davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06
* The Youngest Member Of the Family s * *

don't know how hungry I am"
Yes DO, but broken neck might
feel worse than the cravings of hunger
We'll, here goes, anyway and Puff
approached the trap, tried it gently-noth-
ing hurt him-then more boldly. Snap!
went something. Puff turned to flee, but
ms beautiful, long tail had been caught
snapped in two! 1t was now as short as
| his breath had ever been. He gave one
home
L told you not to go near that trap
See what comes of disobedience.'
| After this poor little Puff was called
Stump by his naughty brothers and sis
ters on account of his stumpy tail
One day Cuff went off all by himself
to find good dinner. He didn't want any
company, for he was selfish little
creature, and thought if he went alone
there would then be no need of dividing
the feast and he would enjoy the whole
unmolested. He found just what he
house of wire that he ever saw. And
there was a little round passageway to
enter by-big at the outer end and grow
ing smaller and smaller at the other end.
which seemed to be just at the centre of
the cunning little house.
Il can easily squeeze in there"
thought Cuff.
Then that horrible word that his
ears-trap-came to his mind. Impossible!
There could be no trap about this, that
was pam De seen.
Cuff walked around and carefully ex-
amined this strange little structure, then
shifted at the coveted feast, timidly put
his head into the entrance. He could
stand it no longer, so he boldly walked in
and devoured the whole of the feast.
Then he wanted to go home, so he
| turned to the little wire entrance, but
| the ends of the wire stuck right into his
| flesh. The hole at that end was too
! small to get into without tearing himself
| to pieces on these sharp ends. Why had
not this end been made smooth and nice,
/ like the other? Ali There was the trap.
Cuff heard footsteps approaching, but
was powerless to fee. There stood one
| of those awful giants Of the race of Men!
With cruel CLEAN of triumph in her
! eyes. cook said:
| Now, I've caught you at last, you
young rascalr' And Cuff, cage land all,
! were borne away by the heartless cook,
| and Cuffs brothers and sisters never saw
him again.
/ If you had asked cook what became of
! poor little Cuff she doubtless would have
| pointed her finger at a tub of water in the
| back yard Poor Cuff
Not long after this, Hop. Mop and
Pop were having a good time together
hen they came across a mysterious look
ing lump. It certainly was something
very geo. IN eat-they could smell that
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06

car, on-and said in French, ''Plait-il.
Mademoiselle?'
The daisy-like one rose obediently and
the room, Perhaps my aunt can see you
now. It's getting quite late"
AT 1870 by the silver clock, her aunt
had not come.
I realized that in half an hour the
paper ought to go to press, and that |
had two other stories-short ones how
ever, to write.
/ was meditating flight when the
French maid with the cap came and took
away the silver travelling clock
When l asked her il the star was
ready to see me, she only said, "Plait-l?"
and went off with the silver clock
The clock in the hotel office made the
time 1:50. The clerk said they had been
telephoning for me from the office. Ha
also added, why didn't you come down
with her?'
Then it came out that my star had
left for the depot ten minutes before.
l went into the office, swearing and
cant local items and then wrote my resig
resignation in one bunch.
Two days later l received by mail a
signed photograph of the star in gray
walking costume-it was the daisy-lfKs
niece
Since then that star has set, and I
am glad of 1t. never found out who her
aunt was, and about the foreign duke l
have long since ceased to care anything.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06

