davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08
THE GOOSE ISLAND MYSTERY

F'Do you feel very sick?' asked Billy, in
great perplexity. "The tides a-runnin' out
now, and l was thinkin' it was time for me
to go for some clans; but I'd just lief put
you ashore"
''Tide?" gasped Camilla, with quick tight
ening of her grasp upon her portfolio and the
pamphlets. "Tide? that's it. What goose |
ami
I've heered of such things before" said
Billy Ruggles. "Pve heered of folks that
was always took, more or less, at the turn Of
the tide, but you never seen it turn be-
fore"
Billy stopped there because he could not help
it. He was looking right into her face, and
it was all on fire. That might have been
fever, of course. but light began to shine
milla was the prettiest girl he had ever seen,
She only needed more color in her face, and
now she had plenty. He had been so full
OF polite intentions and attentions that they
had almost upset him, and his new light made
the. whole situation too much for him alto
gether
He did not get seasick, or dizzy, but ne
knew, positively, that he should burst if he
did not unite his good manners and let him
self laugh. He said as much to his mother
after he got home that night He sat down
on rock, and gave way to shout of mer-
riment.
That shout of Billy's brought the other two
boys on clean run, as if they had heard and
obeyed recall signal.
Martin dropped his rod and fair-sized
bass, just at the edge of the bushes, in his
eagerness to get to them but Jim had left all
of his burdens behind him on the other side
of the island.
Billy he cried, as he came; whats hap
pened; Is there anything the matter with
''Island!" echoed Martin.
''Island!" responded Camilla, serenely, her
self again. what can you mean? You fool
ish boys! The tide has turned, and William
wishes you. to 60 with him to dig some claHs.
The sand is all uncovered, now that the wa
ter has receded. After that, we will eat our
luncheon"
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08
Continued from Preceding Page

we'll 4" "' "'''"' wy
"Who is hep
lie is my uncle, the only brother of my
iather, John Gayworthy, who perished i'm a
sreaD nre IN Constantinople sixteen years ago
or or more" | replied, willing to give him all
Che information he asked for.
:, why do you begin now to call me Mr.
Drooks when you wer always in the habit
OF calling me father! Why don't you call me
father nowW
Because you are not my father and never
were, Mr.. Brooks. For a consideration YOU
assumed that title and have brought me up
as your son, though, another person said
yoM nave not been much of father to me-"
Have you gone mad, Gay?" demanded
Brooks, evidently staggered by what | had
said.
II don't think I have, sir. You were the
valet OF John Gayworthy, when he was at
tached TO the British embassy in Constanti
n nopieJ , WOW, Mr.. Brooks, let me say that it
Is Is useless to be surprised at anything | say,
LOT olr Morgan Gayworthy has acknowledged
me as his nephew, though not till had been
fuily ", ,lndehtitied as such by my grandfather"
VINO is your grandfather@ asked he, be-
ginning to show some signs of breaking down
:, Rev. Archibald Maldrake lie is down in
the parIor with Mrs. Castleton at this mo-
ment," l replied. "Shall bring him up?''
Not yet | do not understand all this,"
S11 isS;, ne, very much agitated by this time.
iSiV huhle nave Deen TO Europe,
and spent some time in LONDON Do you re-
member l,U the letter that, came to you when
you were suffering with bilious collie? It was
signed 2. Grantham, and that was a fictitious
name"
II have had many letters signed by him."
admitted Mr. Brooks
1t was in reply to your demand for fifty
thousand pounds, and the writer informed
you that Maldrake had not been heard from
Tor ten years. and there was no doubt that
he was Cead."
Then you opened my letters?" he said,
reddening with anger.
81 opened that one by accident and I
explained how it was 'fBut regarded the
circumstances as a special providence as the
means OF informing me that l was the vic
tim OF an infamous conspiracy"
from the time had opened the providentiaI
letter. 1t took me full hour to do so, and
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08

