davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-02
Death Touched Debtors.

OF course the maj didn't look at t
that way. but his bereavement was
really a source Of financial gain. Il
was a son who died, a boy Of thirteen
He was killed in a street accident. The
fatality touched the public heart
strangely. He had been a popular boy,
and his death aroused the sympathy
OF the neighbors for blocks around.
The father was q small tradesman.
who went on the principle that an.
mankind was honest. He trusted right.
and left. He had become creditor to
tWo-thirds of the people in the neigh-
borhood. Many of those debtors wene
sharks who. either because Of finan-
cial disability Or naturally dishonest
p~ropensities, probably had no intention
OF eyer paying UP. but with the news
OF the lads death all experienced ~
change Of heart. When the shop re-
opened after the funeral, the dazea
proprietor entertained a stream ef
callers.
II am so sorry they said. one ana
al. Then they added. half sheepishly.
u " 9 SO and so.' and piankea
down the money.
In some cases the %shopkeeper rot
money that had Il1eeen due more than ~
year, md he piled up dollars III cash
that. only for the sympathy called
forth by his bereavement. would have;
Deen 2 dead loss.-New York Press.
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-02
Catching a
Thief.
BY JUDSON WELLES.
7 copyrighted, 1857, by Homer S.rague.

Mornin%ton scowlcd III the tiny dish
OF berries hefarc his plate. Sam, his
dusky man. smiled alphabetically.
"Ahln dom MY bas'," he declared.
"All shuah would liak to kotch 'en."
"Samc here" declared Morningtou.
"You don't suppose that the people
next door take them do you, SAM
Sam shook Il knowing head. The
young ladies. lie declared, could E@t
be guilty OF such Expectations. Ever
since they had moved in they had ia
vorcd Sam With sunny smiles as they
passed his yard on the Way TO the post
office. Sam was their Secret slave.
With Mornington it was different.
He had resented the "ppearanccFof this
little colony on the next farm. There
were six of them. five girls and M
elderly woman, who apparently chap
eroncd them. Gossip said that they
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-02
The Ealing Memory.

The memory IS the most easily IA
tlgued of all our mental faculties. This
would seem almost to follow from the
very nature. OF this fnculty. To recall
an impression alre;a5''.T stored up in the
brain necessarily involves effort. Ev-
cry student knows that after a few
hours work the memory lnses its pow
en- and further effort becomes unprof-s
liable. 1t is consistent with this view
that the memory is the faculty which
first decays Will, tle advance of age.
With many persons Ills enfeeblement
sets in before middle life is past.
Events known to Us in youth, when
memory was fresh and strong, al be
recalled in old age, while the things
that happened yesterday readily slip
into oblivion. Y
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-02
Roae.ied Tea DRINKING.

1t would not he quite correct to cay
that tea drinking was ever actually il
legal in Britain, but serious attempts
were made to stop its consumption by
prohibitiye duties and popular preju-
dice. 1t appears to have been first pub
licly sold ia England as a decoction at
Garraway's coffee house, in Exchange
alley. A duty OF IS pence per gal
Ion was then put on the detection.
and this was subsequently changed for
me of s shillings a pound on the leaf.
Its qualities were little known, and
agitations were attempted with the OBJ
ject of getting its consumption made il
legal. The practice Of tea drinking.
however. spread rapidly, especially
among ladies, but popular prejudice
was still very strong against 1t. and
to ask for a cup of tea after dinner,
instead Of wine, was to incur the sus-
picion Of being addicted to an UNI
healthy and degrading habit.-London
Mail.
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-02

seemed worth knowing. He had a
classic profile and wore his clothes
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-02

