware of whatever passed through the mails, provided his sense
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: of smell could vouch for it. Curious things are often
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: sent through the mails, and one of them happened to
• 52:21
  Speaker 1: be consigned to Uncle Sam's care. That day. Tommy went
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: prowling about and ere long came upon the parcel room.
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: Packages of all sorts were awaiting delivery. For not coming
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: under the head of first class matter, they had to
• 52:35
  Speaker 1: await their turn. Tommy proceeded to look them over. Sniff
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: sniff went his pink nose, and presently his keen nostrils
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: were assailed by an odor, which caused him to behave
• 52:46
  Speaker 1: as though he had suddenly taken leave of his senses.
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: He meowed, he warbled, he lay down and tumbled about
• 52:54
  Speaker 1: like a tipsy cat. And then ah whoe upon him.
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: He set about scratching with those formidable clause, and in
• 53:02
  Speaker 1: just about one minute the paper in which that extraordinary
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: stuff was wrapped was reduced to fragments, and no one
• 53:08
  Speaker 1: in this world could ever guess what address had been
• 53:10
  Speaker 1: written on it. But Tommy was having a royal time.
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: He was wallowing in a bunch of catnip as big
• 53:17
  Speaker 1: as himself. He took no account of time. He was
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: enjoying himself hugely, So what cared he how time passed?
• 53:25
  Speaker 1: It might have been an hour, it might have been more.
• 53:28
  Speaker 1: And then came the clerks, whose duty it was to
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: attend to this class of matter. They found Tommy fast asleep,
• 53:35
  Speaker 1: catnip under him, catnip on top of him, catnip scattered
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: from one end of the office to the other, a
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: very carpet of catnip. What did Tommy care? Not one straw.
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: He felt sure that all explanations concerning the condition of
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: the mail matter should be made by the mail clerks,
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: and that his sole duty was to sample the quality
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: of the stuff which passed through the office. It is
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: quite possible that the people who sent that package of catnip,
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: as well as the people who were expecting it, are
• 54:06
  Speaker 1: still wondering what under the sun ever became of it.
• 54:10
  Speaker 1: But now we must skip over a year or more
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: in Tommy's history. During that period he led a blissful life,
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: growing more and more and beautiful, winning new friends and
• 54:19
  Speaker 1: gaining a wider reputation. He learned many tricks, and when
• 54:24
  Speaker 1: visitors came to the office, Tommy was made to perform
• 54:26
  Speaker 1: for their edification. The boys were extremely proud of their
• 54:30
  Speaker 1: pet and had been untiring in their attentions to him,
• 54:34
  Speaker 1: so it is not surprising that he grew to be
• 54:36
  Speaker 1: a most accomplished animal. His rescue of the park always
• 54:39
  Speaker 1: inquired for him when she visited the post office, and
• 54:42
  Speaker 1: more than once brought her little niece, Barbara with her.
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: Then Tommy found a delightful companion, for Barbara was as
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: merry as he was, and very much alive to this
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: wonderful cat's accomplishments. In the course of time, Tommy was
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: invited to visit Barbara at her own home, to which
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: he was escorted by mister West. And those were gala
• 55:01
  Speaker 1: hours indeed, for Barbara was an original little lady and
• 55:05
  Speaker 1: possessed of a resourceful mind. The pranks which were played
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: at Barbara's home would fill another book, but we must
• 55:12
  Speaker 1: tell of Tommy's adventures. That one of them was the
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: outcome of Barbara's fondness for him, and his affection for her.
• 55:19
  Speaker 1: Another chapter must tell. But it happened after Tommy had
• 55:23
  Speaker 1: done himself proud at the Cat and Poultry show, and
• 55:26
  Speaker 1: it completed his conquest of the men at the post
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: office by winning a prize and distinguishing himself in several
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: other ways. End of chapter five, Chapter six of the
• 55:41
  Speaker 1: Adventures of Tommy post Office, The True Story of a
• 55:44
  Speaker 1: Cat by Gabriel E. Jackson. This LibriVox recording is in
• 55:49
  Speaker 1: the public domain. Recording by Michael Fossio. Tommy enters the
• 55:54
  Speaker 1: Cat Show. It was Tommy's birthday, or more correctly speaking,
• 55:58
  Speaker 1: his anniversary, Thanksgiving Day, three blissful years had he lived
• 56:03
  Speaker 1: in the post office and ruled as undisputed lord of
• 56:06
  Speaker 1: the place. Cats, mice and dogs keep off was Tommy's fiat,
• 56:11
  Speaker 1: and as time passed it grew to be carefully heated.
• 56:15
  Speaker 1: Dogs found it interesting to take a stroll around the
• 56:17
  Speaker 1: block while their masters entered the post office for the mail.
• 56:20
  Speaker 1: Cats scurried along up the opposite side of the street,
• 56:23
  Speaker 1: and never by any chance presumed to invade Tommy's domain.
• 56:27
  Speaker 1: Rats and mice scuttled through the walls of the building
• 56:30
  Speaker 1: to places of safety, and never dared show a whisker.
• 56:34
  Speaker 1: But every rule must have his exceptions. On this fourth
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: Thanksgiving morning. Tommy's bowl was filled with extra creamy milk,
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: and his eyes shone with satisfaction as he settled himself
• 56:44
  Speaker 1: down upon the floor in front of it and prepared
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: to enjoy his breakfast as only a cat that is
• 56:49
  Speaker 1: entirely convinced of his own value and importance can Two
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: or three dainty laps were taken, and then he paused,
• 56:57
  Speaker 1: raised his head and listened. What's up, old man, asked Richard,
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: the colored porter, who had been in the office as
• 57:05
  Speaker 1: many years as Tommy had toes, and who now stood
• 57:08
  Speaker 1: watching the cat eat the breakfast he had brought for him.
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: Tommy laid back, his ears, growled an ominous mum muck,
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: and crept toward the door, his eyes glaring and his
• 57:20
  Speaker 1: tail swelling. Come back and eat your breakfast, ye old
• 57:23
  Speaker 1: Skeesicks might tink it wasn't the best cream milk to
• 57:26
  Speaker 1: be had, but just sidified blue stuff, was Richard's comment.
• 57:31
  Speaker 1: But Tommy had other concerns and now stood with his
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: nose to the crack of the door, sniffling and lashing
• 57:36
  Speaker 1: his tail. Now what you hear about thar lore? Seems
• 57:41
  Speaker 1: like the whole post office force men and boys too,
• 57:44
  Speaker 1: got to wait on you gettin so mighty uppish and important.
• 57:48
  Speaker 1: Pretty soon, won't none of us be able to live
• 57:50
  Speaker 1: with you? Now go long out if you want her,
• 57:54
  Speaker 1: and like no, you' won't find no milk when you
• 57:56
  Speaker 1: come back. I seen a mighty likely looking cat over
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: on the lawn as I come by him this mornin'.
• 58:03
  Speaker 1: Tommy paid no heed to Richard, but slipped through the door,
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: which was held ajar for him. About ten minutes passed,
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: and then Richard heard the cat's familiar meow demanding admittance.
• 58:14
  Speaker 1: Now just listen at that. Ain't no more nune. Let
• 58:18
  Speaker 1: that cat out an he hollerin to come in again.
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: My tink, I was just his port and had none
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: in the world to do but wait on him. He
• 58:27
  Speaker 1: opened the door, and in walked Tommy, accompanied by his
• 58:31
  Speaker 1: very miniature Tommy's face and air said behold me, as
• 58:35
  Speaker 1: I was in my frivolous youth, treat my protegee with
• 58:39
  Speaker 1: respect or beware. Beside him toddled a kitten so exactly
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: like himself, shrunken to one quarter his own size that
• 58:47
  Speaker 1: the resemblance was funny to the last degree. The big
• 58:51
  Speaker 1: cat sailed across the room head up tail erect utterly
• 58:55
  Speaker 1: ignoring everyone. The little cat trotted close beside him, head
• 59:00
  Speaker 1: and tail held in exactly the same manner, but its
• 59:03
  Speaker 1: comical little baby face and baby eyes could not assume
• 59:06
  Speaker 1: Tommy's disdain of surroundings, but looked about as though asking
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: how does it happen that I'm here? Tommy led his
• 59:15
  Speaker 1: charge straight to the bowl of milk, gave a funny
• 59:18
  Speaker 1: little warble which no doubt meant help yourself, and sat
• 59:22
  Speaker 1: down to await developments. The kitten needed no urging. It
• 59:26
  Speaker 1: had probably fasted for hours. It smelt the milk, made
• 59:30
  Speaker 1: it die for the bowl, and was instantly lost to
• 59:33
  Speaker 1: all the world. Now what do you think of that?
• 59:38
  Speaker 1: Said Tommy's expression as he looked up at the boys
• 59:40
  Speaker 1: who had gathered about to witness the unwonted sight of
• 59:43
  Speaker 1: Tommy dispensing hospitality to another cat. Never before had he
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: tolerated a rival, much less actually entertained one. Yet here
• 59:53
  Speaker 1: he was doing the honors of the post office to
• 59:55
  Speaker 1: a scrap of a black kitten, so exactly his own
• 59:57
  Speaker 1: counterpart in color and marking that the boys fairly shouted
• 1:00:01
  Speaker 1: at the sight. When the kitten's feast was ended, and
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 1: its little sides were fairly swelling with the quantity it
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 1: had eaten. Tommy escorted it to the box beneath mister
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: Weston's desk, picked it up by its neck, and dropped
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 1: it in. A Few confidences were exchanged in cat language,
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: and then the youngster cuddled down for a nap. Tommy's
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 1: nursery duties ended, He returned to his bowl, finished the milk,
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: and then sought up bed elsewhere He drew the line
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 1: at sleeping in the same box with a kitten. Of
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 1: all unwise places, he chose a drawer in one of
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 1: the desks. It was a very deep drawer and stood
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 1: conveniently open, so in he crawled and fell sound asleep
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: after his hearty meal, and never knew when the drawer
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: was shut and locked by the day clerk when he
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 1: took his departure at noon for business ended at noon
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: on Thanksgiving Day, and only a few clerks would be
• 1:00:56
  Speaker 1: on duty in the building for the remainder of the
• 1:00:58
  Speaker 1: day and night. When the night shift came on, there
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 1: was found sitting beside the empty bowl that seemed to
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 1: be Tommy, shrunken to a quarter of his size. We'll
• 1:01:09
  Speaker 1: all be hanged, say, Frank, have I got him? Called
• 1:01:12
  Speaker 1: the man who first spied the kitten? Is that Tommy?
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 1: Shriveled up? Or am I seeing things? The man to
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 1: whom he spoke came running in, and at sight of
• 1:01:21
  Speaker 1: the small cat, cried, well you've got em, I have too?
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 1: Where did that come from? And where's Tommy? Call? As
• 1:01:29
  Speaker 1: they might know, Tommy was to be found until they
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 1: entered the office of the stamp clerk, where they were
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 1: greeted by doleful, if smothered wails of distress. Where in
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 1: thunder is that cat? Cried one of the searchers, peering
• 1:01:42
  Speaker 1: into every hole and corner. He's in that desk somewhere,
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: That's where he is. Hi, Tommy, me ow ow was
• 1:01:53
  Speaker 1: wailed from the very innermost recesses of nowhere. Duplicate keys
• 1:01:58
  Speaker 1: were procured, and when the drawerway was unlocked and opened,
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 1: a forlorn, cramped object crawled out of it, gave a
• 1:02:04
  Speaker 1: quavering mew, sat down upon the floor, and eyed reproachfully
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 1: a small black and white kitten whose nose just peeped
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 1: through the door. The week following Thanksgiving, a cat and
• 1:02:16
  Speaker 1: poultry show was advertised. Now Tommy's pedigree was not patrician.
