davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-09
Assembled Under Dome.

Behind the Kings coffin walked all the members of the new ministry. These now joined the brilliant congregation of mourners assembled under the dome. A huge cross was adjusted prone be- tween the two biers.
 Tall lighted tapers were distributed among the officers, priests and court funetionaries who we're standing, and the requiem mass was begun. This most impressive portion of the service was enriched by orchestral and vocal music. The service was concluded with dissolution.
 An interesting feature of the cere- mony was the emblematic crown, cov- cred with crepe, carried by an official and gaurded by an admiral with drawn sword. Portugal has no crown but the emblem was there at the foot of the double bier
 The bodies will lie in state for three days and then will be consigned to the tombs in the pantheon.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-09

Will exchange close-in rent ing property for nice residence on 18th avenue north.
 w. N. Malone & Co.,, 2009 1st Ave. Temporarily
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-09
PERSONAL

D. A. Mewbourne was called to Gadsden yesterday on account of illness in his brothers family there. He will return to Birmingham today. Miss R. l.. Bennett. will go to New York on the early train this morning to remain with her mother Mrs. J. E. Bennett. dur ing her illness.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-09

court officials. It took 20 stalwart men to bear the massive sarcophagus bearing the body of King Carlos.
 The two coffns were in the same fashion carried within the chancel and placed on the stopping piers of the catafaloue.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-09
Second AbsoIutiol

The second absolution having been pro-
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

hold it for four weeks and ride 4
bike at the same time"
"But what's the matter with the
bicycIe?" asked the surprised minis
ter.
IT'S just the same as riding a race
horse. It leads to swearing when
you bust a tire, and it leads to gen.
eral cussing when you strike a stone
in the road and go flying over the
i,andlebars- Even our lukewarres st
~ilurch members were not allowed
= ride them"
But. my good woman. I have
"7Td no objection from any mem
= Of nv congregation. | use NV
heel TO get around with in place of
horse and buggy"
Eyes. I know you do. and my SIS
'er says she never secs you in the
Of YOUR meeting 4 cow lying down
!" the road when you are whizzing
down hill without any brake on.
When she thinks of vour hitting that
COW she shivers and almost stands
IN. When she thinks OF YOU hying
through the air she holds her breath
FOR Won to come down. and in hold
ino II she misses half the sermon
'Uml Indeedl Well. 7 think viii
call on your sister and secure her
statements first hand. You will
please excuse me. but I am very
busy this morning"
90. I'll excuse YOU. but If I were
vcu wouldn't prance around on
that bike anv more I'd rather walk
or get mule"
Then Aunt Hetty took walk to
see the town and to get UP an appe-
tite for the midday meal. and during
this interval the minister called on
Mrs. Bradshaw and had somewhat
acrid conversation
When the visitor finally stroiled in
she found tears and determinations
and protests galore, but she calmly
united the strings of that mourning
bonnet. looked it over for any dust
that might have accumulated. and
then placidlv replied
SISTER Sarah, l am from the state
of Ohio, and every woman in that
state always does her duty. I am in
a foreign country, so to say, but
nothing can swerve me- Society
here seems to be i'll an awful state.
and if I don't find anv improvements
this afternoon / shall have to say
good-by to YOU"
Bradshaws said that you amounted
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

to Spoonersville and make Yankee
of him in about six months. He's
got title Of some kind. though
can't make If out Whatever it is
it's as big as the title of sheriff at
home, and I guess you'd better en-
| courage the thing"
Sarah Jane encouraged" When
| Athens had been done they moved
along to Olympus and the Greek fol-
lowed on.
One day he rode out with them to
visit some historic tombs. and all of
sudden half a dozen hard looking
characters appeared and brother and
sister were made prisoners and told
brigands, of which the lover was the
leader. They were carried off into
the mountains and there were no
further protestations of love
On the contrary, the chief talked
Of money. He wanted gold-green-
backs-the scads. He wanted 10000
big dollars as ransom money, and al
though his English was poor he
made the deacon understand that the
sum was very reasonable. Also, that
if it wasn't paid by a certain date his
ears would be sent to the American
consul as souvenirs.
Deacon Bradley held out for
couple of weeks and then made the
necessary financial arrangements to
have his bacons and get back to
Athens as a starting point for
Spoonersville.
He was quiet and Sarah Jane was
humble. After a time she ventured
to ask if he blamca her, and he
looked at her a long time and then
replied:
mol can't says 1 do. What I'm
blaming is that / couldn't see
through it before we left Spooners-
Vile"
Through what, Silas?"
THAT after the Lord has let
woman live to be SO years old with
out getting married, he don't intend
that any critter OF man is going
to peddle her off by toting her
around the country. We start for
home tomorrer. Durn lords and
count and dukesF
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

