davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The herald., 1898-11-27

Snakes are one of the scourges Of InA
dia. Thousands of people die yearly
from their bite. In the last % years
the number of deaths attributed to this
cause has reached the enormous total
of 433, ,2S9. Snakes appear to be much
more deadly enemy of man than wild
animals In the same period wild ami
mails have only killed 64,2S4 persons.
On an average in India 10000 people
perish yearly by snakes and wild ami
mails. The number of deaths in recent
years has shown marked increase.
In 1875 the number was 21,266, in 1896
it had risen to 24,335. Bengal is the
most dangerous province to live in,
for the Bengalese snakes are respon-
sible for half the deaths from snake
bite The loss of cattle has also been
very great. Since 1875 about 100000
animals have been destroyed. Wild
animals are responsible for nine
tenths of the cattle killed. In 1896, for
instance, 7,143 animals died from
snakebite, but S1,397 were killed by
x,,ild haa atS
The herald., 1898-11-27

the lawyer. 81 made a most careful
Search
The old maid drew back behind the
lawyer Her sister saw her face turn
white and rigid, and for a moment she
reeled, and then she bent forward and
stared at the widow steadily, as if de-
string to fathom her secret soul
Whats the matter?" asked Mrs.
Wittekind, in a startled tone.
Tabitha caught her arm, swung to it
tremblingly and recovered herself sud
denly. Hush, don't let on; I'll tell you
when I git home. Oh, my Lord, I un-
derstand it all now."
Understand what?" asked Ike turn
ing to her.
"Ill tell you when we git home
said Tabitha.
I'VE might as we'll go on now; we
hain't doin' no good heer." said Mrs
Wittekind. gazing uneasily into the
wrinkled face of her sister
Ike, like his wife. was a Christian
but his religious fervor had not res
cued him from the love of gossip, and
so the walk back home had never
seemed so long as it did on this occa-
sion. The trio had scarcely arrived at
tilt Illtlt polt tll III IIoIl VI IHt plain
unpainted building which was at once
Ike's store and residence when he
said:
What on earth did you mean, any
way, Tab?'
open the door" replied Tabitha
lets not stand heer, somebody will be
shore to stop"
The look of expectancy on Ike's
,,t,r ,r..y11 Vic. 4
mysterious quality in the tone and
manner of his sister-in-law His fin
gers trembled as he put the key into
the lock. The door swung open and the
little family mutely walked through
the store into the living rooms in the
rear.
"Now' said Ike, breathlessly. IT
reckon yore satisfied; go on with yore
rat-killin'."
Tabitha took off her split bonnet, and
gave her scant hair a nervous twist
before she thrust it back into the knot
from which it had fallen.
Sister" she said, "ef you don't want
to heer Lizzie Menefee talked about
you kin mind the store; I tell Ike"
But Mrs. Wittekind had seated her.
self, painting from the exertion of the
walk.
"Ill be heer to defend the pore wo-
man eff she is in need Of it," she re-
turned.
LET Tabitha talk" urged Ike. You
know, when you git down to rock-bot-
tom facts, Liz haint never toated fair
with 'er. She begun by layin' snares
for Joe the minute she got heer and
heerd him an Tab was about to mar
ry. Thar's no tellin' what she told
i'm. l know one thing, an that is that
The herald., 1898-11-27
PART 7.

The shadow of the tall poplar crept
sluggishly in the door of the church;
it touched the coatless backs and the
Drowned and wrinkled necks of the
row oe men on the last bench, and as
the sun sank lower, it pursued its slow
journey up the single aisle to its afiin-
ity-the dead man in the coffin before
the pulpit.
Lizzie Menefee, all alone, occupied
the seat of distinction-the first bench.
She kept her face we'll covered by her
handkerchief, and now and then
pressed portions of it into her eyes.
She wore a black cotton gown which
bore evidence of having been hastily
and nervously constructed; n close OBJ
server might have noticed the white
basting thread appearing and disap-
pearing in the hem.
Tabitha Bogsworth. who, with her
sister, Mrs. Ida Wittekind, sat imme-
diately behind the widow, was suffi-
GENTLY observant to be a good gath
erer of details.
"She haint sheddin' a single real
tear" she whispered to her sister.
Mrs. Wittekind shrugged her fat
shoulders impatiently.
1T amt beholden in us to Judge her
grief" she said, in a tone OF mild re-
proof; I've heerd tell that some folks
takes sorrow jest that away-dry- eyed
an famished-like. She certainly has
lost good husband
Tabitha's face took on a frown, and
she cenched her bony hands.
"Yore jest too all-powerful good to
see when body is downright mean,"
she whispered, her eyes flashing. Il
believe as I'm alive that eff you went
to the bad place you'd think all the in
mates was re-nough angels. Watch
The herald., 1898-11-27
why. MIR. Bates, He Never Did Make It"

