davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Smyrna times., 1903-03-04
MiCC
Razzle dazzle
By BALDWIN SEARS
Copyright, 1DO2, by the S. S. Mcclure
Company
By BALDWIN SEARS

She was insignifcantly small and
plain. You could never remember what
she looked like long enough to de-
scribe her nor forget her long enough
to be Indifferent as to how she looked
The others were always arguing
about the color of her eyes-eyes that
were blue with sympathy, gray with
sadness, green with mischief, brown
with indifference and black, fire spar
king with anger. John Strange vowed
that they were thunder and lightning
color" at that unlucky moment on the
pier when he said, with a laugh:
Miss Dalzell? Razzle-dazzle suits
her better. don't believe she ever had
a serious thought. She's just little
feathery, frothy, spangled specl: of hui
manity meant to amuse people. Raz-
zle-dazzle! Why the names just made
for her" And he went off to sit beside
Laura Lewiston and be consoled.
Laura laughed with him, of course,
and by night the other girl was epito-
mized in Johns idle words. What
name it was! Deliciously daring! Some
Of the girls-thOse who had not had
cause to fear her-envied it, "You can
see that she's rather proud Of it." they
said as she sang and laughed and
danced and iirted and kept herself on
the crest of the wave by main force of
pride.
'Razzle-dazzle! Razzle-dazzleY' How
the name stuck and stung! How she
hated John Strange! She rowed and
rOwed recklessly away out past Trag-
edy rock, with it's jagged teeth under
their playful foam. The Strange yacht
went past, and Razzle-dazzle saw Lau-
ra's scarf snatched from her hand and
flung by the insolent wind on the top
most twig Of the old gnarled tree on
the rock
Razzle-dazzle laughed as she saw it
and heard the outcry. There was a
spark in her eyes that afternoon as she
listened to Laura's plaint that she
would not have felt so bad "had it not
been a gift, you know"
But you surely expect to get it
back" exclaimed Razzle-dazzle in great
surprise why, any stupid fisher boy
would go after it for cents-that is.
II nobody else dares" And she looked
at John as he sat playing with Laura's
glove.
John laughed easily. I'm afraid that
your brave fisher boys will ask a trifie
more for the trip to the top of the
rock" he said, looking up at Laura.
Razzle-dazzle smiled too. "As shall
expect no reward but the fun Of the
Smyrna times., 1903-03-04
GOrgeousIy CoIored roucans.

1t is more especially the gaudy col
grafton of the tOucans which renders
them most typical in many ways of
the habits and manners of the larger
fruit eating birds. Flower haunting
and fruit eating creatures, such as but
terfiies, humming BIRDS cockatoos and
lOries, almost always develop in the
long run a marked aesthetic taste for
pure and brilliant colors, which reacts
at last through sexual selection on
their own appearance.
Accustomed to seek their food among
bright tropical blossoms or gaudy
southern forest fruits like mangoes and
star apples, these feathered aesthetics
acquire a hereditary love for color
which influences them in the end in the
choice Of their own brilliant mates and
so secures the perpotuatiOn of the most
beautiful and most gorgeous of their
kind by unconscious selection. And in
this respect the toucans are absolutely
unsurpassed in the whole range of ma.
ture. Their large and richly colored
bills, their delicate breast plumage and
their bodies generally present a variety
Of melting tnts and cOntrasted hues
nowhere else to be found in equally
close display on any other animal
Cornhill Magazine.
Smyrna times., 1903-03-04
Good News.

A certain eX-cOngressman tells a
story about a widow in his district who
desired position in the agricultural
department.
There was no vacancy at that
ume,' said he, "and l was consequent
~ compelled to advise my constituent
that | could do nothing for her until
later. But she persisted in her efforts
TO obtain position and for two weeks
thereafterTmet me at every turn. One
morning | had just finished breakfast
when was told by the servant that
she was awaiting me in the reception
nall. So l assumed as pleasant de-
meanor as possible, and, entering the
room, said in a sympathetic voice:
Well, my good woman, what
newsY
"'GOod news she said; good news,
Mr.. Allen
WE'LL said, I'm glad to hear that.
And what is the good newsY
Oh she said, good news, Mr.. AL
len, good news. A woman In the agrl.
cultural department died yesterday"
Smyrna times., 1903-03-04

