davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1902-09-07

began to feel quite rich. 1t was sur
prising how much help that extra SOW
ereign was. and Nellie's nightmare o
the end of the week began TO vanish.
Uncle Mac continued to come down a
five. and Nellie and he still amuse
themselves by building castles in tn
air. and with looking in the shops.
At last. when everything seemed S
happy. Edward came down one nigh
with hard, drawn look upon his face
He kissed his wife with great tender
ness at the door, and. with a shake il
| his voice. said: Come into the kitch
en-, Nellie"
What is it, Ted?" she asked anxious
ly.
I've got the sack, Nell." he said
with a sob
For some moments they stood in 81
lence, then nc sank on chair and
buried his head in his hands.
well. my little love-birds,' cried
Uncle Mac. entering from tn garden.
why, what's the matter?'
In a few broken words Nell told him
OF this last and greatest trouble.
We'll, WE'LL said Uncle Mac, when
she had ended, keep brave heart, my
dear, and things may be all well yet.
think Ted and / will take a little walk
up the street and talk matters over"
When they came back she was lying
ON the bed, w,:ere she had been crying
Utterly. but she tried to meet them
with smile.
After dinner Uncle Mac produced :,
tottle of Australian wine from his bag,
and they each had glass. but II
seemed to make her tired ard heavy,
and she felt as though she must so to
sleep. Presently her head nodded, and
AS she lost consciousness she though.
che heard Uncle Mac say: Garry her
TO something" Presently, in her sleep,
she had beautiful dream. She thought
that she woke III ard found herself in
TIE house at Highgate. furnished just
as she always pictured 1t, and Uncle
Mack and Ted were there. and they were
talking and laughing joyfully.
isn't it a lovely dream " she said,
turning to Uncle Mac.
ut is not dream my DEAR" he said,
softly. 81 am not poor, as you think.
I am very rich. l have bought you this
house and furnished it as you described.
and we brought you here in your sleep.
We shall all live here now--that is. If
you Will tolerate your old uncle-and
tomorrow Ted will come up with me as
manager to my business in the city"
rs it true, then. Uncle Mac?" she
cried.
ut is all true, little woman, and you
must forgive an old mans deceit; but l
wanted to see the metal my boys wife
was made of, and-and that riches would
not turn her head. But | know now. my
dear. that as wealth has come in at the
thingummy, love will not fly out of the
what Is its-name."
The Washington times., 1902-09-07
NOTHING LIKE REALISM.

During sham fight an old general
came unawares upon a soldier who was
lying fast asleep in field among the
corn.
Is this your post?' exclaimed the
general, rousing him with the full inten-
tion o. making an example of him.
The soldier. thus suddenly startled out
of his slumber, rubbed hir oves. and on
recognizing the officer sprang TO his feet
presented arms, and said:
II beg your pardon, general, but we
were -oing through sham fight, and in
order to make an illusion more complete
was just pretending to be dead"
The Washington times., 1902-09-07

