davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16

fully. 81 didn't understand that your
relations with the neighboring clergy
were so intimate. Your taste is inn
proving, Glenarm."
MI. Glenarm is a friend of mine"
remarked Stoddard quietly. "a very
particular friend" he added.
Il congratulate you-both."
1 laughed. Pickering was surveying
the as he spoke,-and Stoddard
suddenly stepped toward him, merely,
1 think, to draw up a chair for the
sheriff; but Pickering, not hearing
Stoddard's step on the soft rug until
the clergyman was close beside him,
started ~perceptibly and Redeemed.
1t was certainly ludicrous, and when
Stoddard faced me again he was biting
his lip.
Pardon mel" he murmured.
Now gentlemen, will you kindly
state your business? My own affairs
press me-"
Pickering was studying the cartridge
boxes on the library table. The sheriff,
too, was viewing these effects with in
terest not, l think, unmixed with awe.
"Glenarm, 1 don't like to invoke the
law to eject you from this property,
but l am left with no alternative. 1
can't stay out here indefinitely, and l
want to know what's I'm to expect"
THAT is a fair question" / replied.
IF it were merely a matter of follow
ing the terms of the will 1 should not
hesitate or be here now. But it isn't
the will, or my grandfather, that keeps
me, it's the determination to give you
all the annoyance possible,-to make
it hard and mighty hard for you to get
hold of this house until 1 have found
why you are so much interested In it."
you always had a grand way in
money matters. AS 1 told you before
you came out here, it's a poor stake.
The assets consist wholly of this land
and this house, whose quality you have
had an excellent opportunity to test.
You have doubtless heard that the
country people believe there is money
concealed here,-but l dare say you
have exhausted the possibilities. This
is not the first time a rich man has
died, leaving precious little behind
him."
you eem very anxious to get pos
session of a property that you call a
poor stake" l said. "A few acres of
land, a half-finished house and an UNI
certain claim upon a school teacher!"
Il had no idea you would understand
my position" he replied. THE seri-
BUSINESS of a mans oath to perform the
solemn duties imposed upon him by
law would hardly appeal to you. But
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16

They have about settled the com
ing election" said he, as he parted the
tails Of his brown jeans coat and sat
down. Don't believe I ever saw an
election comm that want already
settled. And it would look like there
wan'n't any use of havin' but one side;
but, yet, somehow the other side al
ways does putty well when the votes
are counted. The man that under
stands arithmetic is bad in politics.
He likes to figger, and a man that
does usually figgers too much. It's
an old sayin' that iggers don't lie.
and that may be true, but sometimes
they are found in the wrong place.
Both of the great political parties
are wise, for they always nominate
the right a And what a fine pres
ident he would have made If he had
only been elected. And the minute
the other candidate is elected he
ceases to be a politician and becomes
a statesman. But death has made
more statesmen than office ever did.
In this life a great reward is offered
to rascality, and that's the reason
there are so many politicians. Enough
votes would make any man great, but
not enough will urn the wtsest man
into a fy-up-the-creek. When a man
that is looking for an office begins to
tell me that he's a sincere American 1
believe him. 1 believe he wants the
place, and in this way the lives of
some man {IIuSfroto a. -zot 81
rhey eternally want something. Run
ming for office is a hard habit to break.
but when a man has been beaten a
time or two for president he cools
down nightly. Some of u smartest
men have been defeated for president.
and among them was Henry Clay, but
ne oughtn't to have expected the Of
fee when old Andy Jackson and the
Lord were against him. And 1t is
naturally to be supposed that the
Lord stin has a good deal of influence
durin' election time, but 1t is a cues
ton whether or not He always uses It.
Ever since I can recollect the
country has been goin' to ruin. It
that the constitution was born
ruined and has been imposed upon
since. But 1t is a mighty hard
thing to tear to pieces. But IL the
right man isn't elected this time not
only the constitution but the whole
country will have to go on crutches.
Old Uncle John Moss is the Oldest
man in the county and he says that
the world is a failure, and II this is
America must go along in with
general no accountness OF 1t all.
But I noticed that last year my bot
field raised more corn to the acre
for several years past, and as
long as this continues to be the ease
amt in a fifteen frame of mind to be-
ieve in all the bad news l hear. No
matter how much good news you get.
bad news is sure to follow. Some time
ago old man Joyner threatened that IL
his candidate want elected president
would pick up and move out OF the
leighborhood. His man want elect
ID and he moved over aeroaH the |
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16

