davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13
Doctor Is Murdered.
read aloud the following,
PETIEVUE STUDENT MlSIEl

read aloud the following.
BELLEVUE STUDENT MlSIERl-
OUSLY KILLED.
DIR. John R Ranthan, a graduate
student I'm Bellevue Hospital. was
found dead in his apartments near the
hospital early this morning, knife
Of oriental design, imbedded 10y the
force OF a terrific blow in his breast.
was plainly the cause Of his deaIh.
As the doors were all locked from
within. the first theory of the police
was suicide, but the angle at which
the blow was struck. and the force
with which it was delivered seem TO
suggest murder. DIT Ranthan was said
10 be quiet and assuming, and with
ont known enemies He had Travelled
extensively and had been collector
If Oriental curicsiues-
That's enough" said Clarke IL
YOU read the whole story, it will leave
nothing for me TO tell Here is the
case as ! saw H.
Ten years ago I was serving as an
inferno i'm Bellevue. In this capacity
I met DIT John r. Banthau. He In
terested me at once. first because OF
his immense stature-he was six feet
five and modelled in proporton-and
next. for the reason that he was pur-
suing special work along lines that
interested phenomena Of the mind
and senses.
When off duty at the hospital, 1
often sat with him in his rooms, which
were regular curiosity-shops Of his
travels. and discussed the subjects
near to our hearts.
we could not agree. however. He
was a theorist. while he called me
gross materiaiist He had started
early in his medical practice upon a
crusade Of exposure of spiritism, and
ended up by becoming d convert TO
the belief Then, backed by ample
wealth and hampered by no ties, ne
searched the East for the secrets it
holds. India, China. Persia. and even
forbidden Tibet he forced 60 give up
their hidden lore.
when you have seen the things
that I have seen, he often roared out
10 me i'm his thunderous voice, you
will believe I have seen an Indian
yogi take "A tibia and materialize the
complete body, raiment and all What
do you think OF that bringing his
uonderous first down on the table until
the windows ratified
II think. / replied, that there are
some things that must be seen to be
believed. and even then we may eX-
plain them on purely scientific
grounds.
What would you say if You saw
me materialize from this skull the
body of her whose face forms the
handle-what would YOU say 10 that?
Ha" The sentence ended in an
explosion Of earnestness. as he play
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13
Conclusion Of Prospectus.

This description Of Il prospectus
is accurate and interes Ing: This
same prospectus takes he place OF
constitution and bylaws and is our
card Of Identification. It is wired With
good copper, faced with strong khaki
and printed to rest IN the pocket OF a
unit OF the crew until ne presents It
as a pass TO the boatman OF the first
and last river. whether IN the mean
time he spends scorched hours burying
hopeless nights alternating under
moist snowbarSs in Siberia"
The last page q this artistic PROG
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13
Tie Conclusion.

We gave the promise Later and
under most peculiar circumstances
was this ban OF secrecy Hfted-Jut
that IS another story
Il think I can find your man again"
said CLARKE
You needn't find him FOR me-"
quickly returned the Inspector. 7
wouldn't touch him again for the site
OF the city hall"
There had been several inpatient
taps at The Inspectors door and 50 we
departed. AS we were leaving The
station Clarke turned 70 re with a
worried expression and said
I'VE must hurry home Why didn't
I thinz Of II before The skull, It's
Oyama day or Oyaua was our
own name for our Jap servant
We cost no time getting home The
door seemed 10 be all right. IN fact u
was fastened with tuubIer-lock
which would have given tht most ex-
periencei burglar a bad uaf-hOur- Wa
had no fear Of the rear door, viii n
was secured by chaia-bolt
We entered and took a hasty view
n The library.
The silver skull WAS gone
The windows gave no more clue
than had the doors
What do you make Of IT. CIarkeF''
I demanded
II regard 1t as a worthy basis %
serious investigation. re answered
media lively
Il was years afterward and IN q
strange land that Clarke ard again
rolled a cigarette from tEe silver skull
but that, also. in another story.
CCopyrizht 1908. BY " G Grammar,
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13

