Love is a Dandelion

BY JAY WALLACE

HE TURNED HIS HEAD, WHISKERS TWITCHING, AND LOOKED AT HER OUT OF THE CORNER OF HIS YELLOW-GREEN EYE, THEN HE SCAMPERED ON AHEAD OF HER, BOUNCING THROUGH THE WEEDS. WHEN HE HAD MEASURED ENOUGH DISTANCE BETWEEN HIMSELF AND HER PATTERING FEET, HE SAT DOWN AND WAITED. HE LOOKED QUITE ENTICING, WITH HIS BROWN EARS, AND HIS BLACK STRIPES, AND HIS LONG, WHITE WHISKERS. SHE ADVANCED SLOWLY NOW, HOPING TO CORNER HIM AT THE POINT WHERE THE FENCE MET THE · HEDGES; BUT WHEN SHE WAS ALMOST UPON HIM, HE SCAMPERED QUICKLY OUT OF SIGHT. SHE STOOD THERE, ALMOST ON THE VERGE OF TEARS, STARING AT THE RIFT IN THE HEDGES THROUGH WHICH HE HAD DISAPPEARED. SHE WAS STILL HOLDING HER LITTLE BOUQUET OF WILTED DANDELIONS IN A GRUBBY FIST. THEN SHE SAW HIM SPRING UP ON TOP OF THE FENCE. HE SAT THERE OBSERVING HER WITH HIS HUGE UNBLINKING EYES. THEN HE RAISED A PALE TAN PAW, AND BEGAN TO WASH HIS FACE. HE WAS EVEN MORE INTRIGUING NOW THAN HE HAD BEEN IN THE BEGINNING OF THE CHASE.

"

"HERE KITTY, HERE KITTY.. SHE CALLED SOFTLY, HOLDING OUT HER HAND. HE GAVE HER AN ICY STARE, AND BEGAN TO WALK ALONG THE FENCE, THEN HE JUMPED DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE. SHE WALKED ALONG AFTER HIM FOR SEVERAL YARDS, THEN SHE NOTICED AN OPENING IN THE FENCE, WHERE

A WEATHERBEATEN BOARD HAD FALLEN AWAY, WITHOUT THINKING OF WHAT SHE WAS DOING, SHE SLIPPED THROUGH THE OPENING. HE WAS SITTING ON A WEED-GROWN PATH. JUST A FEW FEET AHEAD OF HER. SHE MOVED CAUTIOUSLY TOWARD HIM, BUT HE RAN OFF AGAIN, DISAPPEARING THIS TIME INTO AN OPEN CELLAR DOOR. IT WAS THE OLD-FASHIONED TYPE CELLAR, WITH SLANTED DOORS, ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE. SHE LEANED CLOSER, SMELLING THE MUSTY ODOR. THE EARLY MORNING SUNLIGHT MADE A SQUARE DESIGN ON THE DUSTY STEPS; BEYOND THAT, SHE COULD SEE NOTHING. SHE RAISED HER EYES AND LOOKED UP AT THE HOUSE, REMEMBERING THEN WHERE SHE WAS. SHE HAD NEVER BEEN THIS CLOSE BEFORE, AND IT STIRRED HER INTEREST. IT LOOKED DIFFERENT CLOSE; NOT SO WEIRD ・OR STRANGE. THE WINDOWS HAD PINK CURTAINS AT THEM. BUT IT WAS STILL THE HOUSE THAT BELONGED TO THE BAD LADY. NOMMY HAD TOLD HER THAT SHE MUST NEVER, NEVER GO INTO THE YARD OF THE BAD LADY. SHE REMEMBERED HER MOTHER'S WARNING, AND SHE TURNED TO

9