davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25

on a special train, carrying nurses
and doctors to the fever towns. You
are in quarantIned country now, and
how you are going to get back, don't
know
"Oh. III get back" I said, cheer
fully. Just let me off at the next
tcvn, and III find my way back"
st wouldn't do anything rash II l
were you he said.
It was a very still little town where
I stopped. There was only one other
passenger for that pIace-a slender
girl, with a clever face that looked too
young for a nurses. walked briskly
down the empty platform, hot with
sunshine. and exuding a strong smell
Of rosin from the new pine boards
There WAS a black sign over one OF
the closed doors with Telegraph
Office" in white letters. Inside there
was a click. click" of Instruments,
but the door was locked. A negro
lad came Iounging around the corner
You needn't try to get in thah," he
said. Importantly. THE operatah he's
daid- Tn feyah's cot him"
isn't there anybody in this town
who can send a MESSAGE inquired.
There was touch on my arm
turned. to see the girl. 4 can" she
said. I am the volunteer operator
who has come to take charge of this
Office and send dispatches about the
state Of things here"
Weren't you afraido" I asked her.
She looked So young.
No" she said. I have had the
fever. New Orleans is my native city,
and L had it there years ago.
couldn't take this sort they have, so
far north" And then, turning to the
boy. she asked for the key
Ten minutes later he had returned
from the house where the last OPP
orator lay dead. with the big door
Key. and we were let into the swell
terfng, dusty little box Of a ROOM
which seemed to me as if it stin held
traces of the disease. l opened the
windows 10 make the girl comfort
able, and sent the boy out after
some ice water and some lemons
Then 1 remembered something
say" I called to hIIo, and I went
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25

But [ made no explanations
well, no; I hadn't thought Of it."
Suddenly Miss Martin came running
down the path.
Come in here, quick" she said.
and went back ahead of me. I fol-
lowed her into an OId-fashioned square
house. with a wide oilclothed hall,
and thin balustradcd stairs. which she
lightly mounted. IN a room was an
old man who had fallen back on his
pillow, dead, his face drawn and yell
low with the scOurge. Standing by his
side was a tall, s3IIoW woman, who
[ am ashamed 20 confess-even in that
moment presented herself as farlil-
lar figure. had seen her counterpart
on the stage hundreds of times as the
typical spinster. There were even the
glasses and the keys. and the lunches
of skinny curIs behind the ears. She
was looking down at her father in d
hard sort of dumbness-
The servants have gone" Miss
Martin said. There is nobody to do
anything. 1t is lucky you are here
I did not stop to contradict her, but
set to work for humanity sake TO do
what I could.
One of the sorrows Of those times
was that the dead must be buried 50
quickly. I took a lantern, went out
to the burying ground. and hunted uT
the family lot With the assistance OF
a negro man, whom Miss Martin dis
covered, I dug a grave We went
back to the town and found a coffin
and in the early Summer morning we
buried the dead man.
As we came out Of the graveyard
stopped Fanny Martin.
Have You been to the office"
asked.
Yes, indeed
We'll, where is my message?'
There wasn't any"
The deuce!" I said, and walked
on back with her. The spinster lady
fingered by her fathers grave. Mis-.
Martin seemed inclined to stay, bu
I knew she could do no good there
I took her by The arm and led he
back to the telegraph office, and ole
tated some messages that woul,
bring answers
I left her clicking off a long mes
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25
BY A. S. DUANE.

Ut IS said that every man has q
blind spot in his eye. Sometimes
L I think that I must have a blind
spot in my brain. and that the dis
asters and the suferings OF humanity
get before it Floods and earthquakes
and epidemics devastate the earth,
but they. make little impression upon
me. I read the headlines in the news
papers. and when a man asks me for
a dollar for a sufferer" he generally
gets 1t; but I lose no rest worrying
over his sorrows.
It may have been an unconscious
seeking after an anudote for my en-
tfrely practical nature that attracted
ne toward Julia Maitland. Julia was
beautiful, young and romantic. and
did not seem TO desire any corrective
for her disposition in the way Of an
alliance with me I asked her to
marry me once, and when she de-
cIined continued 10 visit at her
home, with the full approval Of her
father and with the full intention Of
asking her again
She told me when I did so that she
respected me and liked me. but that
she could never. under any circUm-
stances, be happy with a man who
could appreciate nothing but the sor-
did side Of life She said she had
noticed that when I looked at a
painting I always valued it, took into
consideration the reputation of the
artist, and then gave my opinion
upon It.
It was just 10 o'clock when I left
her house. 1 had time TO go down
La the office and finish up some cor
respondenoe, which the thought Of a
few hours with her had made TO seem
of the most trivial importance earlier
In the evening
We kept a light in the office all
night. It looked a trIfle brighter than
usual as it came peering over the
transom. but I had a genuine start
or surprise as [ opened the door with
my key, and found Ransom, my book
keeper, still busy He looked up as
though he had been expecting me.
Mr. Duane" he said, here are
some letters that I think ought TO be
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25

