davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1900-01-20

ouo VI SoOu JUS VI uiSCiipuiou. lhC
young editors former glorious career
is much Overdone, and The frequent
references to it are often in bad taste,
witness the following:
"As the yacht touched the pier.
pretty girls, or pretty women or jOvIal
gentlemen, all were overlooked in the
wild scramble the college men made
for their hero. They hailed him
forth. set him high on their shoulders
shouting 'Skal to the Viking" and
carried him up the wooded bluff to
the Casino. He had heard Mrs. Van
Skuyt' say, oh, we're used to it;
we've put In at several other places
where he had friends He struggled
manfully to be set down, but his tri-
umphal swept on. He heard bystand-
ers telling each other. It's that young
Harkless. the Great HAIRLESS, they're
all so mad about and while it pleased
him little to hear such things, they
always made him laugh a great deal.
He had never understood his pOpul-
arity."
Why. Bryan, in his palmy days.
knew nothing like it! Another thing
likely to puzzle the practical reader is
the number Of INDECENT persons the
strong and tender "Harkless" was
able to support from the income of
one country newspaper.
AS we well knew, the great and
good are never known as such in
their own town. had only to go to
Lawrence, Kansas, to hear that Fred
erick Funston was coward and
averse to telling the truth. Yet Mr..
Harrington tells us that the good
people of Plattville were as dust be-
meath the feet of their dear young
editor, and that the young men so
loved him for his virtues that they
mounted guard every night to keep
the Whitecaps from him A home
trader or pugilist might stir the
youths of Indiana TO such degree Of
enthusiasm, but know we'll enough
that the inhabitants Of western
village would not have left enough Of
this sentimental tender strong" col
lege youth for the Whitecaps to carry
off. A bas the .'tendeT strong" col
lege man in fiction anyhow. The day
will surely come when he will be
called to render an account Of all
these things.
The chapters which deal with the
raid on tie Whitecap's village, and
the hospital episodes are considerably
above the rest of the book. Mr.. Tark-
Ington's descriptions of nature are al
most invariably fake and far fetched.
and come dangerously near "hne
writing l think some Of them
must be made up of the daily
themes the young author did at
Princeton, when his professor told
him to go out and observe nature and
duly chronicle what he saw. Nature
is very nasty and unreasonable about
being observed" and they who seek
her critically shall not find her. Mr..
Tarkington's English is not always
faultless. / find this astonishing SEN
tence, which surely his professor ne
elected to underscore, "a crescendO Of
portliness was playing a diminuendO
with his youth" Now a Harvard
student might so express his feelings.
if he had been to Boston symphony
concert the night before, but why
should a Princeton man be thus
tempted? In the face Of the follow
ing phraseOlogy, the professors red
ink pot must have shrivelled up in
impotent despair:
"a flock of blackbirds was settling
down over the Plattville naples. As
The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1900-01-20

1 heard a club woman exclaim the
other day, 20, forgot to send to the
treasurer that eighty cents voted by the
club a month ago as the five-cent per
capita tax" This led me to wonder il
there are any other clubs in the state
which, during the stress ard hurry Of
the holiday season, have overlooked
this duty to the state federation. 1t
means SO little to each club, but to cur
state federation, OF which We are so
proud, it means selfrespecting independ-
encs.
The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1900-01-20

OFFICERS OF n. +. W. c., 1893 1900.
Pres, Mrs. Anna l.. ApperSon, Tecumseh.
V. p, Mrs. Ida w. Blair, Wayne.
Cor. Sec, Mrs. Virginia ID. Arnup, Tecumseh.
Rec. Sec, Miss Mary Hill, York.
Treas, Mrs. II. r. Doane, Crete.
Librarian, Mrs. G. NJ. Lambertson, Lincoln.
Auditor, Mrs. T.. J. Hainer, Aurora.
The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1900-01-20

