davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12
LOST MAN. LANE.
Bv ANNA KATHARINE GREEN.

was my trunk, which had been neatly
placed in one corner.
II suppose you are not used to can
dles," she remarked, lighting what
struck me as very short end from the
one she held in her hand.
"My DEAR" said I, II can accommo-
date myself to much that am not used
to. have very few old maids ways or
notions. You shall see that am far
from being a difficult guest.
She heaved sigh, and then, seeing
my eye travelling slowly over the gray
discolored walls, which were not reliev-
ed by so much as solitary print, she
pointed to bell rope near the head of
the bed and considerably remarked:
eff you wish anything in the night
or are disturbed in any way, pull that
It communicates with my room. and l
will be only too glad to come to you.
Iglanced up at the rope, ran my eye
along the wire communicating with it
and saw that it was broken sheer off be.
fore it even entered into the wall.
II am afraid you will not hear me, !"
I answered, pointing to the break.
She flushed deep scarlet, and for a
moment looked as embarrassed as ever
her sister had done.
Il did not know" she murmured
1.-The house is so old, everything is
more or less out of repair" And she
made haste to quit the room.
1 stepped after her in grim determi'
nation.
"But there is no key to the door," l
objected.
She came back with look that was
as nearly desperate as her placid fea-
lures were capable of.
II know" she said, II know. We
have nothing. But if you are not afraid
and OF what could you be afraid in this
house, under our protection and with a
good dog outside?-you will bear with
things tonight, and Good God, she
murmured, but not so low but that my
excited sense caught every syllable,
"can she have heard? Has the reputa-
tion Of this place gone abroad! Miss
Butterworth, she repeated earnestly,
"the house contains no cause of terror
for you. Nothing threatens our guest.
nor need you have the least concern for
yourself or us, whether the night pass
es in quiet or whether it is broken by
unaccountable sounds. They will have
no reference to ANYTHING in which you
are interested"
"Ah, ha," thought l, won't theyl
You give me credit for much indiffer-
ence, my dear" But I said nothing be-
yohd a few soothing phrases, which !
made purposely short, seeing that every
moment l kept her there was just so
much torture. Then went back to my
room and carefully closed the door. My
first night in this dismal and strangely
ordered house had opened anything but
propitiously
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12
at my disposal Of keeping a light all

at my disposal Of keeping a light all
night
So far, so good. l had light, but
had anything else in case that William
Knollys-but here Miss Knollys' look
and reassuring words recurred to me.
"Whatever you may hear-if you hear
anything-will have no reference to
yourself and need not disturb you" l
was in no danger myself, but others.
Why did think there might be others
to whom that reinsurance would not
quite apply?
Not knowing how to answer these
thoughts and fully conscious that sleep
would not visit me at once under exist
ing circumstances, / finally made up
my mind that l would not attempt to
lie down till my mind had become bet
ter satisfied that sleep on my part would
be desirable. So after making the vari-
GUS little arrangements already alluded
to drew over my shoulders comfort
able shawl and set myself to listen for
what l feared would be more than one
dreary hour Of this not to be envied
night.
And here just let me stop to mention
that, carefully considered as all my pre-
cautions were, l had forgotten one thing
upon leaving home that at this minute
made me very nearly miserable. 1 had
not included among my effects the alco-
holic lamp and all the other private and
particular conveniences which l have
for making tea in my own apartment.
Had had them with me and had l but
been able to make and sip a cup of my
own delicious tea through the ordeal OF
listening for whatever sounds might
come to disturb the midnight stiffness
of this house. what relief it would have
been to my spirits and in what a differ
ent light might have regarded Mr.
Gryce and the errand into which his
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12

senses and found that I had been in
terfered with. I really wanted to die.
In my spasm before 1 was conscious I
had bitten my tongue and lacerated it,
and that was the only pain I had on
coming back to 'life-no pain in my
chest, none in my throat, none any
where. I felt the same as ever-only
very nervous, Of course, partly from
having been drinking so much and
partly from the shock, I suppose.
~ was sorry at first that I hadn't
been allowed to die. But I came out
here to the infirmary and had my
tongue attended to, and since 1 have
been here I have been cured of the
liquor habit, and-well, I don't think
I'll try to kill myself again. I'll try
to see what I can make of new life"
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12
PAID FOR DOING NOTHING.
Louisville Artisan Receives $4,000 A Annu-
ally to Keep a Secret.

