davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11
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young man has a hard time getting started in any profession"
 Perhaps MT. Howard could help you. papa" interposed Mollie.
 T fear the oldest and ablest law yer in the State will not be able to do that" replied her father, sadly.
 Will you let me try" asked Jack. eagerly. T want something to do. and my anxiety to get a start in my profession might enable me to accom- plish something which an older and abler lawyer might overlook"
 There can be no harm in telling you the facts in the case, If you have time to listen" said MT. Wardman, but I fear you will find little ground to work on."
 q have a large surplus of time" said Jack, grinning.
 Well" began the old gentleman, T am the claimant to an estate of con- siderable value but, strange to say. find myself without evidence of owner ship. Some ten years ago my father. who was a widower. purchased tract of land about twenty miles from this city. l was living in Texas at the time and knew nothing of the transaction. except through a letter which he wrote me soon afterwards. Two years ago ne uleu, ana l an llIo OiiiJ iiNAA' MI fortunately, just before that time, l had moved up into the Northwestern frontiers of Texas, and as no one in his neishborhood knew my address. and I did not receive any of the local papers, more than year elapsed be- fore I had any knowledge of his death- As soon as I could arrange my affairs I came out to take charge of what ] considered my property, but found my self forestalied. The estate had been administered on. the personal property sold, and the land was in possession of another person..
 How could that be done.' asked Jack; Tt must have been known that you were the lawful heir. and there certainly was no proof of your death."
 "There's where the trouble comes in" replied Mir. Wardman. My fa- ther purchased the land from MT. Garrett, but no deed from him, or oth- CT evidence of title can be found. Ad- was made. as required by law, of the issuance of letters of ad- but as no one appeared. the personal property was disposed of. us stated. and MT. Garrett took pos session of the land. claiming that he k~a warrat, raaIlv aald hn Iaua ard
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11
boliday of Hunt GmiIy
 and uncl' EaIvin
BY R. A. F. SMITH. Selma, Ala.

Age had forged it's shackles about him and his old eyes. blued by time. looked only towards the past.
 When the days were balmy he took his split-bottom chair to the outside of his cabin and dreamed of the young master in distant State and wondered If he would remember the old man and bring succor.
 In dire want Aunt Emily had mort gagged their hogs to a "poor white" to secure the bare necessities of existence. It was nearing Christmas and the mortgage was due. The ''poor white'' looked into Uncle Calvin's blue, Elazed eyes. but had no pity. a What mattered 1t to him of the hogs were the only dependence of the sold couple, for next years meat. They had eaten his rations. and this modern shylock must have his bond. The "old nistiss" might help them. but her home was twenty miles away. In another county. Necessity is not only the mother of invention: it is also the lever that lifts the stout heart out or many bog of despair.
 Aunt Emily. with threescore years of life already gone. must undertake the journey afoot. But it meant living or starvation for her and Uncle Calvin, and there was no hesitancy.
 The next night found her st tha home of "old mistiss," but time had been hard on her. too. since the mas ters death and found her unable to aid the old slave. When this had been communicated to Aunt Emily aha turned her tear-dimed eyes to the por- trait of the dead master above tho mantlepiece, with a softness in them born alone of love and loyalty: "Air Lord." she moaned, "ef he was Twin sho' wouldn't go back empty-handed."
 
 Two days before Christmas tha young master returned to his oia home. from a distant State. The mother, glowing with the happiness of his return. mentioned Aunt Emily's visit and her inability to aid her. ana the real sorrow 1t brought her; that ft was the only thing to mar her Christ. mas happiness.
 Early next morning the young mas. ter started upon a twenty-miles jour- ney with buggy we'll loaded with the necessities and some of, the Christmas luxuries. He found Uncle Calvin sit. ting in his split-bottom chair just -out- side the cabin door and Aunt Emily busy with her spotless bread travs. The "poor white' had not foreclosed the mortgage nor did he.
 D Calvin, don't you know himr, sba cried. Bless Gawd. de young master didn't fergit us. He suttenly do look an ac' lack his pa."
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

