davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-18

ST. Petersburg, Feb. 1e. - Informa-
ton has been obtained at the foreign
office that Secretary Hays proposition
to limit the area Of war preparations
is considered practicable" and that a
response will soon be Forthcoming.
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
Tho speak no message act no part,
Birds Lived Long in Captivity.

After seventy-1ivc years of captiv-
ny, female eagle owl has just died
10 an aviary in England. Brought
from Norway in 1929 this bird within
the last thirty years has reared no
SIS than ninety young. Although the
pagle owl is reputed TO live to a great
age, there appear to be but few re-
,urded instances where the age could
be definitely ascertained. A golden
ragle which died at Vienna in 1913
was known to have been captured lOi
years previously. and a falcon. of
what species is not recorded, is said
to have attained an age Of 1862 years.
A white headed vulture taken in 1906
died in the geological gardens at
Vienna in 1924, thus living / is years
in captivity.
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05

could not prevent it when Ethelred
took Alfric back. And tonight. few
but thames have resorted thither-
men whom the Redeless TOOK from
ploughing his fields to gid with no
bility. Is it likely that they will op-
pose the hand that can strip off their
gliding"
1t appeared that the young man
could find no answer to that. for he
made none.
AT least once, my lord. Ethelreds
wilfulness has shown in his son, when
he set aside the Kings command to
take possession of Sigeferth's widow
and her estates. And | think it was
Ethelred's temper that moved him to
spend an energy, much better directed
against the Pagans, in laying waste
two Of his own shires. Remember
what happened when your father
raised himself against Ethelred."
FESTIVE under the restraining hand
the young noble faced him desperate
ly. "Morcard, in Gods name, what
would you have me do? l will not
Or sooner or later
Let it be later. lord. After you
have had time to marshal your men
at your back"
After while, the Etheling yielded
and turned aside. Let it be as you
have said-though | cannot believe
yet that it will happen" Coming back
where a fallen tree made a messy seat.
he dropped down upon it and sat star
ing at the ground in frowning abstrac-
ton.
The motion dropped him out of the
range of Randalin's vision. and her
eyes wandered away discontentedly.
If there was nothing more TO look at.
she might as well go to sleep. She
was just losing consciousness when
the figure of a second yeOman-soldier
moved across her vision. looming
black against the tireglow. His whis-
per came sharply to her ears.
1T is done, chief. May they have
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05

the wrath of tie Almighty. Their
hands have met. Edric's and the
Kings, and his thames and Norman
of Baddeby's, who is with Edric."
Norman of Baddeby." the name
leaped out of the rest to bite at her
like dog. worrying deeper and deep.
er through the wrappings of her
stupor. Her eyes widened in troubled
questioning. She heard the angry
voices rise, and she saw the Etheling
leap to his feet and shake his clenched
hand above his head. Then she lost
sight of everything. for the fang had
pierced her torpor and touched her
Norman of Baddeby''-her fathers
slayer. Memory entered like poison
to spread burning through every vein
Her father-FridtjOf- JOtun-the
battle Her ears were dinned with
terrible noises; her eyes were scared
by terrible pictures. She crushed her
hands against her head, but the sound
came from within and would not be
stilled. She buried her face in the
leaves, but the visions pressed faster
before her. Helpless in their grip.
she tossed to and fro in agony-to and
fro.
Though it was so tortured that she
could not tell it from her waking
thoughts, sleep must have come to
her for when at last she reached the
point where she could endure it no
longer and struggled up. painting. to
her elbow, to try to recall herself by
sight of those about her, she found
that the hum of excited voices was
stilled, and the silence thrObbed with
the deep breathing of sleepers.
Almost at her feet. the Etheling
was stretched out in his cloak, mo-
tiOnless as the fallen tree. Her face
was slowly relaxing when, second
time, memory betrayed her. Just so,
she recollected. LeOfwines son was
lying. not hundred yards away.
The next instant she had thrown
herself down with terror-widened eyes
and was trying to bury her face in
the leaves, while the tongueless mouth
Of every shadowy shape seemed to
Shrek above her
"Odin sends you revenge,"-"It is |
the will of Odin that has drawn you
gether!'-"Would you become like |
the girl with the necklace""-"Are |
you a coward. that you do not prefer |
TO die in good repute rather than live |
in the shame of neglecting your duty"
She flung up her haggard face In |
appeal. NO. no, | am not a coward"
her spirit cried within her. Il was
brave in the battle. It is not death .
| fear; but cannot kill! Odin, have
mercy on me. | canp0t kill. have
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
CHAPTER VII.
As the Norns Decree.