81 DON'T" he assured her.
'..But Miss Morton takes such an In
terest in you"
81 wish she wouldn't" he said
moodily.
A light leaped into Mary's eyes.
81 would rather be with you," he
added. with a look that changed the
world for little Mary.
zone. two, three; one, two, three"
counted the teacher, and Mary flew
around the room on feet that seemed
winged.
CHOW we'll you did that" said the
Awkward Young Mar as she danced
ND to him, her cheeks red, eyes like
stars, her little figure swaying to the
rhythm.
81 don't know how it happened" she
laugned. "Oh, let's do it together"
Margaret Morton watched them from
the other end of the room, and when
in the intricate windings of the folk
dance, she passed the Awkward Young
Man she whispered, Don't you want
to go with me to the lighthouse in the
morning"
I'm sorry" he fbbed, but l have
other plans"
And when he passed Mary he asked:
"Will you let me take you to theb beach
after the class tomorrow? We car
carry our notebooks and study"
ooh, it will be lovely" she said. and
all the happiness in her heart seemed
expressed in her tripping feet, so that
the teacher patted her on the shoulder
as she came up at the end of the les
son. You are getting on, Miss Cobb
she said.
The day at the beach, with tho
waves tapping the sands lazily and
the gulls dipping and rising against a
sky of sapphire, gave an opportunity
for an interchange of aspirations and
ideals. Mary told of her plans to teach
in the normal, and the Awkward
Young Man confessed to an ambition
to instruct physically the youths of
the Y. NJ. C. A. OF his town.
AS the AFTERNOON waned they talked.
as young people will. of other things.
The Awkward Young Man commended
that it is not good for man to live
alone, and Mary admitted TREMENDOUSLY
that ambition does not fill a woman's
life.
But it was not until the next day
that the final word was said.
"One. two. three; one, two, three
counted the teacher, and Mary and the
Awkward Young Man wound in and
out and in and out and came carefully
and correctly through the first difficult
figure.
How well we did that!!' Mary saN
as they stopped at the other end IL
the ROOM.
Her hands were still in his. He drew
her slightly toward him. IF we migM
be together always" he whispered.
Margaret Morton was watching them
as she stood alone at the other side Of
the room.
Let MI 60" Mary protested, blush
ing beautifully, but leaving her hands
in his.
II shall never let you go" he de-
clared, with a smile Of triumph, as the
music began again, and he swung her
with him into the last inspiring figure
of the folk dance.
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-02
Buck Briggs
SlOWneSS.
By LULU JOHNSTON.
copyrighted, 1907. by NJ. NJ. Cunningham

Sally loitered along looking into the
shop windows. All the hot day she
had bent Over the claching machine
until eyes and back and head alike.
acIel from the noise and strain. The
other girls had hurried from the shop
when the gong had struck. Some OF
them had engagements for trolley
rides for the evening and were il Il
hurry to be dressed and off. Other;
made haste to reach home for SupDci.
Sally had neither of these reasons for
haste. Her thin, white face did not at
tract the few men she knew. Ihey
never invited her anywhere, and the
streets were at least cooler than the
stufry little room that she called home.
She knew that presently she must
make her coffee and fry her single
chop over the tiny oil stove that filled
ttac room with the rceking odor Of Oil.
but by walking slowly she delayed
that time us long as possible.
She gave a little gasp as she came
before the installment bazaar Win
lows. Instead Of the rolls of wall
paper and carpets, the 'nobby' parlor
sets and iron b~edsteads, the our big
windows of the store were got up
to represent the four rooms Of 4 flat, Il
card in each window stating the cost
of the equipment to be $40 down ana
S. Il month for IN unspeciied time.
Sally passed from the plush elegance
OF the parlU' to the simplicity of the
bedroom and the cozy dining room
with a real sideboard, but it was
against the glass inclosing the Kitchen
that she t1attened her pudgy nose the
longest.
The domestic instinct was strong
within her, and this array of cleaning
pots and pans, the glitter Of the cheap
shina and the plated knives and forks
fascinated her. If she only had Il
kitchen like that, instead of the n
burner oil stove on the soap box at the
foot of her narrow cot! She drew her
keath sharply and eXhaled it in Il long
sigh.
mice, amt it, Sally looked up in
aarln, but there was nothing i'll the
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-02
At the
Summer
School.
&
By
TEMPLE
BAILEY.
} Copyrighted, 1907, by Mary Mckeon.