the ocean might be fshed out. He knew
too, that fellow was likely to see things
incorrectly at the start, and he had evidently
estimated the depth of the water near
that rock. Other objects around him wore
a different aspect from his first impression of
them.
He pulled in his line and walked away. He
had seen what looked to him like deeper wa
ter on the western shore, and he determined
to try it. He walked through the trees and
bushes in that direction but when he came
out on the other side of them he stopped short
and stood still.
"The islands more than as large again as
| thought it was" he said, aloud. 81 didn't
know there was any sand fiat. That must
be where Billy, Ruggles said he was going
to dig for his clans. I'll go on along to the
ocean side and see if there is any deep water
there"
Jim had seen Mart go, and had understood
it pretty well
Hes gone to hunt better spot. So II l,
and I'll just try the other way. Maybe III
find one"
Just about the time that they both were
once more absorbed in their fishing, Camilla
felt sort of cold chill creeping over her. 1t
shut her eyes as she murmured:
81 feel as if l were going to be seasick.
Pm growing dizzy No! I'm not mistaken at
all. The island is rising right up out of the
water. That rock has risen nearly three feet,
and the ground is bare all the way between it
and the shore. William William Ruggles
what is the matter with this island? Is there
any possibility of subaqueous volcanic action
in its geological formation?"
"What can she have SEEM" exclaimed Billy.
'oThere isn't any bugs around here. Nothin'
alive that could have scared her as bad as
that" and then he said TO her, very po-
litely and soothingly: ut won't hurt you.
Them things never bite. Don't pay any at
tention to EN-"
"The sland the island!" exclaimed Camilla.
'Where are the boys? Martin! James! Did
you ever see anything like it before? Can we
not take refuge in the boat and return to the
mainland?"
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08

son, | cannot pay you for the treachery to
been guilty"
Brooks was full of talk He tried to ex.
cuse ms conduct. lie had been over-per-
suaded by Morgan, as he still called him. but
the good clergyman rebuked him severely for
attempting to palliate his crime.
In about week after our arrival he boarded
the steamer for Liverpool. lie had occasion
10 write to me few months later, and in
formed me that Sir Morgan had agreed to pay
hin ms stipend on condition that he con-
eealed all the facts within his knowledge. Al
ter this | never heard from him again.
=, When left the house that day, saw Mrs.
Folgood sitting at the window. She had not
learned that her occupation was gone Pos
sibly her salary was not remitted to her as
usual on the next payday, but l never knew
or cared what became of her. We took the
house IN Rlvington street off Brooks hands
when he, went to England, and after few
weeks | lost sight of her forever.
Maddy Fayrthorne is still my faithful
friend. The next year the Sleeper was not
big enough for him | was now quite as veal
thy as his father, and together we built
steam yacht of six hundred tons, and MIR.
Waxall was transferred to her, with all the
larger crew was employed. At my sugges-
tion, Waxall was made the nominal as well
as the real commander Of the new vessel.
Captain Blubbs is the first and Louis Dig
field the second officer of the Olivia, as we
decided to call the steamer after my mother.
She was beautiful vessel and we enjoyed
great many extended trips in her, spending
the winter in the South on board of her.
At the expiration of the lease of the house
in Rivington street, my grandfather purchas-
ed a larger house in better locality for our
use. We became neghbors of the Fayr-
thornes, and were on excellent terms with
them.
Two years after our return from England |
had the pleasure Of giving Mr.. Buckley Wad.
law the American welcome of which | had
spoken on parting with him, and if ever
man was happy for month he was.
I feel as though / had fought my way 10
the fortune that crowned my life, with the
help of Maddy. | am inclined to be modest,
whatever the reader may think of me after
reading this egotistical narrative, but my
grandfather had said repeatedly that he was
prouder of my good character than of the
fortune 1 possess
The End.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08

