davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04

Fe looked long and wistfully in her fac.
| In her disheveled hair by the din, Ugbt
OF the car he thought her more beautiful
than ever. At last she brushed the tears
rom rom her eyes and tuned her face full on
ms with a sad sweet smile
My own dear love" she sobbed IT
prayed that l might see you somehow be-
fore l left. l was wide awake when 1 first
heard the distant murmur Of your voice
On! l am so glad you Gamer and she
pressed his hand
Il got your letter at ten-thirty"-
OH that awful letter. How l cried over
1t. Papa made me write il. and read and
mailed 1t himself. But you saw my mes
sage between the lines?'
Yes. and then 1 covered It with kisses
But what is the cause of this sudden
change of the General toward me7 What
have l done?''
Please don't ask me. I can't tell YOU"
she sobbed lowering her face a moment
to his hand and kissing it. Don't ask
me-"
But my dear. must know. There can
De no secrets between US"
My lips will never tell you There have
oeen thousand ISLANDERS breathed against
YOU l met them with fury and scorn, and
no one has dared repeat them in my
hearing. 1 would not pollute my lips by
repeating one of them"
But who is their author?"
wouldn't. She loves you. and she is on our
side; but said 1t was best. Papa has made
up MS mind to break our engagement for
ever. And 1 defed him. We had a scene.
didn't know l had the strength of will
that came to me. l said some terrible
Things to him, and he said some very cruel
things to me. Poor mamma was prostrated.
Her heart is weak. and 1 only yielded at
last as far as l have because of her tears
and suffering. I could not endure her
pleadings. So L promised to do as he
wished for the present, leave for Boston
and cease to write to you
My love, must know my enemy to meet
him and face the issues he raises. I can
not be strangled in the dark like this
You will find it out soon enough, 1 can
not tell you" she repeated. II only ask
you to trust me. in this the darkest hour
that has ever come to my life. You will
Il have trusted you with my immortal
soul. You know this
Yes. yes. dear; do. Then you can love
and trust me without letter or a word be-
tween US until mamma is better and | can
get her consent to write TO you? Oh l
never knew how tenderly and desperately /
love you until this shadow came over our
lives! No power shall ever separate us
when the final test comes unless you shall
grow weary"
DO not say that" he interrupted Il
love you with love that has brought me
out of the shadows and shown me the shin
ing face Of God. Death shall not bring |
WEAKNESS. But I dread with a sickening |
fear the efforts they will make to plunge !,
you into the whirl of frivolous society. l |
shall be lonely beggar a thousand miles |
away. with not one friendly face near you /
to plead my cause"
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04

Hush" she broke in upon him 'You
are for me the one living presence. You
are always near-oh. so near. closer than
breathingv'
The roar OF the train became sonorous
with the vibration of great bridge He
started and looked at hio watch. -1
I'VE are more than half way to the stop
where 1 must leave you and return" SOS
How long have You been hereT' "a
Over a half hour. 1t does not seem two
minutes. Only a few minutes more face to
face. and all life crowding for utterancei
How can l choose what to say, when my
tongue only desires to say love you'll Bend
near and whisper to me again your love
VOW" he cried in trembling accents.
Close to his ear she placed her lips. hold
ing fast his hand. whispering again and
again. My own dear love-unto the utter
most! In life. in death. forever.''
The train blew the long. deep call for it,
hundred mile stop and they both rose.
You have the little love-token still?' he
asked.
Yes. in my bosom. feel It warm and
throbbing with your love. and it shall not
be taken from me in the graveI'
That thought will cheer the darkest
hours that can come. and now. till we meet
again. must say good-by,' he said
huskily.
She could make no response He placed
his arms around her. pressed her close to
his heart for monochrome long wistful
kiss. and he was gone.
III give the old warrior the fight of his
career." he muttered as ne snapped his
square Jaw together with the grip OF a
wise. My brains. and every power with
which nature has endowed me against his
will and his money. Ard for the bastard
who has slandered me there will be reck-
on!ng."
He was fighting in the dark, but deep
down in him he had soldiers love for a
fight His soul rose to meet the challenge
of a hidden foe all armed in the steel of its
proud heritage of courage He went to
bed and slept soundly for six hours.
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04
Chapter Ty-COntinued.

