davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11

The managing editor gazed up in speeches. hor-
ror
But Barrett did not wait for reproof. Step
ping from the low das on which were the city
and managing editors desks he walked down the
city room towards the outer hail.
In the doorway he met Colonel Bladen, the
owner of the paper, who was returning from
his morning round of the various departments.
Face to face in the narrow doorway, Phil
Barrett and the proprietor of the New York
Evening Planet CHANGED to meet. 1t was, nat
urally, Barrett's place to step back, try to look
humbly apologetic, and allow the exalted one
to enter.
This was his first impulse, but brighter idea
occurred to him. lie noted that he was trife
nearer the threshold than his vs-a-vis; so,
hat on head, cigar in mouth he pressed on, fore
ing the proprietor to step back. As he passed
by, brushing shoulders with that outraged dig
ntary, Barrett, without removing hat or cigar,
nodded condescendingly and continued on his way.
"Those three interviews alone were worth the
price of admission he murmured gleefully as
he boarded an elevator and descended towards
the cashiers office.
An idea had shaped itself in the boys brain.
Whenever any reporter on the Evening Planet
receives a raise of salary it is the unwritten law
Of the office that he shall "set up" drinks for
the rest of the staff in the grimy little cafe di-
rectly opposite the Planet Building. The drinks
in question are invariably either beer or whisky,
usually the latter. Barrett decided that nothing
short of champagne would meet the present ex.
igences and serve as proper form of farewell
But he had only two dollars in his pocket
He remembered, however, that he had about one
hundred dollars in bank, and he resolved to get
check cashed for the whole sum in order to
defray the bills for wine and other projected
expenses of the day. What was one hundred
dollars out of six hundred and fifty-eight thou
sand dollars?
At the 'pay window" opening into the cash
iers caged-off room he asked:
"Can you cash my check for one hundred dol
lars?"
The cashier, who had had experience with the
decidedly eccentric financial methods and status
of newspaper men, demurred.
"Maybe you think l haven't that much casi
in bank?" suggested Barrett hotly "Perhap
this may convince you" and he tossed across
the window shelf the letter he had that morn
ing received from the Denver lawyers.
The cashiers face changed perceptibly as hi
read it, and Barrett's good taste smote him a
thought of the vulgar ostentation he had jus
displayed.
As the cashier finished the note man entered
the Gagged room from the rear. 1t was the pro
prietor. The cashier retreated to where Colone
Bladen had paused to glover at Barrett AM
handed him the note. Cashier and proprieto
read it together, then talked moment in whis
pers
At last Bladen came forward and stretche
out his hand to Phil through the narrow window
/ "I congratulate you, Mr.. Barrett" he sal
pompously but cordially. "You are indeed fbl
tunate. Mr.. Banks" ITO the cashier-"kindl
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11

cash Mr. Barrett's check. Mr. Barrett, l hope
this good fortune of yours will not deprive us
of your valuable services. After so busy lie
idleness will hang heavy on your hands. IL
seems pity, moreover, that so promising
career"
'I have about decided interrupted Phil, to
give up this drudging and devote myself to reg
ular literary work. Nine hours day for $50
a week doesn't strike me an ideal life"
"But perhaps-well, I must talk to you OF this
later on. Perhaps can formulate some sugges-
ton that you might agree to. Are you going up
to the city room? Wait moment and L will
go with you.'
Thus it was that Gray, having recovered from
the shock of his interview with Phil. and hav-
ing marked down the latter for swift punish
ment beheld with amaze the spectacle OF the
delinquent walking into the city room few
moments later talking on apparently equal and
even confidential terms with the proprietor hlm-
self, the latter's hand resting in fatherly fash
ion on Barrett's shoulder.
An overpowering thirst, throbbing headache,
and feverish restlessness grpped Phil Barrett
next morning, even in his dreams, and dragged
him to pain-racked wakefulness. The morning
was cold and rainy, its damp chill adding to the
boys general physical misery.
His first waking thought was of his new
found wealth; his second, memory of yester-
days episodes.
Il had seemed. at the time a splendid thing
10 buy champagne for everybody in sight, to
ignore Grays proffered hand, to be congratulated,
to be applauded to the skies for his daring Ian
prage towards the city editor, Bennett and
the proprietor; to feel the silent, earnest hand
grip of the friends he loved, to listen with con-
| temptuors amusement to requests for loans from
men with whom he had never before exchanged
| fifty words.
| But this morning the memory was not sweet.
He felt that he had boasted of his wealth, that
he had presumed its power in way little
short of cowardly, that he had drunk altogether
too much. and that he had, in short, behaved
like cad He was glad he had gotten back
at Gray, but none of his other exploits now
struck him as particularly glorious.
| How disguised She would be!
| thunderous knock at the door crashed through
his aching head, turning him sick with agony.
| "Come in!" he groaned
| The Gramercy bell boy entered and wr1ggled
towards the bed
"Seven o'clock, sub. Heah's you mail, sub
Will | tuhn on de bath now?"
"No" answered Barrett, reaching out tretn-
ulous hand for the mail "dont turn on the bath
Pm not going to get up for hour or so,"
He glanced through the few letters in search
of one from the girl. But the first envelope
that met his eve bore Denver postmark and
the stamped name of the law firm whose previous
communication had so changed the face of life
for him.
"I ought to have written to them yesterday
he thought as he idly ripped open the envelope
"I'll do it to-day. Who would have thought
prosperity could have made me such blatan
fool as / was yesterday
He unfoded the stiff sheet of paper and read
{ "Philp Barrett, Esq.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11