one with moral courage to tell
people what was what, and she pro-
posed TO start out In the morning
and tackle the job.
Next morning. when she repeated
her words. efforts were made TO dis
courage her, but as she tied on the
mourning bonnet she had worn for
the past Id years with but one re-
trimming. she replied:
Sarah I've always been careful
ways shall be. I'm going out to look
folks Won have here. IF they are not
all riprt shall cut nv visit short
v~orldn't have II get back TO Ohio
which is a most respectable state.
that I'd spent three months in the
midst of lot of villains and vii
ILLNESSES for no money"
Aunt Hettv made her first cali
next door. calmly announcing her
ranne. age. sex and condition. and
then proceeding TO say with great
fra nkness:
"Mv sister next door saws that
vonr husband Is slowly but surely
drinking himself into the grave
You don't know how sorry 7 feel
for vnu Nv husband never drank
ANYTHING stronger than cider. and
only three glasses dav of that. but
I've seen sr,any cases of men going
to Destruction Din vou ever try
sewing him TIP in sheet when he
was drunk and helpless and then
pt.tting the horsew'1in on to him
GOOD and ke~ue knew a Mrs,
Tones. whose husband -sed to come
home drunk. and She"
But at this point Aunt Hetty vas
stopped and turned ont doors. Five
minutes after she had gone. the
woman she h7d interviewed
was standino in Mrs. Bradshaw's
door and talking even more frankly
TO her
Aunt TTettv had nISn been told
that certain old maid in the vii
tage was irving TO catch young
man five wears vornoer than her
ee1f. and she was indignant over it.
The respectable state of Ohio per-
rnitted nothing of that sort within
IFS borders. Tt was only three or
four houses down. and she was soon
at the door inquiring for Miss
Church.
Miss Church appeared. and she
was informed that she stood in the
presence of Mrs. Bradshaw's only
sister, who was a widow and had
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

they had seen the tower of London
and few other sights he said:
'Y on may not catch on to lord
or duke here in England. Most OF
EN- are on the other side selling out
to American girls at so much a
head, and don't know about US Take
your time, Sarah. We go to France
and Italy and Greece from here. and
one Is sure to boo up sooner or later.
| don't want the folks back in
Spoonersville to say that you are
man hunting, though as l said in the
beginning, you've got to accept any
reasonable offer"
Three weeks later, in Paris, the
first count offered himself. but there
were objections on both sides. He
wanted an affidavit as to the finan-
cial standing of the deacon and what
was to be his share of the divvy,
and the deacon asked for list of his
castles and mortgages, and so dis
couraged him that he broke off all
further dealings.
The second count came forward
in Italy. He told Sarah Jane of his
boundless love before seeing her
over her eyes, hair, chin and mouth.
He compared her figure to that of
Diana.
He had seen her in his dreams for
years. He had watched and waited
for her, ard now that she had ar
rived in Rome on the Peanut Elk
press" she must be his.
Sarah Jane, like a good girl, was
as willing as Barkis, but after the
deacon had looked the count over
he said:
Sarah, it won't do, I'm afraid
He's a count all right. and he's got
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