Louisville Artisan Receives $4,000 Annu-
ally to Keep a Secret.
A special dispatch from Louisville,
KY, to The Globe e-Democrat says: An
almost unprecedented situation in the
industrial world has come to light in
this city, where an humble artisan, the
son of blacksmith, is paid yearly
salary nearly equivalent to that of the
president of mandatory, and is re-
quired to do no work of any kind, but
simply to keep to himself an invalua-
BILE and practically unknown formula
used in the preparation of enameling,
which he inherited as the only bequest
of his father, who worked it out by 80
years of labor. By contract which
went into effect last Saturday Aloysius
Massman, skilled enameler, is paid
$1,000 a year for the next five years by
six of the largest manufactures in
America, only one of whom is to OBJ
tain the formula, and the others are
cheerfully paying to prevent the secret
from being published abroad.
The story of the invention and the
steps which have been taken to keep it
quiet are as strange as the tales of al
chemy and the philosophers stone.
In 1853 Louis Massman, an artisan, of
Cincinnati, partially discovered for
mula for the preparation of enamel.
For 80 years he labored to perfect it,
but was not successful until 1898,
shortly after which he died, without
obtaining any fruits of his discovery.
He left the secret to his son, and he
communicated his knowledge to the
firm of Aherns & OFT, of this city, who
paid him $4,000 for the temporary use
of it, and employed it in their works.
Recently he has received repeated Of
fers from eastern capitalists to sell bis
secret, and the Louisville firm, in con-
junction with the firms of Dawes &
Myler, of New Brighton, Pa. L. Wolf
Manufacturing company, Cribben q
Sexton, of Chicago, and Jacob Voll-
rath, of Cheboygan, Wis, signed a
contract with Massman, agreeing to
pay him $4,000 year for five years,
provided that he will never reveal his
formula to any other firm, and that he
will not work in the enameling busi-
ness for any firm.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12
CHAPTER VII
THE FIRST NIGHT.

spoke with a due regard to truth
when l told Miss Knollys that l enter
tained no fears at the prospect of sleep
ing apart from the rest of the family
am woman of courage-or so have
always believed-and at home occupy
my second floor alone without the least
apprehension. But there.is a difference
in these two abiding places, as l think
you are ready by this time TO acknowl-
edge, and, though felt little of what
is called fear, certainly did not expert
ence my usual satisfaction in the MI
mute preparations with which am &C.
customed to make myself comfortable
for the night There was gloom both
within and without the four bare walls
between which now found myself shut
which | would have been something
less than human not to feel, and though
| had no dread Of being overcome by it
l was glad to add something to the
cheer of the spot by opening my trunk
and taking out few of those little mat
ters of personal equipment without
which the brightest room looks barren
and den like this too desolate for
habitation.
Then / took a good look about me to
see how l could obtain for myself some
sense of security for the night, without
which it would be impossible to get
even a modicum of rest. The bed was
light and could be pulled in front of the
door This was something. The win
dows-but there was but one, and that
was heavily draped with some thick,
dark stuff. very funereal in its appear
ance. Going to it, pulled aside the
heavy folds and looked out. A mass of
heavy foliage at once met my eyes OBJ
structing the view of the sky and add
ing much to the lonesomeness of the
situation. l let the curtain fall again
and sat down in chair to think.
The shortness of the candle end with
which I had been provided had struck
me as significant, so significant that l
had not allowed it to burn long after
Miss Knollys had left me. If these girls,
charming, no doubt, but sly, had
thought to shorten my watch by short
ening my candle would give them no
cause to think but that their ruse had
been successful. The foresight which
causes me to add winter wrap to my
stock of clothing even when the wealth
er is at the hottest leads me to place
half dozen or so of candles i'll my trunk,
and so 1 had only to open little oblong
box in my upper tray to have the means
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12