slew him OF the damned soul who was
called Ranthan2"
i slew him. Achmon. I loved him
not. He lured me with his tales 1f the
cities OF men. as the fame lures the
moth I followed him and happiness
was mine for a space. And then I
knew / was w-nan Of lost caste, in,
but not OF the life around me. ] plned
Tor the hills Of Mussoorie- passed
and was free until he learned the
great secret Of the Master-knot"
Does he not then offend thee IN the
ethereal world2' questioned Achmon.
NO. AchmOn. he passed out into
utter darkness. and. moreover. the
freed soul is at liberty 20 seek only It's
afhnitles. I am weary, Achmon. and
would return"
Go. then. light OF nay sal and
await my call"
Slowly the vision faded. Through
the hay folds Of the siIken robe again
appeared the dim outlines OF the skull
on the table. Clarke released my hand
and the electric lights flashed Up.
The inspector sat as in trance, his
eyes still glued 10 the skull
II have won, Achmo1T' cried Clarke
Il saw nothing and YOU know &c.
keep the skull"
Il bide my time. returned the Hin
du sulkily
The light Of dawn was beginning to
show through the windows. The in
sDeCtOr spranE up with q sudden ac-
cess Of energy
We'll. weII"' ne said. Got 20 be
getting this chap TO the station. You'll
make a charge. Of course. Mr. Clarke.
In case New York don't want him. Be
around about ten. Here. my man. 7
guess wen tust put the bracelets on
you You won't Try any OF your A. p
A tricks with them
AchmOn meCkiy extended his hands.
I thought il was largely buster. and
was not surprised when. JUST as they
were ready 10 start. the inspector
turned % Clarke and in a perfectly
audible whisper, said:
Mr.. Clarke. couldn't You come on
with us? I don't mind admitting IN
a bit creepy"
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13

ard nap 70 recover the naurIe-ea
sleep OF the night before. we proceed
ed 10 the station 10 complete the for
maIitIes OF the Hindu's arrest. When
we arrived. Inspector Ship met us
with a lUgu5ri0us c0untenauce ana
mysteriously 1shered as into his PR
vate office ana closed and locked the
door
When he had assured himself thaa
no uubidden ear was listening h
turned TO Us and said:
Hes gomez
'G0ne"r exclaimed Clarke. .Yoa
don't mean TO say you allowed him 70
escape hand-cured. between our placa
and The stauon?"
No, I got him here safely enough.
The lookup keeper took him down
stairs and went along and took on
the bracelets Then I saw him put
into the center cell in the north tier
and the door turned on him- The
lookup keeper says ne was there when
he had up the bunch for morning ron
call About fifteen minutes ago I went
downs ssor something and took a look
into the cell II was empty The lock
hasn't been tempered with. there II
no place he could have crawIed
through Vow how did he get out2''
"fie may have had a confederate"
! suggested
And 7 suppose the confederate has
KEYS 10 the cells and could walk into
crowded police station ia broad day
light and take. mis- man out 40. sir.
that fellow just faded away through
tie iron and stone and yOuU never
make me believe anything else Now,
gentlemen. II this ever gets out I'll Be
the laughing stock OF the force Luck
iIy I didn't book him, and I've sworn
sworn the l9ck-up keeper 10 secrecy on
pain ~ his Job. want 90 ask you TO
keep 1T dark
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13


bided IA patience the time when
Clarke should see fit TO tell il.
The silver skull Is pictured in lev
minds eye as 1 write; the delicate
uacery OF its orEamentation; the IL
most uncanny beauty Of the head and
Dust which formed the handle. the
lace that always inspired in me rev
erence and awe, Not SO Clarke
nave seen him knock the ashes from
his pipe and I'll It again from the
skull, talking and laughing all the
while 1t was only after l had boon
caught several times without tobacco
and had suffered the gnawing crav-
lnS for smoke that I could bring
myself 10 raise the lid by that beauti-
tui silver head and draw on Clarl,e's
supply.
The skull was that Of woman
polished to the Wilderness OF ivory
and deftly inIaid and oruamented with
silver The workmanship was mar
vicious. circular piece had been
GAVIN from the crown. and into tins
aperture was fitted a silver bowl CID
able OF holding about a half pound Of
lhe weed The edges of this bowl wore
turned into a rim which concealed
the saWn bone and which was inset.
nush with the surface. So neat WAS
lhis Joint and 50 accurately were the
conVolutiOEs OF the bone followed. thai
except for the difference in color. the
Fkull ard the silver seemed one piece
Inc circular section removed formed
the cover. 1t was also trimmed with
silver inset ds was the bowl fitting IL
10 neatly as TO be practically hermeti-
cal The silver mead and bust formed
q handle in the center OF this cover.
The sutures were delicateiy edged IN
silver. inlaid so smoothly that the
most sensitive finger could not distin-
Euish bone from metal.
The teeth were perfect and Of the
Whiteaess Of rice In one, the right,
upper incisor, sparkIed a small dia-
mond set into the enamel without the
aid OF gold
Across the pure white forehead. Just
over the eye-sockets, was the word
"Ynath" beautifully inlaid in silver
script. Looking through the eye-scck-
et, It could be seen that the bone
was not cut through but the silver
was welded 70 Il by some process with
which I was unfamiliar
''Tnathr The word stamped itself
indelibly upon my memory. a wom-
ans name, 1 had long decided. Most
probably the name Of her whose
Queenly head surmounted the skull.
and perhaps OF her whose brilliant
eyes once sparkled love or flashed
scOrn from out those now sirhtless
sockets. Those eyes. what eyes had
they looked into; those tuH sensuous
lips. what lips had they KISSED What
cline. what age had been the theater
OF her loves and haCesF The costume
told not, for costume there was none.
The hair gave no clue, for II was
gathered in a glorious. rebelIicus
mass, as Eve might have gathered her
tresses against the strayinE breezes
of Eden.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13

