ats. I guess that's one which got away."

"It got away all right," said another man. "And I don't believe she'll
ever get it back. The cat's scared to death."

"Why doesn't it jump?" asked some one. "I heard that cats always land on
their feet, no matter how far they fall."

"A fall from there would kill any cat," said Joe, as he handed Helen a
small package he had been carrying--a purchase he had made at one of the
stores.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, sensing that Joe Strong had some
object in mind.

"I'm going to get that cat," he said in a low voice. "I can't bear to
see it harmed, and it can't cling there much longer. Night's coming on,
too, and if it isn't rescued soon it won't be until morning. I know what
it is to have a pet suffer. I'm going to get that cat!"

"Oh, mister, you can't!" cried a small girl who was standing near by and
overheard this remark.

"I should say not!" exclaimed the man who had given a little personal
sketch of the woman in black. "The longest ladder in the fire department
won't reach up to that wire, and they can't use extension ones, or
scaling ones as they could on a building. You can't get that cat, sir,
though I wish some one could. I don't like to see dumb brutes suffer.
But you can't get it!"

"Perhaps I can!" said Joe modestly.

He started toward the street entrance of the old building, from the
upper window of which leaned the pathetic figure of the woman calling to
her cat out on the swaying wire.

"Oh, Joe," Helen began, "are you really going to--" and then she
stopped.

"I am!" he answered, for he knew she understood. "Wait here for me. I
won't be long."

Only a few in the crowd had heard what Joe said, or understood his
intentions as he made his way through the press of people. The woman at
the window was unaware of the fact that some one had heard her and was
about to heed her appeal.

"A hundred dollars to whoever saves my cat!" she cried again.

This time no one laughed.

Joe Strong, acrobat, athlete, magician, and possessed of many other
muscular accomplishments started up the stairs. The lower part of the
office building was deserted at this hour, but he made his way to the
place where he judged the woman lived alone. He was confirmed in this
belief by hearing from behind a closed door the barking and whining of
dogs.

"She must keep a regular menagerie," mused Joe. "Probably these are all
the friends she has, poor old lady!"

He knocked