davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22

except scars. Temtak's wife had re-
turned teven as she had vanished) unseen
and now sat, breathless and watchful. by
her husbands side. Perhaps some rumor
OF our quest had gone abroad, or perhaps
we had given the cue by our unseemly
freedom; certain at least that in the faces
OF all present expectation and alarm were
mingled.
Captain Reid announced without pre-
face or disguise that | had come to pur-
chase. Temtak, with sudden gravity. re-
fused TO sell. He was pressed; he persisted.
1t was explained We only wanted one. No
matter. two were necessary for the healing
OF the sick. He was rallied, he was rea-
soned with IN vain. He sat there. serious
and still. and refused. All this while,
which was only that of preliminary
sklrmish, no sum of money had been men,
toned; but now the captain brought
his great guns to bear He named
pound, then two, then three
Out of the moniaps one person
after another came to join the group, some
with mere excitement, others with con-
sternation in their faces. The pretty girl
crept to my side; it was then that-surely
with the most artless tlattery-she in
formed me of my likeness to her father.
Tamaiti, the infdel. sat with hanging head
and every mark of detection. Temtak
streamed with sweat, his eye was glazed,
his face wore painful look, his chest
heayed like that of one spent with run
ming. The man must have been by nature
covetous; it was only appetence that
moved him, and l doubt if ever I saw
moral agony more tragicaIly displayed.
And now came the charge of the old
guard. The captain, making a skip.
named the surprising figure of tive pounds.
AT the word the moniaps were emptied.
The kings sister flung down her cards and
came TO the front TO listen, a cloud on her
brow. The pretty girl bent her breast and
cried, with wearisome iteration, that if the
box were hers should have it, Temtak's
wife was beside herself with pious fear.
her face discomposed, her voice (which
scarce ceased from warning and encour-
agement) shrill as a whistle. Even Tenn
tax lost that image-like immobility which
he had hitherto maintained He rocked
on his mat, threw up his closed knees al
ternately, and struck himself on the breast
after the manner OF dancers But he came
gold out of the furnace, and with what
voice was left him continued to reject the
BRIDE
And now came a timely interiection.
Money will not heal the sick" observed
the kings sister, sententiously, and as
soon as heard the remark translated my
eyes were unsealed, and l began 70 blush
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22
singular expression. Then she said

singular expression. Then she said
sharply:
"You know, fust rate, she's dead. ;"
She was turning away again, but think
she must have seen my concern IN my face,
for she hesitated.
But" | said quickly, 81 certainly
understood your father, that is, Mr.. john
son, / added, interrogatively, ito say
that I was to speak to-" didn't like to
repeat the exact phrase-"his wife"
II don't know what he was playin' We
for" she said shortly. "Mar has been
dead morn year"
But" persisted, sis there no grown
up woman here?"
Then who takes care of you and the
children?"
81 do.''
yourself and your father-eh?"
dad amt here two days running, and
then only TO sleep"
''And you take the entire charge of the
house?"
YES, and the log tallies."
The log tallies?"
''Yes; keep count and measure the logs
that go by the slide"
1t flashed upon me that had passed
the slide. or declivity on the hillside.
where logs were slipped down into the
valley, and inferred that Johnson's bust
hess W DIS cutting LlIuDcI tOl tIS HILL
But you are rather young for all this
work, | suggested.
''I'm going on 16, eshe said, gravely.
Indeed, for the matter of that, she
might have been any age. Her face, on
which sunburn took the place of complex
ion, was already hard and set But on a
nearer view | was struck with the fact
that her eyes, which were not large, were
almost indistinguishable from the pres
ence of the most singular eyelashes I had
ever seen. Intensely black, intensely
thick, and even tangled in their profusion,
they bristled rather than fringed her eve
lids, obliterating everything but the shin
ing black pupils beneath, which were like
certain lustrous hairy mountain berries.
1t was this woodland suggestion that
seemed to uncannily connect her with the
locality. l went on playfully:
That's not very old-but tell me docs
your father, or did your father ever speak
of you as his old woman?'"
She nodded. Then you thought I was
Mar?" she said, smiling.
1t was such a relief to see her worn face
relax its expression of pathetic gravity
although this operation quite buried her
eyes in their black, thick-set hedge again
that continued cheerfully: at wasn't
much of a mistake, considering all you do
for the house and family"
Then you didn't tell Billy ito 60 and
be dead in the ground with mar as he
lows you did ?" she said, half suspicious
ly, yet trembling on the edge of a smile.
No, had not, but | admitted that my
asking him to go to his mother might
have been open to this dismal construc-
ton by a sensitive infant mind. She
seemed Modified, and again turned to go.
Good night, miss; you know your
father didn't tell me your real NAME" l
said.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22