suspicious had driven me- But l not
only lacked this element Of comfort, but
the satisfaction of thinking that it was
any ones fault but my own. Leila had
laid her hand on that teapot, but l had
shaken my head, fearing that the sight
of it might offend the eyes of my young
hostesses. But l had not calculated in
being put in a remote corner like this
of house large enough to accommodate
a dozen families, and if ever travel
again
But this is a matter personal to Anne
liza Butterworth, you say, and Of no in
terest to us And you are right. I will
not infict my little foibles upon you
again.
Eleven O'Clock came and went. l had
heard no sound. Twelve, and began
to think that all was not quite so still
as before; that l certainly could hear
now and then faint noises as of a door
creaking on it's hinges, or the smothered
sound of stealthily moving feet. Yet all
was so far from being distinct that for
some time l hesitated to acknowledge
to myself that something was going on
in the house which was not to be looked
for in home protesting to be simply
the abode of a decent young man and
two very quiet appearing young ladies'
and even after the noises and whisper
ing had increased to such an extent that
I could even distinguish the sullen tones
of the brother from the softer and more
carefully modulated accents of Lucetta
and her sister, found myself ready to
explain the matter by any conjecture
short of that which involved these deli
cate young ladies in any scheme Of Sc
cret wickedness.
But when found there was likely to
be no diminution in the various noises
and movement that was taking place in
the front Of the house and that only
something much out of the ordinary
could account for all this stir so long
after midnight in country house 1 de-
cided that only person insensible to
all sight and sound could be expected to
remain asleep under such circumstances
and that would seem perfectly justi-
fed in the eyes of these young people
themselves for opening my door and
taking peep down the corridor. So
without further ado drew my bed aside
and glanced out.
All was perfectly dark and silent in
the great house. The only light visible
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12
WHO FOUND CERVERA2
TO BE CONTINUED.

A prominent New York journal
propounds this question:
"Did John Bull give the United
States the first intimation Of Cervera's
presence in Santiago harbor ?"
According to the same authority,
neither Schley nor Sampson are en-
titled to this distinction. Mr.. ]. F.
Whitney, the head of wealthy ship
ping firm of New York, states that at
the outbreak of hostilities between
this government and Spain, his con-
Germ FASTENED to place their numerous
vessels under the protection of the
British government by flying the union
jack, past experience having proven to
their complete satisfaction that that
government resented indignities to its
ensign more promptly and effectively
than any other nation in the world.
The masters of these same vessels,
which penetrate into every port of i'm
portant in the West Indies, had rare
opportunities for observation and for
acquiring information confined by
rights to the charmed circles of the
diplomatic corps. Mr.. Whitney as
serts on information from one of his
employees, that the late F. w. Rams
den, the British counsel at Santiago,
Immediately on the arrival of the
Cervera squadron at that city, cabled
the news to London. The fact of the
arrival was communicated to the am
bassador at Washington, and that in
dividual straightway paid visit to
the president. He did not commit
himself directly, Mr.. Whitney says,
but in the course of conversation, let
drop the significant remark: $50
Cervera is at Santiago" In Difference
to diplomatic usage no questions were
asked him, and in fact the government
CLEANED all it needed from his terse
hint. The presumption is that on the
strength of this Information, new Or
ders were issued to Schley and Samp'
son and the net spread which finally
entangled the Spanish admiral. 1t
may be that as time progresses we
will discover yet heavier obligations
than this to the friendship of Great
Britain.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12