WITH SHOUT OF DIsMAY HE PLUNGED
HEADLONG OVER THE EDGE.
thing, perhaps Miss Lewiston will al
low me to get it for her." she drawled
as she tossed her golf ball to the dog.
at is kind of you" answered Laura
sweetly, "but Mr.. Strange has prom
1sed to get it himself" The blue ewes
met the green ones for q moment. then
smiled confidently at John.
Il knew you meant to get it," she
said when they were alone. 81 couldn't
resist that little prick at her ladyship's
pride"
John kissed her hand in silence. He
felt like a fool, however, as he left the
hotel alone a little later, went across
the fields, stole a boat from a private
beach and rowed quickly out of sight
across the bay. 1t was a nasty Job on
such a day. Though it was low tide.
ne could see the froth on the powders
at the foot Of the crag. He ran the
Doat between two rocks and sprang up
the path leading to the top of the cliff.
Where, beckoning out over the water.
the red silk scarf fiuttered tauntingly.
John laughed as he maneuvered to-
ward It, 1T would have been more
d IKE Razzle-dazzle to have lost It here.
Where no one on earth can get It. l
don't see how / can." He drew him
self farther over the edge, clinging by
one hand to projecting angle of rock
Smyrna times., 1903-03-04
Weak
People

It's not what we eat, but what
we digest that makes strength.
The trouble with most weak
people is, they can neither eat nor
digest good food.
Such people can t work success
fully. 1t takes fuel to make steam,
and it takes food to make strength.
A young fellow came in the
store the other day. He was
white and thin. I'm afraid I'll
have to give up my job, said he.
I'm tired before the day is half
gone. l seem to be losing strength
all the time.
The clerk said: " Fred, l know
something that will help you. It's
Vinol. The boss has got hold of
a way to prepare cod liver oil so it
tastes all right. He calls it Vinol.
There is iron in it, and it's just the
stuff for fellows like you. It'll
give you an appetite. 1t won't
hurt you anyway. Lots of folks
round here are taking it, and they
tell their friends, and they come
and get it. If it don't help you,
come back and get your money"
We endorse what the clerk said.
We wouldn't have put time, money
and reputation into Vinol, if we
hadn't known it was different from
the general run of medicines.
About ninety-eight out of one
hundred run down people, weak
mothers, pale children, and old
people find it helps them.
Clifton & Raymond
DRUG
Smyrna times., 1903-03-04
There Are Others

Old Emdee-Well, how do you like
your profession?
Young Emdee-Profession is o. K.
It's the practice Pm kicking about
Town and Country.
Smyrna times., 1903-03-04

"DOn't say you love me because
just because II have she began in
harsh, gasping sob when he tried to
tell her. IF you knew how l had
wanted you to die, and then l had to
come after you, because-because-
you mustn't forgive me! Hate me! l
deserve it!'
But John laughed even there. "If l
should hate the one who loved me
enough to risk her life for mine, what
can l give the one who loved me only
well enough to risk my life for this bit
of silk?"
And the scarf itself was the answer.
Smyrna times., 1903-03-04

a. he stretched forward. "I wish that
girl had kept STILL" he added angrily
as a gust Of wind snatched the loose
end Of the scarf out of his reach.
There, Miss Razzle-dazzle. hope
you'll be satisfied"
AS he uttered the order, clutching the
silk, the point to which he had been
clinging loosened, and with a shout Of
dismay he plunged headlong over the
edge and fell, slipping, struggling, slid
ing, to the rocks below.
There was a long silence after the
loose stones had ceased falling. Then
the wounded man stirred. groaned and
fell back. For awhile he Law quiet.
striving to think clearly. All at once
he started. A rill of cold water slid
under him and out again. He had for
gotten the tide. With infinite pain he
dragged himself to the spot where his
boat should have been. Already it had
cOurtesied far beyond his reach. Over
head the gulls were startled by peals
of laughter that rang round the craggv
island-hysterical laughter and shout
ing as John, exhausted by desperate
efforts to climb above the swift rising
tide, signaled vainly to a fishing boat
that scudded past before the increasing
wind. Then night came, and the wind
talked to him.
John was not afraid of death, but
there were some things he was sorry
for, things he would have changed had
he known. He wished he had not been
so unkind to little Razzle-dazzle; he
hoped Laura would not blame her now:
he wished-nO, after all, it was better
that he had not spoken, better that il
had ended as it did Laura was only
amusing herself after all, as he had
started to do. She would regret him
very l1ttle-nOt enough to spoil her win
ter. How differently Razzle-dazzle
would feel for any one she loved! He
smiled, as every one smiled when
thinking of her. Gradually his past
stood out in perspective, and he under
stood 1t. Her dark eyes looked at him,
blue and fOrgiving. "She was the real
sort" he said to himself, as if life were
all over for her too. He sighed. lift
AA'5 AALhoCAA ny AnSlluCI as nlG1 as he
could in the rising water. Every wave
broke over him now. The foam looked
like sea faces come up to stare at him.
Il hope little Razzle-dazzle would think
this the right sort of courage"
What was that? Had some one called?
He stared, listening. Above the plunge
and break of water, John, Johnv'
clear, low, os if in shame of entreating
him. Laura, could it be? And vet
who else? He listened, in his tense
eagerness forgetting to answer, fear
full that a motion would dispel the
strangely sweet fancy.
John! O-O-o-O-h. John! Where are
you, JOhnY And Razzle-dazzle's face.
eager passiOnately searching and strip.
ped of all its scOrn, glimmered out of
the darkness close at his side.
Don't say you love me because
Smyrna times., 1903-03-04