January.
~, woman's C.. Child Study. Lincoln
~ XIX Century C., Painting in Ger
many ...-..>ewhru
M Fin de Steele C., William Cullen
Bryant. Sc. -... .... .... Gee. Seward
M Woman's c.. Household Econ
Omics ............ .-..... ....- North Bend
~, History and Art G.. Art and I.itera-
~ ture During the Saxon Dynasty. Seward
- woman's c., Philosophy and Ethics. Omaha
- wo-.an's c.. Household Economics. Lincoln
D., Frances NJ Ford, Pictur-
! esgue Holland ..... ..... Gee. .Stromsburg
-, SOrosis, Musicians. stanton
-, Woman's C., France. 1864 1897 .Minden
p, History and Art c., Shakspere and
Bacon ....-..... .-.. ..--.. zee. .-....AiDlOn
-, Woman c., Philanthropic Insti-
- buttons OF Nebraska. ...... -Fairbury
% woman's C, French Conversation. 70. Omaha
%. woman's C., Ethics and Philosophy Omaha
-, Woman : G.. Parliamentary Prac-
., Coy c., The Reformation, 1917
1871 .....'...-....- ...ltcuihseh
>, Friends in Council, Dafoe,
I LAMB, Byron $3.50. .......... fecumSeh
"a, womans c., Oratory --.-..............O Omaha
lwoman's c.. Education. SANTA
~, tiOn. Social Life and Amuse-
ments...- ...--. ..-.....---.'--. Ashland
~, Woman's C., Spain. ...-..--. ..-. Dundee
y, WOman's C., Education. .--.... Omaha
=, WOmans c., English Literature Omaha
y, Womans c., Household Economics. Omaha
q, Woman's c.. Art. Lincoln
y, Womans c., Literature. ....-....... Lincoln
nc Womans C., Financial Pol
icieS- ...-......-..-.PlattSmOut
-, WOmans c., French..............-...L Lincoln
q, Womans c., English History ...... Syracuse
p, Review and Art C., CorreggiO ....,.... York
q, Pansy c., Alcott and Twain. .Tecumseh
q, Woman's c., English History zee. Stromsburg
D. WOman's c., Revolution in
- ! French Politics North Bend
q, History and Art C., The FrancOnian
Emperors. Seward
q, Fin de Steele c., LongfeIlow $1,000. Seward
The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1900-01-20
Gibbs.
LOUISA L RICKETTS,.

CALENDAR OF NEBRASKA CLUBS.
The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1900-01-20

At the Overland theater one has the
pleasure of spending the time between
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-27
The Russian Peasant.

1t is asserted by those who have
lived among them that the lowest
types of modern European civilization
are probably the Russians. While
writer's and travellers vary as to the
future of Russia nearly all are agreed
as to the utter degradation at present
of the Russian peasant. He is always
on the verge Of starvation and is abb
solutely improvident, while his gross
and complete ignorance is combined
with the most eXtravagant supersti-
tion. Like all low natures, he is thor
oughly distrustful of reform, and as q
climax to his intirmities he is con-
firmed drinker.
Middle class in Russia there is prac-
tically none. The small shopkeepers
combine eXorbitant charges with
shameful usury. Manufacturers and
producers are nearly all foreigners,
and the larger trade of the country is
chiefly in German hands. Education
may after the lapse of several genera
lions remove the inherent dullness Of
this people, but it will be no easy mat
ter to root out evils which are the
growth of centuries of serfdom and
distress.-Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-27
The Same Eject.

at is very odd" remarked Mr.. Hub
hub, "that in Africa there is tribe
which cannot wear clothes at all.
Clothes make them sick. Isn't it
strange, dear?"
Not at ALL" replied Mrs. Hubbub.
1.-THE same thing happens in this coun-
try also"
"Oh. surely not! / never heard Of
such thing in civilized countries"
"Well, Mr.. Hubbub, l can tell you
that even in this great and glorious
land the same phenomenon is by no
means unknown. When see Mrs.
Poindexter coming out every month or
so with fine new outfit from head to
foot, her clothes make me sick make
me sick, say, Mr.. Hubbub-when /
reflect that you are just as able to buy
me new clothes as Mr.. Poindexter Is to
buy them for his wife and don't"
And Mrs. Hubbub dissolved in tears.
Smart Set.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-27
CHAPTER XIII.
THE SPEAKING TUBE.