That's it, said Jim. 'I knew it was OF
course, that's all there is to it. Goose Island
Mart?"
81? Oh, mine was different kind Of fish
from the others. | don't know what it is. l
dropped it right there by the bushes: 1
thought Camilla had hurt herself somehow.
I'd as lief go for clans as do anything else.
What's the matter, Billy?"
William Ruggles was still sitting down.
He was shaking from head to foot as if he
had an ague fit, and he was also apparently
trying to swallow his handkerchief.
Il knew. it-I knew it,, they heard his
mufhed voice declare 81 knew there'd be
some fun; but this beats me all holler. Goose
Islands a-growin."
He recovered himself only to find that
Mart and Jim had started to get their rods
and lines, and Camilla observed, persuasivey:
"Do not mention it after you return to the
shore, William. 1t was natural error for
them to fall into. They had never seen the
ocean before. l had almost forgotten all about
tides myself.
When the boys came back, Billy said moth
ing more about it directly. He led the way
in the clam hunt, and Camilla left her port
folio and the pamphlets on a rock and went
with them. She even picked up the first clam
herself and called it a bivalve.
1t was a capital spot for clam digging, and
after that was done successfully and fire kin
died under the trees, the clam bake that fol-
lowed was something marvellous.
Nevertheless, every time a roasting clam
opened his mouth for breath of fresh air,
Billy Ruggles seemed to find it an excuse for
chuckle OF. a coughing spell.
"Do you have tide very often?" asked
Jim, suddenly. "Pm glad we had chance
to see one while we're here"
''Twice a day. said Billy, with a desperate
effort of some internal sort. -'We'll have one
to help me row home this afternoon. It's
good thing to have"
No doubt of it; but Camilla and her cousins
would never grow old enough to forget Goose
Island and their first sight of what, after all
said and done, is wonderful and mystery
OF the sea.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08
Continued From Page Four

No such amusement came however. 1t seem
ed as if only an assortment of undesirable
fish cared to make any acquaintance with
Jim, and he mournfully said much.
He even persuaded Mart to trade with him,
and all he gained by it was founder as big
as his hand, while Mart sat upon Jim's first
rock and pulled in a porgy that weighed al
most pound. He changed places from rock
to rock.
Billy Ruggles himself seemed to be having
very good luck-at least, so thought Camilla,
as she now and then turned from her sketch.
ing to look at the boys.
Everything was lovely, and the mainland
of North America was ever so far away, and
full eKpanse to surround one when upon an
uninhabited island.
''There is something very curious about that
rock" she remarked, at last. 'It almost
l began. The beach is wider, too. OF course,
it is only an optical illusion; but then it
looks as if it were so, in spite of all L can do
to correct my erroneous impression"
At that very moment, her younger cousin
was saying to himself:
'Now, Jim Penniman, don't you be fool
The island isn't growing one inch. There isn't
a sign of any volcano. The waters deep
here as it was when | began to fish. l won't
say a word. / won't have Billy Ruggles laugh.
ing at me and thinking I'm a greeny. / know
as much about seas and fish and things as
he does, considering that l was never here
before"
Billy walked to where the boat lay and
gave her a shove out, and heard Mart NUT
tering:
There was something uneasy upon Jim's
mind, nevertheless, and his face wore a seri-
Gus expression.
''He needn't have pulled her up so far in
the first place.
And again the redheaded longshore boy
found something to chuckle over.
Then it naturally occurred to Martin that
he might probably do as we'll or better upon
some other part of the island. They had
been fishing for long time right there, near
to where they had landed, and that part of
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08