There were seven of them altogether
the mother and six pretty little gray mice
with fur just as soft as the finest velvet
YOU ever saw. Their names We're, Fluff,
because her fur was so thick and hufy;
Puff, because he was always getting short
Of breath and putting like a little steam
engine. especially when escaping from
old Tabby, the lifelong enemy of their
family; Cuff, because he was always get
some improper conduct; Hop, because he
had a funny little hop of his own, unlike
his brothers and sisters, who ran along so
smoothly and quietly; Mop because she
seemed to be always gathering up all the
dirt there was to be found. like a mop;
and last of ALL funny little Pop, who was
always popping up where you least eS.
pected him, and just when you were sure
he was not around.
Just as soon as these SIX little mice
were old enough TO walk around ana get
into mischief, Mother Mouse talked very
seriously to them one day, and warned
them TO keep away from all strange
looking things with tempting pieces Of
cheese or meat attached to them on sus-
pcious wires, or placed in such way
that they must go through hole to get
the dainty morsel. For my children.
she said, they are traps set TO catch just
such innocent little creatures as you. And
l warn you. above all else, keep out of the
way of that cruel cat, Tabby! For If her
paw ever comes down on you, mark my
word she will make a meal out of you
without, asking you your choice in the
matter"
mouse family was perfectly happy. Many
i pleasant hour they spent running
around between the walls of the house,
playing with each other, and knocking
down pieces of cement in the walls, which
made so much noise that old Tabby heard
il and pricked up her ears and watched
anxious at every hole until in her eX-
element and Impotence, she wagged her
tail back and forth like a weaver's shuttle.
But all In vain.
Many a trip the six little gray crea-
lures took up to the pantry. and many a
line feast they had, too
One day Puff and Fluff were very hun
cry and could fld nothing TO eat. They
went to all their hauntS where they could
usually get all they wanted, but not a
thing coutd they find
As they We're about to give up in de-
spa;r. F&f saw something in a dark cor
1er of the pantry.
Puff" she said. 81 believe that Is one
OF those traps mother told US about. But,
Oh. what fine piece of cheese that is
How good il smellsi
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06

per YETI" 49,
Uh1s must be her dinner
Just as you like to call it." she said,
with the same sweet, open-air smile. and
CHANGING at the silver clock.
Yes, I said, 81 believe I'm ahead of
f fi@s I think the hotel clock must be
-. "Oh, I'm sure don't know" she said.
ANYHOW, II you won't mind being enter
tanned by me until my aunt comes"
To be entertained by the niece of a star
until her aunt came! How should l mind
it? This was life, indeed. The niece
m! might be a trifle .bread-and-butt for
the social tastes of a man like me- who
was essentially of the Great World, but
as a pastoral prelude to the interview
possibly stormy, being on a delicate sub
ject-with, her aunt, it would be simply
exquisite
| said something very pretty in my
reply to the pretty niece And she look
ed charmingly confused.
1t seems absolutely miraculous to me
that this etherealized dairy maid with the
great star with hb WHOM she Travelled
"oh, yes" she said II have been act
ing ever since can remember"
at ALL" 1 said. "You might be a coun-
in your cheeks
oHS only SdlU, on In1nk so? and
smiled as she looked down at little sim
pie ring she wore.
l felt ashamed of my callous jmpu.
dence in talking like this to mere
school girl-at least, 1 thought, she ought
to be a school girl-and yet, how diyineIy
simple she had remained in spite of all
the shrivelling, hardening, sophisticating
influences of the stage!
1T strikes me that your aunt must
be an uncommonly good woman" 1 said
She is" murmured the Daisy
You don't know about this report of
her having secretly married in Chicago?"
Married." she said. "No-how could
she be married again at her age. Is that
what you wanted to ask her about?
On reflection, the young lady SEEM
ed to be really astonished and amused
at the story of the dual marriage
shrewdly concluded that she had been
kept in the dark and, with all my worldly
wisdom and tact, quickly changed the
subject of our conversation.
Then that daisy-like creature sat down
at the little gem of a piano and played a
quaint little German dance for me, and
that led to second piece and that to a
third. She looked most divine, l thought
in the close-fitting gray walking dress
she wore.
But this elysium was broken up when
the silver clock pointing to lis a maid
softly opened the door-she had a maid s
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06