1t was long way to the King s
fire, but at last it lay before her: be-
fore and below her, for it had been
built in a depression of the little open
The last charred log had fallen apart
spreading swarm of golden glow
worms over the black earth but there
was still enough light to reveal ring
of mutiled forms sprawling around
the slOping sides of the hollow, with
their feet toward the fire and their
heads lost in darkness. Pausing in
the tree.shadow. the girl thrilled with
sudden hope. Since their faces were
all hidden, how was she to distinguish
her victim"
At that moment, the warrior di-
rectly in front of her stirred in his
sleep and flung a jeweled hand over
his face. Those broad gold rings
with the green stones that sparkled
like serpents' eyes as they caught the
light, They were fixed indeibly in
her memory, for she had seen them
on the rapaciOus hand that had seized
upon her while it was still red with
her fathers blood. Suddenly. in the
rage that rose in her at the rccolec-
ton, she found determination for the
deed.
There was no time to lose. she told
herself feverishly, and moved forward
with snakelike stiffness. Between
the shelterng arm and the neck of
the steel shirt there was space of
naked Uroat. Setting her teeth. she
raised Der knife and struck down at
it with 8 strong hand.
The point never reached its mark.
For an instant she could not tell what
had happened. Fingers closed like
iron bands around her wrist, pulling
her backwards so that the pain of her
twisted wound wrung cry from her
lips. They were not NOrmans fingers.
yet he also was stirring: while dart
ing flashes from the dusk about them
tod that the other slccpers were draw
ing their weapons. Then some one
thew branchful of dead leaves up
on the fire.
The flame that nared up showed her
arm to be in the grasp of the Lord
of Ivarpdale.
You mad young one!' he gasped.
as he prenched the blade from her
hold.
Go be continued)
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
Midsummer Day Festival.

Midsummer day. or St. John the
Baptist's day, is a festival Of much
Importance among the MaSur peasant
girls in East Prussia On this day
they each make a wreath, and each
in turn tries to throw her wreath 50
as to lodge it on a fruit tree. A girl
must keep on throwing until her
wreath stays in the branches ard .he
Number of attempts is supposed 10 In
dictate the number of years she Will
have to wait to get married. When
the girls are thus engaged the young
men of the village stand around chaf-
fling them when they miss. The girl
who lands her wreath at the first at.
tempt is vehemently applaudcd. The
AIasurs are Poles who live in tAat
part of Prussia which was once part
of Poland.
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05

tried to be brave. but I am really .
woman; it is not possible for me to
have mans heart"
The griHning shadows mOuthed at
her. You have not dared to be
woman" they Knocked. You have
not dared to be a woman, so you must
dare to be a man"
A night wind shuddered through
the trees, and the lowering shades
seemed to hiss in her ear.
Coward, Traitor. Nithing! Do
you not get afraid that you will ex-
perience the wrath of the dead?
Listen. Is that the wind rustling
the leaves? Or is it"
A gasp burst from the white lips.
and the die was cast. While the cold
drops started on her pan-racked body.
she dragged herself to her knees and
fumbled with trembling hands about
her belt. For an instant. something
like moonbeam glimmered amid the
shadow: then her lips closed convui-
sively upon the steel. Tipping for
ward upon her hands, she tested eau
tiously the strength of her wounded
leg, smOthering groans of pain that
seemed to tear her throat in the swal-
steadily toward the Pickering light
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
English VS.. American Hotels.

Landlord Simeon Ford OF New York.
who has Just come back from foreign
ports. tells how much easier {. Is TO
keep hotel in England than in this
country. II an Englishman doesn't
want mutton chops for his breakfast.
he wants bacon and eggs. Tho land
lord can depend on that over here.
however. il is different. The hotel
keeper must cater to dozens Of distinct
food zones. and the bill OF fare must
take in everything, including sCrapple.
hog and hOminy, pie. dOughnuts and
all the other local specialties The
habit of serving s"ycnty-tive bad
things to eat in seventy-fiye separate
canary bird baths | regard as a draw
back to our country hotels" says
Landlord Ford
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
BEFORE FAME REACHED HIM.
Letter Written by Great French
Author in Pessmistic MOOD.

