davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
OVER THE
WIRE
BY ROSE ELLEN THOMAS
Copyright, 1905. by X. A. Whitehead

When Jim Lee, the village carpenter
and a widower, died, people felt sorry
for his daughter Molly and wondered
how she would get along. They did
more, for q wonder. A number of them
SO interested themselves that she was
made telephone operator at Sandsville
with a good weekly salary. She made
her home with a neighbor, and things
went on very well with her.
Molly Lee was q girl of twenty, and
II she hadn't married before her ia.
theirs death it was not because Of the
lack of opportunity. Why she didn't
was her W affair. Why she attended
strictly to business afterward and had
no beaux was also her own affair, but
the villagers winked and nodded tic
each other and said it would come
around by and by.
At Stapleton, twenty eight miles
away, James Williams opened a store
about the time Mr.. Lee died. He had
much te%lephoning to do in various di.
r%ections, and he called up S%andsville
at least nee a day. When he heard
the new voice over the telephone he
liked the sound Of it. The more he
heard of it the better he liked it.
AS he was a bachelor and as he was
charged with having an eye open for
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
clubbing II

When Mrs. Morse after a lapse of
thirty years met her old schoolmate,
Mrs. Graham, in the guise of a summer
visitor to Aldersfield she made up her
mind to one thing-Lydia Graham's
measure of worldly prosperity had
been large, but not for one moment
would Mary Ann Morse allow her to
feel "set up"
1t was with the intention of reducing
any possible pride that might be Turk.
ing behind Lydia Graham's placid
countenance that Mrs. Morse held her
off at arms length when the first at
f%ectionate greeting had been ex-
changed.
"How fat you've grown, Lyddy!'
said Mary Ann Morse, holding her little
figure erect as a small stiff tree.
Mrs. Graham smiled co~ntentedly. and
Mrs. Morse saw that her thrust had
done no harm.
"And yet-and yet you're wrinkled In
spite of It," said this determined old
friend. And then she gave Lydia Ora
hams flushed cheeks a consoIing kiss.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
4 1 d

The most wonderful straightaway
ride ever made by man was the gallop
OF Francis Xavier Aubrey, ci-deyant
Canadian voyageur and a famous pony
express rider, from Santa Fe, N. NJ,
to independence, Mo-, in 1S53 300
miles in five days and thirteen hours.
In 1852 he had covered the same dis
lance in a little over eight days, and
his record was on the wager Of $1,000
that he could do it in an even eight"
In the whole distance he did not stop
to rest, and he changed horses only
with every 100 or 200 miles. He was a
stocky French Canadian, light. hearted.
genial. adventurous and absolutely
fearless. For some time he was an
overland freighter, and he also maze
the enormously difficult and dangerous
drive OF q flock Of sheep from New
Mexico to California across the deserts
of the Colorado. He was killed. in San
ia Fe.-McClure's Magazine.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
THE PEPPERS.
A s0s,inion ON the white. the Black
and the Snappy Cayenne,

a0O NnC Sn@nNy cayenne.
The 80 called white pepper is an
domination. Give NE the old fash
Toned black pepper Of our duddies. 1t
has both flavor and odor and is most
appetizlng, while the white is nauseat-
Ing. For real snap and go give me
cayenne. None of your paprika! Did
you ever sift pepper in your soup and
notice Its peculiar behavior? The black
kind concentrates. all the particles
rushing to a common center. The red
s%cntters. as II each grain were at en-
nifty with every other. Try the expert
ment. 1t means probably that black
pepper Is astringent, while red Is laxa-
tive. The people of the tropics consume
large quantities of cayenne and are
not accustomed to dyspepsia. Itnever
heard Of one suffering from Impaired
orimperfect digestion.
Let us. approach these things under
s%tandingly. The medical term fer,
black pepper is piper" and this same
piper Is regarded as a stomachic. A
stomachic is a stimulant for the stom-
Ach. Red, or cayenne, pepper is cap
isicum" and, is an irritant as we'll as a
s%toElachic. II a person afflicted with
cholera morbus takes thirty drops of
the tincture Of capsicum In water the
entire alimentary tract will immedi-
ately be coDgested, which should prove
that red pepper is not a laxative. And
this looks like a contradiction.-New
York Press.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
MONDAY AS WASH DAY.
Il May He a Legacy to u. From the
MayhOWer Pilgrims,

