Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-21
and they FASTENED affer her.

and they fastened after her
The fence inclosed coy little cot
tage, well set back from the sidewalk
In the yard were couple Of trees, a
flower bed or two and a delightful
path, bordered by low hedge. which
ran up to the spacious veranda.
The little home had such a piquant,
happy look that involuntarily both
Roger and Bessie smiled as they gazed
at It.
Then Roger laughed.
Look who's on the .verandaw he
cried
Bessie looked closely and gasped.
There was Harriet, curled up tightly
in the blaze of the sun, as II she had
been in the habit of lying there just
like that day in and day out for years.
"Well." cried the girl, Harriet
seems to be perfectly satisfied with the
place."
"Yes," acknowledged Roger. 81 could
be happy, too, in home like this II
had the right person to share it with
me-" He looked directly at the girl.
For fleeing moment her eyes met
his, and then, startled and with her
face flushed, she ran up the path to
the veranda.
"Why," she exclaimed as she reached
| the first step, there's no one living
| here-the place is for rentv' She point
ed to sign that had slipped from it's
position in q window.
"Why, so it ISL cried Roger. liar
riett can't stay here, of cOurse-unless
-unless"- He looked at Bessie with
smile full of meaning.
'Of course she can't stay here" cried
the girl, making grab for the cat Il
wish we could find a home for her,
| though, in in nice little place like
| this"
She caught the cat up in her arms.
How Harriet would enjoy the
| place." unused Roger Look, there's
| big open fireplace in the front room,
and there's a fine, dandy place where
| we could have our piano"
"Wef" gaspeI the girl. With her
| face af1ame and with the cat clasped
tightly she ran off down the path.
But Harriet, who had been purring
| very contentedly in her mistress arms,
now became very angry. She snarled
and dug her claws into BesSie's coat
until the girl was forced to put her
| down
| why, Harriett." she exclaimed in
panied establishment whats the
matter with he? She never acted
that way before"
| I'm sure l don't know" replied
Roger. But look what she's doing
now. Harriet may be very peculiar
cat, but she certainly knows a good
thing when she sees it,
He pointed at Harriet. who, on be-
| ing released, had torn frantically back
up the path to the veranda. On the
once or twice and then curled herself
up on the floor in almost the identical
! spot and almost the identical manner
| as before.
well. l never!' cried the girl. She
hurried back to the veranda and, sit
ting down on the top step, began pet
ting the cat. Roger lost no time in sit
ting down beside Bessie
Dear he cried as he managed to
imprison one of her hands. Dear
heart, why not follow the road Har-
riett has pointed out? Why not let
this dear little house be Harriett's
home and at the same time real home
for you and me? Come. dear. it only
needs minister and a marriage license
to make us all three happy
"Oh, 1 will; 1 will"' she cried sud
denly, throwing her arms about Rog-
er's neck. We'll none of us be lonely
again.
Harriet, with sigh of content that
appealed to the couple as almost hui
man, rose from her spot and, purring
arm with which Ro .er was clasping
the GIRL