davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11

man which intimated that there was
only one left on earth.
II think you brilliancy has over
reached itself this time, Nancy" Helen
showed enough interest to sit up on
the couch and hunt for another pill
low. That's really the most ridicu-
lous proposition ever heard you
make, which is saying great deal"
she added. and having discovered the
extra cushion she lay down again.
Not so ridiculous as you might
think" Nan went on airily. Il heard
the elevator boy tell some one this
afternoon that the gentleman would be
gone two weeks. and I'm going down
stairs directly after tea and beg the
clerk to lend me the room for this af-
fair. I've been smiling at that clerk
occasionally You see, girls, the adj
visibility of following the old proverb
and casting your bread on the waters.
All have to do now Is to reach out
and rake 1t In, ready for use"
IF you have been as prodigal with
your smiles as you generally are, my
good child, you can rake in your bread
by the bakers Dozen" Helen said re-
provingly, as they seated themselves
at the tea table.
The girls had caught glimpses OF The
Room when the door had been left
ajar, and had learned to recognize The
Man who sat smoking and reading his
paper by the window as the same tall,
broad shouldered individual with the
Christy features whom they had otten
seen in the elevator. These glimpses
of the beautifully furnished room had
filled them with an admiration that
made Mans scheme for using It for the
Christmas breakfast seem all the more
charming.
That room is so nice and large that
we could carry out our first idea and
have the tree with a gift for each one
OF them" sighed Winnie.
They had planned the Christmas
breakfast with the idea that they
would begin the day with an old-fash-
toned jolliication. The invitations
dren's party" and Helen had been dec
Grating them with pictures Of funny
fat santas in giddy looking sleighs.
Il wish ] could have my childish
faith IN Santa Claus restored long
enough TO write him list of the things
I want" said Nan. eating the last
crumbs OF cheese left on the dish.
I'D ask for a whole box OF white
gloves" Winnie returned quickly. I've
cleaned mine so often that they reek
with gasoline I don't enjoy the
theater half so much as / would n
didn't have 20 smell gasoline through
the whole performance"
I'D take that new set Of Chrlety
pictures" Helen said yawnlng. ia
like TO try copying them"
And ] would like a PALM" chose
Nan, cycling the exact spot near the
window where she would put Il. II
don't want a little insignificant looking
palm that ! could AFFORD 70 buy my
self, but a great big spreading chest
nut AFFAIR that ! could ~ under and
feel realistic when I wanted fO play
the banjo and sing Under the Bamboo
Tree"
Helen rose from the table and con-
doacendod 10 commence clearing up
tbe dishes.
y 80 fn have 70 Do ths work that
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11
SANTA CLAUS
UNDERSTUDY.
BY TROY ALLISON.
Copyright, 1904. by Troy Allison.

I've thought OF the finest scheme.
sirls!" Nan exclaimed. standing off
from the easel and trying the effect
of her picture with one eye shut.
Winifred delayed the tea-making
and turned around with a celebrity
which showed a willingness to aid in
any scheme to bridge the difficulty
that Mans fertile brain might sug-
gest.
Helen simply raised herself one pill
low higher on the couch and stretched
out little more comfortably. No
one had ever yet been able to surprise
Helen into a show OF active interest.
You know we never could get that
long list of people into this tiny
ROOM, Nan continued trying a touch
or yellow on the snow bank she was
painting, and want to invite them
every one l know that a crowd of
ART students can put up with as few
accommodations as any crowd YOU
could pick out, but / don't see how we
could back thirty people in the whole
nat, to say nothing of the amount of
condensation necessary to get them
into this sitting-room"
The three girls had dubbed together
IN the wee three-roomed fiat with
Nan Truesdale for business manager.
Winefred looked after the housekeep-
ing, and Helen-nobody ever expected
Helen to work at anything except the
very brilliant ladies in water colors
with which she amused herself. But
1t was Helen's generous checks from
home, that had helped the little estab-
lishment over many financial
chasm.
"Se we viii use the parlor of the
adjoining apartment to receive the
guests in, and this room for refresh
ments,' Nan continued with the as
surance of one accustomed to finding
correct answer to any problem met
with.
That mans apartment" Winnie
gasped with an emphasis on the world
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11

