The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-05


blamed show going
They first searched the basement
engine room. coal cellar and laundry.
Then out to the back courtyard, where
Warren used up box of matches peer
ing into dark corners and under some
old scaffolding.
"Oh, we must find her, we must
find her." insisted Helen, frantica .
Shes gotten out to the street." her
mind filled with narrowing pictures
! OF Pussy Purr New half frozen under
some snowy doorstep.
Grumpily Warren led the way back
through the basement, out the de-
livery entrance. and up into the street.
on, II it were only light we might
see her tracks in the snow"
Now look here, we won't pull off
any Pirkerton stunts. We've carried
TINS thing far enough. Now you come
up stairs!"
"oh. wait dear, there's a policeman
sta Q oned down there. won't you ask
him?"
ASK him what? To call out the re-
serves to find a cat"
Upheeding his sarcasm, Helen dart
ed down the street. Warren followed,
swearing under his breath The big
officer, welcoming a break ir the mo-
notony Of his beat met Helen as she
>ran toward him.
Have you seen anything of acat?"
She painted. breathlessly. Not a street
cat-a real Persian cat-with long
ffur?"
The policeman was most solicitous.
Had he been stationed on that corner
as custodian of Maynard cats he
could not have been more concerned.
Inf f1rrtr ara1x 81,
had crossed his beat. Apparently a
snowy night was not popular one for
a feline promenade.
Now, that's enough of this tom
follery," snapped Warren. Here's
where you go to bed" in answer to
Helen's pleading TO look around the
block.
With an anxious face Nora met
them at the door
We're coming back to catless
home" declared Warren, melodramat
ically.
Helen turned to him sharply, oh
Cow can you be so heartless?"
Think I've been pretty darned good
natured. poking around down there af-
ter one o'clock. Now you get ready
for bed-quick-no dawdling I'll not
be kept awake for all the cats in
Christendom."
Heien's mind was still torn with pic
lures of Pussy Pur New terrified,
shivering and possibly injured. Warren
sleep, but she lay awal>c planning the
mornings search and wording an adj
vertisement for the papers. until her
thoughts grew confused.
1t was morning when she awoke con-
scious of a vague sense of trouble
What was it? Then like a flash it
came-Pussy- Pur New.
In an instant she was up. 1t was al
most light now, she would make an
other search of the basement before
the house was astir. being careful
not to awaken Warren. She went
softly into her room, but hardly had
she started to dress than he called
out peremptorily.
What are you up to now?"
"Oh dear. 1 didn't mean to awaken
you. 1 just want TO look through the
basement again, before the delivery
men come along"
You come right back here to bed
you've got a cold already and I'm not
going to stand for any doctors bills
and muttering something about want
ing to wiring that blamed cats neck"
Warren himself got up.
Helen protested, but he was firm
and unwilling she crept back to bed
Without waiting to shave he dressed
with grumbling haste.
AS he slammed out the front door she
Ionged to follow him, for she felt he
would not look carefully. If only he
did not have awakened and she could
have gone herself. :
The Cat Comes Back.
She could hear Nora moving around
in the dining room, so she, too, was
awake, though it was only a little af-
ter six.
1t was hardly ten minutes bef~ re the
hall door again opened and closed. Hell
ems heart leapt. Had he found her:
Would he be back SO quick he
had not? She sat up in the bed a
thrill with expectancy.
Then Warren troC into the room,
gripping, none too gently a struggling,
wrigglin, terrified. coal blackened cat.
ION a ladder in the coal bin" as
he flung her on the bed beside Hell
en-.
1t was drs 1atic moment Helen
felt vaguely that in some way she
mist live up to it, so as she took
Pussy Pur- New into her arms she
burst into tears. But Pussy-Pur- New