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 1: He was just cat, a beauty, to be sure, but
• 1:02:24
  Speaker 1: blue blood was not within his veins. Nevertheless, the boys
• 1:02:27
  Speaker 1: decreed that he must enter that show if there was
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 1: a single aristocratic hair upon him which would entitle him
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 1: to entrance. A collection was at once taken for an
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 1: entrance fee, a resplendent new collar bought and put upon
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 1: his neck, A basket procured and escorted by one of
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 1: the boys. Tommy took a trolley ride to the cat show,
• 1:02:47
  Speaker 1: which was held in a large building in another quarter
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 1: of the town. The people who happened to be in
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 1: the trolley car which conveyed Tommy were not left in
• 1:02:55
  Speaker 1: any doubt regarding the contents of the basket. But at
• 1:02:58
  Speaker 1: length he was handed safely at his destiny nation and
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 1: placed in a cage. The cages were arranged upon low
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: tables in order that big and little visitors alike might
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 1: see the occupants easily. Tommy stood in the middle of
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 1: a row, and his neighbors separated from him by heavy
• 1:03:14
  Speaker 1: cardboard partitions a lack they should have been sheet iron
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: or a blue Maltese with five tiny kittens, and the
• 1:03:22
  Speaker 1: beauty of the show a handsome tortoise shell with enough
• 1:03:25
  Speaker 1: angora blood to enable him to claim relationship with royalty.
• 1:03:29
  Speaker 1: Cats of all degrees, sizes, and colors were there. Tommy
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: could not, of course, see his neighbors, but he well
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 1: knew they were at hand, and how he hated that cage.
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 1: Bristling with indignation, he retired to the extreme back of it,
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 1: turned his back upon all comers, and positively refused to
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 1: look at them. The exhibition was to be held from
• 1:03:50
  Speaker 1: Monday morning until Saturday evening, ample time for Tommy to
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: distinguish himself. Yet for three days it seemed as though
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 1: he were destined to return to the post office, as
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 1: lacking of lord rolls, blue ribbons, and such as any
• 1:04:02
  Speaker 1: street cat, not a single trick would he perform, Although
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 1: the man to whose care he was entrusted, and who
• 1:04:09
  Speaker 1: had been Tommy's intimate friend for the past two years,
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 1: strove in every way to induce him to show off,
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 1: not a bit of it. Then came a delegation of
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 1: the boys to visit Tommy among the four hundred, and
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: his reputation was saved. They arrived in the very nick
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 1: of time, for that very afternoon the cat was taken
• 1:04:29
  Speaker 1: from his cage to the judges stand. His friends followed
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 1: close upon his heels, eager to see Tommy do credit
• 1:04:36
  Speaker 1: to his training, for they knew nothing of his previous conduct,
• 1:04:40
  Speaker 1: and lo for love of the gray coated men who
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 1: crowded about the platform and whose coat smelt the letter pouches,
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 1: Tommy outdid himself. This was his way of begging to
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: be taken back to the post office by them. But
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 1: neither the judges nor the admiring public suspected Tommy's ulterior motives,
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 1: as they excl claimed over his clever tricks. He boxed
• 1:05:03
  Speaker 1: like a prize fighter, sang for his dinner, and ate
• 1:05:06
  Speaker 1: like a boarding school miss fresh from her seminary. When
• 1:05:09
  Speaker 1: he was placed before a small table with a napkin
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 1: pinned about his neck, he shook hands with people, was
• 1:05:15
  Speaker 1: a dead cat or a live one at command, and
• 1:05:18
  Speaker 1: when his repertoire was ended, walked over to one of
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 1: the friends and hopped upon his shoulder as though to say,
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 1: I've done my best, Now please take me home. It
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 1: can't be done, Tommy, my boy, said the letter carrier.
• 1:05:32
  Speaker 1: You may as well make up your mind to spend
• 1:05:34
  Speaker 1: the entire week among the upper ten. Take advantage of
• 1:05:37
  Speaker 1: your privileges as they come, for there's no telling when
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 1: new honors will seek you out. So back to his
• 1:05:43
  Speaker 1: hated cage, Tommy had to go there to display his prize,
• 1:05:47
  Speaker 1: a blue ribbon specially voted him for a general intelligence
• 1:05:51
  Speaker 1: and to await the coming Saturday for his release from
• 1:05:54
  Speaker 1: Durance vile, at least, so those in authority decreed. They
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 1: little knew Tommy post office. During the afternoon, Miss Westfield
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 1: brought Barbara to see him, and thus one bright ray
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: shone across his cloud at horizon. For Barbara spent more
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 1: than an hour with him, and Tommy renewed his entreaties
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 1: to be taken home, greatly to the amusement of several
• 1:06:17
  Speaker 1: other children who were gathered about his cage at the time.
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 1: We just love to take you home, Tommy, said the
• 1:06:23
  Speaker 1: little girl. But don't you know that you are a
• 1:06:26
  Speaker 1: very wonderful cat, and that is the reason the post
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: office people put you here. They want everybody to know
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 1: about you. So please be a good pussy and don't
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 1: do a single thing that's naughty, will you. Tommy looked
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 1: at Barbara a moment as though considering, before he promised,
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 1: and then if ever a cat winked his eye, Tommy
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 1: winked his Will you bring me to see him again tomorrow,
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: Aunty asked the little girl, lingering a moment at parting.
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 1: I would love to, deary, but you know that I
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 1: must go to New York tomorrow for my music lesson,
• 1:06:56
  Speaker 1: so I'm afraid that you will not be able to
• 1:06:58
  Speaker 1: see Tommy at the show again. Disappointment overspread Barber's face,
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 1: for she seemed to feel instinctively that Tommy's reputation for
• 1:07:06
  Speaker 1: good behavior rested largely with her influence over him. Under
• 1:07:10
  Speaker 1: what circumstances She next saw that designing Cat must be
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 1: told under the heading of Tommy's Escape end of chapter
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 1: six Chapter seven of the Adventures of Tommy post Office,
• 1:07:26
  Speaker 1: The True Story of the Cat by Gabriel E. Jackson.
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by
• 1:07:34
  Speaker 1: Michael Fossio Tommy's escape. With evening, many more visitors arrived,
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 1: but Tommy declined to unbend his trusted friends had failed him.
• 1:07:45
  Speaker 1: At midnight, the doors were closed and the lights extinguished.
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 1: Silence reigned, save when some lonesome cat wailed out his distress,
• 1:07:54
  Speaker 1: Tommy did not wail. He had other thoughts to occupy him.
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: Deep down in his cat heart, he had resolved to
• 1:08:01
  Speaker 1: get even with something or somebody, whatever or whoever was
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 1: responsible for his incarceration. About two o'clock, the moonlight began
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 1: to flood the hall, and Tommy set about carrying his
• 1:08:13
  Speaker 1: plans into effect. He sniffed and sniffed all around the
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: edges of his cage in hope of finding some weak spot,
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 1: but without success. On his left, the blue Maltese purred
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 1: contentedly to her babies, But on his right, an occasional
• 1:08:29
  Speaker 1: low growl from the tortoise shell testified to his resentment
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 1: at being disturbed by a common post office cat at
• 1:08:35
  Speaker 1: such an unseemly hour. Tommy continued to fidget at length.
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 1: The tortoise shell could no longer endure such a state
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 1: of affairs, and gave louder voice to his disapproval, which
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 1: clearly meant, be quiet, you commonplace creature, and let me
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 1: slumber in peace. You're another, retorted Tommy, how dare you
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 1: so presume? Screamed the tortoiseshell. Dare dare? Who says dare
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 1: to me? Tommy? Post Office Oh, if I could only
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 1: reach you, I'd soon show you what I'd dare. Indeed,
• 1:09:09
  Speaker 1: happily you cannot. The authorities took great precautions to protect
• 1:09:12
  Speaker 1: me when my mistress, whose home is on Woodland Avenue,
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 1: placed me here. She insisted that I should be carefully
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 1: shielded from contact with the common herd. She told the
• 1:09:22
  Speaker 1: authorities that she simply could not have me brought in
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 1: such with such creatures. You don't say so, well, we'll see,
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: was Tommy's derisive retort. Then a little performance took place
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: which had not been set down in the program, and
• 1:09:37
  Speaker 1: there were only excited cats and startled poultry to witness it.
• 1:09:41
  Speaker 1: When the watchman appeared upon the scene the following morning,
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 1: the cardboard partition between Tommy's and the Tortoiseshell's cage was
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 1: reduced to a pulp. The wire was torn from its fastenings.
• 1:09:51
  Speaker 1: The tortoiseshell lay in a state of collapse upon the
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 1: bottom of his cage, both eyes closed, and tufts of
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 1: his silky furs scattered all about him, and literally not
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 1: fit to be seen. Tommy had vanished completely. Consternation reigned.
• 1:10:09
  Speaker 1: The prize darling of the show was tenderly lifted from
• 1:10:11
  Speaker 1: his cage, and restoratives were quickly applied. Happily, he was
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 1: able to take notice when his mistress arrived at eleven o'clock,
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 1: but alas he was no longer the well groomed beauty
• 1:10:23
  Speaker 1: from which he had parted the previous evening, Tommy had
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 1: important concerns to look too elsewhere, and had evidently gone
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: to attend to them. As soon as he found himself
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: upon the outside of his cage. He lost no time
• 1:10:36
  Speaker 1: in scuttling away to a hiding place, of which there
• 1:10:39
  Speaker 1: were many, and directly the doors were opened. The next morning,
• 1:10:42
  Speaker 1: out he slipped into the street. Although somewhat knocked about
• 1:10:47
  Speaker 1: for Tortoiseshell's claws had done effective work, Tommy hurried along
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: the street, anxious to make his way home. We are
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 1: told that it is impossible for a cat to get lost,
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: but this cat was certainly lost for the time being.
• 1:11:00
  Speaker 1: He scurried from one street to another, frightened and bewildered,
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: and at length managed to stray into a wretched quarter
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 1: of the town, where he came very near meeting his fate.
• 1:11:11
  Speaker 1: For there he was set upon by a mob of
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 1: howling boys and forced to flee for his life. Poor Tommy,
• 1:11:19
  Speaker 1: if ever he had used for his nimble legs, he
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 1: certainly had then, for never in all his life had
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 1: he fallen into such straits. On on he scurried behind
• 1:11:30
  Speaker 1: barrels of refuse, down cellar ways, to rush out at
• 1:11:33
  Speaker 1: the further end, down dark, ill smelling alleys, out into
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 1: the street once more, until it seemed as though his
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 1: breath must leave him and he would drop in his tracks.