Upon the alluvial plains of Eastern North Carolina, where the pine trees sway and sigh to the soft Southern sky, there dwells an old negro couple who have lived through all the stages Of human afhuence and poverty. For. when the master of the slave was rich, the slave was rich. and when the mas ter became poor, after the great civil conflict. the loyal old servant became poor with him.
 Aunt Emily and Uncle Calvin were of this type. They stayed with the war-widowed wife through the four long years of uncertainty. and when the inevitable end had come, they still re- mained loyal.
 The struggles of the former master were their struggles. and when he finally was forced to give up the old home and break the old ties. they built little cabin upon & piece of piney- woods land. they had purchased. and set up a home of their own. But con- ditions had changed. The bottom rail was on top. The poor white trash" which every respectable slave had de- tested in ante-bellum days, were pre- pared for the new conditions. They had been reared to work and were in a position to grasp the needs of this new hour, and apply the Drawn or which the ex-slave holder knew noth- ing. They purchased little tracts of land, and, by hard labor and frugality, soon owned their homes and had accu- mu1ated a small surplus of the necessi- ties of life.
 In the particular neighborhood in which Aunt Emily and Uncle Calvin settled. the old masters had disappear ed, and this new type of post-bellum progressiveness held sway. If the ex- slaves were in need of rations. 1t was to this class they must go for daily la- bor. and to this class they must appeal for aid in times of distress.
 And the times of distress soon came to the old negro couple. They had been house servants previous to their freedom, and the new conditions were as trying to them as they were to the master. Aunt Emily had been taught the art of weaving those multi-colored counterpanes. the fabric and design of which Is a lost art, and Uncle Calvin knew only of grooming horses and burnishing silver-mounted harness and carriage trimmings.
 For them. the undertaking of labor ing in the fields was as poor a failure as 1t had been with the master. But they had accumulated around them a COW, chickens and few hogs. The hogs. they had intended for next years bacon. but in an evil hour Uncle Calvin fell i'll and the siege was a long one.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

blushing. flor being so weak as to faint"
 Your fainting is not to be won- dered at," asserted Jack. ITO have a man fired at you from a blazing room, as If he had been projected from volcano. was enough to startle a num- my"
 well. sit down. and tell us about it," urged the father.
 Thus encouraged, Jack gave a graphic account of the incident, whereat both his hearers laughed till getting all but the ludicrous side of the affair. joined heartily in tae mer- riment. Their good humor set him entirely at ease. and when he looked at the girl he was profoundly rejoiced at the incident which had introduced him to the family.
 Tt seems to have been a series of mishaps< all around" remarked MT. Wardman. "and the rat, if he could reason, would no doubt he surprised at the uproar he caused. But as no harm has been done, and the incident has been the means of introducing us we will look on 1t as a fortunate oc- currence. You are a lawyer, I think you said."
 "A book lawyer" said Jack, mod estly: T think I may say, without boasting. that I am posted in the theory of the law, so far as reading and study go, but so far I've found little opportunity to put my studies into active use"
 T see" assented Mir. Wardman. without money or strong influence. a
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

With this letter in his pocket he took an early morning train which landed him near the home of the gen. tleman to whom the letter was ad- dressed. Him Jack found eager to rem der all assistance in his power. but he knew nothing personally of the pur- chase. He only knew that the elder Wardman resided on the land in ques- tion, but nothing more. During the day Jack visited such others as his frienc advised, but little was to be gained. Several of them could testify that MT. Wardman lived on the land, and one old man said he had an indistinct re- collection of hearing him speak of having purchased this land, and the price paid for it, but was not sure about 1t. In truth, the excitement and changes incident to the rich oil dls- coveries had driven everything else from mems minds, and after a busy and unsatisfactory day Jack returned to the city. very little wiser than. when he left, and with little ground for en- couragement.
 It was night when he reached home, and when he had eaten his supper he went to his room to think matters over. The cat occupied her usual place and seemed we'll satisfied with herself and
 