silly boy, Silly boy. And yet h
doesn't know it, replied Uncle Ma
ruefully For when l called at his of
flee to borrow five shillings off him h.
said he had left all his money at home
But there" he added cheerfully, Il hav'
a sovereign, and we must spend that
My lucky SOW. must 60"
"Your lucky sovereign" queried Mel
lie
We'll, l call it my lucky sovereign.
said Uncle Mac, because it was the
first sovereign l ever earned, and ii
happened to have the date on of the
very year / started to work as a boy
of fourteen. I've kept it all these
years"
| "Oh, you mustn't spend that" cried
Nellie. Tonight Ted will be paid, and
we shall be all right again. Come
downstairs and have some more bacon.
Uncle Mac said he had never enjoyed
any meal so much as he did that bacon
and after he had finished he proposed
that they should go for a walk together
AS we eau u tram rue, he
said, laughingly. I'VE will just walk
round and think we are millionaires
Nothing like building castles in the air,
my dear. when you are down in the
dumps. II you can't actually enjoy the
things wealth would bring, you can look
round the shops and see all the pretty
things, and then by a little imagination
just consider they are your own.
Now. as moneys no object. where shall
we say We llve?"
"Oh, at Highgate,' cried Nellie
"Why Highgate?" asked Uncle Mac
seriously
Because there's such a lively house
there to be let. II stands in it's own
ground, and I've often looked at it, long
before we were married even. l think
/ told you about it one day"
Finding the gate of the house open
they ventured to look over 1T. Nellie
waved quite enthusiastic and as they
went from room to room she furnished
them sumptuously In her Imagination.
The drawing room would be in gold and
white, with Louis XIV style furniture.
Never heard of him." said Uncle
Mac. with conviction You must show
me some of that on the way home
Nellie replied with a laugh that she
would show him the very thing she
meant in Dormans &c Browns Emporium
and on the way back she pointed out
many things she would like, and have.
''if only they had plenty of money"
When they got back Ted was waiting
for his dinner. and while the chops were
grilling, Nellie told him the adventures
of the day. During dinner Uncle Mae,
amid many bursts of laughter, de-
scribed the wonderful home in which
Nellie would, in imagination, live
Uncle Mac started off early next morn
Ing TO get work, or. as he said, die in
the attempt" Toward the end of the
second week Uncle Mac obtained
job" "Of course 1t isn't exactly the
thing ! wanted" he explained but
then beggars can't be choosers I'm to
get S5s. week. so | thought, Nellie.
could pay you pound every Wednes-
day toward the housekeeping expenses.
Matters were so arranged, and Nellie
The Washington times., 1902-09-07
HE RED SEMAPH HORE
LOVES STAKE IN A SIGNAL TOWER

} he was saying, when I go off at six
hope that Rawson chap won't b,
hanging around. He's a bad 'un, II
swear, He never looks you square ir
the face. I've got an idea he and I are
going to have words afore long. Well,
and Will drew a mighty breath and
threw his shoulders back, hard words
break no bones. they say. 1 don't know
p'raps mine may, if fling 'em straight
| from the shoulder"
The line would be clear now till seven
minutes to the hour, when the ordinary
passenger train from London would
! pass the box, to be followed in Ave min
utes by the express. Consequently VIII
| had a few spare moments tor musing
purposes.
"As soon as ever Madge and I are
married I'll take her away from Ring
wood, and out O. sight of that wretched
business. | hate public for any girl
encouraging loaing blackguards like
Dick Rawson, as only lives by swindling
silly fools with more money than wit
Leaning lazily against the rear side
of the box, he failed to see dainty.
n-bonneted little figure making it's
way down the rough wood steps let in
flush with the bank.
The front and two sides OF the box
were from breast-high upward of glass,
including the door. When. therefore.
he heard a rapping at the door. but
hn sor
puzzled.
Then. striding to the door, he threw
it wide open.
Why, Madge," he cried. Who'd
have thought OF seeing you?"
May | come in, WIFI she said, get
ting up, and putting one pretty little
foot over the sill.
I'm afraid not, dearie,' he answered
her. hesitatingly. ITS the companys
rule that no ones allowed inside. I'd
get the sack if broke it,
We'll, WILL you shan't break it, for
I WILL" and before he could make fur
ther protest she was standing by his
side at the lever rack.
"Will. read that" she went on, hold
ing letter right under his nose
Who's it from?'' he asked
Father
Your father, Why. it's from South
ampton!"
Yes. yes he's come back. Will,
And, though he doesn't say so, he may
have brought fortune with him, Read,
you dear old silly, He's coming from
Southampton by the express,"
stand back Madge! The four fifty
three ordinary will pass in two minutes.
and l must stand by" he said, catching
hold of the white" lever.
''Oh, do let me see how you work
them. VIII. I've always longed TO
know
Sweetheart, If you do remain--which
is risk. for the inspector or anybcG::-
might come along. Keep quite quiet
don't speak word. till I've fot those
two trains through.
Rattle. rattle. rattle-p-rr-r-r-r-r,
Just inclining his head to the left. he
could see the Ordinary" overdue two
minutes. sweeping along the .wo niles
of dead straight.
Back went the lever. and with
grinding thud. the white semaphore
The Washington times., 1902-09-07

