davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13

side was carpet quite similar to the first
in pattern. There was also another table
which came up on a swinging balance so
that everything on it would not be dis
turbed.
We'll. this is pretty fine Arabian Nights
form Of entertainment" Bennington NUT
tered. II wonder If l can keep the thing
half suspended like that whilst | examine
the vault beneath. i suppose IL | push the
lever half back 1t will remain stationary.
That's iti The lever being pushed half
back caused the machinery to lock so that
the floor all on the slant. There was
kind OF space below which appeared to
be paved and bricked like we'll Into this
the full rays of the electric light shone. 1t
was easy to jump down there and examine
the place. and Bennington proceeded to
do SO.
So far as he could see there was a heap of
old clothes huddled together in corner.
In an idle way Bennington turned them
over. collar fell out from the rest and
Bennington took it up-a white collar that
had been worn for some little time Ber-
rington started as his eye fell on the name
plainly set out in marking ink.
Great Scott" he cried Why 1t Is one
of Sir Charles Darryifsr
CTo be continued tomorrowD'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13
WEV: NKTUV 1TlL EEldNJ

and bean vines. 1t is rural and in places
wild. 1t Is nature. if not in the heart Of
the city. at least at her feet
Rock creek just beyond Sheridan Circle
gurgles and splashes and runs in limpid
shadows and croons under the spreading
branches of old trees. 1t invites pursuit.
The lover Of nature says to himself:
Il will follow this stream down to its
end. 1t will be interesting to find II
threading its way through the denser parts
of the city,
Alas! he makes a sudden turn. hears a
rumbling noise, scrambles back to pre-
vent being enguilfed in the descending
avalanche, and scurries up the laborious in
cline to the level of the streets. Progress
has its grip upon the throat of Rock creek.
At 23d street the improvement begins. The
encroaching dumps either side, higher
than the tree tops of the willows and ma
pies still standing on the stream banks,
look like some horrible Cay fields rent
by earthquake. Down the yawning
assure writhes the tortuous line of green,
or brown according to season. The water
itself cannot be seem While the observer
gaZes at the almost obliterated valley, lit
tie signs here and there. No dumping al
lowed obtrude themselves They arc
there by the order of the District Com
missioners. With some surprise a cart is
seen approaching: there are others going
and coming. 1t backs up to the steep vel
low incline. the mule balks, the driver
urges, the cart stops. budges backs and
starts forward again. The driver lashes
the animal and instantly over the edge
they CO. cart and mule. over and over
fifty feet below, carrying with them tons
of loose gravel and clay. The stream is
having one of its little revenges
X
1t is practically imposs. ole to follow Rock
creek at this point. but lower. where the
cars cross the P street bridge. it bursts
out again into view. Far below the bridge,
the stream making one of it's sudden turns
another farm comes into view. There are
corn fields and potatoes, a. truck garden
in season and prepare ton for one out of
season. Below the level of the bridge and
the street are the roofs of several houses
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13

and beyond, high above the real estate
signs upon the filed-in land.
Yes" says the overseer of the dump
ing just beyond where o street is expected
and where active operations are in prog
ress. that hole is worth while. Worth at
least $4,000 to the owners. Pays right
here 500 a month for the privilege OF
dumping. Last In the District. you know.
Ever read Eugene Sue on the dump heaps
of Paris. Come into my shack. its be-
ginning to drizze. oh. yes: private enter
prise.
1t is not particularly attractive in the
shack. and the spectacle of a murdered
stream like Desdemona being smothered. Is
not cheering. 1t is better to saunter on
toward NJ street. where commercial neceS-
sites keep the stream clear for the canal
boats they enter above X street from
their long western trip. Hundreds of mules
switch their tails as they crunch their feed.
wndlasses creik. canal boatmen swear and
an infinite number of children in red. yell
low, blue. Green-the girls carrying the ba-
bes-watch the coal barges. scramble over
tar barre.s. follow a boat to the last lock,
and so about the tig scEooners in the
Potomac. There are confusion and turmoil.
rickety old buildings, towering chimneys
of old lime kilns. weeds and manure. reek-
ing sand from the dredSeS, and the nfty
thousand odorS of Cologne without its
cathedral towers. but there is energy. The
stream is doing something. 1t is alive.
X
This disappearance of many Of Washing
toms streams. Ike the rapidly changing
character Of that exquisite Mount Pleasant
stream. Einey branch. has oeen. 40 ''oubt,
as progressive people affirm, recesS.ty-
Health has demanded the draining and
closing over of some old malarial marshes
and their waterways. No visionary is heard
nowadays who is hardy enough to re greet
the famous changes in the city inauSurated
by Alexander Shepherd. but whether a con-
tinuous park along the Potomac and up the
whole valley of Rock Creek would not have
given Washington a distinction that few
cities can boast is an idea that makes eN cry
load of rubbish Dumped into its valley a
blow to some of its citizens. They would
like to see the whole thing cleared out
again and the children of Georgetown and
Washington playing on the pleasant banks
of the stream.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13