 sent an uneasy glance around which took in her master. the easel and tho corner. as if she couldn't exactly es- tablish the connection.
 Lighting his pipe. Jack studied the matter in all its bearings, but there was little satisfaction to be derived from his reflections He knew that the testimony in their possession would have no weight against the oath and documentary evidence of Garrett who could show that he had a deed from the former owner of the land, and would swear that the property had nev- CT passed out of his possession. "Now." said Jack. falling into his usual habit of thinking aloud," "there really ought to be some way out of this muddle. I am thoroughly satisfied that MT. Wardman is the rightful owner of the land. but proving 1t Is the diff culty. If somebody would only pro- duce that deed should feel obliged to him, for a fact"
 Just then his eyes rested on the pie ture of Washington, which had fared
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

badly in rumpus, and his musings took another course.
 q wonder what became of the rat" he thought. If the truth was known I expect he came out ahead of the game. Old father Washington seems to have had the worst of the racket. l suppose l may as well brush the dust off his countenance, seeing he has no glass to protect 1t"
 He removed the fragments of glass and then took the picture from the frame. As he did so a sheet of paper which had been placed between the picture and the wooden back fell to the floor.
 T wonder what the old patriot had stuck away here so carefully? Whccp-ee" he yelled as he ran his eyes over the paper and then bounded across the hall, almost knocking Mol lie 6cwn as she opened the door i've got It." he shouted, waving the paper in his hand while Mollie shrank | back as if she thought he had not only had 'it." but several of them.
 For Heavens sake, MT. Howard, what Is the natter" asked Mir. Ward man, and what have you got?"
 The missing deed"' said Jack. mod erating his excitement and handing the paper to the old gentleman.
 Its the deed, sure enough" said the latter, as soon as he had looked over 1t, but where in the name of all the wonders did you find it?"
 Then Jack. who had partially cooled down explained to his eager listeners where the document had been hidden
 'Let mo see the picture" eagerly ex- claimed Mir. Wardman. and Jack hur- ried out and soon returned with pie ture, frame and easel.
 "Ah" exclaimed MT. Wardman, q re- member as if 1t was only yesterday when my father brought the picture home, and 1t always stood in his bed room. Probably no other man would have secreted a valuable deed in such place. and I have no doubt that he had entirely forgotten It, which ex- plains his failure to have 1t recorded. But how did 1t come into your pos session."
 Tt probably belonged to a former boarder," said Jack, "as I found 1t in the room when I took possession. and the landlady tells me the room has been occupied by several boarders during the last two years. and she doesn't really know who left the picture there."
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

ney of extensive practice and experi- ence, by whom he was cordially wei comed as the old lawyer knew him by sight. and was noted for his kindness to the young members of the profess ion.
 MT. Turner" began Jack, T am a neighbor to Mir. Wardman. and he has been telling me today of his failure to find evidence of title of the land of which he believes himself to be the rightful owner. and am anxious to render him some assistance. I am not vain enough to think that can advise an old practitioner like yourself. but I am young, with plenty of leisure. and it may be that I can aid you by look ing up testimony for which you have not the time to spare"
 T shall be glad of your aid" was the reply. T confess that we have made little advance in the matter, and my time Is very much occupied just at this time.
 Mir Wardman tells me that the mis- sing document has been advertised for" said Jack. and I take 1t for granted that all the records have been carefully examined"
 Nothing has been neglected in eith- CT direction. as far as I know" re- piled Mir. Turner. nor have we failed to advertise extensivly for any oral or documentary evidence which might be of advantage to our client, but with out result"
 Has anybody been on the spot to make inquiry among the neighbors?' asked Jack. There surely ought to be some one there who knows about tho purchase and sale.'
 MT Wardman himself has visited the place. replied the lawyer. but fail ed to find any evidence of value"
 I'll go out there tomorrow" said Jack, rising Possibly I may find somebody who can give me a pointer Good morning"
 His next move was to tho court house where he made a careful and minute search among all the land re- cords, but found nothing. True thA tax records showed that that the elder Wardman had regularly paid taxes on the land, but this was all.
 After dinner he had another consul tation with MT. Wardman. the only re- suit being to advance his interest in Mollie, and to procure from the old gentleman a letter of introduction to q friend living on adjoining land to the disputed property.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

