The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-01-08

|
Will scanning the "wanteds" for a
position he might be able to fill no
ran across this:
STRAiED-Small black kitten
with slight scar under left forelee
Finder will receive reward at Room
8. No. 2O4o West Twenty-fourth
| street
Taxi the kitten away from the
milk il Was tapping. he found. the
| scar
We'll, honored Puss." he exclaimed
1T appeareth that thou hast friends
as well as misfortunes. When | have
partaken Of my repast. we'll sally
forth to seek whom these friends may
be-
With the kitten in his arms, Bently
strayed out after breakfast for Room
8. No. 2N2 West Twenty-fourth street.
On the steps he met the pOstman. who
handed him letter The kitten. for
-ome reason fathonab.e only by the
minds Of felines. gave leap for lib
erty. Bently showed the letter into
his pocket and pursued the cat He
shouted 10 a policeman ahead. Puss
was unafraid of the man with the cop
per buttons, and suffered herself to
be coaXed into his biz hands The
wondering patrolman handed the kit
ten to Bently. who hurried on, after
laughing word OF thanks
a sudden idea seized hold Of Bent
ly's brain Room s" indicated that
No. @0i2 West rwenty-fOurth street
was a house where furnished rooms
were rented. Margaret had moved
Who Oh earth but Margaret would
ever advertise for a fool black kitten?
tie started to hail taXicab to get
Their" quicker but restrained himself
OF rejecting that he was out OF a
Job
The surmise that No. 2O4o was a
rOOmng house proved true. Bently
stood almost trembling as he knocked
at Room s.
1t most assuredly would be Mar
garei Who would answer. he thought
What would she say,
III door opened. The fair sweet
Margaret did not greet the young man
with tn" kitten in his arms Instead,
he vas unable to state his errand.
but he old man relieved him Of the
necessity on spying the kitten.
on, YOU found the black kitten. did
YOU Come right in You think It
queer that | should advertise for this
cat? Not at all You see, have
been studying cats all my lie, and am
writing great book about the feline
tribes The work has made me very
poor, though shall be rich when 1t
is published For long time have
been hunting black cat without a
single white hair. They are exceed
ngly rare needed such a specimen
to complete my book When bought
this
That this was the place where Mar.
garet had said she could sell the per
fectly black cat. was the thought that
came to Bently 1t must have been
she that sold t.
Pardon me" he interrupted, but
from whom did you buy this remark
able feline"
From whom did buy the cat? I
bought It only yesterday from young
woman"
Was she tall'" Bently almost
snapped In his eagerness.
Was she tallo don't see why
this young lady should interest you so
much The cat was the important
thing No. she was short and stout.
and spoke as though she were Ger
man or Hungarian"
That ended it, for Margaret was tall.
and her pure English would have
shamcd .he sentences Of 4 college pr>.
fessor.
With the fifty cents the old man
had made him take for returning the
cat Bently walked slowly down street
He was in no hurry. for there was no
work to go to,
The letter was still in his pocket
where he had pushed 1t when the
black kitten had escaped from his
arms. He bethought himself Of 1t.
and drew it out.
Had he been demonstrative. after
he read the letter Bently would have
thrown his hat into the air and shout.
ed in orthodox story-bOok fashion. The
letter was from the editor who had
discharged him.
Il have just learned something Of
the unfortunate circumstances under
which you were working the last day
YOU were on our staff Also. | was
unduly hasty You are too good a
man to lose. Report for work tomor-
row as usual. at IS more a week sal
ary"
Bently was reading the letter a sec
ond time. when a familiar voice smoke
behind him. He turned to see Mar
garet smiling at him.
Sweetheart" he blurted out. I've
hoon wild with irving to find Won,