MS lantern, and l left Larry crawIin o
through the new-found door as I bur'
rled toward the house. / knew him
well enough to be sure he would NOT
leaVe the spot until we had found what
lay behind the Door of Bewilderment.
You didn't tell the callers where
you expected to find me, did you?" I
asked Bates, as he brushed me of in
the kitchen.
No Sir. Mr.. Stoddard received the
gentlemen. He rang the bell for me
and When l went into the library he
was saying, Mr.. Glenarm is at his
studies. Bates,'-he says-kindly tell
Mr.. Glenarm that I'm sorry to inter-
rupt him, but won't he please come
down? thought it rather neat. sir.
considering his clerical Office. 1 knew
o were below somewhere, sir; the
trap door was open and l found you
easily enough"
Bates eyes were brighter than 1 had
ever seen them. A certain buoyant
note gave an entirely new tone to his
voice. He walked ahead of me to the
library door, threw it open and stood
aside.
"Ah, here you are, Glenarm," said
Stoddard. Pickering and a stranger
stood near the fireplace in their over.
Pickering advanced and offered his
hand, but l turned away from him with
out taking it. His companion, a burIy
countryman, stood staring, a paper in
hand.
THE sheriff." Pickering explained,
u business is rather PERSONAL"
He glanced at Stoddard, who looked
at me.
Mr.. Stoddard will do me the kind
ness to remain" l said and took my
stand beside the chaplain.
Obi" Pickering calculated scorn-
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16
Che Door
BswiIdsrment

There are dead men inside, 1 dare
say! Here, my lad, it's not for me to
turn loose the family skeletons, and
Larry stood aside while 1 swung the
ak and brought it down with a crash
on the paddock. 1t was of no flimsy
stuff and the remaining bricks cramped
me, but half a dozen blows broke it of.
'The house of a thousand ghosts"
chanted Larry, as 1 pushed the door
open, crawled through and dropped
down inside.
Whatever the place was 1t had a
floor and 1 set my feet firmly upon it
and turned to take the lantern.
Hold a bit!" he exclaimed. Some
ones coming and bending toward
the opening l heard the sound of steps
down the corridor. In a moment Bates
ran up, calling my name with more
spirit than l imagined possible in him.
What is it," 1 demanded through
the opening.
It's Mr.. Pickering. The sheriff has
come with him, sir"
AS he spoke his glance fell upon the
broken wall and open door. The light
OF Larry's lantern struck full upon him.
Amusement, and, 1 thought, a certain
satisfaction, were marked upon his
countenance.
Run along, Jack,-In be up a little
later" said Larry. eff the fellow has
come In daylight with the sheriff, he
n dangerous. It's his friends that
shoot in the dark that give us the
trouble"
crawled out and stood upright.
Bates, staring at the opening, seemed
reluctant to leave the spot.
You seem to have found It, sir" he
sah,I thought a little chokingly. His
interest in the matter nettled me; it
was none of his affair, for one thing;
and nay first business was to go above
LOT an Interview with the executor,-a
matter of immediate Importance, as
should have been clear to any one.
VI course W. have found it," /
CALCULATED, brushing the dust from my
clothes.
Is MI. Stoddard in the library?"
On, yes, sir; l left him entertaining
the gentlemen"
Their visit is certainly most in
o~pportune," said Larry. Give them
my compliments and tell them I'll be
up as soon as I've %articulated the
zones OF my friends ancestors"
Dstes strode on ahead of me with
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16