letter written by Tame the great
French author. during the years that
he struggled for recognition has been
published recently. He writes: "A
vision Of a book worth writing haS
been fitting before my eyes: | am
sorry for it. Those mOmcntary deiu-
sions awaken the passionate animal
which | believed to be crushed or
asleep. and afterward fall back into
reality with great bitterness. Then
have to cool myself down with ice
cold arguments. hope, with time.
to succeed in killing my old self and
only preserving the machine. | treat
myself every morning with the follow
ing sentence: A Goldfish contains
100000 eggs. 200 OF which reach the
adult stage 1t is natural that |
should be one OF the 1899 500 others!
This phrase, properly applied and suf-
ficiently soaked in a Spnoza infusion.
helps one to become a reasonable and
worthy beast in an OvercOat, a black
tie and spectaclcs, working as regu
larly as mill horse. generally es-
teemed. useful to society and perfect
ly worthy of being a navy or a min
ister.'
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
CHAPTER VI-Continued,

Keep in mind. lord, that it is no
more than week that you have been
at his heels" he said.
likewise bear in mind whose son
he is" the man with the drinking.
horn added grimly.
Flushing, the young noble ceased
examining his sword-edge to meet the
eyes bent upon him
Il hope you do not think I stand In
need of a rebuke for lukewarmness,
Morcard," he said gravely. Il have
no more forgot that King Edmund's
father gave the order for my fathers
murder than l have forgot that Edric
was the tool who did the deed. But
what sense to continue at that after
Ethelred was dead, and the valor of
his son was to that degree exalted as
If he had sprung from Alfred? Your
self counselled me to join him at
Glllingham, and take the post under
his banner that my fathers have al
ways held beside his fathers"
Two of the three warriors made no
other answer than to gurgle their
drink noisely in their throats; but the
one whom he had called Morcard an.
swered dryly 1T is not against test
ing the new king that we would ad
wise you, Lord Sebert: it is against
trusting him" He lifted his hand
suddenly to his ear. Horses feet.
And stopping by the Kings fire"
What else he said. Randalin did not
hear. Her wits had crawled heavily
after the sound of the hoofs Now
the beat changed to a champing and
stamping among dry leaves not many
rods to her right. She wondered in.
differently if there was any Likelihood
of their running over her; then forgot
the query before she had answered it.
The Etheling was speaking again,
with ali the earnestness Of hero-wor.
ship.
- the battles he has fought, the
abundance of warriors he has gath.
cred together, the land he has won
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
Diet Of the Crocodile.

OF crocodile which measured sev-
enteen feet in length and which =
noted hunter shot, he writes: "On
cutting him open he was found to
contain the remains Of an Mpala ram
with horns intact, which he had
probably caught while it was drink
ing. On one occasion | cut UP croc-
Odile which contained no less than
forty bangles of ivory and cop
per, showing that he had swallowed
one or more natives, SO | always get
the boys to cut up any We shoot.
They are loathsCme reptiles, and
never consider a shot at them wasted
Many a native while drawing water
after dark is caught by the arm and
dragged into the river. A fine old
hunting dog which had served me for
two years was caught by crocodile
right under my nose one day "a
small stream. where he had gone to
drink after running down a wounded
puku."
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
Too Much for Bismarck.

During a visit to London Bismarck
was invited to inspect a famous brew
cry, and. in acknowledgement of his
reputation for beer drinking. an enor-
nous tankard of old ale was set be.
fore him. Il seized the tanka-d.
said the iron chancellor, "ana
thought OF my country and drank to
Prussia and tilted it till it was EN-
pity. Then | thanked my entertainers
and succeeded in making my way as
far as London bridge. There | sat
down in one of the stone rcCcsscs
and for considerable length of time
the great bridge went round aud
round me"
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
NeQIiqence Caused Riot.

At Daimicl, a town in Central Spain,
U, the Nirgen de las Cruces. The city
failed to provide "A band
f.. the occasion, which 50 inconSed
tuJse who were in the procession
at they marched to the court house
lEl broke all the windows with
mes. Then they bomhardcd the
.uuse of the alcalde with stones and
SET it on fire. The fremcn were i'm
o"1ed in their work, and it took the
WIS whole police force to Quell the
not.
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05