strengthened by the reflection that it was about
Mrs Young, not as widow, but as wife ana .,
means Of grace, that he was concerned, and the
memory of what Silas had said about wives IN
general had put him right with his conscience
again.
The widow was lively, luSorl woman who mad
seen forty busy summers pass. She had been one
Of the prettiest and most industrious girls OF the
village, and it had seemed that Nathan, when
Young man, had serious intentions towards her
But his extreme caution had got the better OF
his inclination and she had been retired to that
limbo where he kept all his secret heartburn,
ings. She had married ne'er-do-weel, and until
the day of his death, leaving her with two chill
dren on her hands, she had had need OF all her
thrift.
Nathan thought of all these things and lively
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11

good sacrifice as you could make, an then it's
sicll lastin' one"
II don't believe that you realize what You air
asayin', Sias It's mighty desprit step that
you're advisin' me to take"
Again Mrs Bollendefs voice broke in, Isl, air
you goin' to git anything done this mornin', er
air you gon' to stand there hold up that fence
fur the rest o the day."
Nathan" said Sias "kin you stand here an
listen to voice an speech like that an then
ask me eff realize the despritness of rnarriase?"
"It's desprit" said Nathan, pensivey, but
who'd you advise me to marry, Silas, eff did
that is, eff l did make up my mind to marry-an'
l DON jest see any other way"
ooh, l amt pickin' out wives fur anybody, but
it seems to me that you might be doia' good
turn by marryin' the Widder Young. The Lord
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11
NL@LLlZII
| p |
MIg|


to see if ANYTHING were written the
back After which he read the letter yet again.
Then he Law back in bed and gazed duly up
at the low white ceiling. Through the open
window of his tiny bachelor room on the tenth
floor of the Gramercy poured in the never-ebb-
ing morning hum of the hurrying city, roughly
punctuated by the roar of the Third avenue ele-
waited trains
The sound vaguely reminded Barrett that he
was one of the infinite number of atoms which
went to make up New York's rushing workaday
life, and that he was already behind time in
rising. He looked down again at the letter and
sank back on his rumpled pillow.
The colored bellboy who received fifty
cents week for awkening Phil at seven A. NJ,
for turning on his bath, and for bringing up his
mail, had aroused him fifteen minutes ago. Bar
rett could hear the water running into the tub
in the adjoining room. The bath must be near
Iy full But what matter!
Once again he raised the letter and read it
slowly through-this time aloud and with fire.
quent pauses:
"Philip Barrett, ESD, "a Gramercy Park, New
York City.
"Dear Sir: We have the honor to inform you
that your aunt, Mrs. Georgia Benton Graves, OF
this city, died on the 18th inst, leaving proper
ty aggregating approximately to six hundred and
ffty-eight thousand dollars (see nclosed state
ment) AS no testament can be found, and as
Won are the nearest of kin, this legally re-
verts to YOU. Kindly honor us with your in
structions We beg to subscribe ourselves" etc
etc.
"That means" sighed Barrett, in a vague &c
stasv of contentment not unmixed with sort
of dazed wonder-"that means I'm rich, elsC
that I'm crazy. Good Lord! Rich! A thirty
dollar-a-weeh newspaper reporter and wortl
six hundred and ffty-eight thousand dollars!"
He repeated these last words slowly, solemnly
then Law trying in vain to build, in their prop
er order the countless and dazzling materials fo
air castles which thronged his dizzy brain.
Barrett was one of the twentyfour reporter
who hunted down news for the New York Even
inc Planet He had joined the staff three year
before. on leaving college. Since then his sal
ary had gradually risen from fifteen to ehirtl
dollars week. while his tastes and disbursni
ability had expanded at far more rapid ratio.
Moreover, there was Girl
She was the sort of girl one married.
Rut in New York one cannot marry on thirt
dollars week And therein lay the chief thor
in Barrett's path.
AZ last he arose. bathed, dressed and sallie
forth TO breakfast--not in his usual scrablin
haste nor to the Third-Avenue creamery wher
three rolls and cup of coffee may be hough
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11