head was and, more and more concerned,
loaded her down with such assurances Of
appreciation as came to my lips and sent
her back to her own room with the ad-
vice that she would trouble herself no
more about fixing up any other room
for me; that l had emptied my trunk
out here and did not propose to move
again for the few days intended to re-
main with them. "Only," said I, as
her whole face showed relief, 1--WE will
20 to the locksmith tomorrow and get a
key, and you shall see that after tonight
T have a cup of tea brought to my room
Just before / retire. am no good with
out my cup of tea, my dear. What
keeps other people awake makes me
sleep"
"Oh, you shall have thatl" she cried,
with an eagerness that was almost un-
natural, and then slipping from my
grasp she uttered another hasty apology
for having reused me from my sleep
and ran hastily back.
stretched out my arm for the candle
guttering in my room and held 1t up to
light her. She seemed to shrink at sight
of its rays ard the last vision had Of
her speeding figure showed me that
same look of dread on her pallid fea-
lures which had aroused my interest In
our first interview.
"She may have explained why the
three of them are up this time of night, I"
I muttered, "but she has not explained
why her every conversation is seasoned
by an expression Of fear"
And, brooding over this I went back
to my room and, pushing the bed again
against the door, lay down upon it and
out of sheer chagrin, I think, fell fast
asleep.
mn m ooHrrIrrrn
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12
HOW 1T FEELS TO HANG.
Told by Man Who Tried to Kill Himself
and Found 1t Very Pleasant.

Told by Man Who Tried to XIII Himself
and Found 1t Very Pleasant.
How it feels TO be hanged has been
described by men who have been saved
from death by the moose by COVER
nor's reprieve or other timely interfer-
ence, but we have never been informed
how it feels to hang yourself: A man
who tried to hang himself, and who
was cut down just in the niche of time,
now tells us that the sensation was not
altogether unpleasant. The man who
hanged himself and survived to tell
the tale is John Miller, an Oakland,
CAL, painter and decorator, who deci-
ded that life wasn't worth living.
Climbing a ladder, he fastened one
end of rope around his neck. Fas-
,ening the knot, and shouting, "Here
goes Well see what's in the next
country !" he gave the ladder a kick
and leaped, as he supposed, into eter'
nifty. Speaking of his sensations, he
said
"To die by hanging is the easiest
death in the world. You feel moth
ing-just nothing. From the instant l
jumped I had no feeling-absolutely
no sensation of any kind-no pain, no
consciousness, no memory.
"They tell me hung there five min
utes, and that in a few minutes would
have been dead, so I must have gone
through all the sensations of dying by
hanging. All 1 have to say about it is
that, from my experience, hanging is
the easiest death in the world. 1t is
nothing-just nothing. You are alive !;
you make one jump, and all is over.
"No easier death could be given a
criminal, and as for people who want
to kill themselves, don't see what
they want to use carbolic acid or
knives or pistols for when hanging is
so easy.
"The coming back to life was the
only unpleasant part of the experience.
1 was disappointed when I came to my
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12
A TRAVELLING POSTOFFICE.
Mail Wagon to Collect and Deliver Letters
on q Thirty Mile Route.

Mail wagon 70 COllecC anu DcHVer AettoFs
on Thirty Mile Route.
The postofice department has deci-
ded TO make a new experiment in the
rural free delivery system, which is, in
effect, the establishment of a travelling
postoffice. Sometime ago resident
of Westminster, Nd, wrote to the
department offering to build such
osloffice, to be drawn by two horses,
and to establish system between
Westminster and the surrounding vii
lagos, covering distance of 80 miles,
for sl,375 a year. The plan was ac-
cepted Wednesday of last week.
The wagon will be similar to the
postoffice wagons in use in the cities.
The postman will start from Westmin-
ister in the morning and visit number
of small towns in the vicinity collect
ing and delivering mail en- route. Any
farmer living within two miles of the
road along which the wagon passes
will be allowed to place letter box at
the roadside, in which his mail can be
deposited by the carrier, and from
which the carrier will take the out 60
ing mail.
At several small places where there
is no postoffice number of boxes will
be put up, which will practically form
an automatic postoffce. The inventor
of the scheme will act as postmaster,
and will sell stamps, money orders,
etc., stamp letters and assort them for
the mails. While driving out in the
morning he will assort the mail for
delivery, and when returning he will
prepare it to be placed on the train.
He expects to barely make expenses,
but the government will pay him a
royalty on all similar wagons should
the scheme be put in general opera
ton. 1t is believed that by this meth
cd much more work can be done than
by a single carrier.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12