• 1:11:45
  Speaker 1: And still those yelling, shouting boys were after him. It
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: was well for them that none of the letter carriers
• 1:11:51
  Speaker 1: happened along just then, or they would have had a
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 1: reckoning to render that they little calculated upon. Tommy had
• 1:11:58
  Speaker 1: no idea in which direction he would running. All sense
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 1: of locality had long since deserted him. But the Guardian Angel,
• 1:12:05
  Speaker 1: which watches over dumb creatures, as we are told, must
• 1:12:09
  Speaker 1: have had special charge of Tommy that morning, for just
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: as the boys were almost upon him, he darted to
• 1:12:14
  Speaker 1: a passing coal cart, and while the driver was reading
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 1: the Riot Act to his pursuers, Tommy darted out again,
• 1:12:22
  Speaker 1: turned a corner, and found himself in the midst of
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 1: one of the broadest thoroughfares of the city with trolleys
• 1:12:28
  Speaker 1: and what not surrounding him, But the boys were again
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 1: hot upon his trail, and away he scurried the next
• 1:12:35
  Speaker 1: instant to hear a familiar voice cry, Tommy post Office. Meantime,
• 1:12:41
  Speaker 1: far away in another part of the city where one
• 1:12:43
  Speaker 1: finds pretty attractive homes, Miss Westfield was bidding her little
• 1:12:47
  Speaker 1: niece goodbye and charging her to be a good little
• 1:12:50
  Speaker 1: maid and take excellent care of Mama and baby brother.
• 1:12:53
  Speaker 1: Barbara promised, but added, won't you be home in time
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 1: to take me to see Tommy again? Aunt Mary the show, dear,
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 1: but we will see him at the post office next week,
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: And a pretty color came into the young Auntie's cheeks.
• 1:13:07
  Speaker 1: But I do so want to see him there, and
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 1: I know he wants to see me, for he is lonesome.
• 1:13:11
  Speaker 1: I am sorry, but I must go to New York,
• 1:13:13
  Speaker 1: you know, and learn to sing so beautifully that everyone
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: will want to listen to me, answered Mary Westfield, laughing.
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 1: And I must run away this minute, for I have
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 1: some shopping to do for Mama before I can take
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 1: the twelve thirty train, and must get my luncheon downtown too,
• 1:13:27
  Speaker 1: So goodbye, sweetheart, and away she hurried. It was a clear,
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 1: crisp December day, and Barbara longed to be out of doors.
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 1: Running up to her mother's room, she asked, won't you
• 1:13:39
  Speaker 1: take me out for a walk, Mamma, I can't, dear,
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 1: for brother is very miserable with his teeth and I
• 1:13:44
  Speaker 1: cannot leave him. Why don't you take a ride up
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 1: and down the block on your tricycle. It's such a
• 1:13:49
  Speaker 1: lovely morning that I'm sure you would enjoy it, Dear,
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 1: only do not leave the block, she added, as she
• 1:13:55
  Speaker 1: buttoned the little girl's warm cloak and drew on her
• 1:13:57
  Speaker 1: red mittens. I will, promised Barbara, as she kissed her
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: mother and ran downstairs. The child meant to keep her promise,
• 1:14:06
  Speaker 1: but oh, dear, it is so hard to remember when
• 1:14:08
  Speaker 1: one is wet. Seven years old. Up and down the
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 1: sidewalk rolled a little tricycle, and as she rode, thoughts
• 1:14:15
  Speaker 1: of Tommy post Office shut up in his cage far
• 1:14:18
  Speaker 1: away at the show kept passing through her busy brain
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: until before she knew how it happened. Barbara had dismounted
• 1:14:25
  Speaker 1: from her vehicle and was hurrying down Asylum Avenue towards
• 1:14:28
  Speaker 1: the city. But the city is a big place for
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 1: one little girl, and she was only a very small
• 1:14:34
  Speaker 1: dot upon its busy streets. On she wandered on on
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 1: through the bustle and traffic to the broad thoroughfares, where
• 1:14:43
  Speaker 1: trolleys clanged, drays rattled by, and confusion reigned. Her feet
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 1: were growing somewhat weary, and her little brain entirely bewildered.
• 1:14:53
  Speaker 1: No one noticed the child, for she was just among
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 1: many others around the park, down a street where tall
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: warehouses towered upon either side, On and on, until one
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 1: of the broad main streets was reached and she started
• 1:15:07
  Speaker 1: across it. She got half way over and then stopped
• 1:15:12
  Speaker 1: stock still. Between the trolley tracks. Cars were approaching from
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 1: north and south, and wagons darting hither and thither. Hi, Hi,
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 1: look out, get out of the way, you young tyke,
• 1:15:24
  Speaker 1: shouted a motorman, bringing his car up with a jerk
• 1:15:27
  Speaker 1: as it bore down upon the child. Oh aunty, aunty,
• 1:15:31
  Speaker 1: sobbed the poor little girl, too terrified to move. I
• 1:15:35
  Speaker 1: want to see tommy post office. I do, I do, And,
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: as though he had sprung from the ground at her bidding,
• 1:15:42
  Speaker 1: a black and white cat, hotly pursued by three or
• 1:15:44
  Speaker 1: four yelling, boys darted across the street at her very feet,
• 1:15:48
  Speaker 1: his collar gleaming in the sunshine, and the bells upon
• 1:15:51
  Speaker 1: it jingling. Barbara recognized him instantly, and that recognition probably
• 1:15:57
  Speaker 1: saved her life, for with a wild cry of oh Tommy, Tommy,
• 1:16:01
  Speaker 1: please wait for me, she rushed after the cat and
• 1:16:04
  Speaker 1: gained the sidewalk just as he vanished within an open door. Meantime,
• 1:16:10
  Speaker 1: a policeman was hurrying to the little maid's rescue, and
• 1:16:13
  Speaker 1: just as her foot touched the curbstone, he picked her
• 1:16:16
  Speaker 1: up in his strong arms and asked in a comforting voice, Well,
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 1: little girl, don't you think i'd better carry you out
• 1:16:23
  Speaker 1: of this crowd? But it's Tommy. It's Tommy post Office,
• 1:16:28
  Speaker 1: and the boys chased him into that store. Oh please
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 1: please get Tommy for me, and Barbara clasped her small
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 1: hands imploringly. Tommy post Office, queried the officer, glancing about
• 1:16:42
  Speaker 1: an expectation of seeing a small boy. Who is Tommy
• 1:16:45
  Speaker 1: post Office? Little girl, the pussy that lives at the
• 1:16:49
  Speaker 1: post office where Uncle Bobart is? I love him, I
• 1:16:52
  Speaker 1: love him dearly. Come on, we'll find him if he
• 1:16:56
  Speaker 1: is in that store, was the consoling answer. And the
• 1:16:59
  Speaker 1: big man, with the little girl held tightly in his arms,
• 1:17:02
  Speaker 1: strode towards the store at which he was pointing. Tommy's
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 1: pursuers had vanished. Got a runaway cat'n here, he asked
• 1:17:12
  Speaker 1: as he entered. Got the very old boy himself? You'd
• 1:17:15
  Speaker 1: better ask, was the indignant retort. Look at this and
• 1:17:21
  Speaker 1: this and this, and who's going to pay for it?
• 1:17:23
  Speaker 1: I'd like to know, cried the man, his voice rising
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 1: higher and higher with each word. He stood in front
• 1:17:30
  Speaker 1: of his desk as he held to a view a
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 1: shirt sleeve dripping with black ink, pointing to a ledger
• 1:17:35
  Speaker 1: lying upon it bespattered all over with black splashes, and
• 1:17:39
  Speaker 1: eyed with disgust a stream of little black rivulets which
• 1:17:42
  Speaker 1: were flowing from it to the floor. I guess you
• 1:17:46
  Speaker 1: are right in line when the spill came, said the officer, smiling.
• 1:17:50
  Speaker 1: In line, snapped the man. Reckon the whole Blame's store
• 1:17:54
  Speaker 1: was in line. Never seen such a critter as that
• 1:17:57
  Speaker 1: one in all my time. Dre at him. Where is
• 1:18:00
  Speaker 1: he now, asked the officer. Or he won't do no
• 1:18:03
  Speaker 1: more harm till I can kill him. You bet your
• 1:18:05
  Speaker 1: last cent on that. Better hand him over and let
• 1:18:09
  Speaker 1: me take care of him. Will you kill em? I
• 1:18:12
  Speaker 1: tell you that cat's got to die. Here take em,
• 1:18:15
  Speaker 1: And reaching somewhere within his desk, he hauled out the
• 1:18:18
  Speaker 1: forlorn Tommy shirt front and stockings inky black. Oh Tommy, dear,
• 1:18:23
  Speaker 1: dear Tommy, cried Barbara, reaching out for him MEA warbled
• 1:18:29
  Speaker 1: Tommy as the policeman placed him in the little girl's
• 1:18:31
  Speaker 1: outstretched arms, and his fears straightway vanished at the sound
• 1:18:34
  Speaker 1: of a friendly voice. Now where shall I take you?
• 1:18:38
  Speaker 1: Both asked the officer. Oh, please take me to Uncle
• 1:18:42
  Speaker 1: Bobart at the post office. Tommy lives there, and Uncle
• 1:18:45
  Speaker 1: Bobert will take care of us. To the post office.
• 1:18:48
  Speaker 1: They accordingly made their way. Mister Weston was about to
• 1:18:51
  Speaker 1: put on his hat and coat to go to his
• 1:18:53
  Speaker 1: dinner when his doorway was darkened by the form of
• 1:18:56
  Speaker 1: a big policeman holding in his arms a small child
• 1:18:59
  Speaker 1: who classed the rowdy looking cat uncle Bobert. Uncle Bobert,
• 1:19:04
  Speaker 1: here we are. Mister Weston dropped both hat and coat,
• 1:19:08
  Speaker 1: and the next instant had Barbara in his arms. The
• 1:19:12
  Speaker 1: officer stated the facts of the case and then took
• 1:19:14
  Speaker 1: his leave. Mister Weston sat down in his chair with
• 1:19:18
  Speaker 1: Barbara upon his knee and Tommy upon his shoulder. Now
• 1:19:22
  Speaker 1: tell me all about it once more, Barbara. I don't
• 1:19:25
  Speaker 1: understand yet how you came to be way down in
• 1:19:27
  Speaker 1: Main Street. I wanted to see Tommy again at the show.
• 1:19:31
  Speaker 1: Aunty couldn't take me cause she had to go to
• 1:19:34
  Speaker 1: New York this afternoon for a music lesson. So I
• 1:19:36
  Speaker 1: thought I could go alone. But I got lost. I
• 1:19:40
  Speaker 1: was right out in the street when Tommy came. I
• 1:19:42
  Speaker 1: ran after him, and the policeman took care of us.
• 1:19:45
  Speaker 1: I told him to take us to Uncle Bobart here.
• 1:19:47
  Speaker 1: Barbara paused, suddenly clapped her hands over her mouth and
• 1:19:51
  Speaker 1: looked dismayed, go on, take you to whom I didn't
• 1:19:57
  Speaker 1: mean to say it. Aunty said, I must never never
• 1:19:59
  Speaker 1: call you you by that name that I made for you,
• 1:20:02
  Speaker 1: and I promised her I wouldn't, but I forgot, said
• 1:20:05
  Speaker 1: Barbara contritely, as she hung her head. Oh say, Barbara,
• 1:20:10
  Speaker 1: where's Auntie now? I guess she's getting her luncheon at Brown's.