Thev were both whiting away indus
Striousy, and there had been long ST.
Ience between them. Nathan broke 1t, saylnS'
n,Pears tn me like I've had uncommon good luck
this year"
Silas paused and carefully scrutinized the stuck
he was whiting into nothing at ALL and then
resumed operations on it before he returneu'
"Well. YOU have had good luck, there am 10
denyin' that 1t pears as though you've peen
especially blest"
"An' / know amt done nothin to deserve
it,"
"No. of course not. Don't take no credit to
voreself. Nathan. We don't none Of us deserve
our blessin's, however we may feel about ctr
crosses; we kin be purity shore O. that.
"Now look" Nathan went on; my pertater
vines was like little trees, an nary bug on en-
"An' you had as good crop o corn as I've
ever seen raised in this part O. Montgomery
county"
dyes, an sold it, too, Jest before that big
drop In the price"
after givin' away all the turnips you couid'
YOU had to feed 'em to the hogs"
my fruit trees jest had to be propped up, an
I've got enough preserves in my cellar to last
two er three winters, even takn' into consldera-
ton the drain o church socials an O charity.
"Yore chickens air fat an sassy, not sign o
pip among EN-"
''Look at them COWS in the fur pasture. Did
you ever seen anything to beat 'em fur sickness!
'oWel look at the pasture itself; it's most
enough to make human bein's envy the critters.
You didn't have drop o, rain on you while you
was gettin' yore hay in, did you!"
mot drop"
"An' had whole lot ruined jest as / was
about to rick it."
So. alternately, they went on enumeratlng -'a-
than's blessings until it seemed that there was
nothing left for him to desire.
"Silas," he said, solemnly, "sich luck as l. II
a-havin' is achilly skeery; it don't seem right.
Silas had a droll humor of his own, and his
ewes twinkled as he said: mo, it don't seem
right fur religious man like you, Nathan. Ef
Won was hard an graspin' sinner it 'u'd be
lest what body'd spect You could understand
it then; the Lord 'u'd jest be maxim you top
heavy. SOS yore fall 'u'd be the greater"
'T do know but what that's it anyhow. Mebbe
I'm a-rittin' puffed up over my goods without ex-
actly KNOWN it"
'eMebbe so, mebbe so. Them kind o feelin's
is mighty sneaky comm body. o. course,
I ali seen no signs of it yit in you; but 1t
'nears to me you'll have to mortify yore flesh yt
to keep from bein' purseproud"
eeNortify the fesh,'' repeated Nathan seriously.
"o' course, you can't put peas in yOre shoes er
rit any of yore friends to lash you, so you'll have
to find some other way O. mortifyin' yore flesh.
We'll, fur my part, don't need to look fur none,
fur / never had too many blessin's in my life,
less'n you'd want to put the children under that
head"
silas shut up his jack-knife with snap and.
laughing slid down on his side of the fence. In
serious silence Nathan Foster watched him go
stumping up the path towards his house. ''Silas
seems to take everything so light in this world,
he breathed half aloud. IT wonder how he can
do it."
With Nathan, now, it was just the other way.
Throughout his eight-and-forty years ne had taken
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11

'ud have two special reasons fur blessin' you
then; fur you'd be mortifyn' yore flesh an at
the same time a-helpin' the widder an orphans"
Nathan turned his honest gray eyes Upon his
friend, but there was guilty flush upon his sum
burned cheek as he said, That's So" For the
world, he couldn't admit to Silas that he had been
thinking hard of the Widow Young even before
he had thought of mortifying his flesh with wife.
Now that he had an added excuse for keeping
her in his mind he was guiltiy conscious of try
lug to cheat himself-of passing off pleasure for
a penance. But his wavering determination was
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11

satisfaction grew up in his mind. He thought of
the good his money would do the struggling wom-
an Of the brightness it would bring into her life.
"Well, it's good" he murmured; 'Ill be KILN
two birds with one stone"
Once decided, it did not take him long to put
his plans into execution. But he called Silas
over to the fence that evening after he had
dressed to pay a visit to the widow.
"Well, Silas" he began, "Pve determined to
take the step you advised"
'Humph, you made up yore mind quick, Ma
than"
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11
BY ALBERT PAYsoN TERHUNE.