Winnie, who had rushed In upon hear
ing Mans exclamation. She sat in
the floor holding box of white gloves
with winnie" printed in scrawling
letters on the cover.
Helen actually showed all the symp-
toms of genuine case of astonish-
ment when the other package was
found to contain the desired chrlsty
pictures.
If the breakfast party had been OF
sufficient Importance to receive news
paper notice the account would have
ended, the pleasure Of the occasion
was slightly marred by the breaking
OF an Indian tobacco jar by one of the
grown-up children"
A week later a very embarrassed
and apologize Nan stood in the hall
with the pieces OF the tobacco jar
IN her hands, making her confession to
THE Man"
I'VE would have bought another
and never let you know anything
about it," she concluded naively, ''if
1t had not been so peculiar that we
couldn't match it. / hope you did not
prize IL very much"
II would willingly have made a
much greater sacrifice for the pleasure
OF becoming acquainted with my
charming neighbors," he answered
with a smile that Mans relieved mind
ever seen.
Three months later he sat with Nan
In the parlor of the little fat The
big palm might have been less on the
order of a spreading chestnut and still
have covered both their heads.
The girls head was on his shoulder.
and she was toying with one of the
palm leaves with she had pulled down
TO hide her flushed face.
I'VE viii have the palm In our new
home" he said tenderly.
yes, II was your first present to
me-" she said, looking at him quiz
zically.
How did you find out?" he asked
with a guilty flush.
She laughed. and put a tiny kiss on
the tip of his Christy nose.
II made the elevator boy confess
long ago." she said, "and / must say
that you played the part remarkably
we'll"
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11

squeak as the ponderous door swung
open.
Rivas was about to put the bundle
of letters in his vault. Once there
they would be beyond my reach for
ever.
Under such circumstances it is the
thought of violence which first occurs
to a man. l was about to launch my
self upon his excellency when a less
risky plan suggested itself. / drop
ped to my hands and knees and then
crawled rapidly across the floor. The
President was fumbling for the bum
die; he must have dropped 1t into his
pocket when he began turning the
combination. When l was within five
feet of him board creaked. Rivas
turned toward the door of the room,
and, rising to my feet, I darted into
the safe and crouched there with out
stretched hands.
had not long to wait. Alarmed
at the noise, Rivas threw the packet
into the vault. In my haste to pick
it up / forgot that my life depended
on the rapidity Of my movements.
The hinge creaked again. I thrust
out my leg. intending TO interpose my
foot. but too late. The heavy door
closed with a clang and I heard the
bolts shoot into their places.
So great a Roadway may a man get
toward a certain end that even the
dreadful crash Of that iron did not
Immediately take my mind from the
packet. / continued to feel about
until / had found tia little roll con-
tanning three or four letters bound
with a rubber band. Once / had
that roll in my hand my mind few
back 10 the plight in which had got
ten myself Only the determined use
OF all my mental force prevented my
yielding to despair and throwing my
self again the door. III you do
that" ] said 10 myself, "the President
will hear you and you viii be shot nj
once. II you restrain yourself you
have at least an hour OF life. In
that hour some one may open the
safe
Waiting grew very hard. however.
The air that I was able 10 draw into my
lungs seemed 10 Do me no good, ana
both my head and my chest began
20 ache frightfully / grew dizzy. too.
and put the letters into my pocket so
that ] might not lei them fall. An
instant later heard voices. The
President must have r1nR for lights
Some one has cut the WireH,"
heard him eKrlalm loudly N was
only when ho spoke ~ the TOD Of biz
voice that ! could distinguish what be-
Wnn saying
AMER time heard him ragsi
"plduf como .ouii Then there WAS
some one herri~
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11