• 1:20:15
  Speaker 1: She said she was going to after she tended to
• 1:20:17
  Speaker 1: Mama's shopping, and but Robert Weston had risen to his
• 1:20:22
  Speaker 1: feet Tommy jumped to the floor and walked from the room,
• 1:20:26
  Speaker 1: disgust written all over him. Hurriedly putting on his coat
• 1:20:29
  Speaker 1: and hat, Mister Weston said to Barbara, let me take
• 1:20:33
  Speaker 1: you right home, Barbara, for I am sure Mama will
• 1:20:36
  Speaker 1: be terribly worried about you. If passers by took time
• 1:20:40
  Speaker 1: to notice the tall man striding along with a pretty
• 1:20:42
  Speaker 1: little child perched high upon his shoulder, their comments might
• 1:20:46
  Speaker 1: very naturally have been how that man adores that child.
• 1:20:51
  Speaker 1: As they turned into Asylum Street, they caught sight of
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 1: a trim figure hurrying along it towards the railway station,
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 1: but her hastening steps were no match for the long
• 1:20:59
  Speaker 1: star tries rapidly overtaking her, and a moment later, one
• 1:21:03
  Speaker 1: high pitched voice was crying, Oh, Aunt Mary, Aunt Mary,
• 1:21:09
  Speaker 1: while mingling with it came Miss Westfield. Mary. Mary Westfield
• 1:21:15
  Speaker 1: did not take the twelve thirty train that day. Whether
• 1:21:19
  Speaker 1: it was because she felt it in her duty to
• 1:21:20
  Speaker 1: see Barbara safely restored to her mother, or whether Robert
• 1:21:24
  Speaker 1: Weston's question had any influence upon her plans, who shall say.
• 1:21:28
  Speaker 1: As they hurried along, he said, I have learned that
• 1:21:31
  Speaker 1: Barbara has a new name for me, Mary, won't you
• 1:21:34
  Speaker 1: give her permission to use it always? End of chapter
• 1:21:38
  Speaker 1: seven Chapter eight of the Adventures of Tommy post Office
• 1:21:47
  Speaker 1: The True Story of a Cat by Gabriel E. Jackson.
• 1:21:50
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by
• 1:21:54
  Speaker 1: Michael Fossio, Chapter eight, Tommy's Ordeal by fire. June, with
• 1:22:01
  Speaker 1: its roses and soft air had come. Birds were building
• 1:22:06
  Speaker 1: their nests in the leafy branches of the trees in
• 1:22:08
  Speaker 1: the post office park, and Tommy was on the alert
• 1:22:12
  Speaker 1: for the unwary ones. In the upper part of the city,
• 1:22:15
  Speaker 1: another nest was being built, indeed was almost completed, and
• 1:22:20
  Speaker 1: friends of those who would occupy it were adorning it
• 1:22:23
  Speaker 1: with all sorts of contributions. Great interest in this particular
• 1:22:27
  Speaker 1: nest was manifested by the boys at the post office,
• 1:22:30
  Speaker 1: and they were anxious to be represented. Heads were put
• 1:22:34
  Speaker 1: together in conference, and great plans evolved. At length. The
• 1:22:38
  Speaker 1: decision was made a handsome, life sized photograph of Tommy
• 1:22:42
  Speaker 1: Post Office should be taken. The picture artistically framed and
• 1:22:47
  Speaker 1: sent to the nest with the compliments of the boys.
• 1:22:52
  Speaker 1: Robert Weston was to be kept in ignorance of their intention.
• 1:22:56
  Speaker 1: Barbara still called him Uncle Bobart in secret, but had
• 1:23:00
  Speaker 1: given Aunt Mary her promised word that the name should
• 1:23:02
  Speaker 1: not be even breathed in public until after June thirty.
• 1:23:07
  Speaker 1: All went well until the day arrived for photographing the cat.
• 1:23:11
  Speaker 1: He was conveyed to the finest photographer in town, but
• 1:23:14
  Speaker 1: lost his temper and root for the basket suggested cat shows,
• 1:23:19
  Speaker 1: and Tommy had had all he cared to have of those. However,
• 1:23:24
  Speaker 1: the studio was reached in time, and the first attempt
• 1:23:27
  Speaker 1: made a lack of day. They might as well have
• 1:23:29
  Speaker 1: tried to photograph a swallow. The instant the instrument was
• 1:23:33
  Speaker 1: pointed to Tommy, he was somewhere else. Had the camera
• 1:23:36
  Speaker 1: been an infernal machine, he could not have regarded it
• 1:23:39
  Speaker 1: with greater distrust. More than an hour was spent in
• 1:23:42
  Speaker 1: futile endeavor, and then the photographer gave up in disgust,
• 1:23:47
  Speaker 1: so that plan fell through. Next to be adopted was
• 1:23:51
  Speaker 1: a snap shot, a small picture, so taken to be
• 1:23:54
  Speaker 1: enlarged later. So far, so good. The plan was all right.
• 1:23:58
  Speaker 1: The only stumbling block was the care of the half
• 1:24:01
  Speaker 1: dozen attempts. The first got him with Richard's grinning face
• 1:24:04
  Speaker 1: for a background, which was obviously inappropriate. The second showed
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 1: Tommy with three heads, the third no head at all.
• 1:24:13
  Speaker 1: The fourth managed to capture his hind legs in a
• 1:24:15
  Speaker 1: rampart bottle brush of a tail as he fled the premises.
• 1:24:19
  Speaker 1: The fifth captured as dour looking a beast as anyone
• 1:24:22
  Speaker 1: could conceive of. For one of the boys, carefully concealed
• 1:24:26
  Speaker 1: behind some drapery held him, and Tommy resented the indignity.
• 1:24:31
  Speaker 1: Number six showed him fast asleep, the only one anything
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 1: like him. But as one of the boys said, we
• 1:24:39
  Speaker 1: could get any old cat that way, we want Tommy
• 1:24:41
  Speaker 1: as he looked at the show. There's like a number seven,
• 1:24:46
  Speaker 1: was Dan's reassuring remark, and so it seemed. For Number
• 1:24:50
  Speaker 1: seven proved a great success, although Tommy had to pass
• 1:24:53
  Speaker 1: through a chasening process before he was sufficiently subdued to
• 1:24:56
  Speaker 1: sit for his portrait as a cat should. A morning
• 1:25:00
  Speaker 1: or two later, one of the clerks arrived upon the scene,
• 1:25:03
  Speaker 1: armed and equipped with a fine new Kodak, and announced
• 1:25:06
  Speaker 1: his determination to snap that cat or kill him. He
• 1:25:10
  Speaker 1: nearly succeeded in his latter threat, but failed for the
• 1:25:13
  Speaker 1: time being to carry out the former. He was a
• 1:25:16
  Speaker 1: wonder that anything went as it should have gone in
• 1:25:18
  Speaker 1: the registry department of the Hartford Post Office during that day,
• 1:25:22
  Speaker 1: for work was dropped and the Kodak hastily caught up
• 1:25:25
  Speaker 1: every time Tommy's whiskers appeared around a corner. Noon came
• 1:25:29
  Speaker 1: and passed without a picture being taken, and then he
• 1:25:32
  Speaker 1: vanished entirely. Ben, have you seen Tommy during the last
• 1:25:36
  Speaker 1: two hours, asked the registry clerk with some spirit, as
• 1:25:40
  Speaker 1: he gathered up his papers to lock them in the
• 1:25:42
  Speaker 1: safe before taking his departure that evening, No, sir, not
• 1:25:46
  Speaker 1: a sign of em Guess he's hid away from your
• 1:25:48
  Speaker 1: machine there, answered Ben, pointing to the Kodak. I'd like
• 1:25:54
  Speaker 1: to hide him somewhere, thou rascal that he is, And
• 1:25:57
  Speaker 1: the clerk slammed the safe door shut. It's no use
• 1:26:01
  Speaker 1: to try again to night. I'll bring the Kodak with
• 1:26:03
  Speaker 1: me in the morning. Good night, Good night, sir, Better
• 1:26:06
  Speaker 1: luck tomorrow. The night shift of clerks missed Tommy. Lunch
• 1:26:12
  Speaker 1: hour came and passed it he failed to appear for
• 1:26:14
  Speaker 1: his midnight feast. The engineer called and whistled in vain
• 1:26:17
  Speaker 1: as he sat with his back to the partition of
• 1:26:19
  Speaker 1: the engine room and waited for Tommy to come running
• 1:26:22
  Speaker 1: along the top of it, to drop upon his shoulder
• 1:26:24
  Speaker 1: and claim the titbit always saved for him. No Tommy materialized.
• 1:26:30
  Speaker 1: At eight o'clock the following morning, the registry clerk returned,
• 1:26:33
  Speaker 1: armed with his keys and his kodak. After placing the
• 1:26:37
  Speaker 1: latter carefully upon his desk, he unlocked the various drawers
• 1:26:40
  Speaker 1: containing the materials needed for the day, and at last
• 1:26:43
  Speaker 1: threw open the safe door. Lying with his nose to
• 1:26:46
  Speaker 1: a crack. Apparently lifeless was Tommy post Office. He picked
• 1:26:52
  Speaker 1: up the limp little figure and ran to the door.
• 1:26:54
  Speaker 1: With him half the force of the clerks hurrying behind
• 1:26:58
  Speaker 1: for the evil news flew like a flash. He's a
• 1:27:02
  Speaker 1: gunner for sure this time, cried one looks like it,
• 1:27:06
  Speaker 1: cried another. How under the sun did I ever managed
• 1:27:10
  Speaker 1: to lock him in that safe and not know it?
• 1:27:13
  Speaker 1: Was the registered clerk's perplexed query. But he crawled in
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 1: behind the big books to hide from your kodak, suggested
• 1:27:20
  Speaker 1: one of the men. That's it, just as sure as
• 1:27:23
  Speaker 1: you live. Run over to the drug store for a
• 1:27:26
  Speaker 1: bottle of smelling salts. Mac hustle. We'll bring him out
• 1:27:29
  Speaker 1: to life. If there's a spark of it left in him.
• 1:27:31
  Speaker 1: Bring a pail of water. Ben orders flew, and so
• 1:27:35
  Speaker 1: did the men. Such a small matter as the United
• 1:27:38
  Speaker 1: States Mail could wait? What was that compared to the
• 1:27:41
  Speaker 1: life of the post office cat. Cold water, smelling salts,
• 1:27:45
  Speaker 1: fresh air, and vigorous massage had their effect, and before
• 1:27:48
  Speaker 1: long Tommy began to gasp. The small life engine within
• 1:27:53
  Speaker 1: him began to throb once more, and the pumps got
• 1:27:56
  Speaker 1: in action. He opened his eyes, blinked at the men
• 1:27:59
  Speaker 1: once or twise, attempted to get upon his feet, wobbled
• 1:28:03
  Speaker 1: and tumbled over with a look of resignation to the inevitable.
• 1:28:07
  Speaker 1: They carried him back into the building, heated some milk
• 1:28:10
  Speaker 1: and fed him. Evidently the milk had a stimulating effect,
• 1:28:14
  Speaker 1: for in an hour or so he seemed quite as
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: well as ever, although by no means as lively. Now's
• 1:28:21
  Speaker 1: my chance, cried the registry clerk. A cloth was hastily
• 1:28:25
  Speaker 1: thrown over a bench. Tommy was carefully lifted upon it,
• 1:28:29
  Speaker 1: stroked and petted into a most beautiful flame of mind,
• 1:28:33
  Speaker 1: and the Kodak brought into range. Evidently Tommy's heart was
• 1:28:37
  Speaker 1: swelling with gratitude to his friends, for he beamed upon
• 1:28:41
  Speaker 1: them like a man who has been convivial and feels good.