Don't talk that way" exclaimed
the widow, drawing herself up. and yet
triumphant light had flared up in
her despairful eyes, and she sat eager
ly waiting for him to continue.
Yes, l am your slave as much as I
was then. When 1 heard Hal and his
sister talking over the evidence against
you 1 determined to fight for you in
crime as we'll as l would have done in
right l told them the chances We're
slim for them, but that l would look
into it. l shall testify nothing from
my own knowledge. You are free.
They will drop the matter when they
hear from me. This would be a proof
of constancy to some women. They
would have paid me a fee of five thou
sand dollars for winning the case. and
l could do it easily, but / give you my
services.
"You are too good" said the woman
in tone revealing more triumph than
gratitude, land you shall not lose by
it. 1 promise you that. l have never
treated you fairly, but you will see."
She had risen and now stood near the
door. To his eyes she was more beau
tful and powerful than she had ever
been. II thought perhaps you might
peoples mouths-they are talking too
much. Every day they rake up some
new report about me-"
you are amply able to take care Of
yourself in a social way" he said.
you are on the right track. Your do
nation to the parsonage gagged
dozen loud takers. Taking the new
preacher to board has helped. He
speaks enthusiastically in your favor
everywhere he goes, and l can note
the impress of your thought-your
have written the one against gossip
and back-biting."
The widow laughed in unbridled
merriment.
II suggested every thought in it,
II thought as much" he returned.
And when she had gone, he closed the
door after her as reverently as a lover
in his teens. Then he seated himself at
his desk, and took out some old let
ters and a photograph of a girl and
fell in a brown study over them.
'If Menefee had seen these" he
chuckled, "he would have been a more
jealous man than he was. 1 am sure
it was his money she was after, poor
girl, that tempted her. She must have
felt what she wrote in these letters. 1
shall never forget when she sent me
the flowers; she married the next
night"
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
COPYRIGHT. 1893. BY THE INTERNATIONAL LIT.
ERAkY AND NEWS SEkVICED
The herald., 1898-11-27

churchyard, Ike Wittekind and his
wife and sister-in-law found them
selves in the edge of the crowd which
had assembled round the new grave.
What on earth was the matter with
you-uns inside the meetin' -house?" he
asked. II thought you never was ago
in to let up
"Tabithas all out O. sorts fur some
reason or MOTHER" answered his wife,
in a guarded tone, not intended for her
sisters ears. "She's been actin pow
erful' quar- ever since Joe tuck down.
Il lowed she had laid aside that old
gredge," said Ike refiectively, but l
reckon st. Paul was right when he
lowed
For the love of mercy, don't talk
Scriptur'," broke in Mrs. Wittekind.
Tab has had a heap more to put up
with than we have knowed about. |
begin to git my eyes opened since Joe
died. but she shan't be unfair to his
widow eff / kin hep it,
At this juncture Jason Bates, the
village lawyer. a middle-aged man.
dark of complexion. strongfaced and
full-bearded. paused at Ike's side; Il
strange look lay on his countenance as
he fixed the widow with his piercing
eyes.
Purity sad calamity" remarked Ike,
tentatively.
The lawyer nodded without remov
ing his eyes from their target, but he
said nothing.
Seems to me-" added Ike, that I
heerd Joe had left q will leaving his
sister an brother half of his estate
"All idle report" said Bates. Il went
through his private papers this morn
in an found he hadn't made will
Never made no will?' broke in
Tabitha, leaning forward. He must
a-done it,"
But he didn't, Miss Tab smiled
The herald., 1898-11-27
"She Has Rope Tied to Every Nickel She's Cot"

