An Unappreciated Gift

There is a. department womau in Washing'toQ whose fondness for pets is known t.o all her f riends. Not long uijo a woman who boards in the samo .house with har boug-ht a squirrel in a capre, and to g-ive her a pleasant surprise put it in hor room one aftepnoon. The department woman cama home and went to her rootn. She did not appear at dinner. There va do light in her room. Not a sound was heard from her. At last, late in the ereningf, h;r frien.'lá bagan to ba worried about her and one of tham ivect up an;l knoekj.i ou the door. Tlie departtnent womia was within and in a wlvisper slia answere.l the knock. "I can't. stir," she said. "Some addleheaded fooi has pvt asquirreLia hcro and it's fjot out of the cag'e. Bvery time I try to strike a Iigrht it ilies all around the room. It's torn a hig hole in the laee curtain and sraashed two of my vases. There's an ink bottle on the bureau, and 1 don't dare move for fear he'll knock that oiï next. What am I going to do?" There was a consultation outside, but uobo.ly could think of anythinjf to do. The department woman 6tood it uutil nearly midnig-ht, and th.'D her wrath gettin, the bettar of her prudence hhedeclared she'd lig-ht the g-as if the squirrel broke everythin in th. room. And when tlie ga? watlig-hted there was the squirre safe id his casfe again. But the woman who boujjht him has found another boardinLr Dltwj.