" DWARD LESLIE Kissed MS VIII
- fondly when she ran to thu
IL door to welcome him home
from business, but when Ii
reached their cozy kitchen he droppe'
wearily into the easy chair by the fire
and rested his head upon his hand. He
was tired after a long days work. with
nothing but couple of buns to stay
the inner manfred and worried. They
had been married now nearly twelve
months, and they found housekeeping
more expensive than they had antici-
ypated, and the better times they had
hoped for seemed as far off as ever. i;
was nearly the end of the month, too,
and the reEt would soon be due. The
coal, also, had yet to be paid for, and
then there was the interest on some
tickets" which must be paid, and his
little wife would lose the little jewelry
she treasured go. but which she gave
up SO willing 20 hell the man sha
loved in the hard struggle to get their
little home together.
Dinner is nearly ready, dearest
she said, as she stroked his hair back
from his forehead. And you are hungry
and tired, dear. and worried"
Presently the postman's sharp rap
caused him to spring up and run to
the door. He came back more slowly.
ITS from Uncle Mac" he said. We'll.
/ am surprised. He arrived in England
yesterday morning. and-ch, good
heavens, we must put him off. We
can't do 1t"
Mrs. Leslie took the letter.
MY Dear Gcdson Ted-l nave come
back to England after fifteen years 10
Australia. AS things are not too we'll
with me, / propose TO come and stay a
sew months with you. l suppose since
you are married fortune is smiling
upon you, and they say thre, can be
kept as cheaply as one. Expect me to-
night about 8. All news then.
Your affectionate uncle,
MAC"
why. ! always thought your Uncle
Mac was doing SO well. Ted" she said,
slowly, as she finished.
$50 did L. said her husband. But,
IQGQs everyone VOiu5
we'll / must write at once and put
him off,"
mo, Ted, dear his little wife said,
bravely. Because you are married /
don't want him to think We are quite
SO poor. We will manage somehow
But she sighed little as she thought
how quickly. even now. the weekly pay
dwindled to a shilling or two before
Friday night.
Barely an hour later Uncle Mac an
nounced his arrival with a performance
on the little brass knocker which start
led several Of Mr.. Leslie's quiet neigh
bors.
"Glad to see you, me boy. Glad to
see you. Nice little place you've got, but
awkward to find. Took the wrong train
at Broad Street, so had to end up on
the tram. And say. Ted, my boy, why
on earth don't they put pavement all
the way along the street? Half way
down l got mixed up in a mountain of
mortar, quite lost my temper, and nearly
my umbrella. As said to a man who
The Washington times., 1902-09-07