u May BE q Legacy to Us From the
Maynower Pilgrims.
Did you wonder how it came about
that in our country all families think
they must do their washing on Mon
day?
The Maytlower drifted into Massa-
chusetts bay and lay at anchor outside
In q little sheltered cove. The fathers
had gone ashore to see IL there was a
place suitable for landing. The morn.
Ing was Monday. and it seemed that
the old fashioned desire to tidy w
came over the hearts of the good house
keeping women of the little band.
The women We're rowed to shore. and
u the cold, salty water Of the bay this
Monday in November. 1920, the first
ladies in America washed and scrubbed
In the good English fashion too. Fires
were built, water heated and clothes
spread out on the trees and snow.
When all vas finished to the satisfac.
ton Of the women they sighed with
pleasure and said, cleanliness is akin
to g0dliness."
Do you know this is history? Yes. II
Y, though not as dry as history some
times is. Anything is history that
shows the spirit of the times, and this
wash day In America showed the spirit
OF the first arrivals.-Boston Globe.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
9EATiNG Ii
they rIna rhsir Prey ~ slsAa. Ne
~ sense OF smell.

They Find Their Prey ~ sluha net
~ sense Of Smell.
A study Of the habits of 1esh eatane
birds shows that IL they possess ths
sense Of smell at all It Is not sim
GENTLY acute to enable them to ~ Il
in finding food.
All observers are agreed that Whsn
q carcass is hidden by never SO slight
q screen it is safe from the attacks OF
vultures and other carrion seehers,
but the most remarkable proof Of. the
ineffectiveness Of the sense 0f It exist
at alp is afrorded,by experiences which
DR.. Guillemard was good enough to ne
late to me. Many times It has hAp-
pened,- he tells me, that, having shots q
wild beast or other game. which war
too heavy to carry home, he has dis
emboweled it and hidden the carcass In
the hole Of an "ant bear"
On returning with natives to carry it
to camp he has found a circle Of vul-
lures standing round the spot where
the offal had been thrown, completely
unaware of the carcass within q few
yards of their beaks. OF observatoas
proving the possession Of the sense I
know none unless we are willing to
accept as evidence the belief which is
! very general among fanciers that BIRDS
are attached to the smell Of anise and
the similar belief Of Hamekeepersstin
some parts Of the country that they
are attracted by valerian. It is cid
that pigeons may be prevented from
DESERVING the dovecot by smelstlg
their boxes with oil Of anise. PolEh-
era are supposed to lure her! pheasstts
From a wood BY amounting gatepoet
with tincture Of INSTRUMENTATION.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
EARLY Autoxrnph hunter.

A certain Atossa in early Roman days
seems to have been the mother Of au-
tograph collectors. Cicero had a collec-
ton, which must have been a fine one,
for he speaks of it with particular
pride. The fever, even in those far
back days, was contagious. Pliny
speaks of Pompeius Secundus, Mt
whose house he had seen autographs
Of Cicero. Augustus, Virgil and the
Gracchi, and his own collection was
valued at $4,000 of our money. Then
came the inrssh Of barbarians, and we
do not again meet with the collector
until the beginning of the sixteenth
century, when he reappears in the per-
son Of a Bohemian squire, who kept a
book to record his exploits in the chase
and enriched it with the signatures of
his great hunter friends.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
A Ghost story,

The power of imagination is strongly
Illustrated in the following ghost story:
One of the most famous murder cases
II Australia was discovered by the
ghost OF the murdered man sitting on
the rail of a dam australian for horse
pond) into which his body had been
thrown. Numberless people saw it,
and the crime was NaHayebsDught home.
Years after a dying man making his
confession said that he invented the
ghost. He witnessed the crime, but
was threatened with death If he di-
vulged it, as he wished to, and the only
way he saw out Of the impasse was to
affect to see the ghost where the body
would be found. AS soon as he started
the story, such is the power Of ervous-
ness that numerous other people be.
gan to see it until it's fame reached
such dimensions that a search was
made and the body found and the MUIR
derers brought to Justice.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
HE ENTERED THE TELEPHONE OFFICE
'MELL?" SHE OUT.