done Bennington removed the flowers and
the tableclOth and looked underneath. So
far without success. He raped in a re-
Elective way the solid legs and they
gave back a clear. ringing sound. With a
smile of satisfaction. Bennington took
pocket knife from his vest.
Then he bent down and slightly scraped
one of the solid-looking legs. The edge of
the knife turned up and a thin strip of
bright gold showed beneath the varnish
The first discovery had been made. The
legs of the table were of hollow metal.
There was something to go on with. at
any rate Dining tables do not have legs
made of ho-ow metal for nothing Ber-
rington tried to push the table aside, so
that he could tilt II up and see the base Of
the legs but the structure refused to bulge
an inch. Here was discovery number two.
The table was bolted solidly into the floor.
I'VE are getting on" Bennington whis-
pered to himself. 1T seems to me that
need not worry myself any further about
the table itself. seeing that. so to speak. it
Is attached to the freehold. 1t is the floor
that have to look to-
But the floor appeared to be quite intact
There were no seams along the Turkey car
pet. Bennington turned the carpet back
far as it would go, but nothing suspicious
presented itself to his searching eye. AS
he dropped the carpet back his foot touched
the curb of the fireplace. and one end slid
along. 1t seemed curious thing that one
end of the old oak curb should work on a
pivot but so it did. and Bennington pushed
II as far as IL Wouiu co. An Instant idtef
and he jumped nimbly into the fireplace.
1t was just as well he did so. for the whole
floor was slowly fading away. just up to the
edge of the carpet. leaving the brown boards
around intact. BY accident more than any,
thing else Bennington had stumbled on the
secret. The pressure of foot On the curb
had set some hidden lever in motion; the
clever machinery was doing the rest
Standing in the fireplace Bennington
watched for the effect The floor sank away
as II working on pivot: II came around
with the othar aide up. and on the other
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13
:LYT Lo@ Of HE CAfAl

shrubs and were distinguished by ro-
mantle scenery as any rivers In our country
Indeed the whole plan was diversified with
groves and clumps of forest trees. which
gave it the appearance Of fine park Such
as grew on the public grounds ought to
have been preserved. but In a government
such as ours. where the people are sover-
elgn. this could not be done. The people,
the poorer inhabitant cut down these noble
and beautiful trees for fuel. In one single
night seventy tulip-poplars were girdled by
which process life is destroyed and after
ward cut up at their leisure by the people,"
In further illustration of the wanton de-
struction Of the fine trees scattered over the
city grounds, which no effort at making
Washington the city-beautiful. without
peer. can now restore Mrs. Smith tells Of
Jefferson having exclaimed:
How | wish that l possessed the power
of despot! Yes. l wish I was despot
trees that are daily falling sacrifices to the
cupidity of their owners. or the necessity
Of the poor. Only an armed guard could
save them. The unnecessary telling of
tree, perhaps the growth of centuries. seems
to me crime little short of murder. 1t
pains me to unspeakable degree"
Neither Jefferson, nor Mrs Smith, when
she wrote that The poet. the botanist, the
those paths must seek far hence the shades
in which they delight" had any conception
that along with the trees the rivers were
doomed to disappear as completely.
When the new Business High School was
about completed and the heating and light
ing apparatus was being installed it became
necessary. at the corner of r and 9th
streets. to make excavation in order to
connect the building with the main electric
light conduit No difficulty was anticipated
as the work on the foundations of the
building itself had been simple matter
Only a few feet below the surface of the
street. however. much to the surprise of
the laborers. rock was encountered. A
solid masonry wall was finally disclosed
and several carloads of stone had to be
dug out and carried away before a suffi-
cient trench could be made for the pipe
connection.
Then it was that the memory of the old
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13

