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Orb, v. 2, issue 1, 1950
Page 9
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9 I was with Tom Fackler and two of his officers when Flora Mae opened the door. Tom was embarassed, but determined. "Miz Erickson, there's been a lot of complaints lately from the folks around about keepin' cats on your premises. Now, I don't mind cats, but when you got. . ." "Won't you come in, gentlemen?" Flora Mae's voice was icily polite. It was the first time I'd seen her in quite a long time, and I was startled by the look in her eye...resembling other eyes, at a mental hospital in Jackson. She was mad, of that I was almost certain. We edged into the hallway, and I glanced curiously around at the house I had not entered in, let me see--twenty-seven years. It was shocking. Tattered window shades hung crazily from the windows, the wallpaper was torn from the walls in gaping patches; dust lay thickly on everything. A tremendous tom-cat flaunted sleekly across the floor, into the library. Flora Mae clinked the door shut and turned on us. "How can anyone complain about my cats?" Her voice was slyly triumphant. "I never permit them out of this house. How can anyone complain?" "It's the noise," Tom began, "and--and the smell." "This is my house," and now in her voice you could detect an unhinged sort of wrath. "It has been my house for over fifty years, and what I do here is no concern of anyone's--not my neighbors, nor the police--" and she pointed her finger to me-- "nor yours, Doctor. These are my cats--mine! I feed them, I care for them, and I bury them." This sarcastically: "And if you're worried about my having too many of them, let me tell you: there has never been a kitten born in this house, and there never will be. You see, gentlemen--there are no female cats here--I will have nothing but males." Her eyes shone as she added: "--And they never leave this house." We left, after Tom took all his courage in hand and told Flora Mae that unless the neighbors quit complaining, she would have to rid herself of every cat. We walked down Davis Avenue. After a half block of silence, Tom asked: "What do you think, Doc? Is she crazy?"
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9 I was with Tom Fackler and two of his officers when Flora Mae opened the door. Tom was embarassed, but determined. "Miz Erickson, there's been a lot of complaints lately from the folks around about keepin' cats on your premises. Now, I don't mind cats, but when you got. . ." "Won't you come in, gentlemen?" Flora Mae's voice was icily polite. It was the first time I'd seen her in quite a long time, and I was startled by the look in her eye...resembling other eyes, at a mental hospital in Jackson. She was mad, of that I was almost certain. We edged into the hallway, and I glanced curiously around at the house I had not entered in, let me see--twenty-seven years. It was shocking. Tattered window shades hung crazily from the windows, the wallpaper was torn from the walls in gaping patches; dust lay thickly on everything. A tremendous tom-cat flaunted sleekly across the floor, into the library. Flora Mae clinked the door shut and turned on us. "How can anyone complain about my cats?" Her voice was slyly triumphant. "I never permit them out of this house. How can anyone complain?" "It's the noise," Tom began, "and--and the smell." "This is my house," and now in her voice you could detect an unhinged sort of wrath. "It has been my house for over fifty years, and what I do here is no concern of anyone's--not my neighbors, nor the police--" and she pointed her finger to me-- "nor yours, Doctor. These are my cats--mine! I feed them, I care for them, and I bury them." This sarcastically: "And if you're worried about my having too many of them, let me tell you: there has never been a kitten born in this house, and there never will be. You see, gentlemen--there are no female cats here--I will have nothing but males." Her eyes shone as she added: "--And they never leave this house." We left, after Tom took all his courage in hand and told Flora Mae that unless the neighbors quit complaining, she would have to rid herself of every cat. We walked down Davis Avenue. After a half block of silence, Tom asked: "What do you think, Doc? Is she crazy?"
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