back since his fathers death! Only
take to-day"
Soft. my lord. Yonder comes
Wikel making strange signs to you.
All heads but Randain's turned in
the direction he was looking. She was
still too lethargic for curiosity; and
she found a kind of dreamy content
in lying with her eyes upon the Ethel,
ing's handsome face.
Presently, however, between her
and the comely apparition there in.
tervened the brawny figure of yeo
man-SOldier.
He said breathlessly, "Chief-before
you go to the King-be it known to
you that those horse-feet you heard
belong to the mounts of Edric of
Mercia and his men-and he is with
King Edmund now"
The three stolid old warriors got to
their feet with curses. The Etheling
bent forward to gaze incredulously in
to the mans face.
"Edric of Mercia? With the King?
Why do you think so?"
Kings fire, watching a fellow who was
showing how he could jump over the
flames. when | saw the Gamer ride
past; and | followed him. as near as
the guards would permit-near
enough to see that the King received
him-let him settle it with Saint
Cuthbert."
3
faction then. from all within hear
ing, clamorous outburst: "Ay. there
it is! "-"Ethelred's blood, 1T is no
more to be counted on than is wa
ter" What could have moved him
to it,"
1t appeared that the Etheling had
recovered from his surprise. for now
he said steadily, Il will not believe
it. Until their oaths have been spok-
en- and their hands have clasped and
my own eyes have Witnessed it, | will
not believe it Of him.
Motioning them from his path. he
was starting forward a second time,
when the old cniht laid hand lightly
upon his shoulder.
Here me, Lord Sebert! If them
to weigh all perils like a soldier,-if
then, you do witness it with your own
eyes?"
The blue gave out flash of smitten
steel.
Morcard answered as to words:
You will be one against many, lord"
You cannot mean that the Witan
will comply with him" the Etheling
cried.
How is it possible that they should
Go otherwise? The odal-born men
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
Pine Made Of Eamhon.

a Traveller in the Philippines
writes: You see that girl coming
indie: of bamboo upon her shl.lder?
She is returning from the water
works and is carrying home a good
supply Of clean drinking water. Yes,
it is a big bamboo tube surely eight
feet long and twenty-five inches at
least in circumference. The inside
divisions have been forced out by
means Of stick and the intrruS!
compartments all combined into o-o.
II holds : lot OF ltru,L."
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
Quietirq the Baby.

'S to photograph his two-ycar-old
O. phew. TwO-yCars-old refused to sit
Is Il. 1t was an affcctatiOn with the
~'Ident to carry stethosCopc in his
side pocket. He took it ont and
7 aced the ear pieces in the little
-'Dmach. Then as the baby diccs-
&c system sent mp some sort Of
Iucer rumble which was reproduced
F the stethoscOpe in resembling
oars, the little boys face grew rapt
With an oyer-pOwcring scientific in
rest and the shutter snapped.
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
LOCUST PLAGUE IN EGYPT.
The Invasion Of Insects Is Very Sc
rous One

There is every probability of the
plague Of locusts which has now de
scended on Egypt proving a very Sc
rious one. Great anxiety is felt for
the young cotton and other crops.
The lOCusts first arrive in compar-
atively small numbers, but they null
tiply very rapidly as soon as they
reach the edge OF cultivation. With
in ten days the young insects. though
still wingless. advance in a solid pha
lanX sometimes two or three feet deep
and several miles in length.
1t is essential that at this stage
they should he destroyed, as it would
be impossible to cneck the ravages Of
flying locusts.
The method adopted during the last
visitation, that of 1890, was to dig
deep trenches, sometimes miles in
length, between which and the ad-
vancing swarm huge heaps of straw
were laid and fired. Any locus.5
which succeeded in escaping the
flames and smoke fell into the
trenches. where they were destroyed
by natives under the supervision Of
English instructors
1t is a providential habit of young
locusts never to turn back or aside
when once started. no matter what
obstacles are put in their way.-Cairo
Correspondent London Daily Mail.
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
"Praise Not the Day Till It Is Over.

Thou shalt not praise the day TIL night
IS falling,
However fair its dawn and noon may
Oftt!m"s at "yeutide come storms appHl
ing.
Setting the lightning and the thunder
free.
Thou shalt not blame the day till It Is
ending.
Though it has brought the" food aud
hurricane;
Fun oft at nightfall comes doen peace.
descending
in sunset gold and roses glorious gain.
Praise each fair morn that calls thee up
from sleeping,
And through the hot day work with
all thy might,
Then leave the evening hour in heavens
keeping,
Which sent both winter cloud and sum
mvr light.
Westminster Gazette
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
HOOKMARks OF ALL SORTS.
CITY Librarian Has Collection Left
by ForQetful Persons.

