davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04
AN UNEXPECTED GUEST -&
AND A TEST OF FRIENDSHIP

his family the adventure with the stranger.
IF only knew who he isl he said. III
was certainly peculiar way OF expressing
his thanks. By Jove, / have his card! Here
1t u.s. DR. Sauerklee, Counsellor-at-Law.
In return for the food he gave me the I'M
vanished truth to swallowl Well, he 10 not
entirely wrong-what do you think, wifef''
Il think he is entirely right. Frankly,
I had enough Of it long ago. ~ ~ "a
mo less had I; but how TO get out q hs
without vexation9 Perhaps shall have some
inspiration in my sleep. By the way. Gret- .
chen, was DR.. Baldrian hefe2' y
Certainly, answered the daughter; but
he went away after short call. He had to
visit a patient '. 60 w.
Il wonder why 1t 10 that cannot endure
the young man. He has never done me
any harm" rT|'
The daughter suddenly recollected thGt
she was needed in the kitchen. f'r -
The expected inspiration seemed actually
to have come during the night: FOR the next
day Herr Gundermann sat down to write,
and, chuckling to himself, drew up thefol-
lowing letter: ,.-....
MY DEAR FRIEND: Embarrassing cireum.
sseeSsy ere re osse
unless succeed in covering them otherwise.
will force me to part with my est,ste; ssYeFe
large resources Asking ,yoH, to consider
, yosrs ofathiaIy
"There," the writer said. contentedly.
that will do it. A dozen copies or 90, and
| we shall see II the lawyer really hitrthe
| nail on the head. ,...- =, d.
house was deserted. Only toward evening
did a visitor appear--the young physician.
Gundermann welcomed him kindly, but
was rather taken abaok when the young
man asked for private lnter .he do,i he
told him that he had heard Of the bad turn
affairs had taken. and as he had inherited
small fortune begged that Mr.. Gundermann
would dispose OF II.
Great heavens! 1t is the talk, Of the
town that you will soon be obliged to sell
| your estate 80 &c.,
IGive me your hand, doctor. he said.
y thank you Just as warmly as Il actually
needed to take advantage Of your o1er.
| 1t is all false report, however, simply,
debbled, for once, in your profession .So. and
! their tongues without being asked
| II was dark when the doctor rose to take
his leave after having been cordially. In
| vited by his host to come again soon, which
lowed him with Light. A, considerable
space Of time elapsed before she returned: :,
aThe doctor must have been very. careful
| not to let you become over heated, chuckled
her father. you must have stopped to
rest after every STEP =.
Il was Obliged to go With him to the
gates. Fingal had been let loose. He
does not know the doctor, and
We'll, must admit that the doctor ie q
here often. But I am rather curious as to
the outcome Of his visits. What do you
think Of them, Gretchen
For reply, the girl hid her blushing face
on his breast. '''
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04

INDIANAPOLIS Sept. s,The unusual
feat OF building a five room cottage, IN
Guiding foundation, plastering and putting
on one coat Of paint, in q day OF ten hours
with a cost to the owner OF nothing moro
than a chicken dinner for the 'workmen,
outside OF the material. was performed
this week in the little hamlet OF Maple
Grove. near Evansville. The man for
whom the cottage was built is Homer Rose
and the men who did him the kindness
were fellow employees The work was
superintended by Dee Bacher, contracting
carpenter.
Mr.. Rose has had lumber and other ma
terial on the ground for months. After
these we're bought he discovered that he
could not 20 on with his house for Lack OF
means. Mr.. Bacher called his men around
him one evening and asked for volunteers
for one day to build the Rose cottage. Many
thought it would be impossible to build
1t in one workday, but the contractor de-
clared that he could accomplish the feat
II the men in his employ would do the work.
Twenty six carpenters, masons and painters
agreed to give one day II Mr.. Rose would
furnish q chicken dinner, and a time was
fixed when all should report at the site OF
the proposed building.
Every man appeared on time. The
brick masons went to work laying the foun-
dalton, while the carpenters busted them
selves In cutting the joists, studding and
stills. Every man was assigned to a par
ticular part OF the work, and the house
began to 60 up in rush. Hundreds OF
persons gathered about and watched the
workmen. Each Of the latter urged his
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04
A HOUSE BUILT ALL IN a DAY

