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Maybe that's all sentiment, but I am
really pleased. And now, miss, as to
the position."
"I I am quite inexperienced,"
said the visitor frankly, and then,
hke the free-hearted, ingenuous fel
low that he was, mightily attracted
by the sweet face and charming
s manner of the young lady, Morse
preceded to make the work expect
ed as light and easy as possible. At
his request she wrote her name
Alison Scoville and promised to be
on hand at 9 o'clock the next morn
ing. Tabby followed the young lady to
the door, mewed beseechingly and
then went back to the window silL
Morse proceeded to the nearest del
icatessen and provided a store of
food for his mascot
By evening the'feline seemed fully
domesticated. It made a leap out
of the window into the adjoining gar
den several times, but returned later
. and was quite some company to the
young lawyer.
The good luck really came. "Either
you or the kitteri brought it," said
x Morse to Miss Scoville one day. "Two
cases came in today and I am depu
tized to close up a ?4,0Q0 deal where
I receive 5 per cent commission."
"I am glad," said Alison in her sin
cere, simple way.
"This looks like progress," ob
served Morse's friend, Darley, com
ing into the office one day and sur
veying a small but compact iron
strongbox as near to a safe as Morse
could afford to buy just then.
"Yes," nodded the young lawyer,
cheerily, "getting on finely."
. "I see you have that black cat yet"
"Oh, my mascot? Quite!" de
clared Morse with a hearty laugh.
"And the young lady?"
"Shares the honoTs. She is a jewel
of industry and intelligence"
Late one afternoon Morse sat
Counting a heap of banknotes. They
represented the money he was to pay
in the adjustment he had told Alison
about, He concluded his task and.l
put them in the strongbox. At just
that moment a shadow crossed th,
floor. Morse looked up to encounter
a rough-looking man.
"Jones & Smith?" spoke the"
stranger.
"No such firm in the building," ob
served Morse, and the intruder, de
parted. "
It was to return a minute later,
however. Morse was just closing his,
desk when the man, stealing, tiptoe
ing toward him, lifted a heavy billy
and struck him down, bleeding and
senseless.
"Now, then, easy work, if I'm not
interrupted," muttered the wretch
and turned, to the strongbox. "Ugh!"
He fell back at Tabby sprang at
him, bristling, spitting, sinking her
claws deep into his evil face. He
gave her a fling as he clutched her
and she landed directly across the
prostrate body of Morse. Then
with a moan and limping! she fled
from the room.
The man searched for the key to
th,e strongbox, failed to locate the se
cret drawer in the desk where it re
posed, 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
uttered a suppressed cry and disap
peared. Just as the burglar had wrenched
up the lid of the strongbox, Alison re
appeared 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 the young
lawyer's wounded head and Morse
opened his eyes and surveyed the
group about him in bewilderment In
amazment he heard Alison's story in
part.
"But how did you happen to come
to the office?" he inquired, whea
they were alone. i
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