attended to at once
sat down and looked the letters
over. The matter was much more Sc
rfous than I had imagined it could
be After talking and writing, and
talking again for an hour, we ar
rived at the conclusion that the only
possible way to save the two or three
thousand dollars involved was for me
to make a trip to a city in the north
ern part of the State
There is q train at midnight-or-
haIf-past. Why don't you take that?'
Ransom suggested.
It seemed the best possible thing to
do. I walked over 10 the hotel where
I lived, packed my satchel, and in
another half hour was waiting in the
station for my train. took out some
papers 7 had brought along with
me. and went over them while
waited
II was 10 O'Clock when I finally
arose and dressed myself didn't
think to look out Of the window
until my toilet was completed.
kner about where we would be al
that hour. Already the lake breeze
ought to be rushing through the car
and get It seemed sultry-
I walked out In search Of somebody
Official and met the conductor
What train is this?" I asked him.
rather excitedIy.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25
TRIP INTO FEVER-STRCKEN COUNTRY

moro heartily than usual Ny friends
are serious. hard headed fellows, a
good deal like myself, not mucn
given to elusive expression; but one
Of them actually called me hero
= It Is very seldom that ladies visit
my office, but as I went IN saw
CLEAN of summary apparel A mo-
n1ent later there was a rush and
sob, and Julia. actually Julia, was in
my arms
My darling girl" I said. What
is the matter? Is your father i'll? Is
anything wrong2"
No. No. Oh. suppose you had
died! And it was all my fault
should have driven you 10 that dread
full death. Oh, know you saved
hundreds of lives, but what would
that have mattered to me-"
Julia. my child" I said, VIII you
tell me what is the natter
I know you didn't want anybody
to know it. and I am rightly punished
for having driven you TO il. by all this
publicity. I am so proud Of you'll"
And Julia. Julia who had scorned me.
actually put her tear stained cheek
against my own. and then kissed me.
Now tell me-" said I, what all
this is about"
He put his pen between his teeth,
and took down a copy of a New
York paper OF the Sunday before
which had just reached our town. He
turned to head lined page, pointed
out an article, and went back 10 work,
I sat down and read it.
It narrated the experiences. Of one
of the papers young women CORE
pondents. who had volunteered to go
as telegraph operator TO the yellow
fever infected district. Half the let
ter was taken up with the noble self
sacrifice of the young millionaire bus
mess man from Ohio, Alfred Duane,
who had brought not only his personal
services and sympathy, but his wealth
and influence to aid the sufferers. He
had buried the dead with his own
hands, and that spinster became at
the touch Of this pen a beautiful girl,
supported in her grief by Alfred
/ Duane Special trains had brought
baskets Of costly champagne to the
Duane, And then of a strong man
/ with a broken heart. hiding his own
wounds by ministeTing 10 others. risk
ing the life ne no longer valued be-
cause the woman he loved had denied
/ him his hearts desire! The letter was
/ signed Fanny Martin"
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25