fellows on, and when noon came the franc
work was all up and the chimney had been
started.
Then came the dinner. Mrs. Rose. as
sisted by some Of her neighbors, had fried
two dozen chickens. There were ten losves
OF bread, four dozen ears Of boiled corn.
nearly bushel of mashed potatoes and.
bowl otter bowl Of gravy. The dessert
consisted OF peach cobbler and various
kinds OF pies. The contractor had call
of his men for fear that they would cat
30 much that they would not DO able TO
finish the job. f--
As soon ss the frames wer6 st for the
windows and doors the sashes wero Hntted
and the lights put In. By this time. how.
ever, the laths had been put on inside,
and the sheeting and weather boarding
was being placed on the outside and tho
chimney was being run up by the masons,
all at the same time. Before the roof was
on the plasterers were Ut work and e1sctfy
ct o'clock the cottage was finished. all
but the second coat Of paint, and the AKIN
coat OF plaster, neither Of which could
be put on before the first coat had dried.
Mr. Bacher complimented his men when
the Job was complete. He said that while
he had done some hurry work In his
time he had never known house 10 be
begun and completed in day. The cottage
contains FIVE well lighted rooms and .
large attic. Everything, even to putting
on the hinges and locks, was done before
| the men were called of at Q o'clock. and
Mr.. Bacher declares that he could hsvs
completed the work an hour earlier had not
| the men eaten 80 freely at dinner.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04

He was pretty cleverly bred at that
Il found him there with the work horses,
gross and high and unkempt and uncared
for, but the poor devil Of neglected cast
of thoroughbred had some good lines
about him and breadth between the eyes
that betokened his possession OF lot OF
patience and strong sense. When / stepped
into his box to get the feel OF him. he knew
right of that wasn't harrow driver or
stable mechanic-the kind OF two-footed
company he'd been obliged to put up with
for so long-but handler OF blood runners
OF the tribe to which he knew he belonged,
and it kind o got me inmpy a1ouna I'M, tne
the top button of my vest and looked up
at me with his big. wistful. patient lamps:
Felt sorry for the old weed-out, blamed y
/ didn't. . u..,
maiden, and then he. nodded his head up
and down and looked sort O grateful and
pleased,
Il led him by his halter over to my own
shed. That evening / took bit OF a walk
over to the old priests cottage to tell him
that the horse Bricky had beQueathed to
him wouldn't be sold to fellow with milk
route for little while yet. He asked me
why not but kind O duoked that by teIl-
ing him that didn't know any milk people,
and then switched the subject
II took a look out Of the tail OF my eye
at the old priests surroundings. He was
only just getting by, and that's all, could
see. Had little church about the azaot
a summer kitchen out there on the edge u
ST. Loo, and even that was mortgaged.
along with the cottage he lived in.
"He was one of those good old men o.
the cloth that They're always sending on
somewhere to start something, just as
soon as he's built up a congregation an
got IL TO prospecting. He was the whole
works, found out-ran the church, taught
the parochial school, instructed the sodali-
ties. ran the Sunday school, buried the
dead, married the willing christened the
wouldn't have kept some jockeys know in
| cigarettes for week.
1.-THE next morning, with bling and
| rattle, ! started TO work on Bricky's four
| legged bequeet. Tackled him on TO my
| string and labored with him.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04
TE PRIEST WHO WON BET ON HORSE RACE WITHOUT KNOWING