• 1:28:45
  Speaker 1: A snap, a click, and the deed was done. When
• 1:28:49
  Speaker 1: the thirtieth of June dawned, a find photograph of a
• 1:28:51
  Speaker 1: finer cat stood in his handsome frame, amongst many other
• 1:28:55
  Speaker 1: beautiful wedding gifts in Missus Westfield's drawing room. It was
• 1:28:59
  Speaker 1: fortunate for the elect that her wedding day had not
• 1:29:02
  Speaker 1: been set for July thirtieth instead of June, or she
• 1:29:06
  Speaker 1: would never have numbered among her gifts a picture of
• 1:29:09
  Speaker 1: the handsome cat. Robert Weston and his wife were still
• 1:29:13
  Speaker 1: absent upon their wedding trip when Dan was taken seriously
• 1:29:16
  Speaker 1: ill on his place temporarily filled by another man. As
• 1:29:20
  Speaker 1: surly disagreeable a creature has ever trod the earth from
• 1:29:24
  Speaker 1: the outset. He was cordially disliked by everyone, and more
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 1: than one of the post office employees predicted that trouble
• 1:29:29
  Speaker 1: would follow in his footsteps. It came all too soon.
• 1:29:34
  Speaker 1: He was doing night duty about ten days after his installation,
• 1:29:38
  Speaker 1: and at the usual luncheon hour, was seated in Dan's chair,
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 1: tilted back against the partition in Dan's own attitude and
• 1:29:45
  Speaker 1: regaling himself upon a choice morsel. More than once while
• 1:29:50
  Speaker 1: at luncheon. During the past ten days, he had driven
• 1:29:52
  Speaker 1: Tommy from the engine room, for he hated cats, as
• 1:29:56
  Speaker 1: he hated every living thing. Tommy had kept at a
• 1:29:59
  Speaker 1: respectful day distance. But tonight the engineer had something in
• 1:30:02
  Speaker 1: his dinner pail which the cat could not resist. He
• 1:30:06
  Speaker 1: scrambled to the partition from the rear end of the cellar,
• 1:30:09
  Speaker 1: trod noiselessly along the top of it until he was
• 1:30:12
  Speaker 1: just above the man, and then dropped upon his shoulders
• 1:30:15
  Speaker 1: as he had hundreds of times dropped upon good natured Dan's.
• 1:30:20
  Speaker 1: Woe to poor Tommy. This man and Dan were very
• 1:30:23
  Speaker 1: different individuals. There was a startled yell, a curse, an
• 1:30:28
  Speaker 1: overturned chair, a lunch pail rolling upon the floor, and
• 1:30:31
  Speaker 1: an insanely enraged man. The next instant, a horrible thing happened.
• 1:30:37
  Speaker 1: Tommy was caught up and hurled bodily into the glowing
• 1:30:40
  Speaker 1: ash pit beneath the boilers. End of chapter eight Chapter
• 1:30:51
  Speaker 1: nine of the Adventures of Tommy Post Office, The True
• 1:30:54
  Speaker 1: Story of a Cat by Gabriel E. Jackson. This LibriVox
• 1:30:59
  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Recording by Michael Fossio
• 1:31:04
  Speaker 1: Post Office becomes a hospital. To describe all that took
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 1: place that frightful midnight hour would be impossible. Poor petted Tommy,
• 1:31:15
  Speaker 1: his cries of anguish speedily brought his friends to his rescue.
• 1:31:19
  Speaker 1: And it is well for the fiend in his human
• 1:31:20
  Speaker 1: form who committed the atrocious act, that the cat absorbed
• 1:31:24
  Speaker 1: the attention of all the men in the p office
• 1:31:26
  Speaker 1: for the time being. During that hour, while the men
• 1:31:30
  Speaker 1: worked over the suffering animal, the man disappeared forever. He
• 1:31:36
  Speaker 1: was never again seen about the post office, nor could
• 1:31:39
  Speaker 1: any trace be found of him when later officers were
• 1:31:42
  Speaker 1: sent in quest of him. True, no one had actually
• 1:31:46
  Speaker 1: seen him throw Tommy into the ash pit, but one
• 1:31:49
  Speaker 1: of the men who had been engaged with some work
• 1:31:51
  Speaker 1: in the cellar at the time, had seen the cat
• 1:31:53
  Speaker 1: jump to the partition and run along it towards the
• 1:31:56
  Speaker 1: engine room. He had smiled as he recalled Tommy's pranks
• 1:31:59
  Speaker 1: with them, and the next instant had come the scuffle
• 1:32:03
  Speaker 1: and mingled cries of pain and rage. When the men
• 1:32:07
  Speaker 1: reached the cat, he was rushing from the ashpit, writhing
• 1:32:10
  Speaker 1: in agony. Never did men work more faithfully over a
• 1:32:15
  Speaker 1: human friend than these men worked over this animal friend.
• 1:32:19
  Speaker 1: It had seemed for a time that the poor creature
• 1:32:21
  Speaker 1: must succumb to his cruel suffering. Day after day he
• 1:32:26
  Speaker 1: lay upon the bed of oiled cotton which they had
• 1:32:28
  Speaker 1: prepared for him, swathed from head to tail and soothing ointment,
• 1:32:33
  Speaker 1: but moaning piteously with pain. Day after day, the men
• 1:32:38
  Speaker 1: coaxed him to eat some of the dainties which they
• 1:32:40
  Speaker 1: brought to him, fearing that the poor creature would die
• 1:32:43
  Speaker 1: of starvation. But Tommy's sufferings were too great for the
• 1:32:47
  Speaker 1: daintiest food to tempt him. More than a week passed
• 1:32:51
  Speaker 1: before he could be moved from his bed of cotton,
• 1:32:54
  Speaker 1: except to have his terrible wounds dressed, and during that
• 1:32:57
  Speaker 1: time he had taken less than a cupful of milk.
• 1:33:00
  Speaker 1: At length, however, he began to mend, and at the
• 1:33:04
  Speaker 1: end of ten days he took his first morsel of food,
• 1:33:07
  Speaker 1: a dainty bit of chicken, brought to him by one
• 1:33:09
  Speaker 1: of his devoted friends from his home many miles from
• 1:33:12
  Speaker 1: the post office. If ever a cat was pampered, Tommy
• 1:33:16
  Speaker 1: was that cat. But it required a long long time
• 1:33:20
  Speaker 1: for those cruel burns to heal. Six weeks passed before
• 1:33:24
  Speaker 1: he left his bed unless carried from it by one
• 1:33:27
  Speaker 1: of his friends. Meantime, mister Weston and his wife returned,
• 1:33:31
  Speaker 1: and when they learned what had taken place, their indignation
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 1: knew no bounds. Another search was made for the culprit,
• 1:33:38
  Speaker 1: but without avail. Not until adversity overtook him did Tommy
• 1:33:43
  Speaker 1: learn the true value of his friends, or how numerous
• 1:33:46
  Speaker 1: they were. Nor had those to whom he belonged realized
• 1:33:50
  Speaker 1: how wide a reputation the cat possessed. Men, women and
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 1: children came to the post office to inquire for him,
• 1:33:57
  Speaker 1: for few had ever visited the office without sooner or
• 1:33:59
  Speaker 1: later seeing Tommy and becoming familiar with his clever ways.
• 1:34:04
  Speaker 1: At the hour of delivery, he was usually to be
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: found perched upon the little shelf of the general delivery window,
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 1: and as each letter was handed to the person calling
• 1:34:12
  Speaker 1: for it, he would give it a little pat with
• 1:34:14
  Speaker 1: his paw, as though to say, I must okay that
• 1:34:18
  Speaker 1: dozens of funny little pranks of this sort had endeared
• 1:34:21
  Speaker 1: him to those who visiting the post office, and when
• 1:34:23
  Speaker 1: they learned of his misfortune, it was no wonder The
• 1:34:26
  Speaker 1: keenest sympathy was manifested. Two months passed before Tommy got
• 1:34:30
  Speaker 1: about once more, But alas it was a distressing looking
• 1:34:34
  Speaker 1: object that went slowly about the office, only stumps of
• 1:34:38
  Speaker 1: his large, glossy ears remained fully, one third of his
• 1:34:42
  Speaker 1: tail was gone, Not a hair or a whisker remained
• 1:34:46
  Speaker 1: upon his body, and every claw was burned off. The
• 1:34:50
  Speaker 1: soft pads of his feet, which had enabled him to
• 1:34:52
  Speaker 1: steal upon his prey the rats and mice so stealthily,
• 1:34:57
  Speaker 1: were reduced to blunt, horny substances. And when later on
• 1:35:02
  Speaker 1: he had entirely recovered his health and spirits, and sometimes
• 1:35:06
  Speaker 1: in the wee small hours of the night, sought to
• 1:35:08
  Speaker 1: renew his youth by frolicking about the office, it sounded
• 1:35:12
  Speaker 1: as though a goat were trying to do a dance.
• 1:35:16
  Speaker 1: In course of time, however, a new coat nearly as
• 1:35:19
  Speaker 1: glossy and silky as the former one, made its appearance,
• 1:35:23
  Speaker 1: and a snowy shirt front and socks grew again. New
• 1:35:27
  Speaker 1: whiskers and blinkers appeared, and he became less uncanny to
• 1:35:31
  Speaker 1: look upon. Nevertheless, Tommy the Beauty had disappeared forever to
• 1:35:37
  Speaker 1: give place to Tommy the free cat. Happily, his wits
• 1:35:41
  Speaker 1: had not been effected, and his affection for the men
• 1:35:44
  Speaker 1: had grown stronger as a result of their untiring devotion
• 1:35:47
  Speaker 1: to him. It is said that every catastrophe has a
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 1: funny side, but it would seem that Tommy's was too
• 1:35:53
  Speaker 1: horrible to have a shade of humor in it. Still,
• 1:35:57
  Speaker 1: it followed in the course of time Tommy Junior, as
• 1:36:02
  Speaker 1: the little kitten adopted by Tommy Senior had been named,
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 1: was the unwitting cause of the funny side of the mishap.
• 1:36:09
  Speaker 1: During the nine months the kitten had spent at the
• 1:36:11
  Speaker 1: post office under Tommy's protection, he had hastened to profit
• 1:36:14
  Speaker 1: by it, and to follow his protector's example in all things.
• 1:36:19
  Speaker 1: It was funny to see the kitten copy the cat.
• 1:36:22
  Speaker 1: He grew to be so like him that he was
• 1:36:24
  Speaker 1: often mistaken for him by strangers. Tommy Senior did not
• 1:36:28
  Speaker 1: appear to know it. Perhaps he would not have cared
• 1:36:30
  Speaker 1: much if he had. After his accident, however, he began
• 1:36:34
  Speaker 1: to draw comparisons, and comparisons, as we know them, are odious.