| X R9NANG *kI

self out of business hours by reading.
Besides there are our relatives.
they do US. You ought ti to be thankful
to be somebodyl"
in her head. she WI was bound to rent
their home, or dispose of 1t in some way
for a while and try boarding in some
Fashionable house where there were
But we have just built this house. "
Three years ago." she, said.
"It is a good house and all right.
Eyes, but I am so lonely in 1t with
you gone all day. You might put your
self out a little to please me-" and her
she stroked his hand coaxingly. At last.
after a world of wiles and teasing the
change was brought about.
Mrs. Green told everybody that she
was clean worn out with housekeeping
and servants and that her doctor had
prescribed perfect rest for her. So they
and slowed themselves away in the close
quarters of 3 boarding house. Some of
the best people were living there and
Mrs. Green donned her fine dresses and
went in and out among them, rustling
her silks against theirs in the dining
room, saying good morning to them on
the stairs, or lettering with them III the
reception room.
Mrs. Green began to feel that a SO.
ctal career was opening up to her. It
was red-letter day in her calendar
when Mr.. and Mrs. Horace Newman
came on from San Francisco and took
rooms at their house and Were seated
next them at the table. Mr.. Newman
was gentleman of rather naughty bear
ing; he was naturally so reserved and
so little inclined for promiscuous COM
radship that he might have sat by the
Greens for ter, years and never said any n.y.
VIE Knowing that her husband was
really sensitive to neglect and lack of
sympathy, was always breaking the ice
anu MS Newman was a lively, fascinat-
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06

and he smiled and he asked me if 81
wouldn't stay and see the show.
had, I said, too much on my hands for
that evening. At 12:45 he might look for
me at the hotel So longI
so long" said the good-natured man
ager.
L went and telephoned at once to the
office It's all right about the star-I've
Then 1 went about several other
little assignments. l was wrong. 1t might
have been better with me if 7 had stay ed
to see at least the first act.
Oh, the cordially of the Stars mana
big hotel at 12:45
At least: I thought it was 1915: The
THAT clocks fast. Never mind. You're
not much ahead of time. She'd ask you
to go in and have a bite with her, if she
wasn't so blamed tired. This third act
take my advice. she'd only play the piece
once or twice a week. It's too much for
any woman's strength--even her's-six
times week. Yes she's got splendid
physique"
When the clerk sent the bell-boy to
ten Madame that I wanted to see her,
short with That's all right. I'm attend
ing to Mr. Robinson"
felt proud of being attended to by
might have dined at midnight with With a
star, if that third act had not been so
overwhelmingly, superhumanly strong!
This was lifeI
My manager took me up on the ee-
vator, walked me along corridors, chat
ting affably, and at last stopped al a cur
tanned door, where his voice seemed to
moderate to a more deferential volume
as being within the sphere of Star
He was reassuringly confident, how
ever, in his way of pushing back the cur
tains and ushering me in.
Then he left me.
I found myself alone with the sumptu-
Gus furniture that belongs to a star on the
road. Particularly, [ noticed the travel
ing clock in wrought silver, enclosed in a
Russia leather case, that stood at one end
of the mantel. According to that clock
must have made some mistake for l
was quite twenty minutes ahead of time
resolved to carry a watch in the future
at whatever cost.
While [ stood there admiring resolv-
ing and bordering over many things a
door in the corner opened a satin por-
there was lifted, and a lovely girl of, ap-
parently, about seventeen, f1oated in and
bowed. Then she smiled.
Her smile was what did for me- It
made me think of green fields and toy
balloons and daisies, when I should have
been thinking of the Star and her Chica-
go foreign Duke.
The girl said, Wont you sit down?
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06

Ing woman. full Of sympathy, OF liberal
culture. disposed to. put. everybody she
met at their best for the passing mo
Green was a well-read man in English
classics, and very well up in modern
science; that when rounded up by a
good listener he was no mean talker, and
she hailed him as one of the best pro-
ducts of our American institutions which
permit man to acquire culture and to
for daily bread into the realm of mind
and thought where all are peers.
So, thanks to Mrs Newman with
her lively sallies, her jokes and her rep
artees and her sympathetic way OF
drawing out her husband and Mr.. Green,
there was always very good converse
ton at their end of the table. Mr. Green
was elated at his own ability to talk in
company and was speedily Fascinated by
Mrs Newman. No wonder she was
tual gifts whom he had ever been thrown
in contact with.
At first he did not understand it.
Mysterious stories of affinities came to
his mind he seemed awakened to a new
world filled with new people, endowed
with a new sense Of things. He began to
tions for the sake of hearing the replies
of his new feminine friend, and during
the day he found himself making prepar-
atoms for the verbal attack of the even
ing.
Once he quoted line from oliver
Wendell Holmes which Mrs. Newman
recognized and to which she replied by
another quotation.
What treat to find a woman so en-
dowed with brains. John Green wonder
ed If there was another like her in all
the world and came to the conclusion
that there was not.
The days passed along with startling
rapidity, revolving always round the
hours for meals--when he met Mrs. New
man.
How pleasantly she greeted him, how
sweet her snile-once, when taking leave
of him at the door, she had shaken hands
with himself and wife!
Ecstatic moment! Would he ever for
get it. How it had thrilled him!
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06

