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Show Hj DID THE IDOL SAVE TOMMY? BBB Tomtnlo'a Undo Jim had bcon n BBB Boa captain, and had brought homo BBB many curious things. When Tommlo BBB wont to visit his grandmother ho nl- BBB wayu looked at them with great lntor BBB est. In tho old-fuBhloncd parlor thuro BBB wns a high mantol, and on It wero BH quoorlooklng sholls and a whalo's BBB tooth. Tommlo often thought ho would BBB not want a whalo to blto him, BBB What Interested Tommlo most, how- BBB evor, was a queer-looking Chlneso Idol, BBB with pudgy looking oyes and distorted BBB features. Tommlo used to look at it BBB and wonder If tho pcoplo whero It BBB camo from looked like that. BBB On olthor otdo of tho fireplace wero BBB long, narrow doors, and Tommlo had BBB longed to seo tho Inside, but ho novor BBB did. Onco when ho was ulono in tho BBB parlor ho tried to open ono of U'o BBB doors, but ho could not. Ho wondwod BBB If It led In back of tho chlmnoy or BBB whother It might not bo a secret MAir-BBB MAir-BBB BBB Thoro was a haircloth sofa on tho BBB opposlto sldo of tho room, and Bomo- BBB times when tho mlnlstor called, Tom- BBB mlo went In tho parlor with his grand- BBB mothor and it upon It. Then ho BBB would look nt the. idol, and sometimes BBB It lookod to Tommlo ns though it BBB winked at hint, and onco Tommlo BBB laughed out, for ho was suro tho Mol BBB mado a faco at tho minister. BBB Thon thoro wero portraits of his BBB great-grandfather and great-grand- BBB mothor, and when ho wont In tho par BBB lor alono their oyes followed him BBB about as though thoy woro watching BBB to boo ho did not got Into mischief. BBB Ono warm afternoon ho was wan- BBB dorlng about tho house, and opened BBB tho parlor door. BBB It soomod so nlco and cool, ho went BBB In, Ho walked around tho room, and BBB when ho camo In front of tho mantel BBB ho lookod at his funny friend and BBB laughed. Then Tommlo tried ono of BBB tho llttlo doors again, but ho could BBB not open It. Uo saw an album and BBB took It to tho Bofa and opened it. BBB How, funny tho plcturoa looked! Thoro BBB was ono that looked ltko his father, BBB but ho was suro his father mwor woro BBB such queer-looking clothes. BBB Tommlo crnwlod up In tho corner of BBB tho sofa and looked across at tho BBB ' Idol. Ho Boomed to bo grinning and BBB winking nt htm. Ho did move, Tom- BBB .mlo was suro ho 'did. Yes, ho wns BBB standing up nnd bockonlng to Tom BBB mio. Tommlo wont over to tho man BBB "'ako mo down," said tho Idol. BBl "i daron't," said Tommlo. "Grand- BBB mother told mo not to hnndlo things BBB on -tho mantel." BBB '.'Well, I'll climb down, thon, only BBB you nro so much largor than I am BBB you could save mo a lot of trouble." BBB "If you aro coming down, anyway," BBB said Tommlo, "I'll help you." So ho BBB Btood up In a chair and took him BBB BBB ."My, but you nro small!" said Tom BBB - nile', looking down nt him. BBB "Onco I wns big," said tho Idol, "but BBB an old witch changed mo into this BBB llttlo shape. Pp you want to seo what BBl Is on tho other side of theso doors?" BBB ho nskod. H "Yes." answered Tommlo, "but thoy BBB nro locked." B 'Oh. 1 can open them," said tho BBB idol. "You hold mo up to tho koy- BBl BBB Tommlo did as ho told him, and tho BBB idol tapped on ono of tho doors, and BBB It oponed. It was very dark insldo, BBB but tho idol told Tommlo to place him BBB on his shouldor and walk along. Thoy BBl camo to a flight of stops, which BBB seemed to go undor tho ground, and BBB Tommlo stopped. BBB "Go on," said tho Idol; "you havo BBB not entered tho cavo yet." So Tom- BBB mio did as ho told him. At tho hot- BBB torn of tho steps ho stopped again, BBB for ho could seo in tho dlstanco a B numbor of mon sitting nround a table, BBB but tho idol urged him on. -As thoy BBJ camo nearer to tho men, Tommlo saw BBS thoy wero looking at jowols and BBJ scorned to bo counting money, and BBB they all had pistols and kntvoa in BBB tholr bolts. BBl Tommlo becamo so Interested In BY what ho saw on tho tnblo that ho BBB qulto forgot to bo afraid, and soon ho BBS as standing bcsldo them. Thoy all BBb Jumped up and pointed tholr pistols BBl him. BB "Who nro you and what do you BBpj want?' thoy demanded. BBl Tommlo was bo frightened ho could BBr not toll them, and looked around to BBS tho Idol for help, but to his surpriso BBjj tho Idol was not thoro. BBt "Whoro did ycu como from?" asked BBl a verv large man, who seemed to be BS tho leader. Tommlo told him his BBl grandmother lived In tho houso which BBJ was over them, and that ho walked Be down from thoro. jUPjj "Pleaso do not shoot mo," ho said; ig&B "tho Idol told mo to como or I should Jf-aM not havo Intruded." jjfto "Who la tho idol?" asked tho man. ABB Thoy all laughed whon Tommlo told BBj .thorn and said they did not believe BBf pits story, BBB , "What shall we do with him?" said BBf BBl "Oh, we shall make a robber of BBB lilm,'1 said another, and then Tommlo BBf know ho wns in a cavo of robbers. B "We will, havo to stretch out his hnlr to inaKo It as long an urns," said ono robber, "You got tho pullers," ho told an-othor, an-othor, "and thon wo will paint him and pull out his front teeth." "Tommlo" felt his hair rise, and when ho saw tho man return with tho pullers ho turned and ran. Tho men ran after him, but when thoy l cached tho steps ono of thorn stumbled, nnd the others foil over him, and Tommlo reached tho door and closed It. Ho went over and Bat on tho sofn to get his breath, nnd thero on tho man tol cat tho Idol. Tommlo was Just about to ask him why ho ran away nnd loft him to faco tho robbers alone, when tho door opened, nnd his grandfather grand-father looked In. "Oh, hero you nro," ho said "Your grandmother nnd I havo been looking for you. It Is supper tltno." "Whoro did you find him?" his grandmother asked, when thoy woro seated at tho tablo. Tommlo told her ho had been in tho parlor. "You did not touch anything, did you'?" sho asked. "I waa looking nt tho pictures In tho album," Tomn.'o replied. "I nm always afraid ho will got up to that mantel," sho snld to his grandfather. grand-father. "Ho cannot tnko his oyes off that Chlneso Idol, when ho is In thero. I would throw it away, If Jim had not brought it homo. It looks so evil, but Jim Bald It kopt away bad luck." And Tommlo wondered whothor tho Idol saved him from tho robberB or whothor ho had bcon asleep and dreamed It all. |