• 1:36:40
  Speaker 1: They proved so in Tommy's case. At first, he merely
• 1:36:43
  Speaker 1: avoided his late protegee. If Tommy Junior approached him with
• 1:36:48
  Speaker 1: a friendly warble. He would look at him a moment,
• 1:36:50
  Speaker 1: then click away on his poor horny feet to some
• 1:36:52
  Speaker 1: remote corner of the building, there to groom himself, as
• 1:36:56
  Speaker 1: though striving to restore some of his former dapperness. But
• 1:37:00
  Speaker 1: it was a vain attempt. Never again could he hope
• 1:37:02
  Speaker 1: to be as he had once been, and to have
• 1:37:05
  Speaker 1: the contrast brought home to him so sharply day after
• 1:37:08
  Speaker 1: day was too much for his pride. Something must be done,
• 1:37:12
  Speaker 1: and done speedily. To end it all the way soon
• 1:37:15
  Speaker 1: presented itself. The kitten was fond of a sparrow dinner,
• 1:37:20
  Speaker 1: and although by no means so expert as Tommy Senior
• 1:37:23
  Speaker 1: in catching his prey, he did manage to capture a
• 1:37:25
  Speaker 1: tender morsel. Now and again. Tommy Senior reasoned things out
• 1:37:29
  Speaker 1: in his cat brain, and in the course of time
• 1:37:32
  Speaker 1: settled upon a plan of action. One day in September,
• 1:37:35
  Speaker 1: during a driving rainstorm which beat down branches and soaked
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 1: everything through and through, he set about carrying his plan
• 1:37:42
  Speaker 1: into effect. A sparrow, too wet to fly, was caught
• 1:37:47
  Speaker 1: and laid at the delighted kitten's feet. The next moment,
• 1:37:50
  Speaker 1: sparrow feathers and all was disappearing, Tommy Senior grinned a
• 1:37:55
  Speaker 1: complacent grin. An hour later, another sparrow was presented tot
• 1:37:59
  Speaker 1: tomue to go the way of number one. A little later,
• 1:38:04
  Speaker 1: still another dripping bird met its fate and went the
• 1:38:07
  Speaker 1: way of its relations. Number four number five were caught, offered,
• 1:38:12
  Speaker 1: and eagerly devoured by the kitten. Then Tommy sat down
• 1:38:15
  Speaker 1: to wait developments. He did not have to wait very
• 1:38:19
  Speaker 1: long before the hour was ended. Howls and whales of
• 1:38:22
  Speaker 1: misery arose from that gormond kitten. He ran from rue
• 1:38:26
  Speaker 1: room to another, yowling out as plainly as an animal could.
• 1:38:30
  Speaker 1: Oh dear, Oh dear, what a stomach ache I've got.
• 1:38:35
  Speaker 1: Mister Weston had watched the whole performance with absorbing interest,
• 1:38:38
  Speaker 1: and when the climax was finally reached, he laughed like
• 1:38:41
  Speaker 1: a schoolboy. The kitten was caught, a dose of medicine administered,
• 1:38:45
  Speaker 1: and when mister Weston returned to his pretty college at
• 1:38:48
  Speaker 1: the upper end of Asylum Avenue that evening, Tommy Junior
• 1:38:51
  Speaker 1: accompanied him there to dwell for the feature and spare
• 1:38:54
  Speaker 1: Tommy Senior grounds for jealousy. Tommy Senior grinned a wise grin.
• 1:39:01
  Speaker 1: Once the kitten was removed from the scene. Tommy felt
• 1:39:04
  Speaker 1: he was reinstated, that he could, so to speak, stand
• 1:39:08
  Speaker 1: for the honors of the post office and no longer
• 1:39:10
  Speaker 1: be forced to hear some chance visitor exclaimed that cat
• 1:39:14
  Speaker 1: the pet of the post office. In Tones's surprise derision,
• 1:39:18
  Speaker 1: why this one is far handsomer? Why do you not
• 1:39:21
  Speaker 1: train him? Here? Pretty pretty kitty? The emphasis laid upon
• 1:39:26
  Speaker 1: the final pretty was simply intolerable. Thus it is ever
• 1:39:31
  Speaker 1: with hidden virtue, it has to be labeled, and after
• 1:39:35
  Speaker 1: so many years of recognized merit, Tommy had no idea
• 1:39:38
  Speaker 1: of going about tagged. This is Tommy post Office, the trained,
• 1:39:44
  Speaker 1: intelligent pet of every official. He may not be pretty,
• 1:39:48
  Speaker 1: but oh my, he's a wonder and don't you forget it.
• 1:39:53
  Speaker 1: Before we bid Tommy farewell, we must learn of one
• 1:39:56
  Speaker 1: more performance in which he bore a prominent part. It
• 1:39:59
  Speaker 1: can hardly be called an escapade, for was the outcome
• 1:40:02
  Speaker 1: of direct intention, and Barbara figured in it. Also. Tommy's
• 1:40:07
  Speaker 1: highly cultivated table deportment was the prime cause of it,
• 1:40:10
  Speaker 1: and great fun it caused. So we will call it
• 1:40:13
  Speaker 1: Tommy's and Barbara's farewell performance. End of chapter nine. Chapter
• 1:40:24
  Speaker 1: ten of the Adventures of Tommy post Office The True
• 1:40:27
  Speaker 1: Story of a Cat by Gabriel E. Jackson. This LibriVox
• 1:40:31
  Speaker 1: recording is in the public domain. Recording by Michael Fossio
• 1:40:36
  Speaker 1: Tommy's and Barbara's farewell performance Uncle Bobert. Barbara was no
• 1:40:43
  Speaker 1: longer forbidden the odd name she'd coined for mister Weston.
• 1:40:46
  Speaker 1: Will you take me to the post office this morning
• 1:40:48
  Speaker 1: and let me take care of Tommy until you come
• 1:40:50
  Speaker 1: home for dinner. Barbara asked this question as she was
• 1:40:54
  Speaker 1: seated at breakfast with her aunt and uncle one morning.
• 1:40:57
  Speaker 1: For since her aunt's marriage, she had spent more time
• 1:40:59
  Speaker 1: in their cozy life home than with her mother. Mister
• 1:41:02
  Speaker 1: Weston reached over to give Barbara's ear a playful tweak
• 1:41:04
  Speaker 1: as he answered, take care of Tommy. Why he is
• 1:41:08
  Speaker 1: all well now and does not need anyone to take
• 1:41:10
  Speaker 1: care of him. What would you do at the post
• 1:41:12
  Speaker 1: office all morning? You'd grow tired before an hour it passed? No,
• 1:41:16
  Speaker 1: I shouldn't, asserted Barbara, very positively. I love to go
• 1:41:21
  Speaker 1: down there. I often wanted to spend a day with
• 1:41:23
  Speaker 1: you before you were my write out, Uncle Bobert, but
• 1:41:26
  Speaker 1: Aunt Mary wouldn't let me ask you if I might.
• 1:41:29
  Speaker 1: I think it's much nicer this way, because I can
• 1:41:31
  Speaker 1: just say what I want to Barbara, you're a child
• 1:41:34
  Speaker 1: of vast discrimination and common sense. I quite agree with you,
• 1:41:37
  Speaker 1: my dear. You shall go to the post office. And
• 1:41:41
  Speaker 1: mister Weston nodded his head in a very convincing manner
• 1:41:44
  Speaker 1: to Barbara, while an odd look came into his eyes
• 1:41:46
  Speaker 1: as he turned them upon his pretty wife. Oh goody,
• 1:41:50
  Speaker 1: I have so many mucilage friends at the office that
• 1:41:53
  Speaker 1: I always enjoy myself there, and Tommy is really very vaccinating.
• 1:41:57
  Speaker 1: Come along then and see you're vaccinating mucilage friends, said
• 1:42:01
  Speaker 1: her uncle, laughing as he rose from the table. Barbara
• 1:42:05
  Speaker 1: spent the morning trotting about the building with Tommy in
• 1:42:08
  Speaker 1: close attendance. Mister Weston was too closely occupied with his
• 1:42:11
  Speaker 1: office duties to keep her beside him, and, feeling sure
• 1:42:15
  Speaker 1: that her friend's adhesive properties would keep them near at
• 1:42:17
  Speaker 1: hand and that no harm could befall her, he let
• 1:42:21
  Speaker 1: her wander where she would. No corner of the big
• 1:42:23
  Speaker 1: building was left unexplored for those which Barbara did not know.
• 1:42:27
  Speaker 1: Tommy knew very well, indeed, and together they poked their
• 1:42:30
  Speaker 1: inquisitive little noses into all sorts of unfrequented places. It
• 1:42:35
  Speaker 1: was nearly time for mister Weston's return for his midday
• 1:42:38
  Speaker 1: dinner when one of the carriers stepped into his office
• 1:42:40
  Speaker 1: to say, will you come with me a moment, mister Weston,
• 1:42:44
  Speaker 1: there's a sight in yonder fit to make a cat laugh.
• 1:42:48
  Speaker 1: What's up? High tea or high dinner or something like it,
• 1:42:52
  Speaker 1: answered the man, laughing and leading the way to a
• 1:42:54
  Speaker 1: little room which opened off the large sorting room, which
• 1:42:57
  Speaker 1: was only used as a sort of stowaway place. The
• 1:43:01
  Speaker 1: door leading to it stood ajar, and peeping through the
• 1:43:04
  Speaker 1: opening were two or three of the clerks. They stepped
• 1:43:07
  Speaker 1: aside to make room for mister Weston, and as he
• 1:43:10
  Speaker 1: looked within, he certainly beheld a comical enough sight. An
• 1:43:14
  Speaker 1: empty packing box was upturned in the middle of the floor,
• 1:43:17
  Speaker 1: with a smaller box at either side of it. Spread
• 1:43:20
  Speaker 1: over the largest box by way of a tablecloth, was
• 1:43:24
  Speaker 1: an old window shade, and on one side of it
• 1:43:26
  Speaker 1: stood Tommy's bowl of milk and his plate containing his dinner.
• 1:43:30
  Speaker 1: Upon the other side of this improvised table were a
• 1:43:33
  Speaker 1: glass of water, some ginger snaps upon a paper plate
• 1:43:37
  Speaker 1: undoubtedly of home manufacture, some sweet chocolates and tinfoil wrappers,
• 1:43:42
  Speaker 1: and a little box of gum drops. Evidently Barbara's friends
• 1:43:45
  Speaker 1: had been donating. On one of the small boxes. Sat
• 1:43:49
  Speaker 1: Tommy a sight to bring smiles to the gravest. He
• 1:43:53
  Speaker 1: wore Barbara's little pocket handkerchief rigged up as a cap,
• 1:43:56
  Speaker 1: the point drooping doubtily over one eye, and a piece
• 1:43:59
  Speaker 1: of bold scrim which she had resurrected from nobody knew where,
• 1:44:03
  Speaker 1: enveloped him like an infant's slip. One of his front
• 1:44:07
  Speaker 1: paws rested upon the table, while with the other he
• 1:44:10
  Speaker 1: conveyed bits of liver from his plate to his mouth.
• 1:44:13
  Speaker 1: The claws had grown once more, and he could again
• 1:44:16
  Speaker 1: eat like folks. Now and again he leaned over to
• 1:44:20
  Speaker 1: lap from his bowl, but never for a moment forgot
• 1:44:23
  Speaker 1: the part he was playing. As Barbara ate, she kept
• 1:44:26
  Speaker 1: up a steady conversation with him, to which he occasionally
• 1:44:30
  Speaker 1: replied with a subdued warble. Now don't that beat all
• 1:44:34
  Speaker 1: you ever did see, whispered one of the spectators. That's
• 1:44:38
  Speaker 1: the greatest cat going, I tell you, boys, said mister Weston,
• 1:44:43
  Speaker 1: as he withdrew from sight and hearing of the performers.