''You haven't seen anything of that black
steer of mine, have you? l tracked him down
here, where he came to drink, and now I
clearing back in the woods a piece, and away
from the other CATTLE and he's wild as a
deer. Haven't seen him anywhere around
here, have you"
There was half-minute's silence, followed
by a shout of laughter from Uncle Joe, in
which he was joined by the fathers of the
boys, that made the woods ring
"Black steer-bear! You've done it now.
youngsters. You'll never hear the last of this
business"
And Steer-Bear Landing it is to this day.
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08

think it might be bear, as they had been
seen that summer in places they had not fire.
quented before for years.
You think it was one, don't you?" said
Uncle Joe to the Western Visitor.
and | told them so first thing Didn't /,
boys?" >
eyes, he did; and you know he is used to
them" chorused the boys, promptly.
''Well, then, there's no doubt but what it
is a bear, fast enough" and again that
she knows their ways, of course"
As they neared the shore, they saw man
coming down the old road
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08

bcow, and looked at Mr. Maldrake as guilty
man might look at his executioner. The ap-
pearance cf my grandfather in New York
was enougl to convince him that all | had said
was true.
81 see that the whole truth has come out,
and that it is useless to deny it, said the
culprit. "The time for which Morgan Gay
worthy agreed to pay me a thousand pounds
year will expire in less than two years, and
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08

quick as we can, and get Uncle Joe and a
lot more to come and help hunt him out"
Jacks advice was warmly accepted by all,
Dumpy's home, which was nearest the pond
and Uncle Joe, who was the first to see them,
came hurrying out to learn what was the
trouble. And he knew the whole story as
quick as four boys, all talking at once, could
tell him.
They were joined by Giddies father, and
all started to row across the pond to the
camp.
They questioned the boys on their way
over, but they stoutly stuck to their first
story, and even Uncle Joe was inclined to
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08

| thought my grandfather might be getting
impatient Ivy this time. / went down and con-
Quoted the old gentleman to the office.
"NIr. Brooks, l am glad to see you again.
and ] hope you will live long enough TO re-
peut of your sins, and of the part you have
taken in this conspiracy against my grand
son." said the venerable clergyman, in the
most direct manner.
Brooks w.red the persplrd. on from his
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08
& Fighting for Ibis Own SY

without that stipend am utterly ruined y
81 should say that you were,' replied my
grandfather.
, 81 have saved nothing, and shall not
have the means to buy even loaf Of bread"
groaned the wretched man.
The way of the transgressor is hard,
said Mr. Maldrake, solemnly.
81 believe you, Mr.. Maldrake. | have suf-
fered what ! cannot describe. | have been
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08
i SHALL NOT HAVE THE

in constant torture from the fear of discovery,
and the dread that Morgan would have no
further use for me. That time has come, and
there is nothing but beggary for me now"
confessed Milton Brooks.
81 advise you to return to England said
Mr.. Maldrake. Il think you have influence
enough with Sir Morgan to induce him to
pay your stipend as long as you live. One
thing is certain. AS the guardian of my grand
Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-08
Continued From Page Five

''Seems to me it looks tall for a bear"
remarked Jack. Doesn't look just as /
Thought bear would"
The animal put its head down to drink.
81 guess he was awful dry" said Jack, as
the bear still continued to quench its thirst.
prolonged. sniff Of the air, and then started
of toward the tent. But he didn't want the
tent or anything in it, for, after walking
round it, he went off up the old road again.
Il tell you. what we must do, boys said
to row across, and we must put over as
The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-04-12
EASTERN.

