Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 231, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 September 1916 — Tabby [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Tabby

BY Estelle Rossiter Greu

(Copyright, 1916. by W. G Chapman.) “Sent!” “Hold on. Darley, don’t spoil a guerdon of good luck.” _ “Good, luckr-a black-cal! Til row. her out of the window." “Not on your lift* —especially not on my natal business day.” responded Rupert Morse. “Why, think of it ? Here ut nine o'clock I start in on my initial business career. At 9:30 in steps a velvet-shod feline visitor, scans the environment. proceeds to settle dowinnr the window sill yonder, purrs complacently and remains —a presage, a harbinger. Don’t disturb Miss Kitty for worlds!” “All right humor your whims* only a cat is neither dignified nor businesslike. I’ll vanish. Here conies the first answer to your advertisement for an assistant.” The friend of the yftung lawyer departed. A young lady entered —bareheaded. which was queer. Morse thought, and rather excited appearing, lie discerned, which he could not account for. The cat bliuked and purred. He pa used to stroke it gentiy, and then faced this girl visitor. Morse had pat up hi* shingle in -amodest way. not in the business cen-

ter, but on a little street off the main thoroughfare. The little building he was in had been a real estate office. Everything beyond it in the block was residential. Next door was a pretty cottage with a lovely garden! - “You have come in response to my advertisement for an office clerk, I presume?” observed Morse, noting a palpable embarrassment on the part of his visitor, which he attributed to maidenly shyness and inexperience, and ever manly and indulgent \vherethe opposite sex were concerned. “I am just entering itr.on r.iy-profession • and need an assistant to copy my papers, keep records and attend to the ] office while I am away. I cannot pay j more than six dollars a week at the start. Ah! my guest is rather unceremonious.” *• Tabby had left the window sill.-had ■walked over to tlie young lady, rubbed Itself against her dress, submitted to her petting with satisfaction, performed the same actions with Morse, and returned to the window sill as if, a courteous duty performed, Its reward was peace and sleep. The young lady again puzzled Morse. She . had kept her eyes fixed on the cat an 3 a queer smile crossed her face. He Could not analyze —pleased, quizzical, mysterious. “You —you like kittens?” she spoke, a trifle hesitatingly. , “This one—immensely. You see, I consider it a sort of good-fortune sign to have a black cat come to you aiid really take to you on the threshold of your first business enterprise. Maybe that's all sentiment, but I am really pleased. And now, miss, as to the position.” ' fT-^l3m sa!4= the visitor frankly and then, like the free-hearted, ingenuous fellow .that he was, mightily attracted by,‘the sweet face and charming manner of the young lady. Morse proceeded to make the work expected as light and easy as possible. At hts request she wrote her name—Alison Scoville —and promised to be on hand at nine o’clock the next morning. Tabby followed the young lady to the door, mewed beseechingly and! went back to' the'window sill. Morse proceeded to the nearest delicatessen store and provided a stbre of food L Tbr Jhls mascot' „ Py evening the feline seemed fully domesticated. It made'a leap out of jthe window Into the adjoining garden several times, but \ returned later and was quite some company to the young lawyer. The good luck really came. “Either you or the kitten brought It,” said Morse to Miss Scoville one day. “Two cases came in today and I am deputized to close op a four thousand dol*

lar deal, where I Veceive five per cent “( am glHd,” said Alison in her simple. sincere way. “Tills looks like progress,” observed Morse's friend, Darley, coining into the office one day and surveying a small hut compact-looking iron strongbox asnear to a safe as Morse could afford to luiy lust tlien.* u ___ “Yes,” nodded the young lawyer i cheerily, “getting on finely.” “I see you have tiiat black cat yet.” “Oh, my mascot? Quite!" declared Morse with a hearty laugh. “And the young lady?” “Shares tin* honors. She Is a jewel of Industry and intelligence!” Late one afternoon Morse sat count--fng-a-hcap-of banknotes.—They--rep-resented the money, he was to pay In the adjustment Tie had told Airsotv about. He concluded his task and put them in the strongbox. At just that moment a shadow crossed the floor.. Morse looked up to encounter a roughfaced man. “Jones & Smith?” spoke the stranger. “No such firm in the building,” observed Morse, and the Intruder departed. It was to return a minute later, however. Morse wiflls' just closing his desk when the burn, —stenting. —tiptoeing toward him, lifted a heavy hilly und struck him down, bleeding and senseless. “Notv, then, easy work, if I’m not in-, terrupted,” muttered the wretch, and turned to the strongbox. “Ugh !” He fell hack as Tubby sprang at him, bristling, spitting, sinking her daws deep into his evil face. He gavd her a fling as he clutched her and she' landed directly aefoss the prostrate body of Morse. Then, with a moan, and limping, slip fled from the room— The man searched for the key to the strongbox, failed to locate the secret drawer in the desk Where,,it reposed, and produced some burglar tools. He pried, drilled and hammered, So engrossed was he that, he did not notice a fluttering form at the open doorway. It was that of Alison. She utMered a suppressed cry and disappeared. ■Tnst as the burglar had wrenched up the lid of the strongbox Alison reappeared with-two policemen. Then, the criminal in charge, the money in the strongbox safe, Alison‘ran to the nearest drug store. “Nothing serious.” reported the doctor with whom she hastened back to the office, as he dressed Morse’s wounded head and the young lawyer opened his eyes and surveyed the group about him in bewilderment. In amaze he heard Alison’s story in part. “But how did you happen to come to the office?” he inquired, when they were alone. “Tabby," answered Alison simply, “You mean —” “She came crawling into our house nil covered with blood. It made me uneasy. I came here and —” “Thqn you live near here,” began Morse. “The second next house.” “I never knew that before.”

“No,” murmured Alison confusedly, “I never told you—nor that Tabby is my cat. You see, the day I came here it was nfter Tabby. I never dreamed of going to work for you, but you so encouraged me —you were so nice—” “Thank you !” bowed Morse, with his customary bright smiLe. • “I did not like to take Tabby away. She seemed to like you so. She has visited us daily, too, you see.” “Your Tabby,” spoke Morse thoughtfully. Then the circumstances focussed up forcibly all he had known and appreciated of this sterling young woman during their harmonious companionship. “Dear Miss Scoville,” he continued earnestly, "let us make it ‘our’ tabby!” And, with the month of roses and honeymoons, Alison Scoville was his happy bride.

Lifted a Heavy Billy and Struck Him Down.