The Tupelo journal., 1913-05-02

soft touch on the cheek awakened him
early. Puss was just starting to walk
across his face. AS soon as he was
dressed he went out to purchase some
milk for kitten and a morning paper
for himself.
While scanning the "wanteds" for q
position he might be able to fill, he
ran across this:
"STRAYED-Small black kitten
with a slight scar under left foreleg.
Finder will receive reward at Room
s. No. 2042 West Twenty-fourth
street."
Taking the kitten away from the
milk 1t vas tapping. he found the
scar.
We'll, honored Puss," he exclaimed.
1t appeareth that thou hast friends
a we'll 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. 2042 West Twenty-fourth street.
On the steps he met the postman, who
handed him a letter. The kitten, for
some reason fashionable only by the
minds of felines, gave a leap for lib
erty. Bently showed the letter into
his pocket and pursued the cat He
shouted to a policeman ahead. Puss
was unafraid of the man with the cop
per buttons, and suffered herself to
be coaxed into his big hands. The
wondering patrolman handed the kit
ten to Bently, who hurried on, after
a laughing word Of thanks.
A sudden idea seized hold Of Bent
ly's brain. Room 8" indicated that
No. 2042 West Twenty-fourth street
was a house where furnished rooms
were rented. Margaret had moved.
Who on earth but Margaret would
ever advertise for a fool black kitten?
He started to hail a taxicab to get
there quicker, but restrained himself
on rejecting that he was out Of q
job.
The surmfse that No. 2042 was a
rooming house proved true. Bently
stood almost trembling as he knocked
at Room s.
1t most assuredly would be Mar
garet who would answer, he thought.
What would she say?
The door opened. The fair sweet
Margaret did not greet the young man
with the kitten In his arms. Instead,
he was unable to state his errand;
but the old man relieved him Of the
necessity on spying the kitten.
ooh, you found the black kitten. did
you? Come right In. You think 1t
queer that I should advertise for this
cat? Not at all. You see, l lave
been studying cats all my life, and am
writing a great book about the feline
tribes. The work has made me very
poor, though l shall be rich when 1t
is published. For a long time l have
been hunting a black cat without a
single white hair. They are exceed
ingly rare. l needed such a specimen
to complete my book. When l 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 it.
Pardon me-" he interrupted, "but
from whom did you buy this remark
able feline?"
From whom did l buy the cat? 1
bought it only yesterday from a young
woman"
WAS she tall?" Bently almost
snapped in his eagerness.
WAS she tall? l 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
shamed the sentences of a college pro-
fessor.
With the fifty cents the old nan
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 it when the
black kitten had escaped from his
arms. He bethought himself of it,
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 s%tory-book fashion,. The
letter was from the editor who had
discharged him.
81 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 r too good a
man IN lose. Report for work tOmor-