Anything in sight will do for
bookmarks." said a librarian of a city
circulating library recently. Many in
returning books forget to keep their
bo"hmarks. AS a result | have an
larga collection of odd things in the
bOohmark line.
Among them were stacks Of let
ters business letters of Importance.
letIrr5 containing grocery bills. gas
bill, meat bills. due bills. bills of
sal, mortgages and insurance poll
cleS. social letters. family letters and
letters Of the amOrous sort, photo
graph, hairpins. spcttacles. keys,
Scissors and single keys sufficient to
equIp a gang of burglars
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05

One of the most novel inventions
which halls from Germany is false
teeth made from paper. Many of the
dentists are using them and find them
to be entirely satisfactory. They have
several advantages over the ordinary
ones made Of porcelain or mineral
composition. as they are cheap, do not
break or chip, are not sensitive to
heat or cold. nor has the moisture OF
the mouth any effect upon them.
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
NO CALL FOR INTERFERENCE.
WI ought She and Her Husband
GOT Along Reasonably Well.

VIII T-ought She and Her Husband
Got Along Reasonably Well.
am Bede is fond OF telling a
s'o-t + what he vows was a real ex-
per .." IN one Of The remote corners
OF b. .+rriCt.
"a5 travelling around just before
eie' ... If course purely for pleas
ui' d" says. when passing a small
hor Voc a little clearing heard a
'e'l -... uproar inside. A free fight
OF IAEs proportions seemed to be in
pros Abandoning my horse.
rust I'D the door My knocking was
dro"l'a by the disturbance, SO
pusA". open the door and entered. A
nus 'aH1 and wife were having little
con 'EY'"rSy. He was armed with
woe. Do ladle and she with a heavy
Fsl.- pan. and they were belaboring
eac" cher numerically.
b" TACT is, they were about even
lF matched. but did not have time
10 see this. and fearing the women
"oni be hurt. seized the man by
the collar and dragged him back.
gaspIug and speechless. Not so the
woman. With final bang of the
par over his head she turned on me
saNaEely and said:
See here, what right have you
putting in? Go on and mind your
own business I'd have you to I'M
ders'and that we get along about as
wei as most married ks."-Satur-
day Evening Post
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
Arriving at a Verdict.

Kushequa, Pa. Aug. l.-(SpeclaD-
In this section OF Pennsylvania there
Is a growing belief that for such Kid
ney Diseases as Rheumatism and
Lame Back there is only one sure
cure and that is DOdds Kidney Pills.
This belief grows from such cases as
that OF Mrs. NJ. l.. Dawson OF this
place. Sac tells the story herself as
follows:
Il have suffered from Rheumatism
for thirty years and find that Dodds
Kidney Pills have done me more good
than any medicine | have ever taken.
| was also bothered with Lame Back
and | can only say that my back
hasn't bothered me since took
Dodd's Kidney pills"
Considering that Mrs. Dawson only
took two boxes of DOdd's Kidney Pills,
the result would be considered won
derful if it were not that others arc
reporting similar results daily. Kushe-
qua is fast arriving at a verdict that
"Dodd's Kidney Pills are the one sure
cure for rheumatism"
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05
WROTE WHILE IN PRISON..
Famous Poets Composed Great Works
in Solitude.

John Bunyan wrote pilgrim Prog
reSs" during one of his terms in pris-
on, which altogether lasted twelve
years. The brilliant Frenchman. Mir
abeau, during his three years impris-
onment at Nincennes, wrote many
pamphlets and his "Lettres de caChet
ct prisons d'etat." Luther. while in
the solitary castle of Wartburg, wrote
that noble hymn Elm Feste Burg. LIST
Unser Colt" During his thirteen
years confinement in the tower OF
London Sir Walter Raleigh wrote a
history of the world from the creation
to $50 b. c. Daniel Defoe. who was
imprisoned for two years for the pub.
LEGATION Of an ironical pamphlet en-
titled THE Shortest Way with Dis
senters," produced during his impros.
onment several of the 30 works he is
said to have written. The poet Love
lace wrote 'Lucasta" while a political
prisoner, and the Roman philosopher,
Boethius. wrote in prison work sin.
gularly appropriate to his situation
ON the Consolation of Philosophy
The Grit-advocate., 1904-08-05

Every hOusekeeper should know
that if they will buy Defiance Cold
Water Starch for laundry use they
will save not only time, because 1t
never sticks to the iron. but because
each package contains Is Ozone full
pound-while all other Cold Water
Starches are put up in H.-pound pack
ages, and the price is the same, 10
cents. Then again because Defiance
Starch Is free from all injurious chem
iCals. II your grocer tries to sell you a
l2-OZ. package it is because he has
a stock on hand which he wishes to
dispose Of before he puts in Defiance.
He knows that Defiance Starch has
printed on every package in large let
ters and figures &c OZs.' Demand
Defiance and save much time and
money and the annoyance of the iron
sticking. Defiance never sticks.
Tact is the art Of doing things with