THE SMYRNA TIMES chronicles the events
l of Smyrna, Clayton, Cheswold, Kenton.
Brenford, Seversons Neck, Thorougbfare
Neck Blackbird, Townsend, and in fact the entire
vicinity together with the news of Kent County
and the entire State of Delaware. For SI.oo year
in advance THE TIMES will be forwarded to anv
ADDRESS IN the United States 1t appeals especially
as strong family paper. Keep in touch with the
community in which you live by letting it come
into your family circle, or maybe some member of
the family far away will welcome it
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-22

ton mill stock. To make a long story
short, the Atlanta jack leg lawyer is
akin to the Tompkins family some
way. I'd bet a new hat to a ginger
cake that Perkins never owned
spoonful O. land up heer an that he's
Jest he'pin' the Tompkins folks on the
sly to unload some O. Their land, so
they kin move west, whar they've al
ways wanted to go. Peter Mosely Is q
man on the watch out fer rail soft
snaps, an when Perkins whispered the
big secret In his yeer. like. he did to
you. he started out on q still hunt fer
timbered land on the line of the pro-
posed trunk line due west vy-ah Lick
skillet to Darley, with stop over privi.
leges at BuzZard Roost an fifteen min
utes fer hash at Dog Trot Springs.
Then. somehow or other, by hook or
crook-mostly crook-Abe Tompkins
wasn't dodgin' anybody about that
time. Peter Mosely could "a run agin
i'm with his eyes shut on dark night.
II was at Neil Filmore's store when
the two met, an ef trade was ever
made quicker betwixt two folks it was
done by telegraph an the paper was
signed by lightnin'. Abe said he had
the land an wouldn't part with it at
any price eff he hadn't been bad In need
o. money, fer he believed it was chuck
full O. iron ore, soapstone, black marble
an water power, to say nothin' O. tim
Der; but he'd been troubled 30 much
about cash, he said, that he'd made up
his mind to let 'er slide an the devil
take the contents. / never seed two
parties to deal better satisfied. They
both left the store with strut. Nose
ly's strut was the biggest, fer he wasn't
afeerd O. nothin'. Tompkins looked like
he was afeerd Mosely 'ud call i'm back
an want to rue"
"You mean to say But old Bishop
seemed unable to put his growing fear
into words.
'"Oh. l don't know nothin' fer GER
tain." said Abner Daniel sympa-
thetically, but eff l was you I'd 60
down to Atlanta an see Perkins. You
kin tell by the way he acts whether
thar's anything in his railroad story or
not. But. by gum, you ort to know
whar you stand. You've loaded yore-
se'f from hind to fore quarters, an ef
you don't plant yore feet on some'n
you'll 90 down."
TO BE CONTINUED.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-22

yS2SS30 Wdtei Sheh. Ahc youu6 nAoh -
leaned against one of the wooden posts
which supported the low roof Of the
porch and waited for him to conclude
the putting, sputtering operation, which
he finally did by enveloping his head
in long towel hanging from wood
en- roller on the weatherboarding.
"Well," he laughed, ''yore uncle Alb
didn't better matters in thar overly
much, but what could feller do?
Yore pas as bullheaded as a young
steer. an he's already played smash
anyway. Yore mas wastin' breath;
but q woman seems to have plenty Of
It to spare. A woman's tongues like
windmill-it takes breath to keep it
a-goin'. an a dead clam 'ud kill her
business"
"It's no laughing matter. Uncle Ab,"
said Alan despondently. something
must have gone wrong with fathers
Judgment. He never has acted this
way before"
The old man dropped the towel and
thrust his long, almost jointless fingers
INFO his vest pocket for horn comb
which folded ub Ike jackknife. Il
was jest a-wonderln'." as he began to
rake his shaggy hair straight down to
his eyes 81 was jest awonderin' eft
he could "a bent his skull in a little
that time his mule th'owed i'm ag'in
the sweet gum. They say that often
changes q body powerful. Folks do
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-22
A Fable.
TO BE CONTINUED.