" HE cozy little private bar" OF tn
Grown Inn at Ringwood wa
l crowded.
OF all the crowd who were tax
ing to the full the energy and patience
of pretty Madge Ellerton. one there wa
pewter recovered counter. with an air o
Observation-Disclosures, had apparentl!
| eyes and ears only for the handmade
! daughter of the house. Living at Dun
| chester, five miles away. scarcely day
/ passed without his coming over to Ring
wood. where he not only made hot love
to Madge, but sorely disturbed the
maternal peace of the buxom hostess OF
the Grown
Dick RawsOn's occupation, or rather
the lack of it, was a mystery to most
people. for we'll, If somewhat fiashily
dressed, well fed, and we'll provided with
ready money, he seemed to be ever idle,
to be always the man of means.
"Madge," he was whispering on this
particular morning. Il shall want an an
mailman chap from the railway is making
up to you
"Will Varge? And supposing he is,
Mr.. Rawson, that would be his business,
not yours!" she answered with spirit.
Mr.. Rawson," she added almost loud
enough for the others to hear, I've
known Will all my life. OF you l know
nothing, beyond what you choose to
tell me. Well, since ou have heard SO
rluch, | will tell you that Will Varge
has asked me to marry him, and-and
haven't said no! That will serve for
any answer you may want of me-. Good
morning, sir"
He was about to reply to the girl:
and, if his flushed face might be taken
as a true index of his intention, none
toe politely, but was stopped by voice
at his elbow.
Look here. Mr. Rawson, Ny girls
words are mine! We don't want you
nor your custom for that matter! We're
only poor folk. and my husband has
been fortune hunting on the other side
Of the world for these last ten years
But see here, (and the excited dame
flourished a letter before him) my
George has landed in England again,
and. please God. will be home today,
| don't suppose he's brought fortune,
but you'll have TO do with him now.
not with couple of women, Mr.. Raw
son.'
"0h. very well. Mrs. Ellerton, If you
prefer railway servant for SON
in-law, I'm sorry for your taste. that's
all. Good morning!"
He did not go near the Grown" again,
but watched for some chance which
should give him The points of the game.
About o'clock he fancied that he
saw Madge passing along a lane TO the
left of him, in the direction of the rail-
way cutting.
The intermittent ticking of the tele-
graph receiving instrument in signal
box No. 50 afforded a sleepy sort of
accompaniment TO Will Varge's thoughts
as he looked at his watch at twenty
minutes to five.
"I'll so straight up to the Crown I"
The Washington times., 1902-09-07

dropped to "gc on" Half a dozen Sec
onds later the Ordinary" whizzed by,
to gradually slow up into Dunchester
Will varge was in the act thon OF
moving to close the door when a man
sprang up the steps and put the weight
OF his body against it to keep it open.
| 1t was Dick Rawson.
Il suppose" he said, with a cool
sneer, that 1 could get you into ,rou-
BILE for entertaining young ladies in your
box while on duty?''
| Two more minutes and the express
| would pass. and would need stopping;
i he could not handy words with the
other till the red" semaphore was up.
Miss Madge!" continued Rawson,
your mother has sent me for you; has
| asked me to take you home without
delav."
will. it isn't true. Mother would
not ask him to come even near me-
THAT is very nice and polite of you."
said Rawson, making step forward
into the box. but
To let go the red" lever, and. with
q 10y VI Aiai " Clutch fSdWSOu ny
the throat was. however, the work OF
second.
The impact was terrific
In close embrace the two men rolled
heavily down the steps onto the perma-
nent way.
Rawson, though hurt by his back
ward fall, and struggling with all his
might to loose Wills grip of his throat.
was alive to warning sound. every
second becoming more and more dis
tinct.
1t was the express, The white cloud
OF steam just appearing as the train
entered upon the two miles of straight.
Then Will heard it.
"Madge!' he shrieked. pull the red
lever. Pull hard. for Gods sake,'
The girl was paralyzed with fear,
Wills voice seemed to come through
miles of space.
Only mile away now
Madge! Pull the red lever-nowi"
Will-her Will!-in deadly struggle
right in the path Of the oncoming ex-
press; the passenger train waiting still
in Dunchester Station-her fathers life
too. in peril
She could almost feel the hot damp
steam OF the express engine on her
cheek
Staying no more to dream or think.
she seized the red lever. and pulling
1t back with all the strength of her lit
tie arms. she heard the semaphoro
lock up into its place.
Then she tainted.
The express pulled up within score
cf feet of the two men, Will uppermost.
his fingers still on Rawsons throat.
However, nobody blamed her much:
not even WILL who. as he had prophe-
sled. was discharged from the company's
service.
Ii IS satisfactory to know that Dick
Rawson left Dunchester for London soon
after his encounter with his rival the
latter place offering him q wider field
for the shady operations in which his
soul delighted.
As Mr.. EllertOn returned with even n
more than fair pile" the order soon
went forth for an evacuation of the
Grown Inn." and for the building of a
comfortable house on the site of the
cottage where he himself had been born.
Madge and Will were to be married
on the day the house was finished The
happy pair were then to sail for the
place in Queensland which Mr.. Ellerton
had left for his native land
The Washington times., 1902-09-07