outside and asked him where I could
fLd the nearest bar
"Ovah than in tn tavehn," point
ing to a long, low, implanted house.
I ran across the street, followed
IeisureIy by the boy. and found my
way into q bare room with a shelf
across it, and perhaps a dozen bot
ties. A portly man. in soiled yellow
linen, was doing in a chair. 1
awakened him.
Have you any champagne?" I said.
Who's got it now?" ne asked. with
a start.
Got what?"
The fevah. Yes, sab, I've got pIen-
y, sah," and he went into another
room, and brought out two greenish
bottles Of American champagne.
It's the best medicine than is fur
it. Who's got it? The muses. bring
down champagne, but it's no sich
brand as thisI"
no. I suppose not" I said; and
then I asked after ice. but I found
that beyond the supply held by the
muses." there wasn't any in the
town.
took the bottles and went back
across the street, followed presently
by the boy with the water.
II can cool it," the girl said, and she
sent the boy back after an earthen
jar Of water. She wrapped it in wet
cloths, put the bottles in it, and set
the whole in the window.
What's that message of yours? p
she asked. I found she had already
introduced herself to the other Of
fees along the line I sent a telegram
to Ransom, telling him in the office
cipher Of my plight and instructins
him to make some arrangements
about getting me out of the fix was
in, without saying anything about it
I wanted to sneak back without being
quarantined.
What Is your nance" I asked tn,
girl
Fanny Martin" she said.
Wen, I am going to have the an
swer to my message sent to you.
am not anxious TO have people talk
ing about my being down here"
Don't want your right hand t.
know. eh?'
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25

sage to somebody
1t was almost dark when a knock
came on my door. and the grayish
.iegro boy put his head in and fol-
lowed it by the rest Of his body,
carrying a yellow envelope. 1t was
from the superintendent, telling me
that he would do what he could for
me, but he feared I should be
stopped. as quarantine was very
strict
IF I don't get out. any way you
viii get your champagne, I said TO
Fanny Martin. We had grown to be
famous friends. She was a smart,
clever little thing. with a shrewd way
of looking at life, and keen sense
of humor. She had made excursions
round about during the day, riding
on horseback. There were very few
cases left. and they were going to
move on to the next town.
The reports are exaggerated" she
said: but then that's what sells the
papers. It's all in the days work.
Now, suppose you tell me what
brought you down here?"
THE nurses train"
Yes, but before that. Had YOU 4
secret sorrow? Had your wife died,
OF your sweetheart Tilted you, that
you valued life so HghtIy?"
MY sweetheart had Tilted me. or re
fused to marry me, the night I start
ed, but ! can hardly say that I val
ued life much the less. am going
back to try it over again"
What is the matter with you?'
Fanny Martin asked. You seem like
a very. respectable person The pres
ident of the G a. & 5 seemed to
think you were 4 reliable man."
I am am too respectable She
says I am practical For example.
she says that all I see in yellow
fever epidemic is its effect on trade. -
And you came down here TO nurse,
and show her better?"
Not by a great dealt" said en-
phaticalIy. And then I told her ex-
@ctly how it all happened.
And she wants a romantic iover?'
7 suppose so"
All said Fanny Martin.
1t seemed to me that men looked al
me oddly, and shook hands with me
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25
Young Broker of Colorado Spuned by Many Finally He De-
serves, Wins the Love of a Good Woman.

why did you leave US so abruptly
last evening, Mr.. Rayburn2'
Since the subject could be no longer
avoided, ne plunged into it frankly.
I'm going to ask you to withdraw
that question" he said.
What for?'
Because I can't tell you the truth,
and I don't equivocate-with you"
She looked up archly.
THAT is refreshing; well, with
draw it, with the provision that I may
be allowed to account for your disap-
pearance IN my own way"
Il accept the condition. You can't
think worse Of me than deserve"
who can say what one deserves? %
He smiled cynicalIy.
Everybody pretends to, and fitness
doesn't seem TO cut much Of a figure.
After all, though, I shouldn't rail;
have merited every I'll thing that's
ever been said of me"
An oppressive little silence followed
this remark, and then Grace said,
thoughtfuIly: That 10 the same as
saying that you have been very
wicked, isn't it?''
It's just that"
why have you been wicked?'
There is no reasoning answer to
that question, because there IS no ex-
cuse for deliberate sin. Provocation
there may be. but it's a fatal weak
ness to yield to it,
Tell me about it"
There isn't much to tell; it's just
the old story of a mans treachery and
a woman's perfidy. I was going to
marry her, but my friend forestalIed
me, and then 7 went into moral bank
ruptcy." Grace did not reply, and
Rayburn resumed: THAT was the
beginning: after a little, the man who
pIunges into dissipation resembles the
Malay who has run amuCk without
getting himself killed In the process.
Safety brings regret, and there is no
hope of going back TO such blessed
things as self-respect and honor and
domesticity." His tone was an eIo-
quent plea of contradiction, but /;
did not come.
Grace arose and went to the win
dow, parting the curtains to look out
into the night
4 suppose you are right; and then
there is the dreadful memory of the
dead and dying by the wayside."
She spoke softly, and with averted
face, meaning to say more, but her
father and Edward came in. and
there was no opportunity.
He had turned abruptly into the
hallway of the building in which he
/ roomed. and had almost fallen over
the figure Of a woman croUched upon
the lowest step of the stairs. She
made no reply to his apology, and by
/ the uncertain light Of the street lamp
/ opposite. Rayburn could see that she
was sobbing.
What's the matter with you?" Can
I help you?"
( The woman looked up at the kindly
tone, and Rayburn saw a chHd's face
stamped with the seniIity Of sin and
disease. 7 reckon nobody can helr
me-Tm turned out TO die. that's ALL
/ Who turned you out?-
/ "Biu Cade. He amt got no more
J use for me cause Tn sick an played
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25