toward her glorious self and came
with me- "
I saw murder in Achmon's beady
eyes, and his muscles sWeIled at
the deep intaking Of his breath.
And them 1 asked" continued
Clarke
And then she died. For two short
months I showed her in the Calcutta
bazaars. Paris. London. New York,
were denied the light.
Look. isn't # beautiful2' and Dr.
Ranthan lifted the silver skull. A ma
tive Calcutta workman did it. and
stood over him cUrsing him with
thousand deaths if he marred a line
or failed to catch the likeness from
the only picture Of Ynath I possessed
A few days later ! bOlted into Ran
than s apartments after a book he had
promised me. I had not been accus-
toned 10 knock. and as I opened the
door l heard the unmistakable swish
Of skirts. and Ranthan stood before
me confused and sheepish. I missed
the silver skull from the table.
Pardon me. you are not alone l
said.
'' 'No-yes-that is. I am alone. Of
course. The book is in that room
Just step right in.
Il did 50. and I heard him STEALTH
" close the door behind me, but not
until 1 had again heard the frou-frou
of d wOman's garments. II took but a
second TO seize the book and return 10
his study. DR.. Ranthan was calmly
seated. reading. The room had no
other occupant. The door OF the third
room was open and it was tenantless.
The silver skull was on the table in
its accustomed place
The next night I was calling on
DR. Cartwright. whose rooms were di-
rectly below Ranthans / had seen
Ranthan so up alone; IN fact 1 had
walked over from the hospital with
him. soon we heard footsteps over
head, the heavy elephantine tread of
Ranthan- and then the light patter Of
gentler foot. Through a faulty
register we heard. also. Ranthan's
stentorious voice alternated with a
sweet contralto- The conversation was
IN an unfamiliar tongue. but one
Astounding in beautiful intonations
Cartwright winked at me. a
nightly occurrence. he said
= -
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13
She Was ReaufifnI.

All, but you should have seen here
in the flesh he resumed meditative-
y. Cod but she was beautiful, I
found her in the mission at Mus
soorie, but she was not born for the
hymn-singing trade. Her father was
French. her mother a mountain maid
OF Gurhwal. and she had been up to
S!mla once and seen life. When I told
g her Of the great world beyond. where
the shadows Of the Himalayas feli not.
her bosom heaved and her eyes
flashed like those Of the she-tiger
that mao taken that year a toll of a
hundred lives in the foothills. She
left the mission and the haIf-caste
Hindu who had dared lift his eyes
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13
Next President a Member
Of CiTCurnRdW8dtors Club
CONTINUED from First Page9

Continued from First Page9
and a sieve aloft-'' And again: 1T
doesn't follow either that because
Billy has spent years chasing butter
flies at Java OF selling fur coats 10
the maids OF Mandalay. that he Is
more interesting than Willie, who has
measured ribbons IN an emporium at
Bangor.
1T doesn't follow that because Jim
was sent to college that he Is a Scion.
Nor because James can put the other
lads to bed that he's a good fellow"
The ideal OF the perpetrators Of the
Circumnavigators' Club reads the
prospectus. is a gathering Of Big
Hearts. Il the big hearts heat below
fine heads It shall not be held against
the heads-so long as they forget It.
But it is a law Of compensation that
whenever the head grows abmornaIly.
the heart shrinks-"
That the members nave not lost
sentiment in circumnavigaUing the fol-
lowing quotation seems 10 demon
ssra3e: Here's then TO the Circum-
navigators' Club; may It flourish ike
a green bay tree. May all its doing be
clean and kind. May It faithfully OBJ
serve the unwritten and unspcken laws
Of friendship and charity May II keep
its ideals ever in sight and dwell so
high in the pure thin air. as 70 be for
ever out Of reach; and YET so obvious
" the best. as TO eliminate the search
ing FOR any that are different
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13
Story Pieced Together.