Immediately after crossing the TIRES
hold I turned TO the right and entered
Rtvas' bedroom. 1 had no plans-I
never have-of what use are plans to a
man who must suit his structure to
whatever foundation opportunity Of
fers? I knew that the President must
bring the packet to that apartment,
and hoped for the rest.
The room was brilliantly lighted
when 1 entered it. 1 stepped upon a
chair and cut the electric wires close to
the low ceiling. Then I sat down to
wait in the darkness. Two methods
suggested themselves to me as prom
Using initial success. I chose the SIM
pier. Rivas probably would come alone.
since he would not want the packet to
be seen if he could help it, and there
was a good chance that he would have
the letters in his hand ready for the
big safe that had been placed in the
wall. At the sound of his footsteps
had but to plant myself near the door,
seize whatever he held as he entered
slip into the hall and run as though the
devil was after me.
l have said the plan was simple; the
thing which frustrated il was simpler
Rivas had hardly set foot in the room
when he slammed the door shut and
ioNhCu II. L HedTQ MN WlinufdW Ine
key. 1 was trapped.
In the next five minutes I'll swear
l did not breathe aloud once. Rivas
tried to turn on the light and swore
audibly when he found that he could
not. l Rugged the wall in silence. IL
he rang for servants I would have to
fight for it. l had neglected to cut
the wire that connected the push-but-
ton with the bell below.
But Rivas did not ring. He wanted
to make sure of his letters first. Even
more important than / had thought
these letters, since having them made
him suspicious the moment the lights
failed. I heard him tumble in his
clothing. Was the replacing the packet
or drawing out a revolver?
The answer to my question was not
long in coming. The rattle of matches
in a box came to my ears, and then
the touch of his fingers against the
pasteboard. There was but one thing
for me to do and that was to remain
still. If he was facing away when
the match ignited I might escape de-
lection; if not l should have to spring
at him. Fortune favored me- The
tiny illumination showed me his eX-
cellency standing before the safe FIN
gering the combination. A second later
the match went out. Evidently it had
burned long enough. heard the hinges
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11

you two girls may indulge in visions
Christmas morning is not far off, and
I hope Santa Claus may be able to
play his part"
Don't listen to us. Helen" laughed
Winnie. IT'S such a relief to be able
to talk without having THE Man"
overhear everything we say. We are
simply relieving our pent-up feelings.
I've been talking in whispers ever
since he moved in, for / know he can
hear everything through that folding
door. l believe the rooms were in
tended for one apartment anyway"
Nan jumped up from the table.
Get to work, girls. AS soon as the
dishes are out-of the way I'll go
down and interview Mr.. Clerk"
In the adjoining room THE Man"
got off the couch where he had been
trying to sleep for the last two hours.
He crept softly into his bedroom. put
on his overcoat and hat. took his suit
case and walked out to the elevator.
II wonder whether / could make a
success as St. Nick If the old man
himself happened to be indisposed,"
he sollloquized as he drove away in
the cab. after telling the clerk that
he had changed his plans again, and
would not be in his rooms until after
New Years Day.
The girls had arranged everything
the night before Christmas. The
Mans" sitting room was gay with
holly sprays and festooned with cedar.
Nan rose early. slipped on her dress
ing gown and went to take final peep
at the little tree before dressing for
early arrivals.
She opened the folding doors and
then rubbed her sleepy eyes in as
constituent. A huge, wide spreading
palm lowered over the little Christ
mas tree. its large leaves glistened
and an immense bow of scarlet rib
bon decorated the tub that held It,
Two packages tied with the same rib
bon lay on the floor in conspicuously
awkward spots.
rs there such a person as Santa
Claus, after all my cynicism?" gasped
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11

mine angers you. why are you in SAL
Waldorf"
ON business!"
Whose business?"
Not yours, Senors-who-would
president. nor yet yous. my friend the
adventurer!"
She turned and walked across the
wide porch to the room which had
been allotted her in the Hotel Nueyo
Mundo. 1t was very near to the con-
sups apartments, and when her feet
touched the cement Rivas looked up
and saw her. L shall be back in five
minutes" she said to him.
What do you think?" whispered El-
varez.
That the letters are not in her
dress. but in her room. and that she
has gone to get them"
What are you going to do?'
Nothing"
But she suspects: she will return
the packet to the President
Exactly"
Then 1 shall have lost the balance
of power and you will have lost con-
siderable money"
No" 1 replied, Il shall obtain the
letters from the President"
Elvarez gasped.
1 am glad things have turned out
so, continued. There would be no
possible chance of getting them from
her within the next few moments. 1t
is always safer to fight men than wom-
en-, and, anyway, 1 don't think 1 want
to fight that woman"
/ don't care how you steal the bun
ole, quoth Elvarez. When you give
1t to me you receive 5000 pesos"
Il have your promise in writing"
| responded, tapping my coat pocket.
Yours is in my DESK" said Elva-
roz.
YES" replied. IT rather wish IL
weren't"
did, too. Five thousand pesos is
not much over twenty-five hundred
dollars in gold, and 1 had never be-
fore contracted to sell anybody ex-
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11
4 MAKER OF WARS
-
BY CLAIMING POLLOCK
Copyright, 1904, by Claiming Pollock
BY CLAIMING POLLOCK.