insuIted your sister-do you hear
that2 1t is what might have been eX-
pected when she trusted herself in
public with a social pariah, and 1
ought to have shot myself before
allowed her to do it."
What did you do when you left
us?"
I went back and beat his face in.
and I've been looking for him to re-
turn the compliment with a forty
four all the morning. It's Gods good
ness that she didn't hear what he
said"
Are you quite sure she didn't"
asked Burney quietly.
'Damnation, man, do you want to
drive me quite mad? Isn't it bad
enough as it stands, without any such
Internal lnsinuations as that?"
I had no such intentions. What 1
meant was that Grace is sensible
enough to let such things lie at the
door Of the past. Her anxiety Will
not begin until she learns that trou-
bic has come Of it."
Rayburn frowned and tugged at his
mustache.
If I thought she cared-Burney,
don't let this thing get to her; I'll go
and ask the Cady's pardon, if there's
no other way to stop the row"
is it necessary to do that?"
I'm afraid it is-any way, I should
/ do penance for giving his scurrilous
tongue the license"
And now you'H go TO luncheon
with me. won't your"
IF I cared as much for you as you
+ do for me, I shouldn't; I'm a bad lot.
Burney-worse than you know any
thing about. and you'd better drop tn
Burney smiled and linked his arm
anectionately in that Of the broker.
7 Put your verbs in the past tense
/ and I'll believe anything you like he
said. In the meantime, let's go and
eat"
True to his promise, Rayburn
sought out Mr.. William Cade for
Apologize purposes. devoting a por-
/ ton of the afternoon to that errand
Of humility. The broker approached
+ the gambler with a cool daring that
was worthy of a nobler object, and
! threatened to drive him out of tow
If he did not agree to let the matter
drop then and here, extorting, in ad-
ditfon, a promise that there should be
no talk about it. Cade acceded sui
,IenIy. in unwilling Difference to the
colder courage Of the other; but Ray
burn left him with the knowledge
that ne had only exchanged an oper
antagonist for a secret enemy.
Having thus made so large a con
EcessIon 10 the peaceful proprieties, he
rewarded himself by calling, in the
evening, at the house in Victor
street He was more embarrassed
than ne thought possible when he
found that Edward and his father had
gone out Grace received him, and the
. conversation jolted unevenIy until il
reached the incident Of the previous
evening. Rayburn was a master Of
. fence. and he exhausted himself II
the effort to steer clear of the sub
ject: but his companion was not Il
be turned aside. At the end Of hi:
most brilliant DEPRESSION, she asked
quite irrelevantly:
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25

