PAGE f THE PINEHURST OUTLOOK fai 5
in a trap, and did you ever hear her
struggling in the horrible engine while
you were both afraid and powerless to
help her?"
"No, I never did," answered Bobby
Bunting. "Oh, but zat must be ba-a-d."
"We were little people, even for mice,
at that time," resumed Minnie Mouse,' as
she sniffed and her whiskers moved in
pathetic comedy. "We knew nothing of
the world. (It is but fair to say that by
the world Minnie Mouse meant only the
kitchen and the dining-room, for she had
seen nothing else.) We were afraid to
venture fron the nest and we remained
there until we nearly perished from hun
ger and thirst. One night my sister
Winnie (for being born at the same time
she was named Winnie, while I was called
Minnie) thought she could stand it no
longer, so she crept into the kitchen. In
a few moments we heard the snap of a
trap, and the noise of her struggles. She
never came back to us.
"Again we lay in our nest, until hun
ger and thirst forced us to separate and
seek relief. I have never seen my two
brothers or remaining sister since. Per
haps they are dead, or it may be they
have gone somewhere else, for they tell
me there are other places where mice
might go. Do you know of any such
places, Bobby Bunting V"
"There is Drandraa's," said Bobby
Bunting.
But Minnie Mouse sighed. She could
not conceive of what that might be or
look like. So she continued :
"I think I must have been very near
that place that night I was caught."
"Was oo taught asked Bobby Bunt
ing. "Yes," sighed Minnie Mouse. "I was
very hungry and slipped into the other
room to see if I couldn't find something
to eat. On the table I found some jam
and a piece of cake and ate all I desired
of those. Still I was hungry and began
to seek for something else. Your mamma
won't let you make an entire meal of
cake and jam, will she, Bobby Bunting?''
"No," gurgled Bobby Bunting ; "she
won't dive me more than one piece of
cake."
"That is why I wanted something else
to go with my cake and jam ; it is health
ier," said Minnie Mouse. "I don't see
what harm there is in that. A mouse
can't starve, can it? What would you do
if you were hungry, Bobby Bunting?"
"I would try," said Bobby Bunting.
He meant cry, but he couldn't say it.
"But suppo'se you couldn't cry," re
marked Minnie Mouse. "A mouse can't
cry, and, besides, I had no mamma to
bring me what 1 wanted to eat."
"Then I dess I would dow and dit it,"
said Bobby Bunting.
"That's just what I tried to do," re
sumed Minnie Mouse. "But it seems that
grown-up men and women (and, oh, how
big they do get !) don't like for us to seek
food, no difference how hungry we are.
I ran a little way from the cake and
climbed down on the tloor, and as I got
near the hole in the iloor in which I ran
down when I was seared I saw the
nicest piece of cheese lying there in full
view. 1 tell you, it was tempting. Still,
I was afraid there was a trap somewhere
around, for the cheese was lying on a
little platform such as I had never seen
before. I had been told about the traps
that if you touch one they fold together
and hold you tight. I wanted the cheese,
and yet was afraid to poke my head in
and grab it, for fear a possible trap
would snap on my neck and choke me to
death. Then an inspiration came to me.
I thought I would touch the cheese with
tail first, and if there was no trap, then
I could grab and eat it. You see, I
thought that if my tail was caught I
might escape with my life while, if it
caught me around my neck, I would
surely choke to death, as did my poor
mother. So I poked my tail back on the
platform. Something went snap, and a
great lever came crash on my tail. Oh'
how it frightened me ! My heart seemed
to jump into my throat. It must have
really done something like that, for
ever since then they tell me, because it
has been burst, it makes this peculiar
noise which you hear."
"Sounds like singing," said Bobby
Bunting.
"Yes ; they call me a singing mouse,"
answered Minnie," "but it is really the
blood in my heart pouring out at the side
that was ruptured that makes the sound.
I think the fright was worse than the
hurt, though it. did pain me dreadfully.
You see, my beautiful, long tail was
broken and the flesh torn in a horrible
manner. I was so frightened, however,
that I paid little attention to the pain,
but pulled and struggled to escape."
"Did you dit away?" asked Bobby
Bunting.
"Yes ; the broken, lacerated tail was
torn completely off where the trap fell,
and I was free. But see how I was de
formed in person, as well as internally
injured."
And Minnie Mouse whisked her tail
around so Bobby Bunting could see.
Neither Bobby nor the mouse noticed it,
but Bobby Bunting's mamma had come
to the door and was gazing on' the un
usual scene.
"Bless his little heart," she said, referr
ing to Bobby Bunting. "Even a mouse
can interest my baby."
Minnie Mouse scampered to her hole in
the wall, while Bobby Bunting ran to his
mamma, crying :
"Oh, Mamma ! A tinging mouse. Please
let me feed and pet it."
"Why, darling, mice are nuisances.
They are into everything, so."
"But, Mamma, this is a tinging mouse.
Please, Mamma ; one little mouse won't
eat much."
"You say it sings?"
"Yes ; it says its heart is broke, and so
it tings."
Mamma smiled, and now Minnie Mouse
is petted and has become quite tame, and
is pointed out to the neighborhood.
FIELD MICE.
t
TOURISTS.
Always Drink
POLAND
WATER
IT
ASSURES
HEALTH
IN
ALL
CLIMATES.
Before You Start South
CALL ON
IT IS
VITALLY
IMPORTANT
FOR
ALL
TRAVELERS.
- Because of its unequalled purity
and unchanging diuretic qualities,
Poland Water 13 the most import
ant of all dietetic factors in over
coming the attacks on health which
always menace tourists.
To drink Poland Water always is
to be free from all dangers of lo
cality always.
If you have any difficulty obtain
ing Poland "Water in your travels,
we would esteem the information.
HIRAM RICKER & SONS
POLAND SPRING, SOUTH POLAND, MAINE
J. c.
Littlefield,
TAILOR
O. Beacon Street,
BOSTON.
Everything needed in the
way of clothes by the well
dressed man:
RIDING BREECHES AND SUITS
SMART BUSINESS CLOTHES
Dress Suits a Specialty-
HOTEL GORDON
lOth and I Streets,
Washington, - D. C
Two squares from the White House, State
War and Navy Departments.
American plan, $3 to a day
WM. X. ItEXHTBY.
RICHMOND HOTEL
17 & H STREETS,
Washington, D. C.
American Plan, $3.00 per day and upwards.
CLIFFORD M. LEWIS Proprietor.
Jffl at el
roston
II. W. PRIEST, PROPRIETOR,
ffieaoh "Sltzff, Jffassaohusetts.
fn Jdeal Summer Resort on tho Jforth Shore
Princess Anne Hotel,
Virginia. Beach, Va.
Situated within 200 feet of the ocean waves. Splendid drives through the
pines and along the beach with the best quail and wild fowl shooting in Amer
ica upon its preserves. Write for booklets.
JAMES S. GROVES, Proprietor.
1 he Magnolia FLORIST
PINEHURST, N. C. it alkicii, ar. c. '
Steam Heat, Electric Lights, Excellent Table. JSitvtnu9
JIuIIm for fall ll anting.
J L. POTTLE. Tele hone and mail orders promptly executed.
Blooded Dogs For Sale, oemeotuHmcwey,
r ART NEEDLEWORK, NOYELTIES, ETC,
Call or address, 5. Dan Morgan.
The Merrow Studio.
Pinehurst Kennels.