Inere was no letter In II.
Sam. you're not holding out my letter
| to tease me. old boy?" he asked, pathetic
| ally.
Sam was about to joke him about the un-
| certainties of love, when his eyes rested on
! his drawn face.
Lord no. Charlie he protested You
| know wouldn't treat you Ike that
| Then look again. you may have dropped
| It"
Sam turned and looked carefully over the
| floor. over and under his desks and tables
and returned.
! No. but 1t may have been thrown into
/ the wrong bag by that fool mail clerk on
| the train. You may get 1t Tomorrow
He turned away and walked to his office
| forgetting his key in the open box. The
vague sense oil calamity that weighed on
his heart for the past two days now be-
came a reality.
The next day he watched his box again
with the hope that Sans guess might be
right, and the missing letter would come.
But. instead Of the big square-cut envel-
ope he had waited for. he received a bulky
letter in an old-fashioned masculine hand
writing with the post mark of Independ-
enca and q mill mark in the upper left-hand
corner
He did not have to look twice at that let
Ter. 1t was the sealed verdict of his jury.
He locked his Office door. 1t was long end
rambling, full Of kindly sympathy ex-
pressed IN a restrained manner. He couldn't
believe at first that so outspoken a man as
'he General could have written It. The sub
stance OF Its meaning. however. was plain
enough He meant to say that as he was
NOT IN position to make a suitable home
al present for wife, and as he dsapproved
OF long engagements. It seemed better that
no engagement should be entered into or
announced.
He stared at this letter for an hour trv
ing TO grasp the mystery that Law back of
Its hating, half-contradictory sentences
He did not know It'll long afterwards thar
the General had written that letter with
two blue eyes tearfully watching him and
waiting to read 1t; that now and then there
was the sound of a great sob and two arms
were around his neck. and a still white
face lying on his shoulder, and that tears
had washed all the harshness and emphasis
out OF what he had meant to write and al,
but biotted out any meaning TO what h.
did write
But withal It was clear enough In ;,s ,,,-
port It meant that the General had halt
ingly but authoritatively denied his sui,
He Instantly made up his mind to ask an
interview at his home, and know plainly an
his reasons for this change of attitude He
wrote his letter and posted 1t immediately
by return mail. He knew that the reores.
would precipitate a crisis. and he trernbieo |
at the outcome Either her father vouIs ]
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04

teen miles and board the limited at this
water station. The only danger was if the
sky should cloud over and the starlight h.
lost it would be difficult to keep in the mar
row road that wound over the Semi-muun-
famous hills densely wooded, that must he
crossed to make 1t.
TN try itr' he exclaimed. "Yes. I will
do it," he added setting his teeth. III
make that train"
He got the best horse he could find in
the livery stable saw that his saddle Cirths
were strong. spraUE on and Cgllaped toward
the south. II was lO.i5 when he started.
and it seemed a doubtful undertaking. The
limited would make the run from Inde-
pendeuce, tifty-two miles in an hour at
the most. II she were on time it would
he a close shave for him TO make the Ugh
teen miles.
He pushed his horse to the utmost ereed
he could maintain for the first twelve miles
that he might have more time to pick his
way in the darkness among the overlapping
trees near the stopping place. The sky
clouded over slightly before he reached this
narrow way running through these forests
with many crooks and cross roads. In spite
of his vigilance he lost his direction and
had gone a quarter of a mile before u rift
in the cloud showed him the north star
suddenly. and he found he had taken the
wrong road at the crossing and was going
straight back home.
Wheeling his horse. he put spurs TO him
and dashed at full speed back through the
dense woods. He lay low over the saddle
TO save his face from overhanging limbs
and at last, tired of his cramped position
he raised his head just in time TO strike
limb which caught his uecktie and tore It
off. He did not dare 10 stop to hunt It in
the dark and urged his horse faster
Just as he got within a mile of the tank
he heard the train blow for the bridge
crossing at the river near by.
Now, my boy he cried TO his horse. nat
ting him. Now your level best"
The horse responded with squirt of des-
perate speed. He had a way of handling a
horse that the animal responded 10 with
almost human sympathy and intelligence.
He seemed to breathe his own will into the
horses spirit He few over the ground and
reached the train Just as the fireman cut
OFF the water and the engineer tapped his
bell to start.
He flung his horses rein over hitch;ng
post that stood near the dark silent little
station-house. rushed 70 the track and
81 rang on the day coach as it passed.
He had intended to ride fifty miles on this
train, see his sweetheart face to face-learn
the truth from her own lips-and then re-
turn on the up-train He hoped to ride back
to Hambright before day and keep the fact
of his trip a secret.
Now new difficulty arose-a very SIM
pie one-that he had not thought Of for a
She was in a Pullman sleeper of
course. and must be asleep.
There were three sleepers. one for Atlanta.
one for New Orleans and one for Memphis
He hoped she was in the Atlanta sleeper.
as that was her destination though If that
were crowded in its lower berths she might
be in either of the others But how under
heaven could he locate her? The porter
probably would not know her.
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04
"THF TF0pARDS SPOTS Reconstruction