When the consul's wife proposed
that every one rise to sing America. {"
rose and prepared to slip out of the
room. To man with good ear for
music-and, once upon a time. I stu
died under Won Plachmann in Vienna
few things are more dreadful than a
rendering of america" by an untrain
ed chorus of Americans. 1t is seldom
that any one present knows much
about either the tune or the words
and in Central America the English
people on hand usually take advantages
of this ignorance to come out strong
with God Save the King" National
anthems are an abomination anyway.
The United States has five of them.
md yet our troops entered Santiago to
the melody of "A Hot Time in Old
Town!''
In the patiole I found Elvarez. He
vas smoking a brown paper cigarette
and directing a malignant gaze toward
Antonio Rivas, president of the re-
public, who stood in the doorway
watching Americans and English cell
citrate the Fourth of July. Rivas had
been able to read our language only
about a year. and l think he had an
idea that the occasion for the festiyitv
was the anniversary of the defeat of
Sir Thomas Upton.
"Do-ag onn' exclaimed Elvarez, who
had a Partially for our explosives
when they were available. "He hasn't
taken his eyes from her a dozen times
tonight"
Why 'do-ag on him, then?" 1 in
quired. isn't that precisely what
you want? If I am not mistaken the
whole plan of campaign rests upon our
ability to persuade Madame Rivas into
an exposition of the theory that hell
hath no fury like a woman scorned ."
you mistake" replied Elvarez. ct
is from Madame Rivas that he has not
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11

taken his eyes. Oh. he is cunning as a
monkev!"
An animal which he somewhat re-
semblesl"
Friday at Acajutla he could not
pay enough attention to your little
friend from America. Tonight"
Mrs. McLemore is no friend Of
mine," 1 interrupted hotly. II do not
sell my friendsp'
And you intend selling me?" said
Mrs. McLemore, walking out of the
darkness, the sound of her footsteps
lost in the splash of the fountain and
the medley of America" and God
Save the Kingl"
"Caracca!" 1 observed blandly.
always swear in Spanish. as 1 often
talk to women in Italian, because of
an infinite sense of propriety.
To whom?' she asked, ignoring
my rudeness.
ITO his excellency, the President"
/ replied. "Senor Elvarez believes
there would be a fortune in effecting
an-an arrangement"
1t was a bold thing to say, but the
husbandless American women one
meets south of Mexico are not inclin-
cd to be squeamish. Besides, have
learned these two things-that the on
~ way to keep hidden a sin in which
one has been caught is to confess a
worse one, and that no creature feni-
nine really resents what fiatters her.
IL was manifestly impossible to tell
Mrs. McLemore that had undertaken
the theft Of letters which Elvarez had
seen her receive from Rivas that very
evening. Anything which might
alarm her and lead her TO take he
packet from the bosom OF her dress
would be fatal 10 my plans and to my
financial prospects.
Elvarez came to time handsomely
We thought" he explained, that II
you would consent"
"senor" she cried out. and I assure
you that the dignity and defiance In
her tone was such that neither my
companion nor / noticed the absurdi-
~ of her pronunciation. "Senorl You
call yourself n gentleman"
II stuna Ike n whiplash the way
she said II. For the moment ] could
have loved her-nf least. ] could had
not known ~ the billet dOnx from
the husband 81 another woman NJ that
Instant burning the flesh on her throat
ono thing IN sure. Standing opposite
her noting the hush on her cheek
nu1 The angry sparkle ~ her eve.
ffif very sorry Indeed that ! had bar
falnrd 40 bffray her a man who
lifoH on BIZ rlfH often has occasion
- wish tbat he we're MOI 80 qulek-
"senofai" returned Elyorsr. his fec
scarlet with raae. ~ . speech IKE
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11
AMERICAN HUSBANDS.