q wife it would not have been strange
had he written to a friend at Sandsville
to introduce him to that girl with u
sweet voice in the telephone Office, but
he did nothing of the kind. He could
have stepped aboard the train any day
and gone and seen for himself, but he
did not do that. ti
Bachelors have their romances as
well as young men and maidens. He,
built up q romance around the "Hello!''
voice, and after a few weeks he would
have wanted to knock the man down.
who destroyed it for him. When there
was no business on the Sandsville line
to call for his opening the telephone he
made excuses to do so. He felt he
must hear that voice at least once a
day, and when he found his romance
growing he,smiled to himself.
By and by the messages over the wire
were not strictly confined to business,
according to regulations. The bache-
lor opened conversations on general
subjects, and as he was paying the
price exacted by the schedule of rates
the girl could hardly snap him off the
line. He never asked her name, but he
betrayed an interest that brought the
blush to her cheek as she carelessly re-
sponded: YES" 81 see." 81 guess So"
"Indeed."
Sometimes he left his telephone open
and sang. 1t was always a sentimnen-
tai song, and the girl at the other end.
Of the wire knew that the words were
meant for her. AT first, when address
Ing her, he had called her after the
name Of the town. One day hesglided
away from that and called her Girly.
She was going to reprove him, but he
was in q hurry, and she put it off. The
reproof never reached him, although he
was considered an impudent fellow to
keep on making use of the term.
For a year the bachelor Rugged his
romance to his soul; then he made up
his mind to look for something more
material. He put on his Sunday suit
one day and went down to Sandsville.
Any one on the street would have told
him that Miss Molly Lee was in charge
OF the telephone Office and would prob
ably have added that she was the best
looking girl in town, but he asked no
questions, not even where the Office.
was. He strolled around until he found
It for himself, and he kept saying as
he strolled:
Jimmy Williams, you are making an
idiot of yourself. OF course Girly is
an old maid and homely as a hedge
fence, and you will get snapped up in
great shape for your cheek. Better go
back and keep your Illusion"
But he entered the telephone office in
stead, and the first glance at the wo-
man behind the desk sent his heart
down into his boots. Just as he had
feared, she vas an old maid. She was
an old maid who was having trouble
with a soft orn that day, and a nan
who suffered had Just left the office
after vainly seeking to send a message,
and she did not like the way the nan
from Stapleton looked at her.
"Well?' she blurted out as he stood.
there looking around in a helpless way.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15

The price Of . deviled crab In Balu-
more runs down quite . scale. Begin
ming with 10 cents in the fashicuAbls
hotels. 1t drops to 10 at the ordinary
eating bar and then to . lwhen bought
from the greasy basket Of Tho GOOD ma
tured crab man. In the tiny Italian
cook shops deviled crabs can 10 en-
joyed at the rate Of 8 cents each, and
In the saloons along the watsr front
they are often stacked up In . huge
dish on the free lunch counter. With
all these opportunities for feasting on
the well seasoned .'debbiln It 10 little
wonder that Baltimoreans are conaid-
cred the crab connoisseurs Of the ma
Ition.-New York Herald.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
when Death Cool. IA. st,nr.

There is a curious superstition In ia
maica that if a death occurs in the
house all the water in it is poisoned at
once and must be thrown away, the
reason given being that death" cools
his sting after destroying life in the
first water he finds, and as no one a
tell-death being invisible-what jar
he may choose it is safest to throw 1t
all away. Careful people to save trou-
BILE even carry all water out of the
house Immediately before a death ia
expected.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
Canuries.

Sometimes "a canary's coat gets a
pale, sickly yellow. Give him half an
ounce of ground red pepper such as is
used OH your table and let the bird eat
1t as he likes. In a week he'll turn a
beautiful orange color. Bird lice are
troublesome at times. A pinch of pow
dered saffron put under the wings will
drive away the pests. Gravel in the
cage every day and u dish Of tepid wa
ter for a bath every other day are In
dispensable to the singers health and
happiness.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
Well Gsar4ea airls.

In New Guinea parents send their
daughters to bed In a little house 1T
the top Of q tree every night, andlwhen
the girls have gone up tho ladder 70
removed. so that there Il no coming
down till the parents allow Il. Elope-
ments under these Circumstances must
be difficult, and parents no doubt slssp
the sounder Tor knowing that their
girls are unable to take their walks
abroad until their elders ~ &c Tor
them to do so.-London Lady.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
The. Curse OF scotland.

