davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-07

trap door was hanging down open, when there came
a cyclonic rush toward him out of the darkness,
from the direction of his right, something whizzed
past his head causing him to drop the precious light,
and instlnctively he up the steps The gloom
above was more dangerous, he thought, than the
gloom below and he went on, finally passing through
the trap and standing on a hard floor above.
There was the sound of fierce desperate strug-
gle down there somewhere, cursng, blasphemy
then the noise of feet the steps coming toward
him, and the trap door closed with the heavy,
resonant clang of iron. He was alone, his light
round him, silence alive with suggestion of unseen,
unknown dangers. He stood for a moment then
sank down upon the floor YEARLY
Cashier Randall stood beside the ponderous door
of the vault, watch in hand 1t was two minutes
of ten O'Clock. At precisely ten the time lock
masonry of the bank would bring the mechanism
into position for the combination to work. AL
ready the various clerks and telers were at their
posts; books and money were in the vault At
length there came whir and sharp click in the
heavy door, and the cashier whrled the combina-
ton. few minutes later he pulled open the outer
door with perceptible effort, then turned his
attention to the combination lock the second
door. This yielded readily; but there was
still another door, the third to be unlocked. Alto
gether the task of opening the huge vault required
something like six minutes.
Finally Cashier Randall threw open the light third
door, then touched electric button at his right
Instantly the gloom of the structure dspelled
by flood of light, and he started back in amaze
ment. Almost at his feet, the floor of the vault
the huddled figure of Dead? Or
conscious? Certainly there movement to
indicate life and the cashier stepped backward into
the Office with blanched face.
Others crowdng round and saw, and star
tied glances exchanged.
You, Carroll and Young lift him out, please"
requested the cashier quietly. Don't make any
noise about it. Take him to my Office
The order obeyed in silence. Then Cashier
Randall in person went into the vault and hur-
riedy through the piles of money which lay there.
He came out at last and spoke to one of the paying
telers.
The money is all right" he said, with relieved
Confined on page IS
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-07

growing smaller and smaller as he went forward.
Suddenly the tunnel stopped. The Thinking
Machine found himself hattenng his against
door of some sort He allowed his light to fade,
then dirnly, through a Granny, he faint glow
outside. This seemed to be his destination, wher-
ever it was,-and he paused thoughtfully. Obvi-
ously the light outside was electric, and if electric
light might not some one be in there? subter-
ranean chamber of some Sort perhaps His fingers
around the edge of the door, loosened fasten-
ing, and he peered out. Then, assured again, he
opened the door wide, and stepped out into
brilliant glare.
creduously. Here to his right the shining rails
went winding off round a in the far distance
and to the left quicker turn in the line of the
excavation In neither direction there anything
that looked like a station.
Really, this is most extraordinary" he ex-
claimed
to consider this weird thing from all possible view
points 1t unbelievable, positively night
marsh; yet true enough, tor here he stood in the
subway There was no question about that; for
in the distance the of train and he dis
creety withdrew into the little door closing
fully behind him until it had passed.
Finally he popped out again, closed the doo- be-
hind him. paused only to admire the skill with which
portion of the thing in the tunnel had been utilized
door, then went on across the tracks. 1t was
still early morning; the trains were yet few and
far between; he had little leisure for the minute
examination he made of the tiled walls opposite
the, closed door 1t was perhaps ten minutes before
he found a tile that was loose He hauled at it
til it came out in his hand revealing dark aperture
beyond
Within fifteen minutes, therefore from
the time he undertook the search for
- this second door he was standing in
Sas another narrow, earthly tunnel which
~ beckoned him on With the ever
I {. 4: 4 ! / !:
sr1l~- ready light to guide him, and still
.tF proceeding with caution, he advanced
kEpI for possibly thirty feet; then came a
Mlf3t turn. Round the turn he found him
E1I self in a sort of room-another cellar,
0hH perhaps. He permitted his light to go
- V out, and stood listening, stranng his
squnt eyes. After time he satisfied
and flashed his light again.
Directly before him were half dozen
- rough steps leading up to what seemed
to be trap door. He had barely time
to notice this and to see that the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-07