The old priests horse wasn't among Aoss
nine, and then lnew that he had only two
horses to beat and those two. providen.
tally shH ssa the to t snis nay old man
then-and he looked Tremendously. sr.
cited-Im mighty glad your horye didn't
get away with that fool bunch. I'd hats
to have you lose Is 900 on such fuko.'
The old gentleman stared at me. -.
Five thousand dollars?' no exclaimed
What IS, OOO?'
why said land may be forgiven
for that bald lie-'the amount OF tho stakes
in this race, you know. This Is the Missouri
Industrial Stakes that your horse Is running
thousand as his share. 1 thought you
knew that all the time =
Il got by with it all right. He never
read the papers-didn't have tme-and
he didn't know a four-year-old maiden
race for NUTS from a drill for mustangs.
ton to him than the flag flashed for SQUARE
start, and the three horses that hadnt
worn themselves out by the faiee dash
around the track rocketed to the front IN
front. At the turn into the stretch he shook
those two of like tug shaking soow
and romped home thirty lengths to the good.
That was the first and only time ever
saw dignified old man of the cloth hacking
his arms like stable hand waving blanket
in the infield and trying all he knew to yell
his tonsils down level with his palate.
was looking at him and laughing. when he
caught my expression. and sat down sheep
ishly.
"'Heaven forgive me for sinful old
man. he said, moppng his brow, but.
praise be! did we liver see rogue OF horss
thravel 80 fast in all the life av ye?'
A lot of us went over to the old priests
cottage that evening. l had the $1,000
with me. and when ] counted out the first
money of the Missouri Industrial Stakes
to him it was worth a good deal more To
see his face.
He made humorous speech. announcing
his permanent retirement from the racing
game, and presenting his entire stable 70
able races with Bricky's badge horse during
the next two years. but none OF them gave
mo so much satisfaction as the one the
willing nag COPIED when he was first homo
in the phony Missouri Industrial StaksA
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04

when I was a young man back IN tho ould
country, meself knew the leg OF horse
az we'll as the-but, tushi It's been many
the year since | allowed meself to partic-
Well / said, we want you to be on
the stand, anyhow. day after tomorrow.
Coming, amt you?'
Il could see the hankering In the good
old mans eye to see a race. It had prob
bunch Of 'em coming into the stretch-'way
back yonder in the mist OF the flown years
when he was young fellow in Ireland.
L can't see any evil In it, he replied,
after long pause. AS locker on.
but no participant
Your horse is going to win, father,
said then, and felt confident OF 1t at that.
'Er-uh-the boys are kind O. talking OF chip
ping in-eaoh man just a little bit, you
understand-and getting down bet for
1 @us the not be- ssd thu old priest
earnestly. You must stop that. II the
horse earns anything by his own effort.
we'll and good, and may he run and in
for the glory OF God. But no gambling in
my name. l depend upon you to stop
that
"All the same, about dozen Of the trainers
around the grounds quietly Clipped in
enough to make up 500 betting bundle
and passed it over to me. I'd told EN-
what hard fight the old priest was
having OF IL to keep ms nock togetner,
and, besides that, passed them the straight
word that the badge maiden that had be-
longed to the dead Bricky was going to
connect, -,
1On the day OF the race escorted the old
priest over 10 the track, and found him
a seat away up on the top tier of the grand
stand. Then 1 went down and saddled
the horse for he was to go in the first race.
Il put the jockey up and gave him his
instructions, and then l returned to the
grand stand to join the priest. had got
the 500 down on his horse at 80 to !.
1T was a mile race and the field started
directly opposite the stand. across the
field. When the barrier flashed 1t stuck
on one side, and nine of the twelve horses
went of to the false break. the starter
and the assistant starter yelling at the boys
with all their lungs.
aBut the whole nine went the entire route
and fought the finish out to the wire, when
they were called back to the starting post
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04

.The fat fell away from him In nc time,
and he was hog for work. In about three
weeks he was In shape to show me some.
Willingly, at that-passed me up a mile in
1:5O without any distress.
Il gave him his daily speeding then for
another couple Of weeks, and at the end
OF that time he breezed me the mile In 1:46
his back When he got through doing that
! gave him a slap on the nigh haunch, and,
Bud. I'm going to run you to help out
the square and white old man that buried
your Pal; pal, BTicsy' and want you to behave
-The old maiden blinked his eyes rapidly
and tossed his head and paved the ground.
and he couldn't have said 1t any palmer In
words that he was going to make the dog
gonedest stab he knew how.
I. .! had to wait another week before l
had a chance to stuff him into a field made
up of dozen four year old maidens.
Couple OF days before the race slipped
over to the old priests cottage, Found
him pacing up and down In ms r,a'od nc BY
cassock, and reading his breviary.
Ever have the horse bug very hard,
father I asked him, and when explained
what that meant he smiled and called me
limb OF darkness.
Ia going TO hunt for the coin day after to-
morrow, and want you to call all dates on
on that afternoon and come over to the
track and watch him cop
Had to get out the glossary to straighten
that out for the good old man, too. Well !,
he was enormously pleased TO hear that
had taken Bricky's horse up and got him
keyed for race with his own class.
I thought some Of running him In your
name father Invent on. just to get rise
out of him, for I'd never had such an idea,
but
I'm glad you didn't do that, my son,
he broke in alarmed. 1t might be mis-
understood, and -.
well, when I was In Ireland few
wears ago broke In on him, it seemed
to me as II half the steeplechase horses l
faith and cloth. II was Father This's
Topper here and Father That's chaser there.
"'Oh, / know that, my son. said the
old priest, q twinkle in his eye. In fact,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04

