The San Francisco call., 1906-10-14
TER THE BLACK BURGLAR

4-A& ~ -
II you wear Il. or II your little boy
comes to my school with IL on. II you
will only please go away" said Prank
And I'll give you all the dimes IN
my money bank" promised Mary.
You shall have mine. too" said
Frank. and there is more than seventy
cents there"
Then, ah then. a police whistle was
blown sharply right in front of the
house, and then came a sound OF hur-
rying footsteps, and then
Frank and Mary IN sheer terror ran
through the hall and pounded on the
front door. which was looked. and
Frank cried Police. police. come rfxht
IN and catch the burgiarg'
The policeman did not seem 70 hear
FranAie. ana 50 both children called
out together. Then they heard light
footsteps and the voice OF mamma
Yes" she was saying TO police
oficer. Mrs. Wilson viii be better I
sent for me and I had TO 90. Now I
must see II my little ones have slept
through IL all Thank you for conalng
along with me. although I wouidn't
have been 4 bit afraid alone"
Then they heard the key IN the front
door. and the next minute mamma,
much surprised. saw her two little
ones, IN their night dresses. rushing
toward her. crying and sobbing. in
fear
AT nrst they could not make her un-
derstand what they were talking about.
Then she had Frank tell the story,
and this IL the way 1t ran
We heard the burglar IN the break
fast room We came downstairs and
sat in the chairs you put up against the
swinging door and kept him out OF
this part OF the house Now that the
police have whistled I guess he has
run away and gone over the back
fence"
No" answered mamma. smiling
broadly. Il know the burglar il there
still and cannot get out Come, We
will 80 and see
Cali in the policeman and Ist them
60. I'm afraid the burglar will shoot"
ever.
Very well. then, 7 will"
Two policemen came into the house
when mamma said that the children
had a burglar locked In the breakfast
room. They listened at the door OF
the room minute and then. without
drawing their pistols or even clubs.
pushed the swinging door boldly open
and held It open. Was there ever be-
fore such eourage?-so Frankie won
dered.
winking and blinking. there bound
~ AAlO Tie EoO11s rom the ddrkQG81
into the light, huge. black cat, as
black as coal. from +he tip OF its
shrewd nose to the tip OF its shiny
tall and IL began to run around. IN the
scared way common to cats IN a strange
mousse. and made some dreadful noises
Well, said Frank, Where did that
cat come from? Is IL the burglar'sg'
That Is the only burglar. I have
been TO help care for Mrs Wilson, who
,s very Ill Her daughter came for me
and brought the black cat hare. 40
that II would be away from their house
Tney ala not want to have 1t make a
noise at home Kitty Wilson told me-
that the cat knew enough to push opsu
a swinging door and get out and. as Z
didn't wish TO have a strange cat
proving around IN the rooms upstairs
and waking you Up, put the two
door"
We sat in the two chairs Co helo
keep the burglar out" said Mary.
proudly. "and were dreadfuIly scared
Did you hear that. JimF" asked one
policeman OF the other.
Indeed I did," answered his COM
panion. grinning. and there are noe
many more children IN san Eranoisoo
like them"
-oh. yes. there are" broke IN
mamma, "a plenty Just such"
But, mamma" said frankie, when
the two policeman. laughing as they
went, had closed the front door behind
them, we heard great crash down
stairs and came to see whether you
had been knocked down by the burg
lar and had fallen on the floor What
made that noiseT'
Let's 20 out in the breakfase-roon
and see"
When the gas IN the breakfast-room
was lighted the cause OF the crash was
made clear. A large bowl. containing
milk that had been left On a table
was found in pieces on the floor and
the milk had run all over the table
cloth
There is the guilty one" said
mamma. pointing at the black cat.
The cat tipped the bowl. IL fell on
the floor and you heard the noise"f
But why didn't the polieemen come
In when the whistles blew as the
church bell range Did they know or
think II was a burglar
"Oh, they do that way every night
The patroIman was around and called
a policeman to him to tell him some
thing or else met one and had q
whistle blown TO give some sort OF q
signal. I suppose"
Well" said frankie. you shall
have my bank money TO pay for the
bowl that was broken offered It
to the burglar"
And mine. too" promised Mary.
The cat burglar" was locked up
again for the night. and soon the chill
dren and mamma had forgotten, in
sound sleep, all about the queer ad-
in their home