Well" continued Clarke. ignoring
the interruption. las I said, I pieced
together the story. The false bolt
and the fact that Cartwright had left
Immediately TO summon me, seemed to
indicate that an escape were not i'm
possible. From India. reasoned.
vengeance had reached Ranthan and
10 India would his slayer return. I
watched the docks and nabbed Ach-
mon. In his possession and carefully
guarded was the silver skull. This
alone convicted him. for I knew it
was useless 90 tell an American jury
what I read behind those eyes, that
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13

uct Of the printers and bookblndsTa
arts, on which the signatures OF the
money changer. keeper OF records and
scribe appear, as we'll as that Of The
member who holds =, reads. This -
20 certify that Chere appears the sig
nature OF the member who, single
handed hath traced his sober sigma
ture above. is q worthy CIrcumnav5-
gator. simple hearted. gentle and
kind"
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13
Clarke in Conflict.

But what was the use Of speCulation7
True to our unwritten. unsDoken com
pact. | must await the time when the
" irit moved Clarke TO speak. And the
spirit came at a most unexpected time.
under a most singular guise, and in a
most dramatic manner.
We mad gone to bed early that night,
but II was so insuneraoly hot that
sleep was out Of the question. For days
the lake breeze, usually ChtcaEo's sum
mer salvation, had been vanlIy await
ed. It must have been Ear after mid
night when fell into Titsul slumber.
I had watched Clarke's light through
the portieres until the hour # twelve
struck on the silver chimes on our
mantelpiece. ! knew that he had not
even courted tickle stumble. Then his
light went out, and soon aI;erwarI l
heard, or thought I heard. MS regular
breathing.
I awoke with a start. conscious that
something was wrong. For n few min
utes I lay inert, uncertain whether my
nerves had triCked me or whether
there VAS a marauder IN our little
castle. Then a slight turning Of the
head showed me that. through a rift
in the rCrtisres. / had a view OF the
library nv the electric light that fill
tered i'm through the bay windows. TIE
sight / saw for a moment robbed me
OF all power OF voice or motion. a
crouching figure was creeping slowly
toward me across the library floor with
arms outstretched toward the shining
silver skull on the table.
Standing In Clarke's dccrway vas
another figure. white rohed. and mo
tionless but for the flashing eyes that
followed every movement OF the IN
trudeVs hack
The figure in the doorway was
Clarke. clad I'm white pIiamas. stand
ing ercc;. his arms folded. was con-
cerned 10 notice that he had no
weapon. while the intruder carried in
his right hand a Stiletto which flashed
IN the dim light. NJ. trvn revolver was
in the rack in the dining room. and rs
] Law watching tho scene. a thousand
thoughts flashing through EIy brain,
7 could ihink Of 20. weapon within my
reach but "A fragile nail-dle.
our visitor was no common burglar.
he WAS dressed in d well-ftting suit
of white linen. A Panama nat. with
Danu OF lOhsSt' SoNSASN AiS bldCh udlt-
His face was swarthy. and lie wore
two little ends Of mustaches twisted
almost to needle points. All this /
grasped in the moment by the Gtm
Hight so actively did the scene quicken
Fny perceptions
Suddenly the tableau Srole into a
siot OF action The int-uder's fingers
we're closing over the SILVER skull
Cfa~,-a-- arm WIS o'''-- 'c..ef AID
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13
THE MYSTERY OF THE SILVER SKULL

the one word Stop in unruffed tone
broke the silence
The figure turned and the stilettO
flashed in the light l sprarg from my
bed and dashed through tine portieres.
The figure advanced toward CLARKE
with weapon raised, while I crouched
for a spring at his throat. But the
steady eyes and uplifted LaGd of my
companion told me that he had The
situation in hand
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13

fully tapped this very skull that Ach-
mon covets so.
should like TO see that I an
swered.
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13

HAVE had DC
casiOn I'm the
course Of these
narratives 70
mention a ratE-
er unique tObac-
co jar which
Eraced Carlton
Clarke's study
table. I long
felt there was d
story connected
WITH = and /
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13
Silver Skull Gene.