I He was puzzled. The conductor ap-
preached and he paid his fare TO the next
stop. fifty miles.
! I've an important message for pas
sauger in one of these sleepers, Captain
/ he exclaimed. Il have ridden across the
/ mountains to catch the train here
| "Au right. sir said the genial conductor
/ who was now in charge of the train.
! Go right in and deliver it. You look like
I you had a tUsSle to get here
1t was close shave CASTOR replied.
: He stepped into the Atlanta sleeper and
. encountered the dusky potentate who pre-
sides over its aisies.
/ The porter looked up from the shoes he
: was saining at Gaston's disheveled hair
and collar standing up without tie, and
4 gave MIN no welcome.
! CASTOR dropped a half dollar into his hand
and the porter dropped the shoes and
grinned royal welcome.
Any ting l kin do fer we. boss?"
! Got any ladies on your carr"
"Yassir, three un en-.
! Young or old?''
"One young un. en- two ole uns."
| Did the young lady get on at Independ-
| ence?"
"Yassir"
! Going to Atlanta7"
''Yassir.''
''Is she very beautiful7'
BOSS. she's de purt!ess young lady ]
cher laid my eyes on-but look lax she been
cryin''
'.Tf.en I want you to wake her must
see her.
.Lordy boss. cain do dat Hit ergin
de rules
But I'm bound to see her I've ridden
eighteen miles across the mountains and
scratched my face all to pieces rushing
through those woods. I've a message OF
the utmost Importance for her"
Cain do it, boss, hits ergin de rules. But
you can go wake her youseh eff youse er
mind ter I cain keep you fun 1t. She's
dar in number seben.'
CASTOR hesitated. No, you must wake
her. he insisted, dropping another half
dollar in the porter's hand.
The porter got up with a grin. He felt
he must rise to a great occasion.
We'll, l des tumble roun' de berth en-
mebbe she wake herself en- den tell her"
Just then the electric bell overhead rang
and The index pointed TO !. Oar now, dat's
her calm me. shot,
He approached the berth. What kin I
do fer ye M'am?" he whispered.
Porter. who is that you talking to? 1t
sounds like some one l know"
''Yassum, hits young gent name er Gas
ton, jump on bode at the water station
say he got 'portant message fur you
Tell him I will see him in a moment"
The porter returned with the message.
you des wait In dar, in number one
hits not made up-twell she come. he
added.
There was the soft rustic Of dressing
gown-he sprang to his feet, clasped her
hand passionately. kissed it. and silently
she took her seat by his side. He still
held her hand. and she pressed his gently
in response. He saw that she was crying
and his heart was too full for words for q
moment.
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04
Milk Served From q
Bamboo Tube.

Thct would wonder at the rnilkman with
great clay jar on his back. who serves
out milk from tube of bamboo. They
would wonder at the chicken pedders car
rying wicker crates of fowls fastened 10
poles on, their shoulders. and they would
stare at the women going home from mar
ket with bundles and baskets on their
heads.
The Washington girls would hold their
fans before their faces at the sight of a
naked brown baby riding on the hip Of its
half naked brown mother, and the bows
would probably hang about the church door
and itch 10 tickle the hare feet of the pretty
FiHpinos ltneeling on the stone floors of the
Cathedral with their upturned feet peeping
outside their dresses.
indeed, everything In Manila would be odd
could 1t be dropped down in the United
states, Every store would be a curiosity
ana every trade would make you open vour
eyes. The tai!ors, for instance. all sonat
on the floor as they sew They have hand
sewing machines which they rest on tho
moor or tables half a foot high. and thew
use their feet as we'll as their hand, q,
thelr work. Indeed, every Filipino has four
hahds ana twenty fingers. for the feet tax.
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04
Water TSufralocs Are
Ducks of the OK Family.