sheriff to retire for a moment I should
like to saw a few words to you that you
might prefer to keep between our.
selves"
had usually found it wise to take
any cue Larry threw me, and 1 said:
Pickering, this is Mr.. Donovan, who
has every authority to act for me in
the matter"
Pickering looked impatiently from
one to the other of us.
You seem to have the guns, the
ammunition and the numbers on your
side" he observed dryly.
The sheriff may wait within call"
said Larry, and at a word from Pick
ering the man left the room.
Now, Mr.. Pickering, Larry spoke
slowly,-'as my friend has explained
the case to me, the assets of his grand
fathers estate are all accounted for
the land hereabouts, this house, ten
thousand dollars in securities and a
somewhat vague claim against a lady
known as Sister Theresa, who on
ducts st. Agatha's school. Is that cor
rect?"
Il don't ask you to take my word for
it, sir" rejoined Pickering holly. ct
have filed an inventory of the estate.
SO far as found, with the proper au.
thorities."
Certainly. But I merely wish to be
sure of my facts for the purpose of
this interview, to save me the trouble
of going to the records. And, more
over, I am somewhat unfamiliar with
your procedure in this country. 1 am
a member, sir, of the Irish bar. Par
don me, but 1 repeat my question"
Il have made oath-that, l trust. is
sufficient even for a member of the
Irish bar"
Quite" said Larry, nodding his
head gravely.
He was not, to be sure, a present
able member of any bar, for a smudge
detracted considerably from the an
p~earance of one side of his face, his
clothes were rumpled and covered with
brick dust, and his hands were black.
But had rarely seen him so calm. He
~recrossed his legs, peered into the
bowl of his pipe for a moment, then
asked. as quietly as though he were
soliciting an opinion of the weather.
VIII you tell me, Mr.. Pickering,
whether you yourself are a debtor OF
John Marshall Glenarm's estate?"
TO BE CoNTINUED1
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16

Why, I almost gasped for breath.
He is worth millions, and 1 wondered
how he could have heard of me, who
owe the dollar and a quarter that 1
call my own.
Now, if ever anybody made his
money sinfully he did. He stands
high up among the Standard Oil men
and l yield to no one in contempt for
his methods, although / will admit
that his manners are perfect and he
certainly seems to know people out
side of his world.
He congratulated me on a story Of
mine that he had read. 1t was one
satirizing plutocrats, but he had
missed the satire and had taken it
as a compliment.
Said he: 81 wish to help people in
all the rats. I wish to seek our ar
lists and give them rolls of money.
l want to find struggling musicians
and help them to an education. And
l particularly want to give you a
house and lot and some shares OF rail-
road stock that will yield you an in
come of 10000 a year"
Well, you may imagine / did not
know what to do. However the man
may have come by his money, he was
certainly moved by kindly feelings in
wishing to share with me.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16

haven't coms here to debate this
question. When am to have posses
sion?"
Not till I'm ready,-thanks!"
MI. Sheriff, will you serve your
writ?' he said, and | looked to Stod-
dard for any hint from him as to what
| should do.
i believe Mr.. Glenarm is quite will
ing to hear whatever the sheriff has IN
say to him" said Stoddard. He NJ
nearer to me, as though to emphasize
the fact that he belonged to nv side
OF the controversy, and the sherif read
an order of the Wabana county circuit
court directing me, Immediately. to de-
liver the house and grounds into the
keeping of the executor Of the will of
the estate of John Marshall Glenarm.
The sheriff rather enjoyed holding
the center of the stage, and l listened
quietly to the unfamiliar ~phraseology.
Before he had quite finished | heard a
step in the hall and Larry appeared at
the door, pipe in mouth. Pickering
turned toward him frowning, but Larry
paid not the slightest attention to the
executor, but leaned against the door
with his usual tranquil
Il advise you not to trife with the
law, Glenarm," said Pickering, as the
sheriff folded his paper. You have
absolutely no right whatever to be
here. And these other gentlemen
VOUr QTpsta unnOca-ora ao,oIIr
t~respassers under the law"
He stared at Larry, who crossed his
legs for greater ease in adjusting his
lean frame to the door. 3.
We'll, Mr.. Pickering, what is the
next step?" asked the sheriff.
"Mr. Pickering" said Larry, straight
ening up and taking his pipe from his
mouth, I'm Mr.. Glenarm's counsel. II
you will do me the kindness to ask the
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16