Kingdom Gould, heir of George Gould,
was operated upon for appendicitis in the
New York home of his parents.
Three foreigners were drowned in the
Allegheny river at Salisbury, Pa, by the
capsizing of a skiff. Their bodies have
not been recovered.
Death in the marshes along the south
shore of Long Island was the fate of Paul
Nocque., the sculptor-aeronaut, after an
ascension from New York
The woman's suffrage bill, providing
that women as well as men may partici-
pate in the election of presidential cleo
to.s, has been passed by the Rhode Island
State Senate.
BY the will of the late Mrs. Lucy
Boardman of New Haven, Conn.,, who
died the other day, 100000 is given n
public requests and the remainder OF her
estate, 100000, goes TO her relatives.
Fire destroyed the Evening Times build
ing on Main street, Buffalo, causing a
loss estimated at 100000, covered by in
surance. The building was one of the old
landmarks of lower Main street, having
been built in 1870.
Wilson Miner, who recently married
Mrs. Charles T. Yerkes, reported to the
police that his apartments in the Hotel
Seymour, in New York, had been broken
tate during his temporary absence ana
iewelry valued at $500 stolen.
Russell, the 4-year-old son of Mr.. AMI
john Ruch of Ruchville, Pa, died as the
result of the accidental discharge of a
revolver in the hands Of his brother
Charles Ruch, aged 16 years, who did not
know that the weapon was loaded.
While riding in an automobile through
Hayerford, a Philadelphia suburb, l.. o.
Cowing, a member of the firm of Aims
Brothers & Co.. wholesale meat dealers,
was killed and his wife was so seriously
injured that her death is expected.
Because he had been drawn as a juror,
Henry w. Kuni, a Philadelphia musician,
aged 80, attempted to commit su, eide by
siashing his throat and wrists with a
razor. He probably will die. He is a
socialist and does not believe in juries.
The bodies of two elderly women. one
of HON is believed to be Miss Clara
TRANSPORT, formerly of Islip, l.. l.. and
the other that of her sister, were found
IN their rooms in a furnished apartment
louise in East Eighteenth street, New
York. Both had been ~asohyxiated.
Edwin G. Swift, formerly of Chicago
and a millionaire member of the packing
firm Of Swift & Co., died Of pneumonia
at the Quincy House, Boston. His daugh-
ter, Mrs. Clarence Moore of Chicago, who
had attended him in his illness, was at
his bedside. Mrs. Swift is abroad.
The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-04-12
IN GENERAL.

Geronimo. the aged Apache warrior,
with the consent Of the War Department
has joined a wild west show for the sea,
son.
The commission appointed to investi-
gate the question of municipal develop
ment of water power at Niagara Falls for
seven cities in Ontario, has made a favor
able report on the project, urging tie
cities to establish a joint plant for the
purpose.
Six hundred tons Of g%unpowder and dy-
Mantle in the hold and a fierce fire raging
in the engine room is the situation that
confronted the officers, men and passen-
gers of the steamship Pennsylvania when
abe was of the Gillian coast a few weeks
ago. Nine Texas cowboys, who were on
board and risked life and limb to extin-
guish the flames, saved the passengers
from q horrible death.
The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-04-12
short Personals.

Thomas Hardy, the novelist, spent his
early life in an architects Office.
Frederick w. Morris of New York re-
Gently purchased in Boston four folios of
Shakespeare for $1,000. They were print
ed in London some time between 1923
and 1886.
The $4,000 down which Mr.. Winston
Churchill is said to have received for the
life of his father figures out at the rate
of IL cents a word. John Morley receiv-
ed 10000 for his Life of Gladstone"
James w. Eldredge of Hartford,
Conn.,. has one of the finest collections
Of war relics in the country, and G. A.
r. men of his State are trying to Sc
| -ure il for Connecticut. There are more
than $500 different articles in the col
lection.
Sergt. Frank Warner of Battery A,
in the Missouri National Guard, is said
TO be almost an exact double of Presi-
| dent Roosevelt.
H~armsworth, the noted newspaper
| owner, who was recently created a peer,
| has adopted two rolls Of paper as his
arms. A London paper, commenting on
the choice, says 'the selection of them be-
| trays a cynical humor."
Capt. James Moorhead of Brooklyn,
| who has followed the sea for forty years,
| has fitted up a unique room in his home
In fac simile of a ships cabin. In ne
| one particular does the cabin" differ
| from the cabin on any of the full rugged
clipper ships he so long commanded.
The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-04-12

In recording the 9,965 business failures
of 1905 in this country, Bradstreet's clas-
SITES the causes under eleven heads, chief
of which is lack of capital. Next to this
stands Incompetence. The number of fail
ures due to fraud was comparatively
small, being only a little over 10 per cent.
This would appear to show that "the
commercial world is not permeated with
dishonesty" The number of failures was
about 1 per cent of the whole number of
concerns in business, which is lower than
any year since 1883, except 1900.