The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-21

man to Meg, you are going to get mar
 ried. Very improper and unbecomng in
 one of your sex-very. But never mind
 that. After you are married you'll quar-
 rel with your husband and come to be
 distressed wife. Now, you know I am
 justice. Don't you come before me,
 for I am determined to Put Down dis
 tressed wives. You'll have children
 boys. These boys will grow up bad, of course, and run wild in the streets with
 out shoes or stockings. And I'll convict every one of them, for I am determined to Put Down boys without shoes and stockings. Most likely your husband will
 take a drink and die young. leaving you
 with baby, and you will be turned out of doors. Now don't you be brought be- fore me, for l am determined to Put
 Down all wandering mothers And don't you try suicide-for I am determined to Put that Down. As for you, you dull dog, what do you want to be married for? Why she'll be an old woman be- fore you are a middle-aged man. A
 pretty figure you will cut with a drag
 gle-tailed wife and a crowd of squalling children crying after you wherever you
 go." He knew how to banter the com
 mon people, did Alderman Cute.
 Richard was about to make some in
 to be quiet, and the Alderman said E:
 "There, there, go along, go along" But
 he called back Toby as the little party
 was sinking away and sent him with
 letter to a great man in one of the
 greatest districts in town-to Sir Joseph Bowley, M. P.
 Filler and the Alderman and the other | man who had confined his remarks to a | few means over the good old times | had managed to cast deep shadow of
 doubt and gloom over Toby and Richard
 and even Meg. Doubts, fears, perplexities
 arose in the minds of each one of them
 Wrong. wrong," moaned Toby; "every way. No business here" The chimes
 came clashing in, but they sang a strange
 tune to Toby: Put Elm Down, Put Elm Down! Good old times. good old times;
 facts and figures, facts and figures"
 The door of Sir Joseph Bowder, M. P.
 was opened by a porter. Such a porter. Not in Toby's order. Quite another thing.
 This porter underwent some hard breath
 ing before he could speak, having incau- | ing time to think about it and compose
 his mind. When he had found his voice which seemed to have gone a, long way off he said in a fat whisper, Who's it from?' Toby told him. You are to take 1t in yourself. Everything goes straight in on this day of the year. You are not a bit too soon, for the carriage is at the couple of hours'
 Toby entered a very large room where at able sat a stately woman in a bonnet and a not very stately gentleman in black who was writing from her dictation. An other, an older and exceedingly stately gentlemen, whose hat and cane were. on the table, walked up and down with one hand in his breast and looked complacent- y from time to time at his own full length portrait which hung over the fire place.
 What's ths?' said the stately gentle man. MT Fish, will you have the good ness to attend" "A letter from Alderman Cute, Sir Joseph" "Is this all, porter, you have no other claim or demand upon me? If you have present it, said Sir Joseph impressively. "I allow nothing to be carried into the Nv Year. Every description of account is. settled in this house at the close of the old year" Lady Bowley broke in with some re- marks about a charity to which she had
 been asked to subscribe E5 and declared that it was too dear-she was only to be allowed for such a subscription two votes. It was monstrous. 'But you are the Poor Mans Friend, Sir Joseph, and think other wise. T am the Poor Mans Friend.'' replied Sir Joseph, striking an attitude.