The forum of old Linn Jucklin's wis
dom was the horseback in front of
the crossroads store. In the rural
south age means wisdom. Merely to
have seen the seasons come and go
is knowledge, and when age talks not
only youth but middle age must be
content to listen. Cultivation is mere
~book-learning, hearsay, the rumor of
an unsubstantial truth, as if the book
were not the experience of mans
mind. The well-read and travelled, If
not yet out from under the contempt
Of immature years." nus sit respect
tul-dumb while an old man who may
never have crossed the line of his
county consents to give an hours
homily upon the affairs of the world.
But with age there sometimes comes a
mellow and a sweet ripening of that
half philosophical humor which musty
books bound in the hide of some
ancient fatted calf delightfully."- tell us is
almost wholly an Anglo-Saxon heritage.
But old Lin had been out of his
county. He had travelled into the
north, the land where every man was
for himself. In Chicago he had
bought a pair of "gold-rimmed' spec
tacles which some clergyman must
have lost, and In a modest little trans
action he had permitted a Michigan
fruit farmer to pluck of a patch of
his ~wellseasoned skin. And while
these transactions were reckoned
among his accomplishments. they
turned somewhat pale when compared
with the fact that he could come near
er guessing the weight of a hog or the
height OF a mule than any man in
North Carolina, 1t is on record that
ne was a believer in the Book from
"kiEer to kiver," and in his neighbor-
hood 1t is known that once be wal
loped one of the Harvey boys for tit
tering at a baptising. He furnished
he oak slab that had been fashioned
Into the mourner's bench at Sloan
meeting house. His wife gave to the
circuit rider more pairs Of wool socks
than any other woman in the COM
munity. And the old man himself had
been known not indeed to shout dur
ing a camp meeting, but afterward to
call hogs with more fervor than was
his accustomed habit. Yet. notwith-
standing these unmistakable tokens of
a pious life, he gave to game ROSTERS
a devotion that smacked OF fanaticism.
Through the wind-howl of a winters
night-through the icy thicket he
would shoulder his way, mile after
mile, to be present at a contest. He
iomented the fate Of the defeated. but
gloried owe the victor. But he never
wagered a penny. That would have
been irreligious. With others the
fighting of chickens was a sport.
With him 1t was an emotion. So, with
his moral establishment we'll known
and with his wisdom unquestioned,
whenever of a Saturday afternoon he
took his seat on the old horseback,
there was always an audience wait
ing, not out of respect for his years.
but looking for mans natural reward
amusement
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16

then do you call him up and say, Il
entrust my bark to YOU keeping. We
want to sail as long as the boat lasts
and we want you to guide us among
pleasant places. If storms come up we
do not wish to evade them, only see
to it that we weather all gales; and
whatever you do, see to it that we do
not strike on the rock Of divorce"
And Love viii shake his curly head
and say with a merry laugh:
Il have acted as helmsman to many
a couple, but never yet have 1 struck
on a rock Of divorce. Now, over there
is a well dressed sailor named Gold.
His boat is bigger than this and is
furnished better, but If / do say it,
he cannot mind helm as well as 1, for
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16
SSERtALA
ORY@D
Copyright 1906 BY BO6bs-Merrin Co.
CHAPTER xxI.-contlnued.

OFlHF len
Good! but this is just wall here
earth with a layer of bricks and a thin
coat of cement. A nice job it must
have been to do the work,-and 1t cost
the price of a tiger hunt" l grumbled.
Take heart, lad, and listen" and
Larry began pounding the wall with a
hammer, exactly under the north
gatepost. We had sounded everything
in and about the house until the pro
cess bored me.
Hurry up and get through with II. a"
/ jerked impatiently, holding the Ian
tern at the level of his head. 1t was
sharply cold under the posts and l
was anxious to prove the worthless.
ness of his idea and be done.
Thump! thumpl
There's a place here that sounds a
trife. off the key. You try it."
snatched the hammer and repeated
his soundings.
Thump! thump!
There was a space about four feet
square in the wall that certainly gave
forth a hollow sound.
'NH D"Shf SACldllueu Larry Gag
erly.. Here goes with the AK"
He struck into the wall sharply and
the cement Clipped off in rough pieces,
disclosing bricks beneath. Larry.
paused when he had uncovered a foot
of the inner layer, and examined the
surface.
They're loose-these bricks are
IOOga and fhora'c onp,ofbin- Lon:la
earth behind themi"
The bricks were set up without NOR
tar, and l plucked them out and raped
with my knuckles on a wooden sur
face.
Even Larry grew excited as we flung
the bricks out into the tunnel.
"Ah, lad" he said, the old gentle
man had a way with him-he had a
way with him!" A brick dropped on
his foot and he howled in pain.
BLESS the old gentleman's heart!
He made it as easy for us as he could.
Now, for the Glenarm millions,-red
money all piled up for the ease of
counting it,-a thousand pounds in
every pile"
Don't be a fool, Larry" 1 coughed
at him, for the brick dust and the
smoke of Larry's pipe made breathing
difficult.
That's all the loose bricks,-bring
the lantern closer, and we peered
through the aperture upon a wooden
door, in which strips of iron were deep
set. 1t was fastened with a paddock
and Larry reached down for the ak.
"Wait!" 1 called, drawing closer
with the lantern. Whats this?"
The wood Of the door was fresh and
white, but burned deep on the surface,
in this order, were the words:
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16