For some time saw little Of Ran
than His visits TO the hospitaI
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-09-13

Copyright 1905. by ". c. Chapman).
Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-11-27
BUYING IN SMALL AMOUNTS.

Problem of the Butcher in Light
Housekeeping NeighbOrhOOds.,
THE man who runs a grocery and
fruit store with a meat market attach
ment in light housekeeping neighbor-
hood is always sure of his share of
funny experiences" said :. man who
has just this sort of job in upper Man
haitian, according to the New York
Sun.
These light housekeeping customers
take more of our time in proportion to
the money they leave with us than any
other class but they keep us so amused,
and they're usually so young and pref
ty and jolly that we never think of
really getting mad at them.
Buying steak to fit the skillet is
light housekeeping proposition we're
often up again. What we call Delmon-
leo steaks are best for this and they're
favOrites with all the women who play
the light housekeeping game. We take
the bone out and skewer the steak up
so It'll just fit their pan, and they
go Off smiling One girl brings in a
plate lust the size of her skillet. so we
make the steak fit the plate. We get
so used to selling Just two chops that
Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-11-27
THE FIREPLACE.

One Thing that Helps Most to Make
Home HOmeIy.
This l say: Go back aud pick up
lost good habits-the omitted amenities
of life. Especially put back into your
house the fireplace. 1t Is the one thing
that helps most to make a home home
ly. Build 1t big and broad. Let there
be no glmcracks Of fancy woodwork
anywhere near It, Let 1t be only brick
or stone. Then let the hearth be broad
and wide Make 1t so large every way
that you need never fear for a snap
ping coal. Away with mats. for they
are combustible! But stool-that Is
another thing. Here you can forget
the stocks and the Office and the store.
Here you can dream Of rest and peace
Here 1t Is possible that some of you
have Tom and Harry and Bessie about
your knees. There Is no better way to
recenstitute the family. 1t is the chief
want of these modern days.
The world Is never quite so independ-
ent or we quite so care free without a
fire. There are vastness and lack Of
outline to a summer day. We get our
feelings mixed up with the cosmos. The
fireplace narrows our lives somewhat.
but it completes and unifies things. We
are happy to be just part OF the little
warm home circle Did anybody ever
commit suicide who had a fireplace? p
E. P. Powell, in Outing Magazine,
Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-11-27

The whale dance Of the Koryaks,
natives of Northeastern Siberia, is an
other case where the host has all the
pleasure. Like the man who mixes the
cocktail, says Here's to you" and
drinks it himself. the Koryaks kill the
white whale, or the beluga, cut its
head OF, eat its flesh, entertain its
head as a guest and then set that
member adrift with the expectation
that 1t will return to it's former COM
rades and urge them to visit it's hosts
and be entertained in the same royal
manner. Certainly the Koryaks. not
noted for mental development, have a
peculiar sort of humor or they would
not carry out the ceremonies attend
Ing the whale feast without laughing
at themselves. AS the diet of the Ko-
ryaks Is limited to fish. seal and whale
flesh, with Russian brick tea as an oc-
casional luxury. the taking every year
Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-11-27

we take a small purchase like that
quite as a matter of course.
II remember the day before Thanks
giving a pretty little thing came in
with her tape measure. She said she
wanted to buy a small turkey. The
turkey must be just the size to fit into
a pan which just went into her oven,
and she'd brought along the tape meas
ure to make sure. told her I'd never
seen such a small edition of our ma
tional bird and that she'd better COM
promise on a chicken. She was a good
deal disappointed, but we found a fine
chicken that went into her pan, with a
couple Of inches to the good. Then she
had me look over big basket of sweet
potatoes to find some nice, long, slen-
der Ones because she wanted them to
just fit around the chicken in the pan.
She bought just four.
Cheese is another thing the light
housekeepers always go slow on. They'd
rather buy few cents worth every
day than have crumb left over for a
stray mouse to nibble on. Lots of
stores object to selling less than a
pound, but when a pretty girl appeals
to you for Just 5 cents worth and per-
haps to make up for it plunges reckless
ly and gets four eggs and a quarter of