A man who had stolen a half million
dollars once went to lawyer for ad-
vice.
Where Is the swag?" asked the law
yer.
Alas" said the thief, II undertook
to corner the onion market and 1t
proved too strong for me. The dough
is gone. l have just $1.S3 in my gar
ments. 1 squandered the money as
fast as stole it, though my wife may
have saved a couple Of simoleons.'
You are crazy. or else a fool" said
the lawyer. "Or may be lunatic.
Perhaps all three. You certainly are
not sane. But you have no money to
hire experts so you had better plead
guilty and beg for mercy. You will
get off with a sentence Of perhaps
eighteen years in prison. Next time
have sense enough to save what you
steal"
The next day another thief visited
the lawyer. II have grabbed of SSOO'-
OOO." he remarked cheerfully.
Where is it," asked the attorney.
Buried" said the thief. Buried
deep. But not so deep that it cannot
be dug up"
How much Of it?''
"All, and more, too. invested 1t so
we'll that it has grown. Not cent
has been wasted. l lived on my salary
and no one suspected 1 was becoming
wealthy"
You are q genius" said the lawyer.
You certainly have the keenest intel
lect l ever encountered. Let me shake
your hand. We will hire experts, prove
that you are crazy, that you always
were nom -compos, that every one knew
it, and in few months you will be
out of legal troubles"
Moral: 1t sometimes takes money to
prove a palpable fact.-New York Sun.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-22

Listen to notht1'," thandered Bishop.
estate. Yore pa tried to buy the land
q yeer ago. but 1t wasn't In shape to
dispose Of Oh, Alan, don't you see
he's goin' to ruin us with his fool no
tions? Folks all about are a-laughin'
at him fer buyin' so much useless
mountain land. I'm powerful afeerd
his mind Is wrong"
"Well, mother, what could ! do?"
Alan Bishop asked impatiently. "You
know he won't listen to me-"
II reckon you can't stop 'im." sighed
the woman. "but l wish you'd come on
to the house. knowed he was up to
some'n'. Ever DAY fer the last week
he's been ridin' up the valley an rollin'
an tumblin' at night an chawin' ten
times as much tobacco as he Ort. Oh.
he's goin' to ruin US! Brother Abner
says he Is buyin' beca'se he thinks it's
goin' to advance in value, but sech
property hain't advanced speck sense
! kin remember an Is bein' sold ever
yeer fer tax money"
"No. it's very foolish Of him." said
the young man as the two turned to-
ward the house. "Father keeps talking
about the fine timber on such property.
but it Is entirely too far from rail-
road ever to be worth anything. ask
ed Rayburn Miller about it. and he
told me to do all could to stop father
from investing. and you know he's as
sharp speculator as ever lived; but
it's his money"
There was paling fence around the
house. and the inclosure was alive with
chickens turkeys. geese. ducks and pea
fowls. In the sunshine on the veranda
two pointers lay sleeping. but at the
sound Of the opening gate they rose,
stretched themselves laZily and gaped.
They are in the parlor." said Mrs.
Bishop. as she whsked off her break
fast shawl. ''io right in; I'll come In
a minute. | want to see how Linda Is
maxim out with the churnin'. La!
lick o. work with him in thar actin
Ne a child. Ef we Doth go III together,
it'll look like we've concocked some
thin. but we must stop i'm eff we kin" ;"
Alan went into the parlor Oh the left
OF the wide. uncarpeted hall. The room
had white plastered walls. but the cell.
ing was of boards planed by hand and
painted sky blue. In one corner stood
very old piano with pointed. octag,
Onal legs and a stool with haircloth
covering. The fireplace was wide and
high and had a screen made of dec
grated window shade tightly pasted ON
a wooden frame. Old man Bishop sat
near a window and through his steel
framed nose glasses was carefully read
ing u long document written Oh legal
cap paper. He paid no attention to the
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-22

