Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-12-26
and a YOUNG wOman advanced into the


ROOM.
81 came" she announced. about my
a My maid tells me that you have
been willfully harboring it. She has
actually been obliged to fight for its
ownership with your stupidity stubborn
servant" The girl caught her breath
wrathfully. ''But-but last night was
the limit of impertinence. Wasn't it
enough to keep my cat locked here for
days without inscribing your address
upon her collarT'
Il assure you" Philip began humbly.
''that | have made no effort to entice
your pet. She dropped. as it We're,
from out of Il clear sky. | found her
n evening tapping, gently tapping.
at my frosted windowpane.'"
The girl glanced toward the window
contemptuously. IF you persist in
treating the matter as a joke" she re.
marked with dignity; then her eyes
widened in childish wonder.
look thereI' she cried. Upon the
outer sill. eight stories high above the
street. chung a small furry ball. why
why. she must have. crept out of u
roof window" said the girl. "and on
down that narrow ledge"
AS before. Philip cautiously raised
the sash. while the black cat made its
way to the hearth rug, there to sit
blinking wickedly back at them both.
She came presently to nestle against
Philips shoulder. raising her paw to
deal a playful blow.
"Oh," she breathed. "Oh. So it was
you also who taught her THAR
The girl took the cat and moved to-
ward the doorway. There she paused.
1--WE will return the collar with its
atrocious name" she said. and a mis-
chievous smile flashed over her face.
Philip followed the graceful figure
to the vestibule. Jack Johnson SEEM
ed a fitting name to me-" he replied.
''Would you mind telling the real one?"
For a moment the gill hesitated, her
hand upon the knob: then she looked
back with dancing eyes. 1.-THE little
cats real name." she repeated delib-
erately, sis Lady Lillian"
Philip sat long before the fire that
night in pleasant r~everie. and during
the days which followed he seemed
possessed of a feverish spirit of unrest.
"Do you know" he asked Of Tenno,
"the name of the lady who owns our
cat?' And Tenno shook his head.
mot the name." he answered regret
fully. 'but the number of her apart
ment is 81. 1t is there that dispute
with the maid"
Then with an inspiration bern of dull
and tagging hours Philip drew toward
him pen and paper. ITO the Lady Lii
liam, suit 81" he scrubbed; then wrote;
my abject remorse impels me to
further apology for OBTAINING you from
the presence of your mistress, but If
she could for one moment appreciate
the utter. desperate loneliness of d
bachelors convalescence she would, !
am sure, not only pardon his late of
Tense, but would still lend you to him
occasionally to Overland to sketch.
There are times when II can be CRATE
full for the affection of-even a small.
black cat"
Philip smiled whimsically as he bold,
ly signed his name, and when the note
had been dispatched he marveled at
the eager impotence with which he
awaited a reply. He anticipated Ten
no in answering the bell next morning,
and there, sure enough, In the corri-
dor stood the girl with the cat in bel
arms.
1--WE did not know you had been ILL.,
said the girl gently. o that so popular
an artist could ~be-lonely. We"-she
hesitated in pretty d~ifidence-"we were
rather rude the other day and are anx-
ious to make amends. Lady Lillian
shall come whenever you wish, and ]
will call to take her home. She is hon
ored, | am sure. to be the subject of q
SKETCH And before Philip could
stammer out his thanks the girl hur-
ried down the hall. In an inexplicably
happy mood he carried the black cat
into the house, while those tenderly
sympathetic eyes seemed still shining
into his own. And every morning
thereafter Philip listened with painful
intensity for the ringing of the bell,
Mn1iC IAC LC0 I'D C0ShA16C0 IL tAN
corridor, a memory of a sweet appraised
face changed the routine of exist
ence'' into a real joyous Giving"
"You feel much better. sir. Mr.. Dun
combe?" the faithful servant asked.
Better" be cried, better! ! am go.
ing to draw a great picture, Tenno.
The name of the picture is Home
And as the face of the pictured woman
grew into being it was very like that
of the girl. A transformed Philip Dun.
combe sharpened his crayons in fresh
enthusiasm. and then with cruel sud.
denness his dream was shattered.
THE husband of the lady who owns
the black cat.". Tenno informed him
"has also purchased a dog"
Philip stared dumbly. 1.-THE hus-
band. you say. of the LADY," he re
peated dazedly. Tenno nodded in con