back under the stars. here he found another
door-a door to the subcellar, standing open
scant few inches damp, moldy smell came up
After moment he pushed the door open slowly
and ventured foot forward in the darkness
1t found a step, and he began to descend The
fourth step down Creaked suddenly, and he paused
to listen intenty Utter silence!
Then down, ten, eleven, twelve fourteen,
steps and his foot struck soft yielding earth Safely
on the ground again, in the protecting gloom, he
stood still for long time, peerng blindly around
him. At last blaze of light leaped from the cleo
trio bulb, which was extended far from the body to
the right and The Thinking Machine drew quick
breath. 1t might have been surprise; for within
boy almost, flat OF his back on the muddy earth,
with eyes blinking in the glare. His feet
bound tight together with rope, and his hands
evidently fastened behind him.
Are you the gentleman who teephoned for me?"
inquired The Thinking Machine calmly.
There was no answer and yet the PROSTATE man
was fully conscious, as proved by the moving eyes
and a twtching of his limbs.
"Well?" demanded the scientist mpatiently.
Cant YOU talk"
His answer was flash of fame the crash of a
revolver at short range. and the light dropped,
automatically extinguished as the pressure on the
button was removed. Upon this came the sound of
a body falling. There was long drawn gasp, and
again silence.
For Gods sake, Cranston!' came the explosive
voice of man after moment. You've killed
him!"
Well I'm not in this game to spend the rest of
M life in jail, was the answer, almost snarl. Il
didn't want to kill anybody; but if | had to- all
right. If it hadn't been for this kid here, we'd have
been all right anyway. I've good mind to give
him too, while I'm at it :"
Well why don't YOU" came third voice. 1t
haunting, cold unafraid.
'Oh, shut up!'
Feet moved uncertainty feelingy, over the soft
earth and stumbled upon the inert limp figure of The
Thinking Machine, lying face down on the ground
almost at the feet of the bound man. One of the
who had spoken stopped, and his fingers
touched the still, slim body. He withdrew his
hands quickly.
81 Is he dead?" some one asked.
MY God mani Why did you do it :" exclaimed
the who had spoken first, and there pas
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-07


remained still for several minutes. tt
Machine crept silently, cautiously,
toward the door and stepped out into
the hall. Leaning over the stair rail,
he listened And after awhile the
tread sounded again. He drew back
into the shadow of a linen closet as
the sound grew nearer-StOod stock
still staring into blank nothingness as
it was almost upon him; then the
footsteps receded gradually along the
hall, down the stairs, growing fainter,
until the receding echo was lost in the
silence of the night.
Whereupon The Thinking Machine
went boldly up the stairs to the fourth
floor, the top. He mounted conf
IDENTIFY, as if expecting something to
reward his scrutiny; but his eyes rested
only upon the bleak desolation of I'M
occupied apartments. He went straight
to the rear room, above the one he had
just left, and directly across to one of
the windows Faint, rosy streaks of
dawn slashed the east-just enough
natural light to show dimly a silken
wire hanging down from the middle of
the window outside. He opened the VIM
dow, drew in the wire, and examined it
carefully under the electric light, and
nodded as if he understood.
Finally he turned abruptly and re-
traced his steps to the first floor There
he paused to examine the knob of the
front door; then went on down into
the basement. Instead of examining
the door there, however, he turned
The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28
EAT WHAT You WANT
Science Has Now Found the True
Way to Cure Indigestion.

A few years ago, when a sufferer from
indigestion went to a stomach special
ist, the result was rigid diet list that
almost maant starvation.
But the first thing to do in the case
OF indigestion or stomach weakness is
to siren gthen the muscular walls of
the stomach and intestines, SO that
they will care for the food that Is eaten.
In no other way can this be done as
we'll as by taking Mi-o-na tablet be-
fore each meal. This restores strength
to the stomach muscles and stimulates
the pouring out of gastric juices, so
that the food is digested readily and
IFS nourishment retained in the system
TO build up energy and vitality.
Do not think the sick headache,
heartburn, bad taste in the mouth,
coated tongue, spots before the eyes,
sleeplessness and the many other
symptoms that are the direct result of
Indigestion, will 90 away of them
selves. The stomach must be built up
and strengthened by Mi-o-na before
you can be we'll and strong, free from
suffering and distress.
The guarantee that Hanson & Emel.
son give with every 5O-cent box of
Mi-o-na, to refund the money unless
the remedy cures, shows their con-
tidence in the treatment.
The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28
LONDCNERS AND HENRY JAMES
Two Pretty Descriptions Which Have
Caused Comment