Among the reasons why the nine Of
diamonds has been called the curse Of
Scotland are the following:
Diamonds, nine OF, called the curse
Of Scotland. from a -scotch member Of
parliament, part OF whose family arms
- the nine OF diamonds, voting for the
Introduction Of the malt tax into Scot
land. Chronology; or, The Histo-
rtan's Companian." Fourth Edition. by
Thomas fTegg, London, 1895.
There 10 a. George Campbell men,
toned in Rurtpn,a .Htlltory Of Scot
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
FOR AN APPETITE.

Ne Not Eat . les Unless You Are
Is'it Really Hungry.
It is not wise to eat unless there issa
real, natural hunger. It IL far better to
miss a meal than to eat without ansap-
petite.
A prolific cause Of chronic indiges-
ton is eating from habit and simply
because it is mealtime. To eat SWhsn
not hungry is to eat without relish, and
food taken without relish 10 worseStti4n
wasted. Without relish the saliyaIy
glands do not act, the gastric duiAsAss
not freely secreted and the bert Of
Goods will not be digested. Manyeper-
fectly harmless dishes are sey1eely
condemned for no other reasonstAan
they were eaten without relish andi6us
i~nsalivation.
Hunger makes the plainest foednsn-
joyable. 1t causes vigorous sect91ien
and outpouring Of all the dige1tdvs
~nuidsthe sources Of phyallna H3@.
tryspin, etc.-without 4 plentif1ISIp1-
ply of which no foods can be pea4SGiG4ly
digested.
Wait for an appetite IL It t9t1ps q
week. Fasting Is one Of the seStng
graces. 1t has a spiritual signlaekAce
only through its great phytieal and
|physiologic Importance. f1 beeakfast %
q bore or lunchaaa matter of l~Hdi6sfsncs
cut one DE- both Of them out. Wait for
distinct and unmistakable hunger and
then eat slowly. If yop Do Ms 3uu
need ask few questions a. to de pro
priety and digestibility Of what you
eat, and 1t nesdlano be predigested-
Boston Cooking School AagaGinA.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
Hsnest netrtexenent.

Let the touch Of assistance offered to
those who stumble be freightsd with
such buoyancy, strength and ICE
agement that 1t Will prove an impetus.
It is often in the establishing Of ons's
footing that the balance 10 lost-for
the lack of poise or some indennable
somethiA. There IL infinitely more
credit in honest reinforcement than In
the even rut of moral being and CON
tinuance.-New Orleans TfmeEDemo-
crat.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15

land" as having caused the nine Of
diamonds to be called the curse Of
Scotland because he stole nine dia.
monds OUT of the royal crown In the
reign of Mary Stuart. in consequence
OF which all Scotland was taxed.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
when Love Was YOUNG.

She with emotioM-Do you really
care for me just as much as when we
were first engaged? He with convic-
tion)-Yes, lovey, every single bit as
much.
And at the time this conversation
took place they had been engaged just
fourteen hours, eight minutes and
twenty-five seconds.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
The Retort cuttinr.

The tailor who made an excuse to
Rear Admiral Barker that the doctor
said he had a swelling Of the head"
was not overjoyed at the reply:
"Of course there's nothing in itr:-
Chicago Inter Ocean.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
Perfectax.safe

Bridget. I have to 60 out this even
ing. and l want you to see that your
mistress gets this note without fail as
soon as she comes I'M
"Yiss, sor. spll just leave It In the
pocket of the trousers ye've taken of.
She be IRE to 60 through them
London Taller.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
His Strong Face.

"What a remarkably strong face
young Buckemhard has"
"Yes. At the game the other day l
saw two players jump right on 1t, but
apparently neither of them succeeded
in making the least impression."-Bos-
ton Transcript.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15