These water luTa'oes are the ducks OF
the px family. They have wide hoofs and
they can swim through the swampy rice
fields dragging their harruws or plows
They can travel over the quIoksands whlch
swallow un army mules, and they are used
90 drag fat boats and sleis over the soft
soil They are fond of water. and are to
De seen lying In every pond or puddle. TAX
trg mud baths Indeed they must have wa
ter every few hours or they will go mad,
and their owners drive them every now and
then down into the canals for a swim.
These animals DO the drawing and cart
irg Of the towns and the heavy farm work
Of the country. They are also used for
riding. and a common sight is n farmer
going to or from work on one of these un-
ga!nly beasts. The children ride them, lying
down upon their backs or sitting with their
heads to the horns or towards the tail as
they please. directing the bufaloes TINS
way or that by kick or a slap. The ami
mails are fond OF their child masters and
submit % them without trouble.
Hhe street scenes of our Filipino cities
would he continuous vaudeville II they
could be transported to the United States.
Take the men and boys who go about with
their shirts outside their trousers. It seems
20 queer that YOU can't get over It. II you
could drop the Escolta, the PRINCIPAL street
Of Manila down upon Pennsylvania avenue
this morning the police would run In the
little brown men who In their Sunday best
Hre on their way to church. because of in
decent dressing. They would tell the women
70 70 home and put on hats and stockings
md perhaps warn them that their mosquito
net dresses are rather too thin for pro-
rricty
The WashinEtonians would stare at the
half naked Chinese coolies, hare to the
waist, trotting along with great bundles on
their naked shoulders. And they could not
understand one-tenth Of the other charac-
ters.
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04

s-srlaI Cr-rcspondsrce @, The Republic.
washington. May FL want 10 give you
come of the strange sights you see every
day In the Philippine Islands. Our new pos
sessions ought 20 be called Topsy-Turvey-
dom. f0r everything IS upside down and
everything IS strange. Take, for instance.
@ white cur.Jao ~ srectaCles. I saw one IN
Erulla The ra-ahao or water buffalo is
She uEllos- OF anil .ua!s. It IS a mixture Of a
r.nrop0ramu- "a cow and hog in appear
arae, and f. has been described as a big
hog with horns It Is larger than the
largest r.w. its horns are at least half a
yard long. and ia hair stands. out like the
i-..lc= NJ a. hog. The usual animal is
ra-~ Eray OF black color. oGt there are
s.ae a.tHuS and they are the -uglest Of
jU. 'n.. Their skins are rosy pink, their
lr.-r.U# as white as snow and their eyes
almost white. Put ons OF these animals INTO
nu-t, yoke 1t there by a bar across the
neck, and drive with a line through hole
ia its nose. and you Ea--s one uf the moving
pictures 90 ,F.ry-dE~ - il Manila. You
must add. however. = lGsot-eAes -aess
a-. rna a.IF.a W .srEu C1roanut smell.
=u t..H ruaslH,- thar O. i=- completely cover
The ayes .nI .iu4 'Ee beast, as it were.
Whether ia. ra-gI=- are used on account
a. weakness .l jh. eyes or on account OF
RI. .....urr..-s o.! the animal l do not
....r. + have seen many such. and am told
. .s because they are dangerous and liable
TH horn.
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04
CHAPTER XI.
Il. God Omnipotent?

CASTOR awoke next morning al half past
ten O'Clock with a dull headache. and q
sense OF hopeless depression. His anger
had cooled and left him the pitiful con-
sciousness of his loss. He slowly and me-
chanically dressed
After breakfast he went to his office and
read over slowly the half-dozen letters he
had received from Sallie, kissed them ono
by one. tied them up and sent them to her
mother. He took the ring out OF his pocket
and locked 1t in one OF his drawers.
u can't work to-day. It's no use tryingr'
he muttered looking out Of his window.
He locked his office and started downtown
with 70 purpose except In the walk to Try
to fight out his pain. $ai
He met as he crossed the square the
Preacher. who was waiting for him. er
To ha continued neyf Supdov
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04
Waterways of Manila Overhung
by Old Spanish Buildings.