The London journals are deeply i'm
pressed by the marvellous descriptive
power shown by Henry James in his
recent book, The American Scene"
The London Athenaeum, for example,
bestows high encomiums On this de-
scriptiOn of Cape Cod:
"A broad Eand of deep clear blue sea
limited in one quarter by its
far and sharp horizon of sky, on the
other by it's near and sharp horizon of
yellow sand Overfringed with low
woody shcre: the whole seen through
the contorted crosspieces of stGnted
wind twisted, far spreading, quite fan
tastic old pines and ccdars whose
punched bristles at the end Of long
limbs. produced against the light the
most vivid Of all reminders Cape Cod,
on this showing, was exactly a
pictured JapaDesG screen or banner"
And upon this bit. describing COtuit:
''The little white houses, the feath-
cry elms, the band Of ocean blue, the
strips of sandy yellow, the tufted pines
in angular silhouette, the cranberry
swamps stringed across, for the pick
ing, like the ruled pages Of ledgers."
The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28
Wanted a Chance.

Bishop Doane OF Albany, when en-
gagged in an earnest discussion Of the
causes of separation and family dis
union related the following anecdote:
The motive OF these people," he
said, his eyes twinliling. is like the
motive of Scot who was found weep
ing one day by his comfortable
hearth.
Eth, Saunders. mon said neigh
Dor, peering in at the open door, at
tracted by the sounds of woe which
came from the fireside. what's ailing
ye?'
"'Oh. dear-oh. dear!' sobbed
Saunders, with evident sorrow, Don.
aid Mackintoshs wife is dead
"'Aweel,' said the neighbor, what o
that? She's no relation O yours, ye
ken
II know she's not walled Saun.
ders-I know she's not, bur it just
seems as if eyerybody's gettin' a
change but me.
The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28
EUcHER TROPHY PAYS DEBTS
Host INTRODUCES Substitute for the Gus
tomary Prizes.

Host INTRODUCES Substitute for the Gus
tomary Prizes.
At a progressive euchre given
few evenings ago in a suburban town
the host-proprietor of large general
store and the big man in the communi-
ty-at the close of the game arose and
said:
Dear Friends and Neighbors: Be-
fore taking up the matter of prizes for
the more fortunate ones this evening
l would like to make few remarks.
As with one exception all those pres
ent are indebted to me for merchan-
disc to a greater or less amount, l
have decided to eliminate prizes and
give the winners for both ladies and
gentlemen credit on their accounts as
follows: First prize, 50; second prize,
81; third prize, so cents; consolation
prize, 10 cents.
"Mr. Brown, who wins the third
prize, is fortunately clear on our
books, and to avoid any discrimination
we will merely give him credit at our
store which will apply on all goods
purchased during the month Of Febru-
ary. You will now step down into the
dining room. m."-Philadolphia Record.
The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28
Alaska Needs Railroads.

The thing that is holding back
Alaskan mining and trade is the made
quate railroad facilities of the country
an insuperable obstacle to trade be-
yOnd the merest necessities of eXis-
tence.
At the present time there is only
one railroad that penetrates to the
interior of Alaska and of that only
thirty miles are on American soil.
This road runs from Skagway, at the
head of Lynn Canal, and connects the
tidewater with the Yukon river. EX-
cept during the four months that navi-
cation is open-from June to October
this railroad controls the trade of
the Yukon valley. 1t is as if the only
railroad between the Atlantic and the
Mississippi were from Albany to Troy.
The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28
TWO STRANGE TREES.
The Mojava Yucca vegetabIe-The
Creeping Oak Of Monterey.


California has one tree which is the
-personification of mystery. Found
nowhere else in the world, it had a
mysterious origin and thrives in a re-
gion of mystery.
The Mojava yucca is vegetable
freak which has developed into a
species. 1t has the characteristics Of
several plants, to which no relation
ship can be traced.
1t is an endogen, yet its bark shows
concentric rings such as characterize
the exogenous stems. 1t lives and
thrives in great numbers in region
nearly devoid of vegetation, in a land
of heat and thirst and barrenness.
Another tree in California which
has a peculiar personality is the creep
ing oak of Monterey.
Nowhere in the vegetable kingdom
can be found so true a representative
of monopoly This tree is of gnarly
growth, its limbs, like those Of the
sycamore. bending and twisting in all
directions.
Wherever a branch touches the
earth it takes root and becomes, as 1t
were, another trunk, though still a
branch of the main stem, drawing
nourishment both from the parent
stem and from the new source. In
this manner the tree is spread till it
has taken possession of five acres Of
ground, and it is still advancing
From the P. E. Magazine
The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28
Not the RiQht Man.