the several incidents of the preceding In the reflection. The appearance of the room only served to empnasize the conviction that he had not shone with any great degree of brilliancy and as he lazily surveyed his surround ings he found himself mentally swear ing at the cat and rat for their part in the trouble. The former was sit ting on the rug very comfortably washing herself and the rat was prob- ably sleeping off the effects of his ad- venture.
 Ashamed to be seen, and dreading the remarks and questions of the oth- CT inmates of the house, Jack con- stunned so much time getting ready for breakfast that he found no one at the table but the landlady. She looked at him with an apparently well devel- oped suspicion that he had been mak- ing too free with the bottle the eve ming before-an expression which he was quick to notice and resent, but he saw no way to enter into an expla- nation. and wisely held his tongue.
 or one thing he was well assured: ne felt that he owed 1t to the young woman to call and apologize for the uhpremeditated assault and battery committed on her. so he made himself as presentable as possible and knocked at the door. An invitation to come in was followed by the opening of the door. and he found himself con- fronted by an uncommonly pretty girl. while kindly-faced. middle-aged man sat at table near a window.
 T have come" said Jack. introduc- Ing himself. Ito apologize for my un- necessary and altogether inexcusably idiotic performance last night"
 Sit down. MT. Howard" said the other man, "sit down Molly. My name Is Wardman. and this Is my daughter, Mollie. We are neighbors, and should know each other better"
 T hardly know whether to sit down or not" replied Jack. till I explain matters and get absolution."
 T am the one who should ask for efVarnRn ha
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

that my father was merely a tenant. Owing to recent discoveries of coal and oil the land is very valuable, and MT. Garrett has retained the best lawyers to be had. have begun suit, but he is in possession. and as no evidence of title to my father can be round, my lawyer can give me bu, little hope"
 Do you think proper efforts were made by the administrator to find that deed?" asked Jack.
 T have no doubt of it," replied MT. wardman. The administrator is a. thoroughly honest man and he assures me that no efforts were spared to find the deed. Even the letter written me by my father has been lost"
 Tt is singular" unused Jack. that your father should have failed to get a deed, or should have mislaid 1t"
 My father was one of the most ec- centric men who ever lived" said Mir. wardman, "and this peculiarity in creased as he grew old. He would put valuable papers in the most unexpected and out -of-the-way places. apparently for no other reason than that 1t was acting differently from what others would have done. Documents which should have been safely under lock and key were hidden away in unused drawers and boxes, or stuck into un- read books, often to be forgotten until accidentally found. For all this, he was tenacious of his rights, and I am fully convinced that he obtained a deed from Garret, and almost equally sure that he secreted 1t in some article of the furniture that was sold and scat tered after his death."
 You have advertised for it?" Jack inquired.
 Yes, thoroughly, but without effect"
 Well" said Jack, rising, If you will give me the name of your lawyer will call on him and see if there is anything I can dv."
 He is MT. Turner of Turner and Norton" replied MT. Wardman. "and you will find him both ready and will ing to have assistance"
 With a cordial shake of the fathers hand. and the ghost of a squeeze of the daughters. Jack took leave of his new friends. determined to begin in- vestigations at once.
 CHAPTER III.
 Jack found in MT. Turner an attor-
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

lea that we should hold the paIm among the great civilized nations of the world for loose and easy laws and customs on the subject of marriage. Why this should be in a home-Iovtnr country like ours. a country where wo- men in general are treated with more courtesy and respect than in any other, 1t Is not easy to explain. Still more difficult 1t is to understand or to ex- plain why. mn country where, with the exception of Utah. there is appar- entity such a homogeneity of sentiment on the subject of marriage and divorce. where we are all apparently agreed as to the sacredness of the family reIa- tion, there should be such a diversity of State laws on the subject, ranging all the way from the law of North Carolina allowing divorce on no ground whatever. to those States. east or west, where divorces are granted according to g. system that would disgrace a Turkish harem.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