sough. unplaned and implanted redwood
board. lightly shingled. The "lean-to"
gas evidently used as a kitchen. and the
entral cabin as living room. The bark
ng of a dog as I approached called four
.hildren of different sizes 10 the open
Door. where already an enterprising baby
vas feebly esssying TO crawl over bar of
sood laid across the threshold TO restrain
g.
as this Johnson's house?"
My remark Was really addressed TO the
eldest, boy apparently or 10, but felt
that my attention WAS unduly fascinated
~ the baby. who at that moment had
toppled over the bar and was calmly eve
arg me upside down, while silently and
aeroically suffoeatine in its petticoats.
The boy disappeared without replying. but
presently returned with taller girl of Il
~ Is was struck with the way tn at. as
The reached the door. she passed her hands
rapidly over the heads of the Others as If
counting them, picked up the baby, re-
rersed it. shook out its clothes and re-
surned il 20 the inside without even look
ng At IL. The act was evidently auto
matte and hshituai
/ repeated my question timidly.
Yes. it was Johnson's, but he had lust
gone TO Kings Mills. ! replied hurriedly
hat knew it--that had met him beyond
lhe canyon. AS had lost my way and
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22

couldn't get to Sonora tonight, he had been
good enough to say that might stay there
until morning. Ny voice was slightly
raised for the benefit of Mr.. Johnson's
cold woman" who, had no doubt, was
inspecting me furtively from some corner.
The girl drew the children away, except
the boy. To him she said simply, 'Show
the stranger whar to stake out his mule,
Dolphus," and disappeared in the ''exten-
sion" without another word / fol-
lowed my little guide, who was
perhaps more actively curious, but
equally unresponsive. To my various
questions he simply returned smile Of
exasperating vacuity. But he never took
his eager eyes from me. and 1 was satisfied
that not detail of my appearance escaped
him. Leading the way behind the house
to little wood, whose only clearing"
had been effected by decay or storm, he
stood silently apart while picketed Chu
Chu, neither offering to assist me nor
opposing any interruption TO my sur
vey of the locality. There was no
trace of human cultivation in the
surroundings of the cabin; the wilder
ness still trod sharply on the heels of
the pioneers fresh foot prints, and even
seemed to obiterate them. For a few
yards around the actual dwelling there
was an unsavory fringe of civilization in
the shape of cast-off clothes, empty bottles
and tin cans, and the adjacent thorn and
elder bushes blossomed unwhoIe somely
with bits of torn white paper and bleech-
ing dish cloths. This hideous circle never
widened; nature always appeared to roll
back the intruding debris; no bird nor
beast carried it away; no animal ever
forced the uncleanly barrier: civilization
remained grimly trenched in its own
exuvia. The old terrifying girdle of fire
around the hunters camp was not more
lettering to curious ferd ndturu than the
coarse and accidental outwork.
When | regained the cabin / found it
empty, the doors of the lean-to and extern
sion closed. but there was stool set be-
fore rude table, upon which smoked a
tin cup of coffee, tin dish of hot saleratus
biscuit and plate of fried beef. There
was something odd and depressing in this
silent exclusion of my presence. Had
Johnson's "old woman" from some dark
post of observation taken a dislike to my
appearance, or was this ehurlish with
drawal popularity of Sierran hospital
ity? Or was Mrs. Johnson young and
pretty, and hidden under the restrict
ing ban of Johnson's jealousy, or
was she deformed cripple, or even
a bed-ridden crone? From the ex-
tension at times came a murmur
of voices, but never the accents of adult
womanhood. The gathering darkness, re-
lieved only by a dull glow from the
smouldering logs in the adobe chimney,
added to my loneliness. In the circum-
stances knew / ought to have put aside
the repast and given myself up to
gloomy and pessirnistic reflection, but ma
ture is often inconsistent, and in that
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22