to much. and therefore I'm not dis
appointed. In a village like this I
suppose girl must marry most any
| thing that comes along. Do you
think you can earn the bread and
butter for the two OF your
The astonished young man
After the meal she tenderiy tied on
that same bonnet and resumed her
Investigations.
She had learned that her niece's
fance was young man who had
just set up in the cooperage bust
ness. She inquired her way TO the
shop. and when she stood before
him she said:
Il didn't think from what the
blushed and stammered and tried 70
say something, but before he wa.
able to Aunt Hetty took her de-
parture. saying as she went:
How you ever got TIP enough
spunk to ask girl to marry you I
can't see. but I 'spose you'll turn
out like the rest of them and boss
the roost in a week"
Then the girl who had thrown her
Nephew Harry over for better man
was found swinging in her hammock
in her fathers yard. She was in
formed formed that that had had such crime been
perpetrated in the state of Ohio,
she'd have got 10 years in prison for
it. and that all the Bradshaws and
their neiphbors thought that Harry
had made = fortunate escape.
When the. coquettish young lady
had answered back for FIVE minutes
without drawing her breath her
mother came out and talked for TO.
Then Aunt Hetty took her de-
parture to meet woman on the
street and tell her that the moral
atmosphere of Jacksonville was on a
par WITH that of Sodom, and that an
earthquake must soon be expected
Then she made her way to tire Brad
shaw house to pack up the few
things she had taken from her trunk,
and to say to the family at large:
81 came to stay for three months,
but I must take the train back to
Ohio. I felt, as soon as seeing the
town. that there was something
morally wrong about it. brf 800
have made sure. In the stat" Of
Ohio the people want the truth, but
here it even seems to hurt the min
listers. 1t is goodby al"
And an hour later Aunt Hetty and
her trunk and mourning-bonnet and
plain-speaking were speeding back
to the Buckeye state.
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

you shall go along with me and
I'll bet hat agin bunch of catnip
that III marry you off to lord or
duke or count before we head for
home. There's to be no hanging
back on your side. You've got to
accept the first good thing that
comes along It'll be my riches
that'll bring him around and you've
got to do the rest I've heard you
wish thousand times over that you
was a countess or lordess, and now S
your chance. You can marry and
stop over there and 1ivc'in castle.
IF the Teller thinks he's getting a
couple of millions with you he won't
mind your looks, and if he turns
rusty afterward you can get that
temper of yours up and go for him.
Yes, Sarah. you shall go along"
Sarah felt a bit hurt at his way of
putting it, but she let that pass and
entered into the spirit of the thing
with great enthusiasm.
Spoonersville was amazed, dunn
founded and critical. 1t was a town
founded 20 years before bv Zoab
Skinner. a worthy man. and never
since he built his log cabin had
resident planned such :. trip. Some
saw widespread disaster in it and
some demanded that the deacon re-
tire from the church which had
known him so long
Sarah Jane could not keep the
secret to herself that she was going
to "Yurup," to catch a husband, and
for the last three days before get
ting off she had no callers except
the widow DeVoe, who wished her
luck but sighed and added:
well, If ScareCrows can get mar
ried, then there is hopes for some of
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

still cared, but the furnishing of the
house seemed very definite. There WAS
horrid woman, too, experimenting the
operation of moving in.
''She might have waited until after
the marriage" Miriam told herself. "be-
fore she came to faunt her complete
triumph in my very face.''
1t was because of this same woman
that they had parted. Miriam had
wanted to be the first woman to enter
the new house when it should be done,
and she had looked out one morning to
see this business-like young person let
herself in with key.
1t had required severar hours for the
intruder to complete her inspection. and
that evening when Jim had called
Miriam had sent him away with the
curt explanation that she mad found
that she did not care for him.
He had begged that she tell him what
the matter was and suggested that
there might be some mistake. but Mir
lam had turned deaf ear to his plead
ings, and after half n dozen of his let
tiers had been returned, Jim had writ
ten no more.
Miriam had told herself that she was
glad that he had not peen more per
sistent, but she had only half persuaded
herself that she really was glad.
Now the preparations for opening the
house brought to hsr an anguish as
keen and poignant as though she had
! not occupied six months in trying to
, forget the man whom she found that
she still loved.
Late that afternoon Ridgley looked
up from his desk to behold a small
feminine cyclone. He sprang to his feet
and held out his hands in greeting, but
Miriam shrank back.
"Do you suppose that would shake
hands with your" she asked scornfully.
81 am not come here to congratulate
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