A large number of readers, includ-
ing many clergymen from all over the
country, have entered the clerical an
ecdoates completion of the Church
Family Newspaper. The first prize
goes to the Rev. G.. Emery, rector of
Penmaer, S. O., Glamorgan, for this:
"At a village church a wedding was
fixed for certain date. The happy
morn arrived, and in due course a
youthful swain and faire ladye pre-
sented themselves at the chancel
steps.
1.-The service proceeded smoothly as
far as the question, wilt thou have
this woman to be thy welded wife?'
Whereupon the supposed bridegroom
stammered blushingly Please, sir, I'm
not the right man. Not the right
mani exclaimed the clergyman,
aghast. Then where is the right man.
"'He's down at the bottom of the
church, sir. He'e asheeamed to come
up"
The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28
NOT A SQUARE DEAL.
The Mexican Gives the Cause Of His
Grievance AGAINST Partner.

In looking up some mining claims III
Mexico | found myself making in
quiries of native named Don Estanso.
His greeting was anything but cordial,
and he answered my queries in way
that gave me no information. | was
rather surprised at this, and few
days later expressed myself so to a
friend of the don. He couldn't see
through it, but said he would find out
why things were thus. In couple OF
weeks he came to me and said:
''Senor, now know why Don Estan-
so gave you such coldness.'
"Well?"
"a year ago he was in the mine bus
mess with one of your countrymen.
At that time he was in love with
Americans. Together they did bust
ness-much business. 1t was pleasant
between them. They We're like sisters
If one said so then the other said So
Nothing was the trouble far long.
long time
And then there was trouble, Ell?
There was. My good and sincere
friend, Don Estanso, he saw his
chance"
Chance for WHAT"
ITO beat the American out of thou
sands of dOllars-many thousands. He
improved that chance and did beat
him.
And is that why he is down on
Americans now?"
"Ah, no. When your compatriot had
been beaten he went to the courts. He
said it was a swindle. He called for
Justice
"And did he get it?"
Not at all: but what did he do? in
stead of leaving the case to the Judge,
whom my friend could have bribed for
5000, he demanded jury, and it cost
my friend four times that sum to keep
what he had swindled. 1t was very
bad policy-very bad. 1t gives my
countrymen the idea that you will not
give us what you call square DEAL
Baltimore American.
The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28
VOLCANOES OF THE SOON.
On Much Larger Scale Than Those OF
Our Globe.


L is evident to any enc who glances
upward 1T the moon that lis volcanoes
are On an Immensely large, scale than
those which stuG our globe. One eX-
PLANTATION, now abadOned is that the
force Of grayitatiOn being there only
one-siXth that Of the earth the matter
expelled frc.n q crater would be spread
far mere widely and explosions would
be generally on far more magnificent
scale.
Prof Pickering quotes this theory
only to refute it in some comparisons
which he has made between the great
volcanic region of Hawaii and one of
the small craters of the moon.
The facts seem to him to be that the
large craters Oh the moon came into
existence when the thin, solid crust
covering the molten interior was, Ow-
ing to it's solidification and contraction
of the crust, much too small to contain
the liquid material.
The craters were therefore formed
by the lava bursting through the crust
and Sc relieving the pressure. Later
after this relief had been found and
the crust had thickened the interior
regions by cooling shranli away from
the solid shell, which was now too
large, and being insufficiently support
ed caved in, permitting the great fis-
sure eruptions which produced the So
called lunar seas.
These extensive outfiows of lava dis
sclvel the original solid shell when
ever they came into contact with 1t,
much as they do in the present day
in Hawaii.
Had the moon been much smaller
these erupti' rs might not have oc-
Cured at all, and # the moon had
been much larger their relative size
would have been grearer. Most proba-
bly, on the earth similar outbursts
were greater and our orr, .inal gigantic
craters were destroyed b. the cltfioW
of the earle: rHckJ Whlch
:, submerged and dissolved
them.
The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28
Mighty Little of a Gentleman.