straight for the infrmary. The night
was now come cool, dark and starry. On
mat, hard by clear fire of wood
and cocoa shell, Temtak lay beside
his wife. Both were smiling; the
agony was over, the kings command had
reconclled q must spppose) their agitatlng
scruples, and l was hidden TO sit by them
and share the pipe. 1 was
little moved myself when I placed five
gold sovereigns in the wizards hand; bur
there was no sign of emotion in Temtak -
he returned them, pointed TO the palsce
and named Tembinok' 1t was a changed
scene when | had managed to explain.
Iemtak, long, dour Scots fisherman as ne
was, expressed his satisfaction within
bounds, but the wife beamed and thers
was an old gentleman present-her father
j suppose-who seemed nigh Translated
His eyes stood out of his head: "KaHpA
kaupotP rich-ran on his lips Lie
a refrain, and he could not meet my er
but what he gurgled into foolish laughs
L might now go home, leaving that ~
lit family party gloatIng over their ~
millions. and consider my strange ds
| had tried and rewarded the virtue
Temtak. | had played the millionain
and made a beast OF myself and in SOM
degree repaired my thoughtlessness. Ana
now | had my box, and could open it ana
look within. 1t contained a miniafun
STEPPING mat anu u Hnlte SMELL IdiAois3
Intercepted next day as to the sheIt
explained il was not exactly cheench, oM
cell or body, which he would at time
inhabit. Asked why there was sleeping
mat, he retorted, Indignantly: way
have you mats2" And this was the skep
teal Tamaitil But island skepticism
never deeper than the lips. -,
Thus all things on the island, even III
priests of the gods, obey the word OF lem
bInok'. He can give and take, and say
and allay the scruples OF the conscientous
and do all things (apparently) but ih1ss
fere in the cookery of turtle. = ~
power" is his favorite word; il interiaan' -
his conversation; the thought haunis Ia
and is ever fresh; and when he has ssA =
and meditates of foreign countries
looks up with a smile and reminds you
II got poiger." Nor is his delight o,y =
the possession. but in the exercise ne ~. -
ioices in the crooked and violent pasns
kingship, like a strong man 10 run =. ~
or like an artist in his art. 10 iesi, ~ ~
his power, 10 embellish his islano SUI 100
picture of the island life after pi -.
ideal. TO milk the island vigorously, ~ 100
tend his singular museum, these smp'e
delightfully."- the sum of his ao,li'i - ~ u
never saw man more potenuy - .
right trade. RoBEgr LOUIS Srkss
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22
THE AVERAGE MAN.

A realistic story
without any gueh or glory,
With no sentimental limelight
And no irework display,
Bout poor old ignoramus
Who was never rich nor famous,
And who couldn't ignite the river,
And who worked out by the day.
A very common feIler
Was this Ebenezer Weller,
With the usual share of virtues,
And with vices two or three;
He'd no fatal gift of beauty,
But an average sense OF duty,
Neither very good nor evil
Just about like you and me.
And he wed an average woman,
Very nice and very human,
Just about like Ebenezer.
Neither very good nor bad;
Oft in harmony they'd warble,
Often they would seold and squabbie,
But they loved each other deRrly,
And they couldn't continue mad.
Never had enough on Monday
To supply the house till Sunday,
Never made enough in April
To support themselves in May;
II they worked hard In November,
They must work hard In December,
And the coarse bread OF tomorrow
Was the hard work of today.
They worked on, grew gray and graysr,
Yet they never made him mayor,
And she plucked no social houors
And his wages still were small.
Then the load Of years grew weighty,
And they died when they were so,
And they put them in the graveyard,
And they left them there. That's all.
A realistic story
Without any gush or glory
Yet this fellow Eberezef
Represents the human clan;
His the average shares OF pleasure,
His the average lack OF leisure,
His the average Joy and sorrow
OF the common average man.
Samuel Waiter Foss.
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22