you, but to tell you how unutterable is
my contempt for YOU
81 think that you have gone pretty
fully into that exposition In the past
few months" said Ridgley. MAY 1 ask
what fresh occasion has moved you to
reduce your silent contempt to words !?
Is it about the house?"
"Your conscience proves your fault, "
declared Miriam. you might have had
the decency to sell the house."
81 suppose that that would have been
the best way" agreed Ridgley; "but
as the real estate market is now, I
could not sell to any great advantage.
1t would mean an out-and-out sacri-
fee"
81 suppose that sentiment makes no
appeal to you," said Miriam scornfuIly,
"but to bring another woman in the
house we had planned together for our
homel You have had your revenge" she
concluded weakly.
81 am not yet rich enough to keep a
valuable piece of property closed up for
lifetime through sentiment" re-
minded Ridgley. gently
"But since You will not come to share
the home with me, have to make 9TH
er disposition of it. We had all OF the
furniture ordered. I had it stored for
more than six months, but they tell me
that a house furnished rents for more
than an empty one, and have come to
the conclusion that it is best to put
sentiment away and make use of the
capital have tied up. assure you that
/ feel none too pleasantly about it, but
had to put it on the market"
sOn the market" sobbed Miriam. do
you call coming to live there with the
woman who made all the trouble put
ting it on the marketf' Do you deny
that you are going to marry that. hor-
rid woman?"
Its the first I've ever heard of a
ShOrrid woman declared RidcIey,
"and so can't very well marry her.
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

frmed. I didn't know it, but their
chief decorator is woman. She was
there the first time to measure for the
curtains. i engaged the same firm to
settle the house, so she is there"
"And you are not going to be mar
ried 2" asked Miriam.
Not unless 1 can induce you to re-
consider your rejection" said Ridgley.
VIII you, dearl"
Perhaps" whispered Miriam, '-if-if
you promise never to do it again"
Ridgley smiled at the feminine logic
of the condition, but his face was very
tender as he bent close to the golden
curls to whisper his promise. Miriam'5
first rival had been disposed of and
Cupid had come again into his own.
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

been in Athens four days when a
Greek who spoke very broken Eng
lish. but had something like II cas-
ties and as many million dollars to
run them, fell in love with Sarah
Jane He wanted her without mon
ey and without price. Indeed, If
there was any money to pay he
would hand it over.
He had a satchel full of creden-
tials and a barrel of shrugs and grim
aces, and when brother and sister
found themselves alone the deacon
said:
We'll, Sarah, he seems to be the
Teller at last. l can't understand half
he says, and l guess it's the same
with you, but we can take him back
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

his sister, Sarah Jane, spinster, had
kept house for him.
Then one day his time came. Be-
tween daylight and dark he sold out
his grist mill, his sawmill and his
lumber yard and went home to say
TO his sister:
Sarah Jane, I'm going to Yur-
up"
gasped.
Deg gone my cats if I don'tl I've
been thinking about it for the last
10 years. All I've been waiting for
was a man to come along and give
me my price. I've sold out. lock,
stock and bar1 and I'm going to
start out and see things"
But. Spoonersville will go into
fits over it."
'Let 'em fit. Yes, sir, I'm going
TO Yurup. I'm going to see towers
and castles and rivers and mountains
and graves and ruins till you can't
rest. I've worn old buds around all
my life and now I'm going to dress
up and go over there and be one of
the biggest toads in The puddle If
they don't think I'm with 100000
'twon't be my fault"
But Spoonerswlle will say that
you have backslid. Silas," protested
Sarah Jane.
"Then they'll be lot of fools.
'Tain't no backsliding, It's jest TAX
ing a vacation and getting away
from the three or four wilder women
around here who are tagging after
me. ] guess a teller who has rung
the bell for Thursday evening pray
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

long minute before replying. and it
was evident that he was turning over
serious problem in his mind. Fin
ally he said:
Sarah. you are nigh 40 years
old"
only 80 next month, Silas.'
For 20 years you've been trying
to catch a man."
How can you be so cruel? /
could have caught a dozen but have
never met one that appealed to me"
and, Sarah" continued the dea-
con, as he smoothed away at his
knees, you are about the homeliest
woman | ever sot eyes onp"
"More crueltyi SiIas. if / get to
weeping / may have Mysteries"
"And therefore, Sarah Jane, I'm
going to take you with me. I'm 60.
ing to do for you what you can't do
for yourself-marry you off"
"Silas Bradleyp
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