succeed IN. however Giving q glance
at her dress, which was the same she
had worn at the supper table. l laugh
ingly said:
"Isn't that a question should rather
ask you? 1t is 2 o'clock by my watch,
and you, for all your very evident deli
cacy and fatigue, are still up. What
does it mean, my dear? Have I put you
out so completely by my coming that
none of you can sleep?"
Her eyes, which had fallen before
mine, quickly looked up
IL am sorry" she began, flushing
and trying to take a peep into my room,
possibly to see if 1 had been to bed my
self 1--WE did not mean to disturb
you, but-but- Oh, Miss Butterworth,
pray excuse our makeshifts and our
poverty We wished to fix up another
room for you and were ashamed to have
you see how little we had to do it with,
so we were moving some things out of
our own room tonight, and"-
Here her voice broke, and she burst
into an almost uncomfortable flood of
tears
Don't, she murmured, don't, {"
as, quite thoroughly ashamed, l began
to utter some excuses. 81 shall be all
right in a moment. am used to hu-
miliations. Only" and her whole body
seemed to join in the plea, it trem-
bled so, "do not, l pray, speak quite so
loud. My brother is more sensitive than
even Loreen and myself about these
things, and if he should hear
Here a suppressed oath from way
down the hall assured me that he did
hear, but I gave no sign of my recogni-
tion of this fact, and Lucetta added
quickly: "He would not forgive us for
our carelessness in waking you. He is
rough sometimes, but so good at heart,
so good"
This, with the other small matter l
had Just mentioned, caused in me a
slight reaction. He good? 1 did not be-
lieve it. Yet her eyes showed no waver-
ing when | looked ut her fixedly, and
feeling that l had perhaps been doing
injustice to them all and that all I had
seen which was odd and difficult to ex-
plain in their conduct was, as she evil
IDENTIFY meant to intimate, due to their
efforts to make sudden guest COM
Portable amid their poverty, l put the
best face could on the matter and gave
the poor, pitiful, pleading face kiss.
/ was startled to feel how cold her fore
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12

came from the candle burning IN the
room behind me, and as for sound it
was almost too still-it was the still
ness Of intent rather than that Of natural
repose.
This was so unexpected that for an
instant l stood baffled and wondering.
Then my nose went up, and laughed
quietly to myself. l could see nothing
and I could hear nothing, but Amelia
Butterworth, like most Of her kind,
boasts of more than two senses, and hap
PLY there was something to smell. A
quickly blown out candle leaves wit
ness behind it to sensitive nostrils like
mine, and this witness assured me that
the darkness was deceptive. Some one
had just passed the head of my corridor
with light, and because the light was
extinguished it did not follow that the
person who had held it was far away
Indeed, thought that now I heard a
palpitating breath.
"Humph, 1 cried out loud, but as if
in unconscious communion with myself,
cit is not often / have so vivid dream.
was sure that heard steps in the hall
I'm afraid I'm growing nervous.
Nothing moved. No one answered
me.
miss Knollysl'' l called firmly
No reply
"Lucetta, dear!''
thought this appeal would 60 unan-
jswered also. but when l raised my
voice for the third time sudden rush
ing sound took place down the corridor,
and Lucetta S excited figure, fully dress
ed, appeared in the faint circle of light
caused by my now rapidly waning can
die.
miss Butterworth, what is the mat
ter?" she asked, making as if she would
draw me into my room, proceeding
which | took good care she should not
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-11-12

EXPECTED Too MUCH.-A drill SER
geant was unpopular among his men.
They found him too particular. One
day he had on hand party of recruits
whom he was putting through the fu-
neral exercise.
Opening the ranks so as to admit the
passage of the supposed funeral cortege
among them, the instructor, by way OF
practical explanation, walked slowly
down the lane formed by the ranks,
saying, as he did so:
"Now, I'm the corpse. Pay atten-
tion !"
Having reached the end of the line
turned, regarded the men with a scrut-
inizing eye for minute, and then re-
marked.
"Your lands is right, and your 'eads
is right, but you 'aven't got that look
of regret you ought to ave-"