Herr Gundermann had retired from
business and had bought small estate
near the city, on which he lived contentedly
with his wife and daughter. His activity
as a farmer was rewarded by rich returns
which, however, were not necessary 10
him. for he could live comfortably on his
income.
Gundermann had wide circle OF acquant-
ances; and, now that he had retired, 1t wes
only natural that his friends should visit
him at Sorgenfrei. 1t was equally naturai
that the host, out Of hospitality and also
for his own qualification, shouio trea' IND
guests to refreshments.
Though the stream OF visitors was limited
to Sundays and holidays, it soon became
40 large that he was obliged to use the
entire produce Of the week, as well as all
his stores of fruit, for the entertainment
Of his friends This, OF course, get the
tongues OF the neighbors wagging. One
morning he found the entrance to his gar
dem decorated with the sign, Coffee Free
| to Consumers"
But az this state OF affairs had come about
gradually, like his gray hairs, he had be-
come accustomed to it long before he real
lied the burden which he had allowed TO
be placed upon his back.
One Sunday afternoon the grounds in
front OF the house presented as usual the
appearance Of much frequented care;
and Herr Gundermann and his family
had all they could do to provide their guests
with refreshments. Suddenly, above the
chatter, a voice of thunder shouted:
What the devil is the matter with the
service in this miserable cafe?'
| hat Of who.
misled by the sign over the entrance, had
taken seat at a table in order to partake
! Of a light meal. Herr Gundermann has
, tened to provide the ungracous guest
with the desired food, laughing all the while
, IN his sleeve over the surprise In store for
the stranger.
At length the latter finished his meal
and raped on the table with his Suck
The host went up to the stranger.
When Herr Gundermann explained thai
he was glad to have made the acquaintance
az his auest. but that this was no cafe, the
man gave a slight start, but Immediately
recovered his self-possession, and SAID
courteously:
aMy dear sir, I am grateful for you
kindness. Allow me to express my sincere
admiration of your generosity. / am. how
ever, ready to wager that none OF THESE
| peoDle who are eating your bread and
honey would take any more notice OF yol
than il you were an empty beehive shoulc
YOU ever need their assistance. Try then
for once. And now, good-by, sir
With these words he handed his host
card, bowed and went. GundermanI
looked after him and muttered something
in his beard, but he was soon oblig T.
return to his guests, and had no time K
ponder oyer the strangers words
It was not until late in the evening, whel
the last caller had departed, that Her
Gunderrnann found an opportunity to te
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04

out O. him at that and then Bricky's eye
lids fiuttered bit, and he piped out.
All hands around the track chipped in
to give Bricky something better than decent
burial, at which the old priest who had
closed Bricky's eyes oficiated. After
they'd laid Bricky away rode back from
the cemetery with the priest, as benign and
gentle souled a silver haired man from the
old dart as you ever met.
What was this the poor lad was saying
to me about horse?' the old priest asked
me on the drive in.
Il couldn't help but smile at the question
Well, guess Bricky had 1t about right
as to the ar candles, father, l said, and
then I went ahead and told him something
about the kind OF horses Bricky had always
been the proprietor Of.
4 don't Just remember the turtle he
had last / said, but I'll find out when l
reach the track and take look at him
and maybe III be able to sell him for you
TO some fellow with a milk route
aThe priest thanked me for my interest
and said he'd be obliged to me If I'd take
charge of the horse until it was decided
~ ANYTHING could be done with the mutt.
When l got to the track strolled over to
tbe out of the way barn where the harrow
mules and day laboring workhorses OF the
track we're auartered, to have peek at
the late Brickys season admission crab.
well. the horse kind O. surprised me.
I'd seen the markings of a lot worse glue
than that fellow 20 to the races and get
something.
he was a four-year-ol maiden. but
one OF those years couldn't be counted
against him, for he had belonged to Bricky
since the preceding autumn, and hadn't
been raced in his four-year-old FORM
Hadn't been raced much as three-year-
old, either, remembered, being looked
upon as no account.
Il dug up the dope on the horse, tracing
him back through all OF his races, and II
wasn't such awful dope. There were
always some horses behind him, anyway
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04