'It'll never die out as long as the
woman lives" remarked Ike.
It's the woman's awful cheek that
can't stand" said Hettie, raising her
voice and aiming it at Tabitha's pro-
file. "She set out as a gal, to git the
best that was a-goin' ef she busted the
world in the attempt. She tuck Meme
fee fur his money, and killed i'm with
neglect, an now, notwithstanding pore
Miz Underhil needed the little she got
out o Mr. Murray's board, she wheed-
led him into stayin' at her house."
Tabitha put her face out Of the little
The herald., 1898-11-27
Never Made No Will" Broke in Tabitha.

the wretch now; she's beginnin' to
sniffle. Jest becase Mr.. Murray has
tuck his place in the pulpit. Mark my
words, the minute he begins to preach
she'll take on more an more, an eff he
makes the least mention of the widow
or pore Joe, she'll yell tell you can't
heer what he's got to say. She jest
wants to attract the sympathy of the
new preacher-that's her aim. Eff she's
so sorry Joe's dead, why didn't she
nuss i'm better when he was dyn'?"
For the love of mercy, hush" cried
Mrs. Wittekind. EFF you don't mind.
people will think you still hold spite
agin er for cuttin you out o. Meme
fee. Eff l was in yore place I'd not let
'em stir up a thing that was buried
twenty yeer back"
81 don't keer what they say" dog
gedly replied the old maid. Sister
Ida, you know what that woman has
done to me; do you reckon | kin sit by
calmly an see Err
The words We're interrupted by the
approach of Ike Wittekind. He
slouched up the aisle in his shirt
sleeves and sat down by his Wife He
had closed his store out of respect for
his dead neighbor, but he had kept it
open to the last minute before the SER
vices commenced, and he intended to
open 1t again Immediately after the
burial.
The young minister, who was hardly
more than boy and who had arrived
only that week to take charge of the
parish, aWkWardly began his discourse
on the brevity and responsibility of
life. 1t was plain to his hearers that
it was no easy task to preach the fun -
eral sermon over the body of a man
whom he had not known. There was
nothing at all pertinent to the person
ality of the dead man in his general
remarks, but Tabitha nudged her sis
ter and whispered:
Thar. now: what did I tell you?"
and the would-be prayerful Mrs Wit
tekind was compelled to nota that the
widow, true to Tabithan prophesy, was
beginning to mop her eyes and utter
a low sound not unlike the sobbing of
a child.
Mrs. Wittekind half turned her back
on her sister II wish" she said. 4
wish you would tend to yore own busi-
ness, an let the pore critter alone
You always was a perfect fool about
Joe Menefee."
Il don't keer eff I have been" retort-
ed the critic, and she drew herself up
and angrily bit her lip as she wit
messed the contest between the Weep
ing of the widow and the turgid elo-
quence of the young preacher
When the services were concluded
and Mrs. Menefee, leaning heavily on
the arm of the young minister. had
followed the coffin and the pall-bear-
ers out to the open grave in the
The herald., 1898-11-27

he looked up his Drowned face was be-
reft Of any reflection that the light Of
conscience might have thrown upon It.
He moved his chair nearer to hers and
laid his hand on her umbrella.
"Lizzie," he said, "a long time ago,
when you first dazzled this place by
coming to it suddenly, l fell in love
with you. loved you so passionately
that would have died for you: you
understood the depths of my love, but
you refused me--you threw me over
for Menefee because he was rich. 1t
might have been otherwise IL 1 had
been as well Off as he, but was poor.
not able to own even the law books I
was reading. Your marriage made me
so desperate that 1 became reckless
unprincipled. l have made money. I
am richer than Menefee ever was, but
l don't value 1t. 1 have never cared
for anything since"
The herald., 1898-11-27

ray into marryin' her. He's got
brains enough to become a big preach
er, but eff he gifts a mill-rock like that
hussy tied round his neck he'll never
rise-you may bet yore bottom dollar
on that
Mrs. Wittekind seemed somewhat
taken aback, but she shrugged her fat
shoulders incredulously as she turned
away.
you've jest said Lizzie hain't no
fool" she remarked, with half
smile, IAN she'd be a idiot to marry
boy like that. 1 tell you, nobody is as
The herald., 1898-11-27
Train Wrecking in England.