way of reply.
"A letter from my sister. Hetty. in
Ohio. just got it from the post Of
fce. She'll be with us next week, 70
stay for at least three months. She's
widow. you know. I'm so excited
i can't stand still just TO think. I
haven't seen her in u years. and you
never saw her at alp
Seems to me-" said the husband
as he went hunting for potato bugs
among the vines. chat I've heard
You say your sister was very nosey
woman and had her finger in every
bodv's pie"
why, pal she's lust the reverse
She never eossips about anyone. and
she's awful careful about hurting
anyone's feelings. The folks in
Raw.opyille will take to her at
"Uml uni Mebee YOU said n.
instead or ::.ie other. Never saw
=tater bugs so thick as they are this
year"
In due time Aunt Hetty arrived.
She was a little old woman of 20,
and for the first half hour she
seemed coy and bashfu1. Then her
tongue ioosened ,fp. and within the
next two hours she found out sew
eraI things
One of them was that her niece
Mary was engaged to Henry David
son of the village; another that Mr.
Bradshaw had had lawsuit about
hog and got beaten; another that
one of the ministers rode bicycIe:
another that her nephew. Harry. 20
years old, had been thrown over by
a certain girl. and lastly. that the
husband OF the woman next door
was drinking more than was good
for him
IT had been agreed TO keep all
these things from her. but Aunt
Hetty had the nose of reporter for
news. She said it seemed to her
that the town ought TO have some
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

announcement of our new life"
There had been tender emphasis
upon the word sour" and Miriam had
blushed daintily and had pretended not
to hear, yet somehow the words had
fingered.
1t was characteristics of Ridgley's
alteration of Miriam Godsell that he
should want to bring her to home OF
which no else had ever had part
lie had purchased the land across the
street from her own home and had built
thereon n handsome residence, the plan
ming of which had occupied many pleas
ant evening, as the fluffy golden head
was bent close beside the sleek brown
hair. and Jim's hand closed over her
own as she pointed out defects IN the
blue print plans.
Ii all came back to Miriam as she
saw the buriap shrouded furniture be-
ing carried into the house. It was evil
dent that some other girl would share
the home she had planned with Jim,
and she tried to tell herself that she
did not care, even while the tears
streamed down her cheeks.
In the interval that had elapsed since
-she had given Jim back his ring and
had refused to permit him an>explaua-
ton wounded pride had prevented her
from owning, even to herself, that she
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

same one who came and spent the
morning in the house before saw it
myself0and you promised that ]
should be the first woman to cross the
threshold"
$50, that's the trouble, is it ?" asked
Rdgley. why didn't You tell me this
before?"
What was the use when you knew?"
sobbed the girl.
But l didn't know" declared Ridg-
lev. 1t must have been someone from
tie decorators. I'll call up and find
out"
There was brief interval in the tele-
phone booth, and Ridgley emerged
smiling.
That is what it MEANS" he cor
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

SO many castles that he has to use
some of 'em for smoke houses and
hog pens, but he's got false teeth,
wears a glass eye and there hain't
no doubt of his being troubled more
or less with the collie. We would
want to take him back to Spooners-
vile long enough TO sllow him off,
but the critter might fall to pieces
before he got there. I'm thinking
that something better will turn up
in Greece"
Something did. They had only
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18
HE BELIEVED HER.

His Sister-"So you are engaged
to Mrs. Weeds, are your?
Her Brother-"Yes."
His Sister-@Do you believe it is
you or your money she cares for
most?"
Her Brcther-Why, for me, of
course. She declares she loves me
with all her might"
His Sister-"Yes, but a widows
mite isn't much, you know"
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

never associated except with the
best of people She had heard of
Miss Church's reprehensible con-
duct, and had called to advise her
TO make a lightning change. Matri-
mony was holy thing and should
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

York all right, but by sticking close
to the vessel he landed in Liverpool
with his sister as safely as any, one
Then a tour was begun that lasted
for six months. The deacon was
real good to Sarah Jane about one
thing. He did not hustle her. Wher
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18
WHY HE KICKED.

Some people are chronic kickers,
growled the hotel clerk, and it's no
use trying to satisfy them"
whats the trouble now" queried
the reporter
you saw that solemn-looking
chap making a getaway as you came
in2'' rejoined the man behind the
ten-carat sparkIer. well. he regis
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-10-18

Miss Church made a grab for the
widows mourning bonnet, but
missed it, and then helped the
widow materially TO get outdoors.
She called Aunt Hetty an idiot and
crazy old fool and asserting that