The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-08-20

night
Gave him to May Bliss" said Linda
with affected cheerfulness. "She was
delighted"
Doesn't know him as well as do"
observed Frank resentfully, and then.
because be knew that his wife had
been fond of the animal, he launched
forth into a detailed description of all
the horrors he had suffered through
the vocal clamor OF the tortoise shell
cat. Pm sorry, Linda" he said apollo
getically wi4en he could find no more
epithets TO bestow upon the absent
Blessums, but the cat may get over
the habit, and then shall be glad to
see him grace our Preside once more. Z"
"He never will" said Linda sorrow.
fully.
''Why not?''
MAY Bliss wouldn't give him up
now"
well. ~ get you another cat-a
Persian" promised Hndreth recklessly
for he was kind hearted fellow and
hated to see his pretty wife distressed
ANOs lhdnk JOus h. u EdluCf
not have any" And because Linda
believed in making her sacrifices as
cheerfully as human nature would per
NIT she changed the subject by inquir-
ing what had happened during his day
in the city.
1t was long after midnight when q
familiar sound broke the peaceful
slumbers of Frank Hildreth. He start
ed up and turned his head toward the
closed south window Of his room. The
west windows were wide open.
e-e-e-e-roww
There was no mistaking the mellifiu-
GUS voice of Blessums, the tortoise
shell cat
The cat had come back.
Frank thumped out Of bed and threw
up the south window. Below, on the
moonlit path at the foot of the rose
trellis. sat Blessums, gazing up at his
erstwhile master.
"Me-e-e-e-rowr' he repeated mourn
fully.
There will be row. yelled Frank
wrathfully, and, picking up small
chair, he tossed it through the window
straight at the unsuspecting feline.
When the chair struck the path
with thud Blessums had vanished
simply melted from view But the
chair was there, by some magic Of cir
cumstance standing on it's four legs in
the middle of the path.
Frank went back to bed and to sleep
dreamlessly till morning.
"Oh. Frank. the queerest thing has
happened" 1uttered Linda when he
appeared at the breakfast table
what is it," he asked curiously.
why, when | looked out of my win.
dow at O'clock this morning what
should l see but Blessums sitting on
one of our bedroom chairs in the mid.
die Of the PATH He looked too cute
for anything, Frank, but how do you
suppose the chair ever got out there?"
Linda's blue eyes were innocently
wide.
"Blanked if know" lied Frank
GROSSLY.
'Why, Frank Hildreth. | think it's
perfectly awful for you to sw-swear at
NEE like tha-tp' cried Linda, suddenly
tearfully indignant
1t required half hour to properly
apologize to his wife, and in the end he
felt like a criminal. Il told you. my
dear, that nothing short of sudden
death would ever terminate his sere.
nades," he said modify
II don't care how or when he dies
If l don't have to hear any of the de-
tails" said Linda dejectedly. "It does
seem as though Blessums was deter
mined to come back here and disturb
your peace
perhaps l can think Of some RENE
dy during the day." said Frank, and
once more he set forth on his morning
sprint for the SOB train.
The result of a whole days cogita.
that he brought home that night a
large paper bag filed with soot-black
chimney SCOT secured from some un.
known place by his office boy.
He smuggled the bag up into his
own room and hid it under his bed.
He did not wish to shock his wife's
tender sensibilities with the details of
the horrible way in which he was to
end the nightly serenades of Blessums
the tortoise shell cat How could he
tell Linda that 1t was his intention to
listen for the first signal from the ma
rauder and then, creeping softly to the
window. which he would leave wide
open. he would decoy the unsuspecting
Blessums up the rose trellis. and
when the cat was almost up to the
window he would empty the bag Of
black. smothering, choking soot full