der in your eyes. l am in your way now
l am possibly on the verge of an important
discovery. If you could. kill me with one
look and destroy my body with another
you would do It without hesitation. And
that is the reason. my good friend, why 1
am going to the door,
Don't" Sartoris implored. He had be-
come mild and pleading. You are quite
wrong-Berrington; l once heard you say
that there was good in everybody"
Generally" Bennington admitted. But
you are an exception that proves the rule. -
Indeed am not. There is good in me,
disinterested action tonight. I swear that
if you interfere you will be- the cause OF
great unhappiness in certain household In
which l am interested. / implore you not
to let your idle curiosity bring about this
thing. / appeal to you as a gentleman"
In spite of himself Bennington was touch
ed. He had never regarded Sartoris as any
thing of an actor and he seemed to be in
deadly earnest now was 1t just possible
that the man had it in him to do kindly
thing? If SO it seemed a pity to thwart
him. Bennington looked fairly and squarely
into the eyes of the speaker. but they did
not waver in the least. The expression OF
Sartoris' face was one of hopelessness, not
free altogether from contempt.
II can't say any more. he said open
the door. by all means. and spoil everything
1t is in your hands to do so and curse your
own vulgar curiosity afterward. Call me
kind thing tonight"
so that you may benefit from it in the
endy Bennington suggested.
well put 1t that way IL you like" Sar-
torfs said with fine indifference. But /,
does not matter. You can sit down again
The knocker has gone. evidently"
But the door sounded again. Sartoris
turned aside with a sigh. Despite his sus-
pfcions. Bennington felt that his conscience
was troubling him. He would never forgive
himself IL he prevented q kind action being
done to one who cruelty needed 1t. He rose
and crossed the room.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13

tween M and streets:
This is the only hole left in the District.
and when we get this stream covered up
We'll have to fill over in Virginia or out In
Maryland"
Painter and poet have united to celebrate
| the beauty of Rock creek and, fortunately
| for posterity Rock Creek Park and the
National Zoo will preserve some sections OF
| the stream as reminder of what has been
! in the city.
| Already 1t is almost forgotten that from
| the bridge at Carroll street, where the
Chevy Chase bridge and the new Connecti-
cut avenue bridge span the stream, to Its
! mouth in Georgetown. where with the canal
Rock Creek empties into the Potomac, there
are still spots of romantic beauty and pris-
tine charm At the Massachusetts avenue
| bridge. where a United States pumping
station is snugly tucked away in a plot Of
level ground girded by one of the sudden
curves Of the stream. there is still much
| beauty. Great overhanging rocks, gray
with lichen and EMPOWERED in fern. rise
from the banks. where anemones and column
bine blossom and the birds build in unds-
turbed freedom. Here and there the stream
breaks in murmuring rapids and then
silences its complaints in still pools where
boys in undiscipined joyousness make their
first tentative efforts at swimming.
X
What place for city park Above
on the right. the silent city of the dead
at Oak Hill; on the left the ooulent growth
of Massachusetts, avenue In the valley
itself with trees and pleasant slopes. all Sc
clusion and rest. An old winding river
road wanders along. twisting with the
curves of the stream, and inviting to
botanizing guests and holiday frolic. An old
wooden bridge spans the creek. An older
and ruined mill. with broken picturesque
stone walls stands in mass of honeysuckle
and mallow. The wreck Of a colonial house
still charrred with the fire that reduced
it to a mere landmark. makes wonder
castle for a group of playing children.
Above through occasional vistas OF the
trees the mansions of the avenue can be
SEEM In the valley a country boy leads a
horse to the stream water. the young
sters in the pool whoop. the cat-birds call.
moles burrow in the loose soil, and attached
to some simple homes are cabbage patches
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13