Nature has implanted in eve-y one
of its living creatures, from the
top to the bottom of the scale,
the strongest of all instincts -
that of self-preservation. AS Sturgis
fell forward and clutched wildly at the
air, his hand struck the stone wall of
the square chamber. No conscious inn
preston was made upon his brain by
the contact; but, automatically, his
fingers frightened as they slipped over
the smooth surface. His right hand
struck an obstacle and closed upon it,
in the convulsive grip of dying man.
Then sudden CLEAN of consciousness
swept across his sluggish brain.
Itwas the speaking tube! ~
He chung to it with the remnant of
his strength and eagerly placed his
lips to the mouthpiece. For a few min
utes he drank in with avidity the re-
vivifying draughts of air which grad
ually brought him back from the brink
of death.
With returning consciousness, the
thought of his dying friend required to
him in all its vividness. He tried to
osto his assistance; but he was sick
and faint, and his limbs were powerless
to respond to his will. Then, at last,
he was seized with utter despair and
gave up the struggle.
He had sunk dejectedly upon the
chair when faint and indistinct muir
muir, as of distant voices, beat upon his
ears, whose natural acnity seemed ex-
traordinarily increased by the long
nervous tension under which he had
been. The ruling passion is strong in
death; without knowing just why he
did SO. Sturgis found himself again at
the speakinG-tnhe- sndeayoring to hear
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-27
"why cannot it be publisher"

"Whv cannot it be published2"
ut would be dangerous to the well
fare OF society. Murdoch was an cx-
traordinary genius in his line; there
is marvellous originality and ingenu-
ity in his work. His crimes, num-
bered by the hundred. were all of
capital Importance in their results;
all deep-laid and skillfully executed
1t is hardly likely that such another
consummate artist ia crime will cx-
list once century. To publish the
details of his schemes would be to
put formidable weapon in the hands
of the vulgar herd OF ordinary Grim
inals, who lack the imagination Of
this brilliant villain.
81 tell you, Thurston." continued
Sturgis, with what seemed very like
enthusiastic conviction, this man
was the originator of almost every
unsolved mystery which has nom
plussed the police during the last Is
years. He had his agents in every i'm
portant center throughout the coun-
try; agents working under potent in
centives, and yet working in the dark,
for few of them have ever known who
held the mysterious power which di-
rected their every move. Murder has
been done wholesale; and so quietly
and mysteriously has the work been
case, the detectives have found no
clue whatever which might lead to
an explanation of The sudden and I'M
accountable disappearance of wealthy
men, whose bodies, shipped to the
Manhattan Chemical company by
Murdock's agents, were quietly aud
systematically made away with in the
chemists laboratory" 80
HE was the fend incarnate!" ex-
claimed the physician.
"Well," said Sturgis. after mo-
ment of thoughtful silence, "at any
rate, he was not wantonly cruel. Ee
was heartless; he was pitiless; but
his cruelty was always a means to an
end, however selfish and illegitimate
that end might. be. His cruelty is
| that, in measure, of every human
being destroying life that he may live
and trampling upon, his fellow men
that he may be comfortable. Be-
tween Murdoch and the rest of us there
was difference of degree, certainly,
but was there difference of kind?"
There is one thing which I can
not yet understand" said Thurston,
land that is, why Murdoch should
have pushed his audacity to the point
of defying you to ferret out the emys-
terry of this crime, when he might
perhaps have avoided all risk of de.
lection by holding his tongue
NO man is perfect answered
sturgis, sententiously, mot even an
accomplished villain like Murdoch
fortunately for the rest of mankind.
Every human being has his weak
points Murdoch had two:-his van
ity and his love for his daughter.
They We're the only traits which con
nected him with the human family.
To them he owes his undoing."
THE END.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-27
EDGAR MORETTE

Sprague, however, lay motionless
and unresponsive. The reporter shook
him violently and turned him over
upon his back. The artists body was
limp and inert; his eyes half closed;
his face livid.
The reporter himself felt sick and
faint. But, with mighty effort, he
succeeded in raising his friend in his
arms, and dragging him toward the
speaking-tube. There. of sudden, his
strength failed hfHz.a. His head swan:
his muscles relaxed; he felt Sprague's
limp form slip from his grasp, tottered,
recled, threw his arms wildly about
him for support, and fell, as the last
elusive ray of consciousness was slip
ping away from him.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-27