"One. two, three; one, two, three
! counted the teacher, taking steps
daintily on the tips Of her slipperea
toes.
The class in advanced dancing fol
lowed her With more or less precision.
At the head of the line Margaret Nor
ton, secure in the proficiency acquired
by three years of training in the sum-
mer school, flung back her pretty head
and smiled at the awkward young man
in the opposite wv.
At the foot of the line poor little
Mary Cobb, teacher in a district
school, with ambitions toward a phys
ical dictatorship in the state normal,
struggled with the intricacies of the
new steps and blushed and blushed as
she felt the eyes Of the class upon her.
Zone, two. three; one, two, three"
counted the teacher again. The music
played a lifting measure, and the pu-
pills swung across the floor in the
maZes Of a folk dance.
Most of them did it we'll, but Mary
anu lilC dNN"tliu yOuAS lutll doi'PNb
up and down, this way and that, anG!
came together at last out of step, out
Of time, out Of Observation-Disclosures
discouraged, disheveled.
"It's dreadful!!" Mary gasped.
"You are doing it nicely" the pant
Ing young man encouraged her.
ooh, I'm notr The words came with
a sob. Il dance like-like a hippo
potamus."
"You couldn't" His eyes rested with
appreciation on the delicate flushed
face, the loosened yellow hair. You're
too-too-little-and- graceful" He
stammered over the words, as if COM
pliments did not come easily.
"I'm not graceful" she said. Look
at that lovely creature at the head of
the line"
Seeing their eyes upon her, Marga-
ret Morton nodded to them. smiling.
She was feeling very complacent. Her
natty gymnasium suit was of black
satin, and her hair shone like copper
In the strong light. She pitied that
little girl at the foot Of the line in the
blue flannel suit. But the young man
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-02
sA1LY 1ooKED UP IN ALARM.

appearance of the man at her side to
cause alarm. His %twinkling eyes We're
frank and honest, and not u line of his
ruddy, freckled face was sinister. That
he was no 'masher' could be seen at 4
glance, and Sally smiled an assent to
his question.
81 bet Il girl who knew how to cooh
could get fine dinners in a kitchen like
that" he said, q shade of wistfulness
IN his hearty voice. IF | knew one.
by jinks, I'd buy that"
"Huh!' Sally's voice vas Sco"nfu!.
She could understand why o Gf the
men at the shop asked her OF to troll
ley rides and things. but for this great,
strong fellow to admit his inability to
find a sweetheart was absurd.
1T amt SO easy" declared the other
hotly. Il amt much with girls. They
like fellows better what can dance and
say fool things. I amt never learned
either
"Then you ought to begin now"
shifted Sally us she moved away. The
man made as though he would follow,
but the broad shoulders huncled to-
gether deSDondentlv. and he returned
to his inspection of The Kitchen.
But now lie coMld also sec the MIS-
tress of the apartment, a slender wisp
of a girl, the sort of Il Il man
wants to take i'll his arms and cuGulc.
To him Sally's wan face was beauti-
full. her thinness elegance. Buck Briggs
had met his fate.
The next evening Sally, coming SLOW
~ down the street, found him in front
Of the window again and passed ON
with only the faintest glance of long
ing at the shining kitchen. If he had
any idea that she remembered him he
should see that he was mistaken. Buck
looked disappointed, but he followed
on to the dreary pile that Sally called
her home.
She did not see him as, with tagging
feet, she assembled the high stoop and
climbed tho five flights that led to her
attic room, but Buck crossed quickly
to the opposite side of the street and
rang the bell. for his eyes had caught
the sign announcing that furnished
rooms were to be had, and that night
he slept under the same roof.
He was on the steps the following
night when Sally came along, pretend
ing a tremendous interest In the scene
before him. He nodded as the girl
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-02

were artists who were spending the
summer in the country to sketch, and
their daily faring forth with easels
and canvases bore out the statement.
bloomington hated artists in general
and women artists in particular. He
had bought the Terrence farm that he
might have quiet, and how could a
nan have quiet when six chattering
women occupied the adjoining farm
house not 800 feet away?
The strawberry beds had been the
last irritation. The previous year he
had berries in %prufusion. This season
there We're few to be found. The doz-
en- or so in the aucer were all Sam
had been able to gather in a day. He
was certain that his neighbors raided
his garden, and, without announcing
his intention to Sam, he rose early the
next morning.
The sun had barely risen when he
took his place behind the tool house,
whence he could command a view OF
the garden. Presently q slender, girl
ish figure came hurrying from the 9th
er house and entered the plot. Morn
ington waited until she had filled the
pan she carried and was about to so.
Then he stepped out with a hail. The
! girl looked up pleasantly.
Good morning" she cried. won't
you have some Of u ber-ies?"
II should like some of mile," he said
pointedly.
DO you grow them, too?" she asked.
Mornington marveled at her self pos
session.
81 grow Them" he assented. cor.
rather, one of Torrence's men grows
them for me. That is as far as | have
been able TO get this season. l have
not eaten many of them"
1--WE have them every morning." she
said briskly. Its one of the things
we moved to the country for, fresh
fruit. After being cooped up in studios
all season and picking your fruits and
vegetables off the dumb waiter it is
just heavenly to come out in the gar
den before breakfast and pick your
OWL berries"
but don't you think it would be bet
ter to find out whose berries you are
picking?' he suggested. ''Even in the
country, property rights obtain"
''These are ours" she declared. 1--WE
were very particular in our inquiries"
"Yet the garden belongs to me-" he
insisted, Il little shamefacedly. Some
how his triumph was losing its SAVIOR
"Then we must have been robbing
you all this time" she said, with a face
suddenly grown as red as the berries
in the pan. 81 am very sorry
':It's al! right" lie said awkwardly.
wondering why he had not noticed be-
fore what glorious eyes the girl had.
ut is not all right she said decided
~. "Ne are not thieves. Please take
them. You can send the pan back
when you are through"
spray accept them with my compli-
ments,' he said stupidity. He knew.
that he was making a fool Of himself.
and he cllafed at the knowledge.
For answer the girl laid the pan OH
the ground and turned away. Morn
ington watched her go through the
paths to the fence and slip through
a broken place. She had the regal.
bearing Of u queen and a face to
match. Now he would never have a
chance to get acquainted with her.
and ne suddenly: realized that that was
the n thing above all others that he
most desired.
5shanefacedly he picked up the pm
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1907-08-02