had worn q number of diverging gullies,
30 like the trail as to be undIstinguishable
from it. Unable to determine which was
the right one, threw the reins over the
mules neck and resolved to trust to that
superior animals sagacity. of which had
heard so much. But had not taken into
account the equally well-known weak
nesses of sex and species, and Chu Chu
had already shown uncomfortable signs of
wanting her own way. Without mo-
ment's hesitation. feeling the relaxed
bride, she laid down and rolled over.
In this perplexity the sound of horses
hoofs ringing out of the rocky canyon be-
yond was a relief, even if momentarily
embarrassing. An instant afterward a
horse and rider appeared cantering round
the hill ON what was evidently the lost
trail, and pulled up as 1 succeed in forcing
Chu Chu to her legs again.
SIS that the trail from Sonora?" I
asked.
eyes" but with critical glance at the
mule, Il reckon You amt going thar to-
nIght?"
"Why not2"
at is q matter of eighteen miles, and
most Of it blind trail through the woods
after you take the valley"
as it worse than this2"
'What is the matter with this trail? Ye
amt expecting a race course or shell
road over the foot hills, are ye?"
''No. Is there any hotel where I can
stop3"
Mary"
"Nor any housef"
mo"
THANK you. Good night"
He had already passed on, when he
halted again and turned in his saddle.
"Look yer. just a spell over yon canyon
ye'll find patch o. buckeyes: turn to the
tight and yen see trail. That'll take ys
10 shanty. You ask if its Johnson's."
who's Johnson2"
al am. You amt lookin' for Wander
silt or God Almighty up here, are your
Well, then you bark to me, will your
You say to my old woman to give you
upper and a shakedown somewhat to-
night. Say sent you. So long"
He was gone before l could accept or
Decline. An extraordinary noise pro-
seeded from Chu Chu, not unlike a
suppressed chuckle. l looked sharply
1t her; she coughed atfectedly, and,
With her head and neck stretched to their
greatest length, appeared to contemplate
der neat little off fore shoe with admiring
abstraction. But as soon rs had mounted
The set off abruptly, crossed the rocky
canyon, apparently sighted the patch Of
buckeyes of her own volition and without
.he slightest hesitation found the trail TO
Inc right, and in half an hour stood before
.he shanty.
1t was log cabin with an additional
"lean-to" of the same material, rooted
With bark, and on the other side a larger
md more ambitious extension" built of
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22

was growing DARK,
and the Sonora
trail was becom-
ing more in di s.
tinct before me at
every step. The
difficulty had in
creased over the
G r a s s y slope,
where the overflow
from some smaller
watorcoursa above
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22

De stars wur shinin' an bright wur de moon
De night dat We went to ketch de sly coon:
Loud barked de dogs, an de men swiftly ran,
DE coon he winks, '.iess git me eff you can"
Rough wur de latin an gay wur de fun,
De coon make for cover an dc crowd all run.
straight an mighty high de tall pine tree
" har de coon wur a-hidin', none could see.
sharp wur de ak dat cut de tree TO groun'.
Loud wur de crash il made s-faElin' down
De crseklin' fire made e awful nice SCUM
As II roared an cooked dat sly coon brown.
An sroun' dat FIRE we danced an we sung:
All sorrow away from our hearts we flung
You may work or play. YOU may sigh or grunt.
But dar am no fun like de ole coon hunt
Merlin g. Wtnstock
FOR hyaeinths. tulips and chrysanthemumz
go TO the Washington Floral Company Madison
street. near Lake Washington
Every body smoke the Wedding Rauous,
cigar. For sale by all dsslerS SHs'
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22
JOHNSON'S OLD WOMAN.
BIZ BRET HARTE.

