Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-30
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
The Night PrOUler
By HELEN WHITING

II was II o'clock and long past the re-
t!ring time of the two elderly spinSters.
Miss Abby and Miss Jane Tibbett. The
house was dark and quiet, save for
the tick-tiCk, tiCk.tick OF the little clock
on the mantel. AS Miss Abby. who was
troubled with insomnia. tossed restlesslv
in her bed she heard gentle thud in
the room below. With Mortified Easp
she sat bolt upright and began to shake
Jane vigorously The latter opened hey
eyes and peered in a daZed manner
at her sister
What ads YOU, Abby Tibbett?", she
asked pecvishly. You might at least
let me sleep even IL you can't" and she
turned over to resume her broken qlum-
Der. But another thud, followed by a
jangltng discOrd on the piano, brought
her 10 her feet, and she stood trembling
on the cold, bare floor. Then. with an
affected air OF hravadu. she slipped on
her bathrCbc and slippers and, grasping
brush--fOrmidable weapon--m one
hand. she tiptoed softly down the hall
Miss Abby pleaded in vain for her tc
come back. but at last decided that two
might be of more avail than one. and
she. too, Crept down the hall. When
they reached the head of the stairs Miss
Abby Erasped her sisters arm and eX.
planned IN a whisper:
"Oh, Jane, II he should see US dressed
this way" and she ClaSped hcr robe
more tightly about her angular, bony
figure.
Down the stairs they crept, silently
step by step, until at last they reached
the bottom a scurry and patter oil
feet in the living room made them cling
70 each other, frozen IN their tracks
as they afterward described 1t. Miss
lane held her brush in readiness ant
the lion his den" Meanwhile, Miss
Abby kept up a continual wall; IT,
think that I, n maiden of gentle up
bringing should come TO this! Oh. oil
sister Jane. what would our dear mother
saw" But Jane iTnpatiently said:
Be quiet, Abbedelia " and Abby saic
no more.
By this time they had reached tn,
! living room. and as they pushed aside
the portiers two glarinG eyes confrontec
| them Miss Abby screamed the eye
| disappeared. Something brushed agains
! Miss Abby'S leg. and she rushed from
| the room shrteking. "Iielr! Oh, helr
| or wen all he murdercG Jane Stoo'
! immOvable. her brush poised in mid iii
| ready to descend upon the unfortunat
4 head Of the prnwler.
Silence, Impenetrable, omnous 81
lence' "Tick-tlck, tIck:tick; tick.tick
! Then "Mrr-Ow-ow.yo VOW and Jane fe'
| in Il panic after her sister.
A passerby heard the shrieks an
! rushed for "A policeman, who soon gath
cred posse and headed for the Tlbbet
house Not waiting to be admitted
| they broke in the door and scattered 4
search of the supposed murderer. Up
stairs Miss Abby was weeping lysteri
Cally. while Jane had hid her head be
| meath the bedclOtheS and was prHyin
! ferYe ntly.
Lights were turned On all through tn
| house, but no trace of the man coul
be found. In the living room, quietl
curled up on the piano, lay a huge blac
cat, purring contentedly as she though
of the luscious mouse she had just m
I ished.
The next mornings Daily sun cor
| tanned AN article to this effect:
| "TIBBETT HOME BROKEN INTO.
Inhabitants OF this town were startle
last night by fearful screams issuin
from the Tibbett home 1t 1874 Pin