seemed worth knowing. He had a
classic profile and Wore his clothes
properly.
Margaret danced across the polished
floor.
isn't it fne?" she asked as she
came up to them.
you do it SO beautifully" Mary
murmured.
The Awkward Young Man did. not
say anything, and Margaret, moved to
coquetry, took three expert steps to
the right and then three expert steps
to the left. "It's so easy,' she declared,
with some display Of silk stockinged
ankles.
ut looks easy when you do it." Mary
sighed. but l am so stupid"
But Margaret held out her hands to
the Awkward Young Man. "Let mo
show you,'' she offered. "Now," and
they danced away together.
For the next fifteen minutes Marga-
ret held the Awkward Young Man at
her side, and Mary, practicing forlorn-
ly by herself in the corner, watched
them and envied the ease with which
Margaret talked and laughed and
pirouetted in a shine of black satin
and of copper colored hair.
When the music started, the Awk-
ward Young Man came back to Mary.
"How are you getting along?'' he
asked, with q smile that lighted his
face and made it very attractive.
:" shall never learn Mary said.
never" and her lip %quivered.
"Oh; yes, you WILL. he said. II don't
believe You are the kind to give up
"But-Miss Morton does it so beauti-
fully" Mary told him TREMENDOUSLY.
''This is Miss Morton'si third year of
training in the physical course at the
summer school" he reminded her. ssShe
ought to do it beautifully"
And then they struggled on as the
iteacher counted, interminably:
Zone. two, three; dne, two. three"
Every day Mary and the Awkward
Young Man had a few minutes to-
gether. But the minutes we're few,
for Margaret Morton had taken upon!
herself the instruction of the Awkward
Young Man. and more than once Mary
was left to do the steps in her lonely
corner.
Everybody seems to know how but
me, : she said despairingly, in the third
week, to the Awkward Young Man.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-10-31
Jim's Petition.

j. H. Whitecotton with his
l tile Il want to be governor)
petition was in the citv Satur-
DIV and hustllug for signatures.
No one seeing him in one of
the bar rooms with an aid ask
ing Republicans t. become
mixed up in what the law ,ays,
is Democratic business af"nr,
would not have recogn'z d the
"Our Governor needs me" as
the Great Don Quixote who de-
Iivered the scorchiug temper
ance speech at the opera house
when he claimed to be fighting
saloons and putting saloons out
of business.
Is it possible that after the
memorable speech in which he
said: No one in the state but
hand full of peoplesshere, Mon
roe, are lighting me, that he hat
to approach the Republicans Sc
as to secure tue required 3.O0(
signatures.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-10-31
Not New.

With the scientists its a case
Of now you see itSand now you
don't see it," Prot. T. j. j. See
United States Navy, says:
The earth is ten million years
old, crust is twenty miles
thick and it is not growing any
cooler. He claims, earth.
quakes, volcanoes and noun
tains are caused by leaks.
Well that is hard on numerous
other so called scientists, but
his last conclusion is an old or
borrowed one. for several years
ago it was claimed: C:acks 10
the bottom of the ocean Causes
water to get into the super
heated earth and that cou,vs
conversion into steam sea IN
exp osion, etc.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-10-31
II. & St Joe