est fnhabitant was brought into requisitfon.
In the old days brawling stream came
down from the farm hills Of Mount Pleas
ant. and when about where R street IS
now made a sharp turn to the left. crossed
9th and pursued its way throug meadows
and marsh to North Capitol street, and
soon emptied into the Tiber. Its banks
were the happy hunting grounds Of the
ntmrods of those days; and at times, 1t Is
said. when the banks could not contain
the floods from the upper farms. the whole
region was inundated and the hunters
waded after their game as they do now in
the marshes Of the Eastern branch at
Benning. 1t was for that reason that the
retaining walls Of the 9th street bridge
were built high and solidly and approaches
filled in from beth ends.
That stream, where the partridge used
to call and the rabbit scurry and small
boys fish for minnows. with others like it.
as well as the more pretentiOuS streams,
has gone and it's very course in the main
sewers and the oldest Inhabitants.
These supposedly obliterated streams
have now and then curious way of re-
asserting themselves; they take a poetic
who failed to appreciate their scenic
beauty. considerable stream in the days
when this city was a problem in the
minds of the father Of his country and
Maj. L'Enfant meandered gracefully under
the forest trees where now Connecticut
avenue presents its array Of homes. Re-
Gently the builder of one of the handsom-
est of the apartment houses in that section
was put upon by the malgn persistence
Of the old stream. About $4,000 which
was to have been spent upon interior fin
ishing of the apartment had to be ap-
propriated for extra expenses upon the
foundation The old channel was still
more or less fluid and 1t was necessary to
drive deep for stability.
What has been going on in the District
during the past hundred years in the eff
facing of the waterways that made a large
part of the original attractiveness of the
site of the capital city has not been en-
tirely completed. In the valley of the pic
turesque Rock creek the process is proceed
ing with daily regularity. With tones Of
regret dump superintendent said recently.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13

suspected him of knowing something of the
disappearance of the body of Sir Charles,
but SartoriS did not see that he could prove
anything.
But he did not want Remington to go just
yet. and he was Still more anxious that the
colonel should not know who was knocking
at the door. Unless his calculations were
very wide of the mark. it was Beatrice
Richford who was seeking admission. Sar-
toris would have given much to prevent
those two meeting.
He smiled. though he was beside himself
almost. with passion. He seemed to have
become very weak and impotent all at
once. He would have to simulate an emo
ton that he did not possess. Once more
there came the timid knock at the door
Darlington he said desperately do
you believe that there is any good in me -
The quess lion was asked in almost a plead
ing voice. But Bennington was not in the
least moved He knew perfectly well what
he had to deal with. Again, the knock at
the door.
II should say not a fragment" Berring-
ton said critically. Il should say that you
are utterly bad to the core. l have Just
saved you from a terrible fate which really
ought to be a source of the greatest posi-
BILE regret to me. but you are not in the
least grateful. When that knock came for
the first time, you looked at me with muir
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13
CHAPTER XXI.

Somebody was knocking quietly at the
door. and Sartors had made effort to
move. That was the situation in which we
left Sartc"is and Bennington before Beat
rice came Nobody could have failed to no
tice that he was greatly disturbed and agi-
tated With feeling that lie was going to
learn something, Bennington turned as if to
leave the room.
II am going to save you the trouble of
going" he said.
Sartoris clasped his hands to his head
He was stu thcobbing and aching all over
from the i'll effect OF the treatment accorded
him by the Burmese visitors Bennington
had come down in the nick of time and
saved him from a terrible fate. but Sar-
toris not feeling in the least grateful
To a certain extent he was between the
devil and the deep sea. Desperately as he
was situated now, he could not AFFORD to
dismiss Bennington altogether. To do that
would be to bring the authorities down
upon him in double quick time True. Ber-
rington. out of his deep affection for Mary.
might give him much rope possible.
And again Sartoris did not quite know
how far Bennington was posted to the
recent course of events. True, Bennington
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13
Humors of the Law.