The whole of Great Britain has been
startled by an epidemic of railroad
outrages. On the Northwestern and
Midland Railroad, in the neighborhood
of Northampton, there have been sew
eral most determined efforts to wreck
passenger trains. Formidable obstruc-
tions were constructed across the
track, and one express train had
most narrow escape from disaster. 1t
plowed through a veritable barricade.
but did not leave the rails. The most
alarming feature of the outrages Is the
fact that the police have not been able
to obtain the slightest clew to the per-
petrators, though a hundred detectives
have been securing the district. Con-
sequently panic prevails. One theory
is that the crimes are the work Of a
band of train wreckers, looking for
plunder and emulating the far west
hold-ups. =
The herald., 1898-11-27
black as they are painted"

black as they are painted"
"We'll see," said Hettie, through the
lattice to Tabitha. You have set me
to thinkin' all sorts O. things. Who
knows but the reason she Is so dead
set on gittin' up the parsonage money
she may intend to live thar an lord 1t
over us all in good fashion? Well.
tell you one thing for certain, I'd never
go to heer i'm preach agin eff he did
low hisse'f to be roped in by that wo-
man. / believe in the bottom of my
heart she destroyed that will, AN I'd
give ten yeers O. my life to prove it."
The next morning Mrs. Menefec went
to the office of Jason Bates. 1t was
in little building adjoining the livery
stable in the central part Of the ham,
let.
II have something to say" she said,
surveying the room with her sharp
brown eyes. Can any one hear us?''
The herald., 1898-11-27
Snakes in India.

COPYRIGHT, 1903. BY THE INTERNATIONAL. IL
ERAKY AND NEWS SERVICE)
The Worcester spy., 1898-10-01

troops to a line which I might indicate,
but at the same time asking certain
favors for himself The matters in this
connection had not been settled at the
date of my departure. Doubtless mucn
dissatisfaction tis felt by the rank ana
file of the insurgents that they have not
been permitted to enjoy the occupancy
of Menila, and there is some ground Tor
trouble with them owing to that fact
but notwithstanding many rumors to
the contrary | am of the opinion that
the leaders will be able to prevent seri-
Gus disturbances, as they are sufficient
Ily Intelligent and educated to know that
to antagonize the United States would
be to destroy their only chance or
future political improvement.
II may add that great changes for the
better have taken place in Manila since
the occupancy OF the city by the Amer
lean troops The streets have been
cleaned under the management Of Gen.
MacArthur, and the police, under Col.
Reeve, 18th Minnesota, were most pro-
ficient In preserving order. A stranger
to the city might easily imagine that
the American forces had been In con-
troll for months rather than days"
In concluding his report, Gen. Mer-
ritt declares his Indebtedness for the
success Of the expedition to the brigade,
and division commanders, the members
Of his staff and his personal aides. He
commends especially Brig. Gen. r. p.
Hughes, Brig. Gen. Babcock, Maj. Nc
Clure Maj. Whipple and Capt. Mott for
valuable services rendered.
The Worcester spy., 1898-10-01
RuckLEN.s AkNICA sALvE.

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corns and all skin eruptions. and posit-
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per box. For sale by Bush & Co.. drug
giatA
The Worcester spy., 1898-10-01
RUPTURE

CAN BE HELD AND CURED without
the cruel truss or knife by DIR. !. FAR
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over 30 years experience. The treatment
Is new, up-to-date method. The doctor
EpE elsP nan6s anS HYpRcFIE rSf1fa IIss oi VAAioo
BRANCH OFFICE in the LINCOLN
HOUSE, Worcester. EVERY THURS
DAY. from 10 a. M to p. m. No charge
for an interview.
The Worcester spy., 1898-10-01

The war" she said refectively,
brought about, or at least hurried, a
great many marriages"
True" he replied. but why dwell
on the horrors OF war 7"--Chtcago Post.
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-06-25
TROUBLESOME DAY.
PUZZLES OFFERED BY CROOK
DATE LINE.
The war Causes us to Wish to Know More
Abont Time In Other Parts of the World
Than Before and we Have Considerable
Tronble In Re ckoning Time.