Hill BARRETT read the formal, type
written letter slowly, stupidity, un-
comprehendingly. He read it a sec
ond time and turned the sheet over
to Coo if nnrthinn rrere written on the
Los Angeles herald., 1906-03-11

lATHAN FOSTER and his lifelong friend
and neighbor, Silas Bollender, sat TO-
gether side by side upon the line fence
that separated their respective domains
They were both whiting away indus
Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-09-13

money 90 secure them the necessary COW
etcd education. Ter fondness for grand
opera and classical music IN general has
led her o. Dc the good fairy TO quite a
member of girl, ambitious TO become
pnma donna, iu time.
A story Is told Of her way Of carrying
rood messages TO those hoping against
nope.
], seems that a well known painter Of
portraits was commissioned 70 paint
Mrs. Fish At sitting the conversation
turned on art students, and this led the
artist 10 tell Of a certain young woman
in one OF his classes who was making
exceptional progress, who seemed TO
have what is known among The probes
sion as the divine fire, but who was
soon 70 lay down her brush and palette
for the stcnographcr's pencil because OF
lack Of funds. But added the speaker,
mark my words, she'll be back in the
class as soon as .he has managed 10 rake
and scrape together enough money to
give her another course Of instruction"
Two nights later Mrs Fish, unaccom-
panied, Unexpectedly appeared before the
portrait painter as he was busy in the
class room.
"Show me the student you were telling
me Of the other day" she commanded
Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-09-13

cation being supplied through the man
who quite incidentally brought the
young woman's case to the attention OF
Mrs. Fish.
a rather daring and out-of-the-ordi-
nary way Of engaging in philanthropic
work, but in her social life she is even
more daring and ingenious.
Recently she set the tongues of the
countrys gossips to waggng when it
was announced that she was 10 give a
dinner at which the guests were to APP
pear in bathing suits. Newport has it
that before the season is finally over she
is expected to give a yaching party-in-
doors entertainment, at which, il is
whispered, the guests will he received,
amused and dined in a yacht, in her
great ballroom in Crossways, a marble
cottage" and one Of her three homes
There is her city house in Seventy eighth
street New York, and her third house
is known as "Glencyffe" 1t is at Gar
risons-on- the-Hudson, opposite West
Point, and is the old home of the Fishes
At her Harvest Festival" some time
ago Mrs Fish transformed the spacious
lawn of her Newport cottage" into a
farm. Sheaves of wheat, shocks of corn
Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-09-13

q lake, on which little yachts steamed
and in which fish darted At her UNI
brella dinner each guest sat under as
costly and rare an umbrella as patient
search on her part and money could Sc
cure. At her peace ball, which repro
duccd the famous one held at Mt Yer
non in I7Sa she filed her Newport
house with furniture and decorations of
the period, spending thousands Of dol
lars TO give the affair as correct a set
ting as possible.
As a result Of her work in connection
with the ball. Mrs. Fish is a recognized
authority ON the peace ball and entertain
mcnt and other things colonial. She
spent weeks in studying up ON the sub
ject before she began actual work or
the ball; her thorouehness in this mat
ter is but indicative Of her thoroughness
in all things. Therefore, her days ar,
crowded with work
AS a critic Of the Newport set Mrs
Fish is certainly ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
refreshing. Probably no one outside tn,
charmed circle of tlc -Four Hundred
has spoken or written harshcr thing
about it, She says that the Newpor
folk are uniformly stupid" Sh,
ascribes little or no brains to not few
and generally and specifically She de
clares that they are too crazy abou
dukes and such things" Her stricture
Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-09-13

and haystacks of conventional size were
scattered about; one corner Of the lawn
was q pasture, where two oxen, fresh
from a Rhode Island farm, quietly
grazed. The house itself was stored
with products Of the soil; agricultural
implements that had been in daily use
decorated the rooms, Mrs. Fish, repre-
senting the goddess of agriculture, re-
ceiyed her guests on a dais of plows,
reapcrs, cultivators and what not. The
broad piazza was made into 4 grape ar
Dor, the living vines bearing luscious
clusters of fruit; the flower beds and
the stone wall were planted with the
kinds Of wild flowers that are TO be
found in every countryside.
To obtain the harvest effect desired
Mrs Fish bought up a goodly portion
of the crops Of a small Rhode Island
farm; and its owner also made a second
pretty penny by placing the sheayes OF
wheat. the haystacks, the shocks of corn
and other things in traditional manner
She has had an entire theatrical COM
pany, stars and chorus. provide post
midnight vaudeville for house full OF
guests. She has made over her town
ballroom into a small theatcr the stage
being complete in every detail She has
had a special play written for production
by her.
At a dinner the tables centerplece was
Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-09-13