An extraordinary reason for separa-
ton from her husband, says the Brook
lyn Eagle, was that given by Colo
RADIO woman in applying to the courts.
1t was that her husband, by his I'M
varying obedience, made life too mo-
notonous for her. While the state
ment is doubtless subject to some dis
count on the score of the reporters
imagination, it recalls the familiar
criticism of foreigners that the aver
age American husband is too good"
to his wife. In English households st.
Paul's sterling words on the subject
are still quoted with approval, and the
elimination of obey from the mar
riage service has not even been sug-
gested. There is a saying abroad that
to tell the nationality of a couple one
has only to observe them entering
hotel dining room, writes Robert Web
ster Jones in the Housekeeper. IL the
man precedes the woman they are
English If the woman precedes the
man they are French; but IL they walk
side by side they are American. The
saying aptly illustrates the truth that
nowhere is there greater equality of
sexes than in this country. Individual
tyrants, both masculine and feminine,
there may be, but on the whole men
and women have come to an UNDER
standing that each has particular
work to do and is not subject, as a
sex, to the authority of the other.
If, as q type, the American husband
possesses one fault more conspicuous
than another 1t is his tendency to
become absorbed in business to the
exclusion OF his domestic life. A BUSH
ness man In one of George AIDES fables
says that he provides the cash while
his wife provides culture enough for
two" 1t is a tendency which should
be combated. The American husband
is made for better things. That he
is good" to his wife we admit. But,
in the highest sense, Is he good" to
himself?
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11
HIS AWAKENING.
(contInued from opposIte Page

Continued from Opposite Page)
UNI dom TO Diet dwy in a bid fowl, ess
a baby is
The C. b. closed his eyes. A pang
OF regret shot through him. Here was
he, a lonely, unloved duffer. in a cold.
miserably kept fiat. and there was
some lucky man across the shaft with
a cherished wife and baby and a
home
And then his Illusion was rudely
dispelled. There was a short sharp
yelping bark. followed by a whine of
pain, and then the query, fun of moth
erly solicitude:
900 poor lite dearl Did 90 mama
wub her lite petsie-wetsie too hard?"
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11

An emergency ration, packed In a
small two compartment cylinder OF
TIN. Is carried In the haversack OF every
British soldier. As It's name suggests
the ration II not 10 be used except in
cases Of the dlrest necessity. One com
partment holds four ounces OF cocoa
paste and the other a similar quantity
~ concentrated beef " consumed
IN small quantities II VIII maintain
strength for many hours.
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11

j. ~ Tilton. a merchant. of Boze-
man, Mont. left IN viii that was
probaied on October 70. the income
81 bis estate which Will amount 70
several thousand dollars annually
fof The celebration n me Fourth n
July with nreHorks, Tags ana bunf-
inE.
The Savannah morning news., 1904-12-11

cept myself. Beating Carlos Ezeta
back from the walls of Santa Anna,
working ones way through the bush
with a detachment Of farmers in the
Transvaal, carrying messages from
London to Nihilists in st. Petersburg
these were tasks in which one earned
ones pay by the risk of ones neck
and which were dignified by that risk.
But to sell a woman's reputation in
order that the half-black wife of a
half-white executive might be moved
to interesting her friends against her
husband-faugh! My only excuse was
that until that night Mrs. McLemore
had been an abstract. If l was to
succeed in my mission she must con-
tinue to be a Job" not a woman. !
must forget the color of her hair and
the turn of her lips. ] must, and by
God / would
ct told you," Elvarez whispered in
my ear. 'See. she is giving him the
yes" I replied. "why doesn't she
draw her hand out of his?"
why? Because she is"
81 know" / interrupted. You
needn't take time to tell me about It.
/ want a pass to get into the White
House and the fastest donkey TO be
had in the Plazal"
Elvarez stared at me admiringly
moment and then hurried away TO get
them.
II.
The White House at San Salvador
looks about as much like the White
House at Washington as st. Paufs
Cathedral looks like the Moulin Rouge.
II Is the only brick building IN town,
Is low enough TO resist earthquakes,
and has two sentry boxes projecting
from it's facade like warts. soldier
clad only I'm cotton trousers ana Delt
from which hung his maehete greeted
me with n loud "Quien vtvi2'
Amigo" ] replied, swinging from
my mule.
lie came down and looked NJ my
PASS, proceeding which i endured
without nervousness, because Elvarez
had been the Presidents secretary long
enough 20 have mastered his hand
writing.
shall you want a man with your"
asked the soldier.
mo" ! replied. II know the room
and / shall De- gone only long enough
10 get the snun box which his excel
iency requires"
"But he snun box h IN the vault"
Yes BIS erceiicucy gave me the
combination"
central Americans respect "Trinfoa'
quite AZ much 49, they haff fheW. anl
passed without further Questioning