banknotes, which he carefully packed
into valise: he saw him take from
the same safe few richly bound
notebooks, which he proceeded to do
up in a neat bundle, securely tied and
sealed
This done, the chemist put on his
hat and coat, and was preparing to
pass out into the hallway. when a
knock sounded upon the door.
Murdoch opened slightly-enough
to show himself, without revealing
the presence of the other occupants
Of the room.
1t was one of the housemaids.
"Plaze, sur" said the girl. in
frightened voice, "the polacemun says
he can't wait no longer; he must see
yer right away"
Are they in the parlor?"
''Only the polacemun, sur; the other
man said he would wait outside
Murdoch took a minute for relec-
ton.
"Wait in the hall until call you,"
he said, at last. 'If the policeman be-
comes impatient, tell him l shall not
be long; that am engaged on most
important business
No sooner had the girl gone than
Murdoch, Selling the vaiise and the
package, opened the door of the ex-
tension His eyes rested for awhile
upon his daughter, who, still absorbed
in the tender care of her inanimate
lover, was oblivious of all else. There
was in them an unusual expression
almest tender light; but the i'm
passive face was otherwise emotion
less.
The chemist seemed to hesitate for
brief instant whether to speak;
then, passing out into the extension
he softly closed the door behind him.
Sturgis alone, weak and powerless
had seen him go.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-27
CHAPTER XIV.
THE MURDER sYNDICATE.

W -
'see here, Sturgis, this won't do. /
forbade you to do stroke of work
to-day, or even to leave your bed; and
here you are scribbling away just as
though nothing had happened. 1 tell
you when man has the narrow squeak
you have, there has been tremendous
strain upon his heart, and it is posi-
lively dangerous"
Don't scold, old man; have never
in my life been better than feel to-
day. And, besides, this work could not
be postponed"
"Oh, pshaw! That is what nine out
of every ten patients say to their pnysi-
clan. They are modestly convinced
that the world must needs come to a
standstill if they cannot accomplish
their tiny mite of work"
DR.. Thurston, who had assumed his
frown of professional severity, pro-
ceeded to feel the reporters pulse.
well, you are in luck; better than
you deserve. Almost any other man
would have been laid up for week by
the experience you have been through.
y
without the assistance of the medical
profession, and in spite of your insolent
disregard of my express orders to leave
work alone for the present. Now, there
is Sprague-"
"Ah, what of Sprague?" asked the
reporter, anxiously.
"Sprague has had a close call. But
| No &c. fa ,,,fo all
gent nursing count for anything. he
will probably be up in day or two"
Miss Murdoch"
"Yes. She has professional nurse
to help her; but she has insisted on
taking charge of the case herself. And
an excellent nurse she is, too. and a
charming girl into the bargain-and
what is more, noble woman"
Does she know of her fathers
| DEATH"
II broke the news as gently as
| possible. She took it much more calm.
| ly than supposed she would. There
evidently was but little sympathy be
tween her and her father"
"On her side, at any rate"
/ lSS' 1lCI dCl Oll OF nel
fathers crimes was to send for a law
yer. She refuses to touch a cent of hi.
money, and has instructed her attorney
to make such resolutions as may b.
possible and to turn the rest to char
liable institutions. This leaves her al
most penniless; for the property sh,
held in her own right from her moth
er's estate amounts to very little. For
tunately, Sprague is rich enough fol
| both. What are you doing there, il
may ask?"
DR.. Thurston pointed to bundl
which lay upon the table.
THAT is Murdock's autobiography
alegacy to me. The package was fount
near his valise in the death chamber
He had addressed it to me at the las
minute"
did it help you in your account Q
the Knickerbocker bank case for tn
Tempest?"
"a little; but naturally, Murdoch
account of that crime was not CON
plete. The entire journal, however
is OF absorbing interest. 1t is pit
that it cannot be published.n
wv JIG. j N
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-27
The man tried his powerful siren