W. F Thiehoff, since his pro-
motion to assistant superin
tendent OF the Hannibal and st.
10 road with headquarters at
Brookfield, has been hustling.
According to the notices from
his office posted at the local de-
pot. he is getting after all of
the Hannibal aud st. Jo EN-
ployes who may be a little lax
or slow 10 performing their du-
ties. In one report he COM
plains Of too many derailments
and simillr accidents, and also
demands prompt reports OF the
same from conductors, firem 70
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-10-31
A Fish Story

Jacob Rohr and Jake Ge'zro =
burg we're at the old f. ed
O'Conncr farm II miles north OF
Withers Mill Sunday and be
oig pretty lake was such a
temptation that they could not
resist fishing just little They
say: They caught 2 0 nice one-
mostly crappy, a little large
than my (Jake's) hand. Tha'
would mean crappy almost as
'ig as the story.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-10-31
New State.

Washington, Oct. 28.--Okla-
homa will become State Sat-
urday, November 16 President
Roosevelt fixed the date to-day,
when the State Constitution
was presented to him by Gov
eruor Frantz and Justice Clay
ton The appointments will
have been announced before the
proclamation is signed, so that
the machinery of statehood may
begin punctually to grind the
moment "T. Roosevelt" is writ
ten at the bottom of the parch-
meut of proclamation.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-10-31
Reception.

Mr.. aud Mrs. B O. Wood gave
/ reception to about one hun
dred aud fifty of their friends
Monday evening in honor of
Rev. James Noble.
Duriug the evening coffee,
chocolate and doughnuts were
served. Il was a very enjoya-
BILE evening for those present
and clearly showed that Rev.
Noble is becoming quite POP u
lar.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-10-31
Amusing

When an engine runs off with
a man, it is amusing to every
one but the man. That was the
way with Will Maddox wnen a
traction engine bumped INTO
telephone post. He got ratified
and jumped up and down on the
drivers board yelling, VITO, who.
while the engine bumped the
post aud Tony Faust laughed.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-10-31
Queer Things.

Petitions are queer things.
For instance: We have heard
several people who signed the
Whltecotton petition say: Sure,
but to vote tor him is another
thing. So you see the number
of names on a petition is NOT
Indicative OF voting strength.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-10-31

and engineers. He has also
cautioned the engine and train
men regarding running nrd"r-,
bad track, and sidetracks. erC.
Quincy Herald.
Will Thiehoff was raised sew.
en- miles west of this city anu is
personally known to nearly
every one 10 this vicinity.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-10-31
80 .-$7.OO@$1O.OO

Shipments light because of
unsettled condition of markets.
Pond Poultry Co l car poultry,
21 cases of eggs, 16 odls hides;
Henderson and Son 2 cars poul-
try; J Gent Fuqua c,T mules;
Barger aud McClintic 1 car of
hogs; Lee Stoddard 2 cars Of
sheep: II ] Yates / Car of cat
tie. Total 8 cars.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-10-31
ROOSEVELT BUTTED IN
And Lectured the Governors On
the Trip.

l. coin, Neb.. Oct. 26 Be.
c., they refused to stand
a. Erum Estates rights" and
a,..p President Roosevelt's
ceu I,I cation ideas, nun Der
of < .V~rnors who made the re-
cent . down the Mississippi
with Il osevelt, were called be-
fore = president and given a
severe curtain lecture. George
L. Sheldon, governor of Nebras-
ka, VINO received the most Sc.
we're lecture of any of the gov
ernors. has returned to Nebras.
ka and will probably call a
special session of tue legisla-
tute TO make suitable and forci-
BILE response to the presidential
rebuke, and the response vii,
take the shape of the most I'D
vanced states rights laws that
can be passed with the govern
Or's influence. This Information
comes from authentic sources
The Nebraska repubiicdus
! having pldCrd states right, ant
INSTRUMENTATION PLANK it
Their platform at the recent
state Convention, GovernUi
Sheldon came in for the rough
est roast" from Presiden,
Roosevelt, though all the gov
ernors present were called oe
| fore him, slngly, and made t.
face the demand thai he sup
port the Roosevelt cenlra 2 ,
ton doctrine
| Governor Sheldon informe
Roosevelt that 80 republican
out of every 100 in Nebrask,
favored the right of the state II
| administer its own affairs, ant
asserted that if the Roosevelt
scheme was incorporated in tn
republican platform every stat
in 1.-The middle west would d
doubtful, or evenUdemocratic
Governor Sheldon is serious
ly considering calling an extr
session uf the Legislature t
take an even more advance
stand lnan was taken durinI
the recent session of that bod y