Il wanted to, ask you,' he Clipped
yarn-'I wanted to ask you if in your
wanderings you ever came across an
old salt named Hoke?"
What, Jim Hoke?" queried the cap
tain.
Eyes, Jim Hoke, short and broad
backed man.
did he have red hair and cast in
his eyer
HE did,
WAS his left thumb gomez"
ut was. You must have met him. %
II certainly have. Was he anything
to you?"
"He was my brother, sir
"You don't say! Well, he sailed
with me on my last voyage, and must
tell you, brother or no brother, that
Jim Hoke was no gentleman He was
fur, fur from it,
How do you mean, captain?"
'Why, when the ship went down
we took the yawl. After we had been
knocking about for days we got short
of grub and drew lots. 1t fell upon
your brother Jim to die for the benefit
of the rest of us, but while we were
giving him time to settle his mind
and prepare for the change, what did
he do but go overheard and let the
sharks eat him up! You are his broth
er and look like decent man, but I'm
telling you that we put it to a vote
then and there, and 1t was unanimous
ly carried that Jim Hoke was a good
deal of a tarnation hog and mighty lit
tie of gentleman"
The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28
DO NOT KNOW What
CAUSES SICKNESS
Modern People Have Many Names for Same
Diseases, According to New Belief

nses human health depend on one
organ alone? This question is becom-
i1g widely discussed since L. T.
Cooper first advanced his theory that
the stomach is the true seat of life
and all health dependent upon it.
Mr.. Cooper, who has met with re-.
markable success in the sale of his
new medicine, believes that the stom-
ach is responsible for most sickness,
and that this organ is weak in the
present generation. While discussing
this theory recently, he said: Il am
asked time and again to tell why my
medicine has made such a record
wherever l have introduced it. My
answer always is, because it restores
No one will deny that today there are
more half-sick men and women than
ever before. Nothing critical seems to
be the matter with them. They are
just half-sick most of the time. They
don't know really what is the matter
with them. I have talked with thou
sands during the past two years, and
few knew indeed what their trouble
was. One said nervousness, another
said kidney trouble, another liver COM
plant, some constipation, or heart
trouble, or lung trouble. Many had
treated, as they called it, for most of
these diseases at different times. A
very common complaint is all run
down. or tired all the time or mo
Appetite"
II know positively that every bit of
this chronic ill health is caused by
stomach trouble, and nothing else. My
New Discovery puts the stomach in
sound condition in about six weeks.
Mighty few people can be sick with al
The Sauk Centre herald., 1907-11-28
GARDENS FOR TIE WORKERS.
SeIf-help Movement in France Prov
ing a Great Success.

The great value OF nay little garden
TO me has not be2n the ii'r2 Ta"etabieS
it has yielded all summer 2nd the good
time the children hav, - in the open
air, but the glasses l." beer and alb
sinthe my husband i2"sa't taken, OBJ
served the mOthe; CT q French work
ingman'S rather numerous family to
an investigator last autumn.
Quite right, mother echoed a man
near by: you will never know the evil
we men don't do while we are busy in
our little gardens
This conversation took place in
France, on one of the wOrkingmen' S
gardens, a movement for self-help
which is growing every year. A siml
lar movement was started in Detroit IN
1894, under the name of the Potato
Patch farms; later carried out success,
fully in New York and other cities in
the vacant lot farms, while to-day Phil
adelphia is beginning her eighth year
of successful effort.
Nine Hervieu, charitable woman
in Sedan, tired of aiding the poor by
gifts of money, attempted to rouse
them to self-help by an offer cf dou-
bling any sum of money which they
should deposit in the local savings
bank. She rented small tcact OF
land and said to the people: "!'Jw go
to work"
They did, and as they worked the
taste for it grew; they kept steadily at
ii. especially as they knew that the
fruits of their labor would belong to
them, that the vegetables they raised
could be taken to their homes or sold.
Such was the humble beginning IN
1899 of little mo- ment, but one SO
simple and practical that it grew until
last October, in Paris, there was held
a congress of workinSmen's gardens,
attended by 700 delegates, under the
presidency Of NJ. Aynard Of France
sCentury.