\ T might be interesting to consider
what fateful power it is that seize'
i two individuals born at opposite
ends of the earth and hurries then
along through varied scenes and vicis'
itudes, each ignorant of the others eX-
istence. bringing them together. some
times in love and friendship. sometimes
in enmity and deadly hatred.
These phlosophic thoughts were sug-
gested a few days ago as we doubled
the northwest corner of street in the
great Kaleidoscope city of Chicago. On
that northwest corner was fruit
stand. That fruit stand had withstood
many change in Chicaga's governing
powers.
Doodle aldermanic bodies had sue
ceeded each other, police chiefs had
come and gone and were forgotten,
mayor followed mayor; yet there it
stood, serene amid the warning ele-
ments of municipal and State elections.
and other such tempests in tea kettles.
One ear-ringed foreigner after another,
Drawing the sun and storm, raked In
the nickels. doled out the bananas. and
returned to his native land, wealthy
and Independent. Truly it might be
said of that apple stand:
..It shall still stand in the undimin-
ished splendor of its bananas when
some traveller from St. Louis shall stand
on a broken arch of Clark Street Bridge
to sketch the ruins of the County Build
ing"
BY that stand, presiding over its des-
TIMES, was black haired, black-eyed,
black-eyebrowed. olive complexioned
daughter of Greece. BY that stand.
and gazing into those dangerous Greek
optics, was a stalwart form with red
hair. blue eyes, blue coat. brass but
tons, silver star on breast and tas-
teled hickory Under his arm. He
looked good-na tured and honest. and
wore a well-educated blond mustache.
There was one defect in his physique
he was so round-shoulderedsas to- be al
most humpbacked. His name was
Michael O'Calla CHAN, or, as he himself
put it, .'Officer Michael o'Callaghan.
There they stand, the one, for aught
we know, a lineal descendant of Leon
idas, il that worthy had ventured into
matrimony before he ventured into
Thermopylae; and the other-it goes
without saying-a descendant of some
body equally ancient and illustrious.
Yes. there they stand-from Ireland and
from Greece-niaking love to each other
on the curbstone of a busy street in
Chicago. Oh. Love, they say you rule
the court, the camp. the grove; you do
indeed, and you rule the curbstones, the
apple stands and the police force Of the
city of Chicago.
The Washington times., 1902-09-07

The intermittent ticking of the tele-
graph receiving instrument in signal
box No. 80 afforded a sleepy sort of
accompaniment TO Will Varge's thoughts
as he looked at his watch at twenty
minutes to five.
"Ill so straight up to the Crown, ;"
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-08-21
MONEY OR BLOOD.
VIM, {. Walton Warned to
Leave Money at a Desig-
mated Place or For
felt His Life.
COMMUNICATION MADE -
THROUGH ANONYMOUS LETTER.
An Effort TO Capture the Blackmailer
Proved Ab0rtive.