she wondered why he scrut' lied the
face Of every chance passer by as II
he were determined to see behind the
mask which it is the privilege Of
every human being to wear.
When a man is seeking for an af-
front. it seldom tarries. Rayburn's
came while they were making their
way through the crowded lobby Of
the theater, in the fippant remark Of
one vestibuIe Iounger TO another
Rayburn looked aside quickly and
identified the speaker. Then he
touched Burney's shoulder. VIII you
take your sister for d. moment" he
asked, passing Grace forward to her
brothers side Thank you" and he
dropped back into the crowd. emery
ing again in front of the two loung-
ers-
There was an eddy juet here in the
stream of humanity pressing forward
to the box office, and Rayburn spoke
pleasantly to the man behind him:
May I ask you to give me just d
| little more space? Much obliged, that
viii do"
The punctuation of the grateful re-
mark was a terrific blow full in the
face of the offender. The man fell as
/ if he were shot, and there was a little
swirl Of excitement in the eddy; when
it subsidized, Rayburn had disap-
peared-
Under similar conditions in q ma
! turer civilization, the young broker
! might have expected a visit from Il
/ court officer while he was opening the
mail at his office the next morning.
/ but there were reasons other than
! those Of environment why William
! Cade. Familiarity known as "Cady'' in
/ the select and somewhat retired cir
/ Gle in which he moved, did not prefer
a charge against his assailant. One
was that the shy reluctance common
to gentlemen Of his guild about ap-
/ pearirg in court even as a plaintiff
and another and weightier was that a
point of etiquette had been raised by
! Rayburn's blow which was equivalent
10 the r s. Y. P. on visiting card.
Between inventing Il plausible ex-
cuse. which should be IS far as posi-
bic from the truth, in answer to Bur
ney's inquiries regarding his abrupt
leave taking of the theater party. and
watching the door for the appearance
OF the inevitable pistol In the hands
OF the punctiIious Mr.. Cade, Rayburr
had a bad forenoon of it Burney'e
proposal that they should go TO lunch
con together was the final jerk that
Strapped the thread Of his equanimiE
Not now. or at any other time, he
replied roughly. III tell you what il
is. Burney. you've got 10 break OF
with me or you'll lose cast. ! give yoU
fair warning"
i Burney looked troubled. What Ia:
happened since last night2" he asked
Enough to make me understand
!. that it viii require more basenes:
than I've ever owned to, to induce mt
to continue my social relations with
. you and your family
Having said so much, you car
hardly refuse to tell me more.
If you viii have it, then-sit down
you make me nervous with that mo
notonous Marcia scoundrel standing
in the lobby of the theater last nigh
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25

rang 1t twice before essaying TO light
the gas. The effort OF reaching the
high burner over the table sent the
room whirling IN dizzy circles around
him, and a misty blur obscured his
sight as he sank into a chair ard
grasped pen. The note was brief.
and it ended abruptly because of the
failing light.
Dear Burney:-Cade dropped ne at
the foot Of the stairs just now. and
! think I'm done for. 1t was on ac-
count Of the woman he had driven
into the streets TO die was send
ing her to the Sisters when you met
me. For Gods sake make Grace IN
derstand this. Rayburn.
Five minutes later. a messenger boy
entered the open door and started
back IN alright at what appeared TO
be a corpse sitting at the table with
a note in its extended hand. The
lad snatched the message and fed
without looking behind him With
the echo Of his footsteps in the empty
corridor. Rayburn's stubborn resoIu-
tim snapped like an overstrsined bow
and he fell forward upon the table.
1t is not wholly pieasurabie to
come back to life after a sojourn IN
the debatable land that lies between
consciousness and death. Rayburn's
first emotion upon opening his eyes
IN the semi-darkness Of strange
apartment was a feeling Of regret
at finding himself still on the hither
side OF the line which separates con-
scious suffering from whatever lies
beyond it. The position Of the bed
did not admit a full view OF the
room, but the murmur Of voices
came to him from the invisible side,
like the fanciful speech OF a dream.
There were two of them, and the
softer was urgent and pleading.
why don't you tell me?-anything
Is better than suspense"
L have told you, Grace; you know
doctors never talk much about crit
icaI case"
But I want to know his very
words"
There was a pause. and then again
the voice Of the man:
He said there was little hope-that
unless he becomes conscious within
the next twelve hours, his wonder
full vitality would lose the fight
"Oh, Edward"
The mans tone was grave and
comforting; Poor little sister I
didn't know it meant so much to
you"
Nobody knew-and now he'll die
without knowing
/ Rayburn's Hpe framed an inarticu-
late thanksgiving that this vas one
Of the blessings not to be withheld
While his eyes were closed he heard
a door shut softly and the rustic Of
1 a wonan's garments came across the
] room end stopped at his bedside
When he ventured to look again, he
saw that she was kneeling with her
face hidden in the bed clothes The
sight was healing, and there was
trace Of the old light heartedness in
his voice as he said feebly-
.sSo. he won't die without know
ing lt-he won't die at all if he can
hello it; there's too much to live
/ for.
The girl did not raise her head but
her hand sought and found his on the
coverlet. Then she asked shyly;
Is there any room in your heart
! for me. Harry
IT'S swept and garnished, dear
on5 any vav. l think the other oc-
/ @,ITant was only wounded vanity