The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-05

1ul llIJle nOuSenOIQ UaSkS.
 Her name was Miss Mary. For four years she had occupied this one little room. which was her entire liv- ing apartment. A very clean small white bed was set in one angle. A tiny table occupied the position just under the light A hair cloth sofa filled up another corner. This was all the furniture in the room except n small gas plate for cooking.
 Ranged alongside was sink and little china closet to hold Miss Mary's three or four cups and sauc- i. CTS, plates, knives and forks.
 Her Poor Meal
 Tot Tim often saw Mss Mary break eggs into the little frying pan. slice her bread and meager little but ter and sit down down to make her meal of these things, with the ad- dition of little weak tea.
 What an awful lfe!" Tot Tim then would exolaim to himself. Tt must be terrible to be cooped up in a miserable little hole like that. l wonder what I could do for her" She is such a timid little thing I am almost afraid I couldn't do anything and so unwilling, I feel sure, to accept any help"
 IneSe lnCuBnlS kept lOI lIiH away until one twilight evening when he peeped in through the window to see little Miss Mary stretched face down ward In the bed, her thin little shoul- ders asking with sobs.
 Then Tot Tim waited no longer. He crept in through the open window he sat himself upon tho foot of the bed.
 What under the crook of the great half-moon Is tho matter?" inquired he thunderously.
 Had Taken Her Home
 Miss Mary fancied 1t was her own thought. She sat up, startled, and dried her eyes. but because 1t seemed as real as if someone was speaking to her, she answered right out loud:
 Its those miserable old cousins Just thieves they are. just thieves! They have taken my beautiful homo away from me. and now since spring has come and the lilac trees are all .n bloom-the lilac trees my very own mother planted-I'm so unhap- py I could die."
 No, mol" said Tot Tim-"you must not feel like that"
 Miss Mary began to think. Her mind pictured her old home with It's growing roses and violets and lilacs,
  top of a hill Tot Tim following her thoughts, as fairies can, recognized the place as one he very often visited, There was @ mifnosa tree In the back yard and little servant house where some cunning little pfckaninnies play ed in the sand.
 Then suddenly it flashed into Tot Tim's mind that he had heard the very story of Miss Mary from Old Black Nanny.
 why bless your heart, honey" he could hear Old Nanny saying. there's that sweet little Miss Mary ] raised been run right offen her own place! A couple of cousins done dug up a mortgage note they said her daddy give 'em and th'owed that chile out of house and homel All she got left is just the rental of one litt,e tenant house. and las time l saw her she look like she starved to death. And she's so peaceful and modest, she never comes out here no more. Amt nobody believe Miss Marys daddy done dat. say dey's a trick some where"
 A Scheme
 Tot Tim, viewing Miss Mary, de- termined upon plan.
 When I get through with you, you'll never know you could develop so much holdness on earth. I'll take care of this case"
 Tot Tim then was out of the win dow, and right down to the court house. He knew where he was bound for. It was to old Judge Dal- ton How the old judge happened to be there so latet was because he had been called into consultation by a number of his friends on a business ; rtt s,xer ,1A f, his office putting things away for the night when Tot Tim dashed in.
 "Oh Judge Dalton" whispered Tot Tim. "what about Miss Mary And rews?'
 s.who said that?" queried the old Judge--and he became little exclt- ed since he could see nobody. Par tjcularly so, since the old judge and Miss Mary long ago had been sweet hearts.
 well upon my soulr" The old judge sat down in a brown study.
 By the way, I wonder what did become of that girl?" and then; By George I'll find out"
 He Found Out
 The next day. as Tot Tim took up his watch by the side of Miss Mary's window, he began to send out sug- gestions to her with lightning speed. He had. meanwhile, visited the ugly cousins, and an inspection of their thoughts had revealed to him what they had done. They had forged the mortgage supposed to have been given by Miss Mary's father, and Tn order to make it look old. they had procured document paper and brown cd it in an oven. It was fine. imi- tat.on of a real mortgage, but Tot Tim knew that the keen eyes of the fudge, with some experts he would mt on the case, would reveal the forgery. The trouble had been Miss Mary had humbly taken things for granted and had never contested the claim.
 However with the thought of hravery which Tot Tim had inspired in Miss Mary, she began to pluck up courage.