Written for the PosT-INrELLIeEycER Copy.
rightsd, 1891, by Bret Harte.l
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22

Every BODY smoke the Wedding Bououes
cigar. For sale by ali dealers. S1s'
The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22

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The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22
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The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22

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The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22

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The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22
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The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-11-22

~.
peredp'
at was well you persisted in seeing her
that night" | said, watching the rapt ex-
preston of his face. He looked up
quickly, became conscious of my scrutiny,
and dropped his eyes again, smiled feebly,
and, drawing circle in the ashes with a
broken pipe stem, said:
But she didn't like it, though.
| suggested, little warmly. that If she
allowed her father to leave her alone at
night with delicate children she had no
right TO choose who should assist her in
an emergency. 1t struck me atterward
that this was not very complimentary to
HIM, and l added hastily that | wondered
If she expected some young lady TO be
passing along the trail at midnight! But
this reminded me of Johnson's style of
argument, and l stopped
Yes" he said, meekly, land eff she
didn't keer enough for herself and her
brothers and sisters, she orter remember
them Beazeley chillern."
"Beazeley children?" / repeated, won
derIngly.
Yes; them two little ones, the size of
Mirandy; they're BeaEeley's."
Who is Beazeley. and what are his
children doing here?'
'Beazeley NJ and died at the mill, and
she bedeylleG her father TO let her take his
two young 'uns here"
You don't mean TO say that with her
other work she's taking care of other peo-
pies children, tOo?"
Yes, and eddlcatin' them"
Educating them pr
Yes; teachin' them TO read and write
and do sums. One OF our loggers ketched
her at il when she was keepin' talIy."
We were both silent for some moments
II suppose you know Johnson?" /
said, finally,
Not much"
"But you call here at other times than
when you're helping herr"
Never bin in the house before
lie looked slowly around him Is he
Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-03-19
FATAL ACCIDENT.
Little Mary Leshen Instantly Killed on
the Street Railway.

bhp t9hiNNt HhitNtys
About 1920 yesterday afternoon Mary
Leshem, aged between and A years,
was instantly killed by being run over
by street car No. 1s.
Mary was the daughter of Patrick
Leshem, a pocket-book maker, living at
NO. IL East Front street. She had been
playing with some companions Of her
own age on the opposite side of the
street from her home and attempted to
cross in front of the car, which was be-
ing driven rapidly along Front street
toward Market.
The driver, seeing the child's danger,
made every effort TO avert the accident,
but before he succeeded in bringing his
horses to a standstill the heavy wheels
had crushed over her face with sicken-
ing thud. One piercing scream was
uttered by the little one. That was ALL
When she was tenderly lifted up every
witness to the terrible accident pro-
nounced life extinct.
Coroner Sparks was Immediately mott
fled and Mary's lifeless body was carried
into the house from which only short
time before she had run forth in happy
glee. The coroner responded and made
a superficial examination, pronouncing
the child dead.
In second story bed room of Mr..
Leshem's home the inanimate form had
been laid, and closely huddled around
the bed whereon it rested, were the
mother, her two small children and
sympathizing neighbors. The coroner,
followed by a GAZETTE repre-
sentative, at once entered the room, and
the scene was heartrending.
The only marks upon the child were
found to be gashes on either side Of the
mouth--long, huge cuts-of the cruel
wheels as they passed over the up
turned face. These Of themselves, how
ever, were not sufficient to cause instant
DEATH The peculiar manner in which
the head lay led the writer to suggest to
the coroner that the neck was broken,
and an examination proved this to be
true
In the meanwhile Mr.. Leshem had
been sent for, and as the coroner was
leaving the house he came bounding up
with breathless haste, inquiring "How
IS she?' and, upon being told She was
dead, he became overpowered with
grief, and added his share of sorrow to
the scene of woe.