=
I spent much OF my time in Manila In
strol!ing about the canals. Parts OF the
city remind one OF Venice. they are % cut
up by waterways. overhung by old Span
ish buildings. The business parts of the
towns can all be reached by canals. The
Escolta runs parallel with the Pasig River
ard canals cut through Bilondo and Tondo.
These waterways are filed with craft of
all kinds. from steamers from China and
all parts OF the archipelago to the little
dugout canoes in which the natives bring
their wares to the market. A trip through
these parts Of Manila gives you an idea
Of the real business OF the Philippines
There are ships from the North unloading
great cargoes of tobacco and steamers
from the South with cargoes Of hemp
There are cascos filed with cocoanuts and
other fiat boats of goods brought in by
the steamers out in Manila Bay. The cas-
cos are the chief boats OF the interior.
They are found in all the large canals and
you see many at anchor in different parts
OF Manila, their owners using them as re-
tail stores in which they peddle out the
stuff they have brought in from the coun-
try. In one canal not far from the Orient
Hotel you may find floating rice stores.
The rice is exposed for sale in great bas-
kets and in piles. and It is peddled out by
the women belonging 10 the boats. There
are cascos OF frewood, cascos filed with
grass, cascos of vinegar and sugar. and. IN
fact. caSccs filed with every kind OF Phil
ippine product
Many of these cascos form the homes Of
their owners and the people who live In
them are of their own kind. They have q
covered awning over one end of their boats
and 1t Is there that they cook and eat. 1t
is there that most OF them are born and
there many Of them die.
Copyright, 1902. by F. G. Carpenter.
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04

saIlie Worth bu. when she rejected his attec-
tions he sought to win the admiration Of Mrs.
Durham which he succeeded in doing In pc
Cuiar
Charlie CASTOR at last succeeded in winning
the love of Sallie Worth. Getting the consent OF
General Worth proved TO be arduous thsi
CASTOR procrastinated until the General went
away on business
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04
Women's Shoes of a
Rripht-Colored Velvet.

The shoes worn by the F1lipinos are US
ually heelless. The better class woman's
shoe is n hright-colOred velvet embroidered
with gold; it is often elaborate and very ex-
pensive. In the stores the shoes are hung
up on poles rather than laid away in boxes
and the shoe merchants hooks them down
with a long stick for his customers.
The shoes of the lower classes are half
wood. Every market has its shoe bazaar,
and the one In Manila consists Of low Ia
bles covered with shoes. The dealer. who
Is invariably a woman. squats on the table
The St. Louis Republic., 1902-05-04

, clay bowls with little knobs on them 70
hold up the pots on the charcoal fire within.
The average stove is about fourteen inches
in diameter and eight inches deep. and it
can be bought for - cents. The cooking
bowls are equally cheap. as ! found by ask
ing a stove merchant the prices. As we
talked I persuaded him to lift up one Of
his stoves and hold it ou, in the sun
while l photographed it. He did so, bend
ing over and reaching the stove out toward
me while l pressed the button.
II is on such stoves that the meals Of the
Filipinos are cooked. The natives do not
like our stoves. and one which was import
ed by the wife of an army officer had 10
be thrown aside because the servant would
not use it.
y separate stove is used for every dish.
some families having dozen going at
every big dinner
The fuel is usually charcoal or little
sticks Of wood such as We use for kindiinE.
The wood is sold in bundles so small that
an average lO-ycar-old boy could carry
dozen OF them in his arms at one time.
Scenes About the Markets
and Cook Shops.
1 spent much time about the markets in
Manila. now and then eating my break
fast at a market cook shop. There are
many little stands there where rice. fish
and other foods are OffSreG Tor sale
Everything is sold in small quantities, aud
. cents will buy you what the Filipino
considers good meal. I remember one
cook stand on the porch of the market
house in Manila. The cook was Il black
haired brown-skiHned woman. barefoot7d
ami bareheaLel She chewed vigorously
at u guid of betelnut as she worked, and
her blooI-colored teeth and gums shOne
out when she laughed. She was cook
ing shrimp patties in a red clay basin Of
boiling grease. She would mix some white
sprouts and rice flour together into
dough and wrap It around couple Of
shrimps as big az your little finger. This
She would drop into the pan and in a mo-
ment II would he cooked a light brown.
ready to be ladled out with a cocoanut
dipper and served with pepper and sauce
hot to the customer. Just beside this
woman was another who sold chocolate
squares wrapped up in green banana
leaves. and besides her girl who peddled
out yellow cccoanut candy. In the same
place I was offered sausages about the
size of my little finger for cents apiece.
I am surprised that the books about the
Filipinos make little mention of the fish.
l doubt whether there is country on
earth which is so blessed in this way.
Fish and rice form the chief diet of the
people. and both are consumed in vast