~TEa AA@
eliminate that strident quality.
Inc other day 1 was sitting in he
seward end Of the ferryboat when
Jane came in from the slip. The boat
was full and every one was talking.
put James voice rose above all the
others and almost every one looked
up.
I'll venture to say that most Of
them were reminded of a beautiful
macaw.
For there is no denying that a n
is a handsome girl.
And she's a bright girl and she saws
bright things, but they are all
screeched at you.
II Jane marries let her pick out a
phlegmatic man, unless she uses a file
on that voice. 1t would be cruelty to
animals to let her marry a sensitive
soul, say a painter or a writer. be-
cause to be shut up in the same cage
day after day with the most beautiful
macaw imaginable would be to have
ones nerves de~-insulated.
She may be ~disobedient and out
grow it; she may be disrespectful and
outgrow it.
But If your daughter has an unpleas-
ant voice she won't outgrow it unless
you keep at her all the time.
Copyright, by James Pott a Coz
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16

creek, and four years afterward. when
his man was again beaten. he moved
back. So, l have noticed that about
all there is to the average mans DO
itical disappointments is that in his
revenge he thinks he has done some
thing notable when he hasn't.
about the worst nckin' 1 ever got
was shortly after 1 had cast my first
vote. There were two men running
hot for constable. I halfway prom
ised to vote for one Of them, a fellow
named Henk. The election was held
by word of mouth, and when the time
came l couldn't remember Henk's
name and voted for Jones because it
was easier. And that is about as
much intelligence as some people
show in their voting now. They vote
the way that looks the easiest What
did Henk do? 1 met him at a sawmill
and he took a piece of scantling to
me, an by the time l made up my
mind what to do he had me whipped.
A man ought always have his mind
fully made up as to what he will do
when the worst comes. / managed to
tell him that 1 didn't fully promise
to vote for him, that l had only half
made up my mind, and he lowed,
Yes, and that is the reason l only
half kill you now
"If you see a fight coming it is bet
ter to make up YOU mind to run than
not to be firmly settled on some par
ticular mode of action. The bravest
man may appear like a coward IL
he's unsettled in his mind, and while
he is still unsettled the other fellow
may %overpower him. 1t is mind that
fights. As long as a ROSTERS mind
is steady his head is steady, but the
minute he begins to look around he
discovers a chance to run. If he had
fully made up his mind not to run he
wouldn't have found the opportunity.
Some one thought to be wise said
that a good run was better than a
bad stand, but It is not true. As long
as you think Ii fs good to run you'll
keep on runnin'. And when you run
once 1t is an easy matter to make up
your mind that to stand is bad. When
ever a man is branded as a coward all
the other towards want to take a
whack at him. Therefore 1t is better
to be whipped every day in the week
than to run once, for with the comm
of the next week the situation is
mighty apt to undergo a change. Bad
cfOod oct halter oil the Tina
But when a man has once been
whipped he is never the same after
ward. It is better to have a broken
head than a broken spirit. Without
spirit the strongest man is but a
worm.
Success may after a while enable
the candidate to tell the truth. but IT
that when a man breaks into
he breaks In as a liar. IL
may be almost unconscious on his
part, but it amt long till he's sayin'
things that he don't believe. And
what appears to grieve him is the
'act that other people don't either. II
7our son-in-law is hesitating between
and the p%enitentiary, remem
Der that II he goes TO the penitentiary
,ou won't have to take care Of him.
Many an honest man has had a chance
o become a politician and didn't. A
politicians smile may be bright. and
% is a sunbeam when 1t falls on a
'uddle where the hogs have beer wal
monvrIRht nv Orl4 Readt
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16

other day /
had been going
on at a pretty
rapid rate, de-
n~ouncing the ill
gotten money of
the A m e a n
"robber %barons,"
saying that 1
would rather die
poor but honest
than be as rich
as-I can't think
of his name. but
he is respected
by the u%nthinking
everywhere.
Suddenly a man
who is X o W n
from end to end
of the world came
up to me-yes, to
me, and asked me
how l was getting
along.
The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-06-16

hesitated and hemmed and hawed
and thought Of my family and of the
good uses to which l might put the
money.
And then l remembered that my an
cestors were Puritans, and that not
one of them in all the nine genera
tions ever told a lie or did anything
wrong in any way whatsoever, and 1
took a long breath and said: Thy
money perish with thee. I'll have
non of it."
And then l woke VI.
GO"