when somebody told me the other day
that Mercee, the two-year-old trick that
won good race at Saratoga with the chalk
Of toto /, belonged to New England clergy
man, dozed back little stretch OF fifteen
Years and dreamed there for WHILE re-
marked a veteran trainer, who was better
acquainted with Artful's great-gra ndsire
Hndoo than he Ia with the winner OF this
years Futurity.
.0ne Of the characters Of the old 81.
Louis Fair Grounds track during the SOS
was Bricky McSweeney, whose freckles
were as red as his hair. Nobody was ever
able to figure 1t out how Bricky got by.
He was never known to win bet, although
II was a matter Of common notoriety that
be would bet as high as 81 whenever he
could get the 2. But he was good
hatured Jonah man and he never lost his
belief that some old day he would be there
with enough Of the sepia papers to paper
city schoolhouse.
-Brcky had the privileges Of the track,
because he was always possessed OF some
kind Of badge horse, All Of Bricky's badge
horses were, Of course, gift plugs. They'd
be left behind by departing owners at the
termination OF the racing season.
Whenever an owner would try time and
again 10 poke one OF his no accounts into
the money, only to have the skate fall
cow every time his kidding friends would
aahd him the suggestion, 'Bricky Nc
sWeeney's waiting for that one and 30 1t
happened that for eight straight years
bncKy was never without some kind OF a
hoo'"d hing in his shed emitting him to
ge' IN al the gate and to move around In
The paddock
bricky's finish was sudden.
One afternoon in the summer Of 80 he
was standing at the paddock gate leading
o,i' IN to the track just as the horses in a
p'e held Of maidens were turning into the
stretch. An old blind she-hound that had
oeen The pet Of the stables since the days
!" her puppyhood doddered out OF the
and started to cross the track.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04

"A hundred stable hands yelled at the old
dog, but they yelled so hard that they
scared her, and she stood paralyzed plumb
in the middle OF the track, and the big neio
OF horses, already close to the wire, bearing
down upon her at full speed. The blind
she hound had been pal Of Bricky's Tor
good many years, and he wasn't going TO
see her pounded into pulp under the hoofs
OF the horses.
r $50. lust as the horses were speeding
under the wire, only fifty yards away
Bricky, against the warning cries OF the
whole bunch huddled at the paddock gate,
hoped out on to the track, caught the old
dog around her middle, and, putting all OF
his power into his arms, tossed her over the
infield rail, and she lit, unhurt, on the soft
grass.
"Bricky was Just turning to make the
few leaps for the paddock gate when the
first Of the pulling up horses hit him and
knocked him down, and then about ten OF
the eighteen maidens trampled on him.
When the stable hands carried him to the
paddock enclosure It didn't take any expert
eve to see that Bricky was about to make
quick cash-in.
4One OF the stable hands loped for
priest. The priests cottage. alongside
his little church, vas only about a quarter of
a mile from the track entrance, and the
kindly old man Of the cloth was leaning
over the gasping Bricky just about in time.
.Bricky was a Catholic and the priest
anointed him The administration Of the
Ana, sacrament was scarcely finished before
Bricky's freckled face spread into one OF
his ear TO cor grins, and he nodded TO the
old priest to bend his ear bit closer. The
priest did so.
Father whispered Bricky, still grim
ming, 4 hain't got no kin, so I'll leave my
boss to you
Then Bricky cracked his last joke, with
death ONLY about a minute away from him.
..Ee hain't much Of a horse, father
| he easped, but you can melt him down
an Rit some tallow candles f'r tn altar