"WelI, it has been a singular com bination of circumstances" said MT. Wardman, "and Mollie and I may thank the unknown. as well as yourself for a discovery which will doubtless put us into possession of our property"
 Should not the cat and the rat have part of the credit?" asked Mollie.
 ''The rat was the prime cause of the whole business" said Jack, and if could get possession of him he should have a good time during the rest of his life. But did you think I had lost my senses again?"
 T thought you were probably hav- ing another confagration," she replied, but I wasn't going to rush out and faint, as I did before."
 Well" said Jack, rising to go, "I make you a present of my interest in the picture. and shall take precious good care of the cat from this time on.''
 When the deed was shown to MT. Turner he was almost as much sur prised and gratifed as either of the others had been and unhesitatingly gave 1t as his opinion that the evidence was complete to re-establish Mir. Ward man in his rights-an opinion justified by the courts.
 How they won the case and how Jack won Mollie belongs to another story, as this one is finished.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11

A Man, Cat and a Rat. These are the principal characters of the story; or rather, without either or all of them there would be no story, and if either had appeared at a different time or un- der different circumstances. or had acted in any other manner, there would be no motive for the story.
 Jack Howard was young man phy- sically. and mentally healthy, fairly good looking and possessing a reasona- bly good opinion of himself. Unfor- tunately. he belonged to the somewhat extensive and widely scattered family of clientless young lawyers He had the misfortune to come into the world through the gates of poverty, and had never enjoyed the help of influence or wealth to assist him in mounting the ladder of fame and opulence. Conse quently. though he had managed to obtain a fairly good education, legal and otherwise, and possessed brains, determination and good habits, he was still balancing himself on the lowest round of the ladder.
 For some months he had occupied a little room in the modest boarding house of Mrs. Hart, in fourishing Pennsylvania town, and often found it a difficult matter at the end of the month to find means to satisfy his landIady's unfailing request for a set clement He spent most of his time in his poorly furnished room, some- times re-reading his scanty legal library and sometimes building castles in the air out of very. scanty material an occupation which many others have found as unprofltable as 1t had seemed pleasant.
 On this particular evening he was feeling unusually depressed. Clients obstinately refused to present them selves, and his landlady as obstinately insisted on being paid. There was little in his surroundings to raise ones spirits. cheap carpet on the floor, a cheaper bed-stead, a round table with Kerosene lamp on 1t, hanging book case with his books. and a few com mon chairs-these were about all the eye could grasp. There were a few chromos on the walls, and on one side the fireplace stood an easel with an old picture of George Washington on 1t. The old gentleman was dusty, and seemed to look with some severity and disgust on his present surroundings
 There was one other occupant of the room who must not be overlooked A large black cat occupied a seat on the rug near her master, where she pre- tended to be asleep. supremely indif- ferent to circumstances and surround ings. and apparently as contented as she would have been in a palace.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-11
socialism an .Janan.

The socialistic party is gaining strength in Japan. Its principal de- mands are: Abolition of armies and navies; abolition of caste: nationaliza- tion of railways, canals, etc.; free and equal education: municipalization of gas. water. tram and other civic mono- polies; public ownership of land near cities a labor bureau; prohibition of child labor. of unsuitable women's work of night work for girls and youths. and of Sunday labor; an eisht- hour day; no capital punishment: em- ployers' liability: no house of peers. freedom of speech and of the press.