AS for Mrs. Green, she was monosyl-
Liable or nothing in conversation, and very
stiff and smirky at that. But she wore
clothes to the top of her bent, and joined
derstand the joke. She gIowed with de-
light and wonder when she heard her
husband, whom she thought so prosaic.
quoting Darwin or Carlyle.
Mrs Green had found out that this
wel-born. well-bred lady, although she
was but temporary resident of the city.
could easily command the entree of the
most exclusive houses in its society, and
she reveled in the idea that something
would grow out of this association which
would enable the Green family to follow
in her footsteps into those dizzy social
sleeps which were native heath to her.
So Mrs Green, who despaired of ever
being able to talk to Mrs Newman ex-
cept about gowns and fashions, used to
adjure her husband to keep up his eff
forts.
You must be polite to her, John"
you don't neglect Mrs. Newman. You
know how to talk to her so much better
than I do"
She was specially emphatic about this
at the time when Mr.. Newman was or
dered on to Washington and obliged to
leave his wife and little daughter be-
hind.
I'VE will do all we can for your
making hia s9id bnt Green sat IN
gloating feeling seemed to choke his
words and make him feel like cur that
ought to be whipped.
Yes, I'll see that he don't neglect
her" added his wife with her best smile
the one she took the most pains with.
After this Mrs Newman and her lit
tie girl took rooms across the street,
and Mrs. Green had the idea that she
must keep the doorstep worn down with
the frequency of their calls She thought
some Of opening up her own home again
and inviting Mrs. Newman to spend the
winter with her, and sending out cards
together. She also had a far vision
stretching over the years to come, of
herself and daughters as the guests of
Mrs. Newman in Washington, and thought
out how she would dress when she went
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06
(By AUGUSTA PRESCOTT.)

Once upon time /, Edward Robinson.
was a reporter, and was considered
good man at my business. l have long
since-to use the plural of the biographical
notice of me which ought to be written
some day, but which, | fear, never will be
abandoned journalism" | did this
may as we'll say, because journalism was
on the point of abandoning me. And
why, ! am going to tell you.
There came to our town a star of the
stage-a female star, which is, of course
a star Of the first magnitude-and while
this star shone at the local theatre a
report reached us that she had been
secretly married only a week before to a
foreign duke in Chicago. The report came
over the wires, it came without the name
or the title o. the duke; it was guarded
with, ut is said" and "A rumor is
afloat" Following close upon it came
about seventeen queries from seventeen
different newspapers in as many different
States demanding from their correspond
ents in our office to be assured if the re-
port was true. | not one of these
correspondents, neither was 1 the theatre
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06

cal man of the paper, but, as 1 said above,
l was considered a good man at my bust
ness, and the office sent me out to the
stars hotel to lock the matter up.
When | got to the hotel my star was
already gone to the theatre.
But" objected, she can't have
finished her dinner already 1t isn't more
than half past six
Dinner" said the clerk with a sniff
and a smile at my innocence DO You
think she dimes at So?
She don't dine in the middle of the
day, suppose, was the reply I thought
would fiatten him out.
No" he answered me, in an abomin
able patronizing way, "she dimes in the
middle of the night. You ought to learn
the ways of the stars, young man, if Won
want to succeed in journalism
And he turned away to converse with
an influential guest from the rural dis
tricts.
So I went to the theatre. and there
the boX-office young man and the stars
own manager and the manager of the
theatre all made great show of helping
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06
to the Presidents dinners