The man tried his powerful siren
upon the door without any perceptibIe
effect.
When the second detective arrived
upon the scene he found the first one
removing the bottles from the shelves
by the light of match held in his
left hand.
Get light and an AK, Jim. There's
secret door here which we'll have to
break in; can't find any way of OPEN
ing it."
A few minutes later. the detectives,
after dealing upon the shelves some
telling blows with an AK, called upon
Murdoch to surrender.
Receiving no answer to their sum-
mons, the men stood irresolute for
few seconds. Then, with grim deter
mination, they attacked the door;
raining the blows upon it fast and flu
riously, and filling the air with show
er of splinters.
At length a final stroke sent the
weakened hinges from their fastenings,
and the men rushed through the I'M
foreground passage into the murderer's
laboratory.
A hasty, startled glance told them
that Murdoch was not there.
They started for the stairs and were
\ met by policeman who was just en-
tering Murdock's office.
| .Have you got him?" asked The detec-
tives in chorus.
NO" replied the policeman, sur
prised; "Mr. Sturgis says he went down
here about 20 minutes ago"
1--WE chased him in from the other
end not ten minutes ago"
The policeman hurried down the
stairs.
Murdock's valise and package stood
conspicuous upon the long pine box.
But of Murdoch there was no sign.
Gone" exclaimed one of the detec-
tives, deeply mortified at the thought
that his quarry had slipped through
his fingers. Gone! How? Where?
He cannot have escaped. He cannot
What is it, Mr.. Sturgis?"
He had suddenly caught sight of the
reporter, half way up the stairs.
Nedh aAa III, otulSls, Nllu Ulducueo
face, chung unsteadily, with one hand
to the railing; while. with the other
he pointed toward the lead-lined vat
whose dark viscous contents were
. bubbling like boiling oil.
A pungent vapor rose in dense cloud:
from the surface of the liquid. Through
, it the fascinated gaze of the Mortified
; men vaguely discerned nameles'
/, thing, tossed in weird and grotesqu'
> rontortions in seething vortex.
!, Murdoch had escaped the justice o
men.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-27
CHAPTER XIV.
CHECKMATE.

The two detectives, after leaving
Spraguea and Sturgis in the cellar of the
Manhattan Chemical company, pro-
ceeded to search the premises from
basement to roof Then, somewhat
discounted, they returned to the cell
lar, and were surprised to find that
the reporter and his friend had disap.
peared.
After questioning the man whom
they had left on watch on the outside,
and ascertaining that neitherSprague
nor Sturgis had yet left the house,
the detectives called loudly to the
missing men, and receiving no reply,
at last became alarmed and sent word
of the mysterious disappearance to
headquarters. The, chief'sanswerc came
at once:
Remain on watch where you are.
We shall investigate from .he other
side"
One of the detectives thereupon went
up to the roof of the building, whence
he could keep watch upon the back
yards, while his companion remained
in the front hall.
They had been waiting thus for some
time, when the latter thought he heard
footsteps in the direction of the private
office. He was on the alert in an in
slant.
The door was cautiously opened and
man stepped out into the hallway.
He carried valise and a package. He
blinked like man coming suddenly
from the darkness into the daylight.
-Who are you?" asked the detective,
brusquely.
The man looked in the direction of
customed to the light, returned the de-
tective's surprised stare with a calm
and searching look.
"Checkmate!" he muttered quietly
to himself at last.
Then, without seeming haste, he
passed back into the private Office, be-
fore the astonished detective could
make any attempt to stop him.
Recovering himself quickly, the de-
tective followed the sounds of the re.
treating footsteps to the cellar stairs
Then, fearful of an ambush. he fred his
revolver as signal to his companion
on the roof; and, after striking 8
match, he cautiously descended. reach
ing the cellar just in time to see Muir
dock disappear into the underground
passage.
He rushed to the spot; and, unable tc
find the door, he pounded with all hii
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-27
Youthful Diplomacy.

Mother with conviction - Johnny,
you took those preserves from the pan.
try.
Johnny (shrewdly)-Why. ma, you
never saw me do anything Of the kind
Mother Perhaps didn't see you, but.
you did it, and want you to tell me
the truth. (After a long pause) Come!
Why don't you answer?
Johnny--Ma, children should be
seen and not heard" -Catholic stand-
ard and Times.
The improvements during the past
year at Nodaway aggregate about
s2s 600
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-12-27
CHAPTER xxI.-continued.

/ CHAPTER XXI.-Continued.
"Promise-" pleaded the half-uncon-
scious man.
Y 81 promise answered sturgis, after
an instant's hesitation.
1t struck chill to his heart to see
his friend dying in the prime of youth,
strength and happiness.
Suddenly a thought flashed upon
him.
brace up, old fellow. All is not
yet over. The speaking tube leads to
fresh air. Here, put your lips to it
and breathe through your mouth
The artist heard the words and
made an effort to obey these direc-