Il like her earnest look" she added, a
moment later; please call her to me. -
Then. when the young woman had come
up, Mrs. Fish said:
"You are to continue here until you
are ready TO take step upward, and
remember, under no condition are you
to give up your studies until you are
fully equipped for your work"
With that she swept out of the class
room and on her way to a social func-
ton, and had not the man informed the
stupefed and shaking student who her
benefactor was she would probably have
remained ignorant of her identity to this
day, the necessary funds for her art edu-
Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-09-13

Y |'i{ lt IS MIS- StuyNcsant fish
Eptertajns Most ayiShly.
\ ~ =.
PETS Iu''s u'c 'NoNei''cS alu
hds the Most Money.
~ .. d. obj, p.ir, al, once. Fo, ali
Altar. the rrroyp.,,8 b,,t
,r.-. .T.y- Hundred" Nj,
d.. f..l. .f Nevr.rt Nsw yorl
....r Hundred" ID Amrnc,',
.,, percentage.
...t....t-..-
........... n.y.. ..... -.
....t. .......... 1910.
.,t... 60. ..t..t.. t...l -.
"
!,
'"e most consistent w''' Ieg1-
-
~
.... .., .,,,,.i ,,,,.. ,,,.., ,..,-,.
- Oh. ,..t. N,o,l,, ,,s,,,,.,, ,,
..... ... ~. ......,. a. -.
s.....t,t. ,.,,.i .....i i,..,,,. -
Chez. ..,.,,..,,..o, B.. .,,,.
.... OIL. O., ,i.., h.,. -,., .,.,.i
.I.f t...,.... d., ,,l l,,,l. %,
o.. .. ,,,..r ,.,,.
.....-..--.. -.
,r,,,sr,, r,r,r. orc.s agcn,
,,, , .,s,r,,g ,,,orrdou,
nv stunning innovations
a., ,.., .., H. ~. 4.
-. - -, 8.
''.'''
Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-09-13

indeed, that not a few
have been stung into tag
for all the heated indigt|
frank speech stirs up fron,
it remains true that no so
Fish issue invitations to J
cizes than they immediate
their presence. Not to a,
to put a certain surprise 4
Fish's affairs, both great (
sure to contain surprised
accept her invitations wonl
society's real leader, and
whom she has most me
cized evidently care to d,
Why does Mrs. Fish h
game in such strenuous,
costly fashion, if she rec5 /
associates are so stupid,t
as 10 chase after odd.
things? b
Not for notoriety, pei
not employ a press agen1|
vance information of h
as some of her social MI
habit Of doing. Neithef
at the Distribution Of h
or placidly submit to
the snapshot camera nj
for being pictured is int
blne of the man with IL
The splendid photogra
published was secured
quite by accident. Ths)I
her that has been doing
the country shows, not
of to-day, but her of fit,
Mrs. Fish is much .
tinquished husband by nab
tai equipment-bold, ress,
full of energy. She den
things for the sake Of a
has lived in the social az,
life, and so she delights
social game for the sake
self. Then, too, she -
port hopelessly stupid; aI
ably bold and resourcefuf|
find pleasure in startling
out of their stupidity
scheme of amusement
Before her marriage
Miss Marion Anthem. III
was without the millio1
at her beck and call sid
bride, and which have 81
Of society's real leader
her a splendid opportif
her ingenuity. HoweveT
may think that the years
devoted to something II
tertaining stupid md
women, it should be BOZ
justice to Mrs. Fish, thu
one side Of her life. ThX
thropic side. There is Ia
no scandal or ugly woEe
There is the student sni
in her work Of prepTati 2
ball. e
And, further many ~
has done first have b &
most of us and are il
when we crave social
slider the cakewalk, VIII n.
and introduced among
Also the altogether ludiy
races; and, to m>utiopf.
vaudeville. NJ
Unlike many OF the
other get-rich-quickers,#
not fall down and wo1 d
such things" She has III
ably, nearly every {
made our shores
and a half; b.
such things ri
she has put y
osOQl 10 IL
ing the unth los olrAlIdt
time, both in a"ooIdde Il
1t is good to krb loI n
of our society. she XstsE'
social amusements for Ill
of us. whether we live
country, or have much
is an American woman
Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1906-09-13

osONT j.
ing the uni" Jos 9leA!lI
time, both in d"ooIdde
1t is good to krt IoI I
of our society, she N.Y.
social amusements for ii
Of us, whether We live
country, or have muchl
is an American womanl