to the Presidents dinners.
As for Mrs. Newman, orce out of the
house with Greens, she gave them no
more thought than the mill-wheel gives
to the water that has passed. She would
have utterly forgotten that there were
such people as the Greens in the world.
She had met so many people in the
course of changeful life, that a few
more or less did not count. She made
acquaintances as lightly as a swimmer
cuts the waveS-a moments touch on
face, brow, hand-then gone forever
She was fascinating to chance acQuaint-
ance because 1t was in her nature to be
so, even where she had not the most re-
mote idea of exercising any charm. But
the poor Greens had taken her most seri-
ously and had staked their hopes upon
the shifting sand of her manners.
Mrs. Green with her ambitions and her
husband with more than that. Poor
gullible. infatuated Mr.. Green, a man so
founded and established in good morals.
so stocked with common sense, such a
pillar of decorum in church and State.
this was the man who was in love with
another mans wife.
At first he blushed all over at the
mere thought of such a thing but later
on he found that after all, he was just
getting on to be a man of the world as
was fitting to one who had made as much
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06
FANCY DRESS.

In the annals of the occurrences upon
this mundane sphere, it is related that
an ancient, decrepit, infirm maternal per-
sonage, in vulgar parlance replying to the
euphonious appellation of Mother Hub
bard, upon an occasion which warranted
sufficient cause for the sequence of her
subsequent actions, employed her ancient
powers of locomotion in conveying her
corporeal being to an enclosure consist
ing of hard material arranged in horizon
tai planes for the express purpose Of
supporting on their superficial area va
rious utensils employed in household
economy, with a definite view of obtain
ing thu from that portion of the animal
compC ton that has reached a con-
gealeo state by a process of ossihcation,
for the satisfaction of the rawlings Of the
appetite of her INDECENT pet, creature
endowed with sensation and voluntary
motion and classified IN scientific termi-
nology mammalia carnivora digitigrade.
Upon arriving at her desired destina-
ton to her ehagrin she became acquaint-
ed with the fact that the enclosure was
entirely destitute of the substance nee
essary for the sustenance of animal
vitality. And in this manner it occurred
that the unfortunate canine was COM
PEELED to exist with its voracious Ape
tite unappeased.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06
WHAT A CHILD THINKS.

He thinks when he hears the rumble
Of the thunder, loud and clear
The angels are moving furniture
And that is the noise we hear.
The stars that stud the sky,
When comes the dark, dark night,
Are candles hung by angels
To make the darkness light
But, best of all, the little heart
Trusts all of those about him;
He knows no falsehood or deceit
How could we do without him?
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06

The thoughts of a little child,
Who can tell them quite?
They're busy as the honey-bee,
From early morn till night
He thinks the elves and fairies
At night time sport and play
Upon the funny toadstools
They put up in a day.
He thinks the clouds are sh sep,
Driven across the sky,
And that the mountains re ach them
They arg so very high.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06

I appreciate what you've done for US.
Now, if you like, I'll tell you way you
can get all the talk you want
That's right" I said. st shall be
eternally grateful to you"
""She gets away from the house at
about 11:15 She's always ravenously
hungry when she gets to the hotel"
ST know" 1 put in, wishing to dis
play my acquaintance with the ways of
the stars. Eats her dinner at mid
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06

me to an interview with the star; But
T onlv got a message that she could not
see ANYBODY in her dressing-room before
the curtain went up-never did.
Her manager just raised his eyebrows
and said: 81 was afraid she Wouldn't.
Don't believe she'd talk to her own grand
fathers ghost if he were to come to her
between dressing time and the end of the
piece"
won't she see me between acts%'
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-06
A BIOLOGICAL PUZZLE,
Fill Each Blank With the Name of Som
Animal

"Oh, -P' exclaimed Bessie to her
Mary, one day. 81 can't to have
brother Tom go back to SCHOOL, Then
in voice. 1T will SO lonely with
out him.
Before her - had time to answer
merry whistle was heard in the hall and
Bessie's big brother entered the room.
at the thought Of his leaving home and
returning to his school, for he was GER
tainIy fine young man, and such jolly
face and laughing dancing eyes.
Seeing the sober look on Besses face
and guessing the cause Of it, he ex-
claimed, Why. you little -! Any one
would think IMss going 70 - instead OF