It is the custom when two countries are
at war for the other fighting nations,
temporarily at peace, to send representa-
tises to go through the campaign. These
foreign guests attach themselves to the
commanding generals headquarters and
try to see everything that happens. Incl
dentally, they try to learn everything
possible about the arm they are with. so
that their own nation may profit by irni-
tating the eXcellencies and avoiding the
defects. These foreign officers make long
reports when they return home.
Most of the great powers and some of
the lesser ones have representatives With
our army and navy in the present war
with Spain. says a Tampa letter to the
New York Press. Six OF these foreign
military guests Of Uncle Sam, who have
been at the Tampa Bay hotel waiting for
the invasion of Cuba, consented to-day
to group themselves in front of a camera
for the readers Of the New York Press.
The photograph was taken on the hotel
por,h.
Capt. A. III. Lee, of the royal artillery,
the British military attache for the Amer
ican-Spanish war, has been with the army
in camp for more than a month now.
He spent several days at Chickamauga
before coming to- Tampa. He is a young
man with pleasant manners and variety
OF uniforms, all light and serViceable,
which are the envy of the American c.
ticers because Of their GOODNESS and util-
ity for service in a tropical country
Capt. Lee has made many friends amon,l
the officers and is a prime favorite at the
nightly gatherings in the hotel rotunda.
where the ladies come TO hear the band
play. He has seen service, bat he mod
estly declined to speak of his record when
The Press correspondent asked him for
u brief sketch of his military career.
In this respect Capt Lee is much like
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-06-25
HOW TO TELL RANK.
DISTINGUISHING DEVICES OF
THE NATIONS DEFENDERS.
BY Carefully Reading this Article and
Remembering What youlRead you may at
q Glance tell the Rank of Soldier, Sailor
or Marine f-

The difficulty of distinguishing the rank
and corps Of officers OF the army and navy
Is not Sc great as the variety Of devices
in their uniforms would seem to indicate.
The relative rank of naval and military
officers and the distinguishing device
which each grade has in common are
soon learned, and having observed this
a little study soon unravels the apparent
confusion. 1t is well known that our ma
-tional uniform is blue in color, says the
New York Herald, though for certain
specific purposes certain variations exist
in this, the white, worn in warm wealth
er, or the new campaign dress being the
notable exceptions. White, also worn by
our blue Jackets as a working suit, has
been in use for twenty years, but the
dull brown canvas, known as the 'khaki''
of India, worn by the soldiers of the Bri-
fish empire for field service, is new and
welcome departure in the uniform of our
troops. There is no more useful and SER
viceable material than this, for it is
equally valuable in tropical and in tenn
perate climates. It's light weight makes
it cool in warm weather. and with heavy
underwear it is suitable for the demands
of moderately cold climates.
The army, is more fortunate than the
navy in the number of uniforms pre-
scribed for it's officers. Military officers
have practically but three official garbs-
the full the service and the campaign
dress. Naval officers have to provide
themselves with four uniforms-special
full Dress undress may be converted in
to two others, known as full dress and
dress, but these are variations employed
on certain special occasions, and are
merely the establishment of the undress
by certain substitutions. Many white
uniforms have to be worn, and with the
total absence of laundries on shipboard
the supply must be generous, for cleanli-
The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1898-06-25

upon the collar and in the epaulets and
shoulder straps of these respective
corps. ...,
The cavalry is known by two gold me-
broidered crossed sabres, edge upward,
with the number of the regiment dis
played in silver in the upper angle. The
artillery has two crossed cannon, with
the regimental number shown In silver at
the intersection, and the infantry has two
CROSSED rifles, without bayOnets, the re-
gimental number shown In the upper
angle. The staff corps wear distinguish
ing letters, usually the initials of the
particular branch. u. A. Represents
vocate; @. D." quartermaster; IS. d., :"
substance; IN. d. medical corps; s"2
d." paymaster, all these letters being
embroidered in old English silver letters.
ALI uniforms are blue, the distinguishing
nolors an facings, pipings and trouse1
stripes being:-Infantry, white; artillery,
scarlet; engineers, scarlet ptped with
white; ordnance, crimson; cavalry, vel
low and hospital corps, emerald green
pfped with white. Post quartermaster
sergeants wear a strip OF bun. commits
sion sergeants of cadet gray and music
ans two stripes each, one-half inch wide.
Such, broadly generalized. are the main
distinctions, which may serve the lay
man, thought there are other minor de-
tails that reveal to the initiated at a
glance the exact official grade OF the
wearer. But these would be confusing,
as an millinery is save to the initiated.
and If the general rules are kept in mind
the civilian should have little difficulty in
telling a sailor from a soldier-or, TOT
that matter, both from marine, for his
uniform Is not unlike the army, except
that he wears his cherished globe with
the anchor, in proud remembrance OF the
traditional and honorable achievements
of his famous corps.