• 1:44:46
  Speaker 1: I've got the biggest idea you ever heard of. That
• 1:44:50
  Speaker 1: feast in Yonder has put it into my head, and
• 1:44:52
  Speaker 1: it's great. If the little wifle agree, we'll make a
• 1:44:55
  Speaker 1: sensation in this town before another month has passed. You
• 1:44:58
  Speaker 1: see if we out, they questioned him eagerly, but not
• 1:45:02
  Speaker 1: a word would he say. Save just wait and see.
• 1:45:07
  Speaker 1: When he and Barbara returned to their home that noon,
• 1:45:10
  Speaker 1: Tommy post office went with them. Two weeks later, an
• 1:45:14
  Speaker 1: announcement appeared in the newspapers. An entertainment was to be
• 1:45:17
  Speaker 1: given for the benefit of the letter carriers of Hartford.
• 1:45:20
  Speaker 1: The date named was November twenty sixth and the hour
• 1:45:23
  Speaker 1: eight o'clock, a musical recital by the Quartette Choir of
• 1:45:29
  Speaker 1: Blank Church and all attractions. Tickets fifty cents, the object
• 1:45:34
  Speaker 1: being to establish a fund for the letter carriers in
• 1:45:36
  Speaker 1: case of serious illness. When Thanksgiving Eve arrived, the hall
• 1:45:41
  Speaker 1: was crowded, for the boys were out in force, and
• 1:45:45
  Speaker 1: not a few of them found it pleasant to bring
• 1:45:46
  Speaker 1: some of the other sects with them. The place was
• 1:45:49
  Speaker 1: bright and pretty, with flags the American as a delicate
• 1:45:53
  Speaker 1: compliment to Uncle Sam being given a conspicuous place every
• 1:45:58
  Speaker 1: one was in the gayest good humor. The entertainment was
• 1:46:01
  Speaker 1: opened by the quartet choir, and the selection was well
• 1:46:04
  Speaker 1: worth hearing. Then came a solo by the tenor, and
• 1:46:08
  Speaker 1: this was followed by a solo sung by Missus Robert Weston.
• 1:46:12
  Speaker 1: She sang Dudley Buck's My Redeemer as she had never
• 1:46:15
  Speaker 1: sung it before, For into her life had come the
• 1:46:17
  Speaker 1: great power which sways us all, filling and rounding our lives,
• 1:46:21
  Speaker 1: softening and enriching every action and tone. Two encores followed
• 1:46:27
  Speaker 1: ELS's Dream and got Shock's Trip to poppy Land. The
• 1:46:31
  Speaker 1: roof rang with applause as the last notes of that
• 1:46:34
  Speaker 1: exquisite voice died away. And then and there fate stepped
• 1:46:38
  Speaker 1: in to shape the future of this talented, lovable woman.
• 1:46:42
  Speaker 1: Among those in the audience was the musical director of
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 1: Blank Church, a man of great talent and a power
• 1:46:49
  Speaker 1: in the musical world. The soprano of his own church
• 1:46:52
  Speaker 1: had just resigned, and her place must be filled. Here,
• 1:46:55
  Speaker 1: in his estimation, was the very voice to fill it. Soft, tender, simple, pathetic,
• 1:47:00
  Speaker 1: and with a range as surprising as it was without effort.
• 1:47:04
  Speaker 1: Before another week had passed, Mary Western had been offered
• 1:47:07
  Speaker 1: and had accepted the position which led to the place
• 1:47:10
  Speaker 1: she holds today in the musical world. Just how proud
• 1:47:15
  Speaker 1: her husband was of his talented wife's triumph. We have
• 1:47:17
  Speaker 1: no place to tell in this history of Tommy Post Office,
• 1:47:21
  Speaker 1: but must hasten back to Tommy himself. There was considerable
• 1:47:25
  Speaker 1: delay after Missus Weston's number, and more or less commotion
• 1:47:29
  Speaker 1: behind the scenes. Screens had been placed across the platform,
• 1:47:33
  Speaker 1: and sounds of suppressed mirth were heard behind them. At length, however,
• 1:47:38
  Speaker 1: the accompanist seated herself at the piano and began to
• 1:47:41
  Speaker 1: play softly Old Lang Syne, while from behind the wings
• 1:47:46
  Speaker 1: in Mary Weston's sympathetic voice came distinctly should old acquaintance
• 1:47:52
  Speaker 1: be forgot? The screens were withdrawn to disclose. Seated at
• 1:47:58
  Speaker 1: a little dinner table, dull dishes, tiny candles with red shades,
• 1:48:02
  Speaker 1: and service all complete. Barbara and Tommy post Office. The
• 1:48:07
  Speaker 1: national gobbler was represented by a roasted chicken, some of
• 1:48:11
  Speaker 1: which had already been carved, and the slices cut into
• 1:48:14
  Speaker 1: dainty squares, were lying upon the little plates in front
• 1:48:17
  Speaker 1: of the cat, and the wee made Barbara was dressed
• 1:48:20
  Speaker 1: like a little Puritan maiden a veritable Priscilla, and Tommy
• 1:48:25
  Speaker 1: was a sight for gods and men. The long and
• 1:48:28
  Speaker 1: most elaborate baby gown fell to the floor from the
• 1:48:31
  Speaker 1: doll's high chair upon which he was seated. His furry
• 1:48:35
  Speaker 1: forepaws and shoulders were displayed by its short sleeved decolette waist,
• 1:48:40
  Speaker 1: A string of gold beads encircle his neck, and from
• 1:48:43
  Speaker 1: a much beruffled baby cap, his comical come on, what
• 1:48:46
  Speaker 1: do you care face gazed upon the audience. One might
• 1:48:51
  Speaker 1: have feared that the squares of roast fowl upon his
• 1:48:54
  Speaker 1: plate would prove rather a hearty diet for an infant
• 1:48:56
  Speaker 1: in long clothes, but at a word from Barbara, Tommy
• 1:49:00
  Speaker 1: had been put through two solid weeks of training for
• 1:49:03
  Speaker 1: this one star performance and knew what was expected of him.
• 1:49:06
  Speaker 1: This precocious infant reached forth a very odd looking hand,
• 1:49:10
  Speaker 1: caught a square fowl deftly upon the claws, and conveyed
• 1:49:14
  Speaker 1: it without mishap, to his mouth, where it vanished right speedily.
• 1:49:19
  Speaker 1: It was a wonder that the cat did not become
• 1:49:21
  Speaker 1: terrified of the outburst of applause which followed this performance,
• 1:49:25
  Speaker 1: But he was accustomed to seeing many people and consequently
• 1:49:29
  Speaker 1: proceeded with his feast in the most unconcerned manner. Moreover,
• 1:49:33
  Speaker 1: he was hungry, for, like the sturdy, self sacrificing forefathers
• 1:49:37
  Speaker 1: whom he was commemorating, Tommy had been forced by circumstances
• 1:49:42
  Speaker 1: entirely beyond his control, to fast. Before he feasted at length,
• 1:49:48
  Speaker 1: the last morsel chicken was eaten, the last drop of
• 1:49:51
  Speaker 1: milk lapped up, the last word of the interesting conversation
• 1:49:54
  Speaker 1: maintained by Barbara and her queer guests spoken. Then Tommy
• 1:49:59
  Speaker 1: turned his comment face towards the audience. Just then a
• 1:50:03
  Speaker 1: voice called out three cheers and a tiger for Tommy
• 1:50:06
  Speaker 1: post Office, the star of the evening, and the very
• 1:50:10
  Speaker 1: roof rang. Now it had not been set down in
• 1:50:14
  Speaker 1: the program that Tommy should acknowledge an encore, but he
• 1:50:17
  Speaker 1: evidently had his own ideas regarding his duty on that score,
• 1:50:21
  Speaker 1: for he had recognized the voice which proposed the cheer,
• 1:50:24
  Speaker 1: So quite forgetful of his finery, he jumped down from
• 1:50:28
  Speaker 1: his chair, and with unappreciative mew started towards the edge
• 1:50:33
  Speaker 1: of the platform. Two or three steps were taken, and
• 1:50:36
  Speaker 1: then his long gown interfered, and the next instant. Away
• 1:50:40
  Speaker 1: went Tommy heels overhead, his cap flopped over one eye,
• 1:50:44
  Speaker 1: his gown trailed out behind him. But it took a
• 1:50:47
  Speaker 1: good deal ever to face Tommy. When Barbara ran to
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 1: pick him up and carry him from the platform, he
• 1:50:53
  Speaker 1: nodded at the audience from over her shoulder, and the
• 1:50:56
  Speaker 1: last they saw the remarkable infant was a black and
• 1:50:59
  Speaker 1: white peeping from its befrilled bonnet as he disappeared behind
• 1:51:04
  Speaker 1: the wings. End of chapter ten, chapter eleven of the
• 1:51:14
  Speaker 1: Adventures of Tommy post Office, The True Story of a
• 1:51:17
  Speaker 1: Cat by Gabriel E. Jackson. This LibriVox recording is in
• 1:51:22
  Speaker 1: the public domain recording by Michael Fossio Tommy Post Office
• 1:51:28
  Speaker 1: and one say, farewell, have you heard enough about Tommy
• 1:51:33
  Speaker 1: Post Office or do you want to hear about his
• 1:51:35
  Speaker 1: acquaintance with one the post office Dog. But this must
• 1:51:39
  Speaker 1: be positively his last appearance upon these pages. Not that
• 1:51:43
  Speaker 1: Tommy is too old or has grown uninteresting. No, indeed,
• 1:51:47
  Speaker 1: he still lives and flourishes in the Hartford post Office.
• 1:51:50
  Speaker 1: But I have come to the end of my story
• 1:51:52
  Speaker 1: about him. His friend mister Weston is as proud of
• 1:51:55
  Speaker 1: him as ever. Barbara, although quite a young lady now
• 1:51:59
  Speaker 1: often visits him, and Missus Weston does not forget to
• 1:52:02
  Speaker 1: take him a dainty when she has occasion to go
• 1:52:04
  Speaker 1: into the post office. The boys still pet him and
• 1:52:08
  Speaker 1: put him through his paces. He still hod knobs with
• 1:52:11
  Speaker 1: his friend the engineer, and the porter attends daily to
• 1:52:14
  Speaker 1: his meals. So you see that he is a truly
• 1:52:18
  Speaker 1: true cat, And if you entertain the least doubt of it,
• 1:52:21
  Speaker 1: goes straight to the Hartford Post Office and ask to
• 1:52:23
  Speaker 1: see him. When I last visited him, he was perched
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 1: upon mister Weston's desk, And although he is certainly the
• 1:52:30
  Speaker 1: oddest appearing cat one ever set one's eyes upon, with
• 1:52:34
  Speaker 1: his docked tail and ears rounded off as smoothly as
• 1:52:37
  Speaker 1: though they had been trimmed with a pair of scissors,
• 1:52:40
  Speaker 1: he really looked as wise as an owl, and did
• 1:52:43
  Speaker 1: the honors of the office with the greatest importance. But
• 1:52:46
  Speaker 1: now to the story of Tommy. And one sometimes called
• 1:52:50
  Speaker 1: one of the mail bags, sometimes one the post office dog,
• 1:52:55
  Speaker 1: and again one the traveler. In the course of his
• 1:52:59
  Speaker 1: work wonderful journeyings, this dog one visited the hert for
• 1:53:03
  Speaker 1: post office collar, harness, medals, and all he appeared one
• 1:53:08
  Speaker 1: morning a raid like Solomon in all his glory, for
• 1:53:11
  Speaker 1: his broad brass collar gleamed, his curious harness shone, and
• 1:53:16
  Speaker 1: the medals with which it was fairly weighted down to
• 1:53:19
  Speaker 1: testify to his journeyings throughout the world, jingled right merrily
• 1:53:23
  Speaker 1: with every step he took. Now, I am sure that
• 1:53:27
  Speaker 1: none of you have forgotten Tommy's early aversion to dogs,
• 1:53:31
  Speaker 1: and his experience with the terrier was still fresh in
• 1:53:33
  Speaker 1: his memory. So when one appeared, it was not surprising
• 1:53:37
  Speaker 1: that Tommy felt it his duty to discipline him and
• 1:53:40
  Speaker 1: let him understand it once and for all time, that
• 1:53:43
  Speaker 1: while he might be, and no doubt was, a dog
• 1:53:46
  Speaker 1: of vast importance the world over, there was one place
• 1:53:50
  Speaker 1: upon this big globe where he was, by no means
• 1:53:52
  Speaker 1: the biggest toad in the puddle, and that was the
• 1:53:55
  Speaker 1: heart for post office, where Tommy post Office reigned supreme.