Address Of Sir Albert Rollit in London.
Law and equity are two things which
God has joined together and man has put
asunder.
When a prisoner in Justice Maule's court
was asked whether he had anything 10 say
why sentence should not be pronounced
upon him, he replied: II wish God may
strike me dead IL stola the ducks" Maule
waited for about a minute, and then said;
prisoner, as Providence has not interiors
l must. Three months hard labor"
mayor on taking his seat on the bench
for the first time Informed the bar that
during his year Of Office he would spare
no effort to be neithar partial nor impartial
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13

~ ECENT criticism upon things
American under such embracing
~ captions as Things Better Done
in Europe" which has been ven
tured upon from various quarters.
has met with scant approval in the main
from the nephews of Uncle Sam. In the
land of the screening. defiant eagle 1t is
not generally considered patriotic to allow
that any country ruled by car king or
emperor, or indeed any land unsanctified by
the presence of the stars and stripes can
possibly surpass the confederacy of these
United States in any or all PROJECTIONS.
There are those who would assert that
the plains of west Texas have nobler ca
thedrals than France and the Rockies of
Idaho better highways than Rome. Some
times it happens, however, that the mayor
of some progressive town, returning from
three months sojourn abroad. gets to
work in quite transformations way to in
troduce into his own municipality some
trifiing convenience which by accident he
had never observed in his own country
Some personS-they are usually more or
less culpably deaistic bengs-who have
been saturated with the dignity of London,
the splendor of Paris. the romance of Mad
rid, the variety of Vienna. the majesty of
Rome, are sometimes heard to regret that
In the rapidity of the growth of New York.
Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, quail
tieS OF beauty ana opportunities or pic
turesaueness are frequently lost, sacrificed.
which the sedate, slow. somnolent foreign
towns have had the good fortune to pre-
serve.
Edinburgh is pointed out as a town in
which the mountains have not been brought
low and the valleys exalted Heidelberg re-
tains its glory OF natural scenery, and
every little village and hamlet, well as
every historic town and capital city across
the seas. retains some feature essentially
characteristic and Individual. The Sew
enty islands of Venice We're not torn from
their engirding wa.crs; the marriage of the
city 10 the sea WAS AN annual ceremony.
1t is conceivable that the engineering
genius of Americans would have forbidden
the sea to approach more successfully
than did King Canute. and Venice have be
come a pleasant, dry and level city. and
the Bridge Of Signs morbid excuse for
eXiS tenCe In respect is the ex-
ample OF Europe more conspicuous than in
the treatment and preservation of it's city
streams.
In America. and even in n city devoted in
the main. 10 Cover amental purposes as
Washington has been so far with no com
polling requirements O: factories the trans
formation of nature into SOM other condi-
ton is a matter OF pride. Rome. as early
as the time Of the legendary kings drained
her marshes with the CloaCl MaXima Tut
as late as today, sh" retains her seven hi Is
Washington has her Capitol Hill and her
Washington .,eghts, and Mount Pleasant,
but all her creeks and streams and looks
she has strangied in their gurg.ng teds.
-
In valuable book recently published,
The First Forty Years Of Washington So
ciety. Mrs Margaret Bayard Smith writes:
Between the foo, Of the hill and the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-13

ECENT criticism upon things
American under such embracing
captions as Things Better Done
In Europe" which has been ven
Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-01-12
Homely and sne Knew It.

Beauty may be only skin Deep
said the admirer of it, ..but the re-
verse is distressing to me- The other
evening at club dinner L was put
next to woman who seemed to me
to be about the homeliest woman L
had ever SEEN She was SO homely
that had made up my mind to change
seats surreptitiously with some friend,
when she began to talk TO me, telling
me about her-life in Missouri and her
husband.
do you KNOW" she said naiveIy,
she waited for me five years. Finally
/ said to him: Well, if there's moth
ing else for it, L suppose must marry
you, but / don't see how in che world
you cap fancy me. / am ao terribly
homey.'
cit was strange, but after that ]
cost sight of her LONELINESS entirely.
Before the evening was over had got
to thinking her actually pretty,
New York Press