who died at the age Of II, Mr.. w.
Frank Moore Of Blacksburg, Mr.. P.
Mortimer Moore Of the Delphos neigh
borhood, Miss Minnie Moore and Mary
McCalla, who died in infancy.
Mr.. Moore went to the war as lieu
tenant in Blacks company, and served
later in the reserves as a lieutenant
in Captain T. J. Lowry's company. and
as orderly sergeant in McGills home
guards.
His career has been that Of an hon.
est, upright citizen, who always stood
ready to perform whatever duty
became incumbent upon him. He was
known far and wide as kind-hearted,
hospitable citizen who loved to enter
tain his friends and who would never
turn a stranger from his door. Dur
ing several years past he has been in
Indifferent health but still retains a
lively interest in the welfare Of his
neighbors and in the progress Of
events. For many years he has been
a, ruling elder in Bethesda church.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-22

"It's no laughing matter, Uncle Ab."
think he's off his cazip on the land
question, an now that he's traded his
best nest egg fer another swipe o the
earth's surface reckon they'll talk
harder. But yore pa amt no fool. No
plumb idiot could "a managed yore
ma as we'll as he has. You see, know
what he's accomplished, fer I've been
with i'm ever since they was yoked
together. When they was married, she
was as wild as a buck an certainly
made our daddy walk chalk line, but
Alfred has tapered 'er down beautiful.
She didn't want this thing done one
bit, an yet 1t Is settled by this time
the old man looked through the hall to
the front gate-"yes, Trabue's unhitch-
in. He's got them stock certificates in
his pocket. an yore pa has the deeds
in his note case. When this gifts out,
mossbacks from heer clean to Gilmer
III be trapsin' in to dispose o land at 80
much front foot"
"But what under high heaven will
be do with it all!"
Hold on to It." grinned Abner; that
is, eff he kin rake an scrape enough to-
gether to pay the taxes. Why, last yeer
his taxes mighty nigh tioored i'm, an
the expenses OIL this county he's jest
annexed will push i'm like rips, fer
now, you know, he'll have to do with
out the income OH his factory stock.
But he thinks he's got the right sow
by the yeer. Before long he may yell
out to us to come hep i'm turn 'er
loose, but he's waltzin' with 'er now"
At this juncture Mrs. Bishop came
out of the dining room wiping her eyes
on her apron.
Mother" said Alan tenderly, TRY
not to worry over this any more than
you can help"
Your pas gettln' old an childish"
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-22

long to diskiver that thar was several
breeds O. Bishops out O. jail, an she
spent most O. the rest O. her visit brag-
gin on scme she'd read about. She
said the name sounded like the start
of .'em had been religious and sub
stanch."
"Brother Abner," whined Mrs. Bish-
Cd, 81 wisht you'd hush all that fool
ishness an help me n the children out
O. this awful fix. Alfred always would
listen to you"
"Well," and the old man smiled and
winked at the lawyer, 'T'll give you
both all the advice I kin. Now, the
Shoal River stock is good thing right
now, but eff the mill was to ketch on
fire an burn down thar'd be loss.
Then as fer timber land, it amt easy
to sell, but it mought take start be-
fore another food. I say 1t mought.
an then agin it moughtn't. The mill
mought burn, an then agin 1t
moughtn't. Now, eff you uns kin be
helped by this advice you are welcome
to It free O. charge. Not changin' the
subject, did you uns know Mrs. Rich
ardson's hefrer's got calf? reckon
she won't borrow so much milk after
hers gifts good"
Trabue smiled broadly as the gaunt
man withdrew, but his amusement
was short lived, for Mrs. Bishop began
to cry, and she soon rose in despair
and left the room. Alan stood for a
moment looking at the unmoved face
Of his father, who had found some
thing In the last clause Of the docu-
ment which needed explanation; then
he, too, went out
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-22

ner g1m1y. ~1nappen TO know that Abe
Tompkins sold i'm 1000 acres O. timber
land on Huckleberry ridge jest after
yore Atlanta man spent the day lookin'
round in these parts. ""'..'
Bishop was no fool, and he grasped
Abner's meaning even before it was
quite clear to the others.
"Looky heer," he said sharply, what
do you take me fer?"
II 'ain't tuck you fer nothin'," said
Abner, with a grin. "Leastwise, I
'ain't tuck you fer $1,000 wuth O. cot.
Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-07-22
ABNEEfR} DANIEL
Bv WILL N. HARDEN, Author %wt,,.rss,. e ,
CHAPTER I.

Copyright 1902 by Harper Bros All rights reserved.