Mystery

In Washington, police broke into a dark basement, found hysterical Mrs. Lytle and silent Mr. Lytle writhing on a heap of ashes. Screamed Mrs. Lytle: "He forced me to come down here and then he grabbed me. He's got me by the hand and he won't let go!" Police found her swollen fingers twisted in her husband's necktie, her husband dead from strangulation, a butcher knife and a poker nearby.

Restitution

Up to a Nashville, Tenn. grocery counter walked an unknown man. He looked down at the penny-candy showcase, at the orange jelly stars, at foot-long black ropes of licorice, at mauve-brown tootsie rolls, at chocolate bottles of syrupy liqueurs, at inch-square cubes of yellow honeycombed sponge molasses. The man sighed, cleared his voice huskily: "Thirty-five years ago I stole two of your penny candies. It's been bothering me ever since. This is the least my conscience will let me give you.'' He laid a $5 bill on the counter, walked away.

Laughter

In Marshall, Ark., at the first two lines of a limerick Emmett Slay chuckled. At the next two he snickered. At the last one he roared boisterously, slapped his hip, discharged a pistol in his pocket, shot a friend in the thigh.

Wait

Atop an unfinished Miami hotel, Shirley Brewer breathed deep of the clear night air, smiled down at the spread-out city, caroled up to the far-off stars, tripped, toppled off the roof. But Death was not ready for him. Fifteen stories up, a narrow ledge broke his fall, saved his life, left him with a leg jammed in a masonry hole. For six days and nights he struggled to tear his leg free, screamed, stared up at the sky through wind, rain, sun, mist. Then, as a workman discovered him, Death was ready for Shirley Brewer.

Bear

In Brooklyn, when Ringling Circus' black bear Bruno found his cage unlocked he strolled up a fire escape to see the town a not squad at his heels. Stopping halfway up, Bruno looked at the police; the police looked at Bruno. Up floated the voice of Trainer Joe Meyers: "Hey, you! What are you doing up there?" Bruno peered down at Meyers, padded back down between respectful rows of police to his cage.

Seer

In Tokyo, Medium Kii Tsuchiya wrote: ''When I looked at my face in the mirror this morning, I read my destiny. I found it was my lot to die a sudden and unexpected death. I am old and do not wish to die in an automobile accident or be killed under falling debris. I want to die peacefully, at home.'' She did. She stepped into the family well.

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