"NameA Williams Of stapleton," h5
answered.
We'll, what of that?" 2
IL have done considerable tele.
phoning to this office during the past
year"
And have you got any complaints
to make3'
"N'm."
''Then what?"
Il thought That is, II
"Have you been drinking, sir?" de
manded the old maid in a voice full of
carpet lacks and pounded glass.
"N-n-n-n-o!" suffered Mr.. Williams
after a great effort.
"Then you are going to have paresis
and had best consult a doctor!"
Mr.. Williams withdrew and went
over and sat down in the shade of the
grocery steps. A bobtailed dog came
along and tried to make friends with
him, but he would not respond. One OF
the hogs sauntering about the village
streets approached and grunted anna.
bly,, but was kicked at in response.
The groceryman came out and. rub
bling his hands together, observed that
he had just laid in a new stock of
crackers and herring, but the bachelor
never even thanked him for calling his
attention to the fact.
BY and by, when the cold chill OF
disappointment had passed away, he
got up and walked to the depot and
took the train for home. His romance
had been shattered and buried, and he
felt small and mean over 1t. There was
only one thing left to wonder over.
How on earth could that old maid have
disguised her voice as she had when
talking with him? He thought over
the matter for two or three days and
then dismissed it.
During the next two weeks the mer
chant had considerable telephoning to
do, but none of it was in the direction
of Sandsville. Not once was that Office
called up, and there was a saving OF
at least So on tolls. Then there came q
day that the Office had to be called
up, and as the bachelor took down the
trumpet he made up his mind that If 1t
was possible to do so he would Civ.
that old maid a rap.
eyes, this is S~andsville," came the
answer in a voice that made him jump.
1t was the clear, sweet voice he had
been accustomed to.
81 WANT he began and then
stopped.
"YeS?"
II want Jackson's dry goods store
after awhile, but just now 1 want some.
thing else"
"What is it?"
'Haye-have you got two voices?"
Why, OF course not. What q funny
question:
care there two of you, then"
mo; I'm all alone here"
"Well, I'll be jiggered!!" he exclaimed
to himself, but he heard a giggle from
the other eod of the line, and the same
voice he liked to hear said:
"Shall l call up the store now?"
"Not yet. Say, l was down at Sands
vile the other day."
"Yes?'
II called at the telephone Office"
did you:!"
"And you wanted to know if l had
been drinking"
ooh, Mr.. Williams!"
"And when ? said no you advised me
to consult a doctor for patesis."
did she say that? I'm sorry. / was
Ill for a week and had to get Miss An
drews to take my place. and she is
pretty short with people"
"And it wasn't you in the office that
day.. ]
"Of course not"
"Then-then''- sa
"Then you want the store?"
mot by Il jugful! want you, and /
shall be down on the afternoon train"
"But, Mr.. Williams
But Mr.. Williams was hurrying to
the depot to catch the train and an
hour later was in Sandsville. Three
months later he got what he came for,
and everybody says it was a good
match.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
Wisdom of Youth.

Remember, my son." said the sage
Of Sageville, that money is not the
end of your existence"
"Of course not" rejoined the young
man. "It's only the means."-Detroit
Tribune.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15
Very Green

HE certainly seems likely to live to
q green old age"
why he has already attained It.
He's just married a girl twenty-five
years his Junior, and he thinks she
loves him for himself alone."4Phila
delphia Press.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15

Known by the MoneytHe keeps.
Sometimes a mans balance III bank
II a fine tribute to his mental balance.
A fool and a balance in bank 500 part
company.-Memphis News-Scimitar
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-15

VIZ SAAS ~ OAk
after several hours hunt returned with
out having even got a glimpse Of them.
Then, after half a days rest, we made
our way slowly back to the ranch,
driving the horses before us.
When we rode up to the ranch house
there again for a moment flashed some
thing white. We were all facing It, and
I looked from n to the other for some
telltale color on the cheek or fash in the
eye to indicate that 1t was for him. I
looked In vain. We dismounted In the
yard and all went in to supper, which
was the first square meal we had had
since we started.
The next afternoon we prepared to
continue our Journey, when Prado beg
ged us to delay.
I'VE are to have a wedding tonight"
he said. and we would like to have
you present."
"a weddingg" l exclaimed, and at
once the white signal I had seen at the
window. came back to me.
Eyes, my daughter. She is to be mar
Red" The old man wiped a tear away
with his coat sleeve. 81 would not
give her up till I lost my horses.
sancho has wanted her for some time.
l refused him, but when the thieves
drove away t6fty Of my best horses Il
must either consent or lose my stock,
for Sancho is the only one hereabout
who could follow the trail and ho re-
fused to dos unless / would Give him
my daughter" HxRoLDIOTD.