• 1:54:00
  Speaker 1: One as usual, arrived upon one of the mail bags, and,
• 1:54:05
  Speaker 1: ever confident of a warm welcome from any one connected
• 1:54:08
  Speaker 1: with the post office, whether in his own United States
• 1:54:11
  Speaker 1: or in foreign lands, no matter how remote, he jumped
• 1:54:15
  Speaker 1: down from the wagon and trotted into the office, wagging
• 1:54:18
  Speaker 1: his tail and jingling his metals. As chummily as you please.
• 1:54:22
  Speaker 1: He went from one clerk to another, and from one
• 1:54:25
  Speaker 1: department to another, greeting and greeted by all. At length,
• 1:54:29
  Speaker 1: he made his way into mister Weston's office, and Tommy
• 1:54:32
  Speaker 1: was in there too. Tommy was hidden from sight behind
• 1:54:36
  Speaker 1: a letter case, but he instantly smelt dog, and out
• 1:54:39
  Speaker 1: he flew. With his war paint on. He danced along sidewise,
• 1:54:43
  Speaker 1: very like a crab, hair brustling, eyes gleaming, and his
• 1:54:47
  Speaker 1: stump of the tail rampant. Truly, he was a sight
• 1:54:50
  Speaker 1: to daunt the bravest dog, and so sure did he
• 1:54:53
  Speaker 1: feel that this particular one would quail before his onset,
• 1:54:57
  Speaker 1: that he was actually brought to a standstill with surprise
• 1:55:00
  Speaker 1: when Onie, with a friendly bark, jumped toward him. Already
• 1:55:04
  Speaker 1: for a frolic. One had gone through life making friends
• 1:55:08
  Speaker 1: at every turn, and felt so sure of a cordial
• 1:55:11
  Speaker 1: greeting from everybody and everything, that he did not know
• 1:55:13
  Speaker 1: what to make of Tommy's belligerent attitude towards him. He
• 1:55:17
  Speaker 1: had romped with American cats, Japanese cats, Chinese cats, Turkish cats,
• 1:55:23
  Speaker 1: Russian cats, German cats, Dutch cats, French cats, English cats,
• 1:55:30
  Speaker 1: and Irish cats, and saw no reason why this freak
• 1:55:33
  Speaker 1: Yankee cat should wish to scratch his eyes out. Whether
• 1:55:38
  Speaker 1: it was the bark, the jump, or the jingle of
• 1:55:40
  Speaker 1: the metals, no one tried to guess, but for the
• 1:55:43
  Speaker 1: first and last time on record, Tommy was thoroughly frightened
• 1:55:47
  Speaker 1: and routed with one wild yowl. He fled one hard
• 1:55:52
  Speaker 1: after him, Harness and all. Tommy's haven of refuge was
• 1:55:56
  Speaker 1: invariably his box beneath mister Weston's desk, so for it
• 1:56:01
  Speaker 1: he pelted, and once he had gained it, there he stood,
• 1:56:05
  Speaker 1: growling and glaring at the funny little dog, who looked
• 1:56:08
  Speaker 1: at him with a laugh in his intelligent eyes, as
• 1:56:11
  Speaker 1: though he enjoyed the joke. Hello Tommy, post Office routed
• 1:56:16
  Speaker 1: by one the United States mail dog, cried mister Weston, laughing,
• 1:56:21
  Speaker 1: and one promptly trotted up to him and presented arms.
• 1:56:24
  Speaker 1: That is, he wagged his tail, squatted upon his haunches,
• 1:56:28
  Speaker 1: and lifted a paw to shake hands. That paw had
• 1:56:32
  Speaker 1: been shaken by many a postal official of both high
• 1:56:34
  Speaker 1: and low degree, and one was a wise dog. How
• 1:56:39
  Speaker 1: are you, old man, asked mister Weston, stooping down to
• 1:56:43
  Speaker 1: take the scraggy little paw in his hand. Glad to
• 1:56:46
  Speaker 1: see you traveled far, Come up here and talk to
• 1:56:49
  Speaker 1: a chum. He lifted the dog to his knees, where
• 1:56:52
  Speaker 1: he petted and talked to him, and examined his wonderful metals.
• 1:56:57
  Speaker 1: Presently he peeped down under his desk, where Tommy was
• 1:57:00
  Speaker 1: still pridling. Then his merry laugh again rang through the office. Tommy,
• 1:57:05
  Speaker 1: if you know what you're about, you will come out
• 1:57:07
  Speaker 1: and do the honors to this distinguished gentleman who has
• 1:57:10
  Speaker 1: condescended to visit you. You don't appreciate your privileges. I
• 1:57:15
  Speaker 1: tell you, Tommy, it isn't every post office cat who
• 1:57:18
  Speaker 1: can boast of having entertained ony. Come out, I say,
• 1:57:21
  Speaker 1: and do the hospitable act. Come on now, and no nonsense.
• 1:57:27
  Speaker 1: Reaching down, he lifted the cat from his box and
• 1:57:29
  Speaker 1: placed him upon the desk. Now, it is impossible to
• 1:57:34
  Speaker 1: tell whether Tommy understood the words the boys declared. He
• 1:57:37
  Speaker 1: understood every word spoken to him, but then the boys
• 1:57:40
  Speaker 1: were inclined to be partial since Tommy founded their fund,
• 1:57:44
  Speaker 1: or whether the tone conveyed to him the impression that
• 1:57:46
  Speaker 1: obedience would be to his advantage. He in common with
• 1:57:50
  Speaker 1: all other animals that came under Robert Western's care and rule,
• 1:57:54
  Speaker 1: both loved and obeyed Just why they did so, mister
• 1:57:58
  Speaker 1: Weston's friends found it difficult to understand, but that did
• 1:58:02
  Speaker 1: not alter the fact horses, dogs, cats, and more than
• 1:58:06
  Speaker 1: once wild animals that he had managed, while still a
• 1:58:09
  Speaker 1: lad to capture tame, loved and obeyed him To this day.
• 1:58:14
  Speaker 1: His friends tell an amusing story of a very youthful
• 1:58:16
  Speaker 1: excapade with one of his father's fractious horses, an animal
• 1:58:21
  Speaker 1: which even the bravest man approached with caution. Little Bob
• 1:58:25
  Speaker 1: chose a novel way to bring him to terms. He
• 1:58:29
  Speaker 1: was too young to walk at the time, so he
• 1:58:31
  Speaker 1: crept into the horse's stall upon all fours. Possibly he
• 1:58:35
  Speaker 1: decided that this mode of navigation would bring him in
• 1:58:38
  Speaker 1: closer sympathy with a creature which traveled upon four feet
• 1:58:43
  Speaker 1: at all events. That was how he got there, and
• 1:58:46
  Speaker 1: when two hours later he was missed and a search instituted,
• 1:58:50
  Speaker 1: they found the intrepid horse trainer seated between the horse's
• 1:58:53
  Speaker 1: hind legs, playing peep through the long sweeping tail, and
• 1:58:57
  Speaker 1: the animal regarding him benignly. That horse was given to
• 1:59:01
  Speaker 1: little Bob then and there, and they literally grew up together,
• 1:59:05
  Speaker 1: for the horse was a mere colt at the time.
• 1:59:08
  Speaker 1: Stories are still told of the pranks they cut during
• 1:59:11
  Speaker 1: the ensuing fifteen years, but this is a long way
• 1:59:15
  Speaker 1: from Tommy and Onie. The dog eyed the cat, and
• 1:59:19
  Speaker 1: the cat eyed the dog. Then a truce was declared.
• 1:59:23
  Speaker 1: Tommy jumped to mister Weston's shoulder, his expression softened as
• 1:59:27
  Speaker 1: he gravely accepted the honors which had been thrust upon him.
• 1:59:31
  Speaker 1: Good natured one wagged his tail and smiled, the dog
• 1:59:34
  Speaker 1: smile which said, as plainly as words could have done, Oh,
• 1:59:39
  Speaker 1: it's all in the day's work. Before an hour passed,
• 1:59:43
  Speaker 1: mister Weston telephoned to his home for Missus Weston and
• 1:59:46
  Speaker 1: Barbara to come to the office, for one was a
• 1:59:50
  Speaker 1: character well worth going a long distance to see. Moreover,
• 1:59:54
  Speaker 1: although in Hartford to day, with forty eight hours, he
• 1:59:57
  Speaker 1: might be found in Chicago, and at the end end
• 2:00:00
  Speaker 1: of the week in San Francisco. Barbara and Missus Weston
• 2:00:04
  Speaker 1: tarried only long enough to put up a little feast
• 2:00:07
  Speaker 1: for the distinguished Post office guest, and then hurried downtown.
• 2:00:13
  Speaker 1: It was Barbara who placed the dish upon the floor
• 2:00:15
  Speaker 1: for Onie and Tommy, For she was resolved that Tommy
• 2:00:18
  Speaker 1: should do the honors in true Abyssinian style and partake
• 2:00:22
  Speaker 1: from the same dish with the guest. Fancy Tommy partaking
• 2:00:26
  Speaker 1: of food from the same dish with the dog. Nevertheless,
• 2:00:30
  Speaker 1: it came to pass, and as we bid them farewell,
• 2:00:33
  Speaker 1: we see Tommy and Onie actually cheek by jowl. Tommy
• 2:00:39
  Speaker 1: the dog hate her. One plate of tender liver served
• 2:00:42
  Speaker 1: for both. One bowl of milk was quite large enough
• 2:00:46
  Speaker 1: for the black and white nose and the gray scraggy one.
• 2:00:49
  Speaker 1: Tommy post Office, the pet of Hartford, and Onie the
• 2:00:54
  Speaker 1: pet of every post office in the world. The end
• 2:01:01
  Speaker 1: end of chapter eleven recording by Michael Fossio. End of
• 2:01:06
  Speaker 1: the Adventures of Tommy post Office. The True Story of
• 2:01:08
  Speaker 1: a Cat by Gabriel E. Jackson