Several weeks ago VIM f. Walton,
President of the Missouri State Banl,
and well known TO be one OF Bates
county's wealthiest citizens. received
an anonym communication
through the mail, demanding of him
"A large sum of money, or, failing, his
life would he forfeited. The letter
gave explicit directions that Mr..
Walton was To take the money in
currency OF large denominations, and
proceed east on the Johnstown and
Butler road, to point in Summit
township, about eight miles from
Butler There he was to bury the
money in box, and return home.
He was to say nothing to any one
on penalty of being assassinated
The letter showed the writer to be
illlterate or was using that method
to mislead. 1t was replete with
coarse epithets and swear words, cal
cnlated to make the hair stand ON
end, Mr.. Walton, correctly and cour-
ageous'y, took Sheriff Smith in.
TO his confidence, and, acting on that
officers advice, drove to the place
designated in the letter and deposit
ed box. The sable curtains OF
night werenomore than fairly drawn,
when two figures would crawl within
sight OF that spot and conceal them.
selves and prepare for a night vigil.
The watchers were deputy sheriff
-Aeeahft- stfrd- fiukertUU dptprttvp-
from Kansas City. For over two
weeks these faithful Officers kept up
the watch every night, in hopes of
capturing the criminal, but he evil
IDENTIFY became suspicious and gave
that locality a wide berth.
The TINES was in possession of
most of the above information at the
time, obtained from neither Mr.. Wal
ton nor the officers, but from pri
vate and trustworthy source; and We
refrained from publishing them in the
hope that the officers would catch
the red-handed william and bring him
to Justice.
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-08-21
Romantic Marriage.
killed

The Kansas City journal of Wednes.
day last contains the following ac-
count OF the marriage oftwo of Bates
countys popular young people, I'M
der the head, They Didn't Wait Till
Fall"
DR.. William A. Hoffman. of Butler,
and Miss Minnie J. Robson. of Am.
sterdam, Mo-, were married by Pro-
bate Judge Snyder, in Kansas City,
kas., yesterday. DR.. Huffman is a
dentist in Butler, while the bride is "a
daughter of "A well known physician
OF Amsterdam. They were to have
been married this fall Miss Robson
spent her vacation in the east and
was Oh her way home. DR.. Huffman
met her in Kansas City yesterday
and suggested that they get married
Immediately. The girl consented,
and, in company with two friends,
they went to the Kansas side and
were made one. They left for Am
sterdam last night and after "break-
ing the news will go to Butler, their
future home"
The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1902-08-21
ENCAMPMENT NOTES.
Next Week Will Be a Gala One for
Butler.---A Large Number of
Visitors Expected.

Second Regiment will arrive on
special train reaching Butler at 3
o clock Sunday afternoon. Compa-
lies from Lamar, Nevada, Carthage,
Joplin, Pierce City, West Plains,
Greeni, Id, Clinton and Sedalia, Hos
pital corps from Sedalia, drum corps
Joplin, signal corps Nevada. Six
hundred men. March from depot to
camp at lake.
Advance details to pitch camp ar
rive Friday noon. Have tents up
and everything in readiness Satur-
day.
Sham battle Wednesday, Aug. ~.
Participated in by all troops and
section of artillery. Special excur-
sions from Kansas City and Joplin
on that day.
Public cordially invited to visit the
camp, drills, parades and all ceremo-
MES at all times. Troops glad to
have them and take pleasure in show
ing visitors through at any time be-
tween revielle g a. IN and taps II
=. M 1t is desired that citizens
avail themselves of opportunity to
see how the state troops are trained
and equipped, and Officers will take
pleasure in going through with them
and explaining the various details.
The grove across the lake has been
reserved fof visitors. Shade, seats.
etc.
Adiutant.General Cameron will ar
rive Sunday morning. Colonel Sin.
clair and the officers of the LIST Regi-
ment OF st. Louis, will visit the csmp
for two days. Col. Lechtman of the
Sd and Col. lStringfellow of the 4th.
Mai. Houck Of the 9th battalion and
Capt. Rumbold of Battery A will be
present.
Col. James Ii. McCord VI st .Jo-
seph. inspector general; Mai. George
HALEY OF Kansas City, chief surgeon;
Mai Jno A. Tuttle, of Hillsboro.
cqmmissary OF subsistence; Mai. Jno.
|. Martin, of st. Louis, inspector OF
rife practice; Maj. Emmett Newton,
Springfield, quartermaster: Mai. A.
V. Adams, engineer officer and Capts.
Chambers and Lowe. of st. Louis.
aides-de camp, all OF Gen. Clark's
staff, will arrive Sunday morning.