davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1909-09-11

fore. several days might be given to the
celebration of peace and good will. or,
better still. that the Christmas spirit
should be extended throughout the twelve
months, that II should be- indeed, the
year of Our Lord
The idea Is attractively expressed, and
10 the interest of the text Is added quaint
drawings and pretty cover of white
decorated with holly and gilt traceries.
THE WHITE PROPHET. A Novel. BY
Hall Caine author of The ManX-
man., etc. Illustrations by r. eaton
Woodville. New York: D. Appleton
& Co.
lshmael Ameer, the son of carpenter.
born in the Lybian desert and brought up
at khartum, is the white prophet or
Mr. Gaines story. To convince his read
ers that 1t is only story. the author
has found ii necessary to announce that
his characters and incidents have no rela-
tion to living persons or public events
and that his book is intended TO he read
as work of fiction only.
The prophets first step into the Eng
lish-native life of Egypt Is as IAN apostle
of the soul of Islam. whose mission IS
to call the world Dack from it's squalid
and scrdid materialism. and to teach the
things taught by Mohammed. and by the
Christ-of whom he has learned through
his young wife who had been a Christian
and slave. and who is no longer living
Gordon Lord of the British army and
son of the consul general at Cairo has
been selected to put down the prophet
but. having heard his teachings. becomes
his friend. This incenses his fiancee, and
she becomes follower of Ishmael Ameer
and afterward his betrothed, that she
may betray him to the English. She con-
sders she has right to take this step
because of her mistaken belief that the
prophet has killed her father.
Who was the white prophet? Mr.. Caine
gives as one suggestion that there is "a
strange and not unimpressive theory that
Jesus twho. according to the Islamfc
theory. did not die on the cross) reap
pears at intervals among different races.
now among the Jews. now among the
Indians. now among the Arabs-and that
he will continue to make these manifes-
tations until the world is ready for the
greatest happiness obtainable by man
the establishment of the kingdom of
God"
THE BOYS AND GIRLS OF THE
Evening star., 1909-09-11
! The Altenburg Case. !
: By GEORGE DYRE ELDRIDGE. :
: COPYRIGHT 1909 GEORGE E1.DRIDGE

better evidence of my sincerity than py
telling you that the name of the writer
of this is Clayton; that he is the only
person besides Altenburg who actually
knew who robbed and ruined the Vene-
zuela Syndicate. and that he's probably
lived by blackmail on our estimable late
deceased
"Al the information that l can get"
responded Trafford. points to the con-
clusion that Clayton is dead
Yes said Beckwith, with no quiver of
an eyeid to show to what extent he was
surprised by Trafford's play. "in some
out-of-the-way place-south America,
Central Africa"
Australia. I've sent there for definite
information. Their records of deaths.
births. etc. are among the best in the
world.
you've got a better certificate here
than Australia can produce. said Beck
with. taking up the note again, and
don't care what their system may be. If
they send a certificate of death. as they
probably will. here's a certificate of life
that I'd stake against it every time. Let S
take il 10 Calden."
Il don't care to show too much of my
hand' said Trafford. I've made some
photographs. and the first lines will give
enough for Identification of the handwrt-
ing without revealing the whole. I'm
willing to show him these"
They went together TO the Jail, and
Calden for the first time met Beckwith
and Trafford. The latter studied him
with keen watchfulness. getting his first
personal impressions OF man whom he
felt IL his duty to protect against him
self, If ii were not his duty to do his
best to convict him of murder.
After some conversation Beckwith
handed him the photographs, with The
careless question:
do you happen TO know that hand
writing, Mr. Calden?'
Calden gasped as his eye fell on the
paper Almost flush of hope seemed
Evening star., 1909-09-11

The several wedding parties approach
the mayors table in turn. the unmarried
parties remaining seated in the body of
the hall. watching their predecessors. The
proceedings are very brief. The deputy
mayor examines few papers put forward
by the father or other representative of
the bride, asks one or two low-voiced
questions smiles at the bride mods to the
groom, signs certificate and informs
them that they are man and wife. Then
he touches a button on his desk and from
an adjacent apartment an organ sounds
few bars of a wedding march, during
which the married pair and company file
out of the chamber. and the deputy mayor
murmurs the French equivalent of next"
to one of the two little pages attending
him-handsome youngsters in court dress.
Another wedding party stands before the
desk, a repetition of the short proceedings
once more the tap on the button and the
wedding march on the organ-out they go,
blushing and smiling and number three
marriage begins. In less than half an
hour the six marriages had been made.
Nothing more and nothing less happens.
no matter what the rank or position of
the contracting parties may be, except
that the mayors pages can be employed
to carry the brides train if she happens
to be wearing one
Pictures and carving are the great at
fractions of the Antwerp town hall. One
picture in particular. showing burgo-
master being carried to execution after
an experience with the Duke of Alva's
torturer, is very vivid in its awful repre-
Evening star., 1909-09-11

sc hool with the proceeds of her c3rer-
PRISE in the swamps. The Characters e
strongly drawn and the set - ga
matte. A young man appears or ihe
so.ne at the psychological moment to
develop a romance. but as he - already
plighted and honor lble things lcok
difficult for the coCi So u trie 10. Tor
a while The story becomes a bit at
tenuated toward the close In the straight
ening out of the love affairs. and loses
its interest a trifie in the removal from
the 'Lmberlost' to the Island OF Macki-
nae. where the final scenes are enacted
WIDOWS WISDOM. BY Ninon Traver
Fleckenstein. illustrated by Clare
Victor Dwiggins. New York: II. NJ
Caldwell Company.
"A little widow is a dangerous thing.
said one of the new school propounders
of twisted epigrams few seasons ago,
and perhaps il was in the full recogni-
ton of this possibility that the author
of these bits of pungent philosophy has
put them forth. The epigrams are a
trifie more serious than is to be ex
pected in bibelot of this character, and
are not always in exact harmony with
the illustrations. which are broadly comic
but the volume will find an appropriate
place on the foolish shelf"
MOSBY'S RANGERS; Record Of the
operations OF the fOrtN-tnlrd BAT
talon of Virginia Cavalry from its
Organization to the Surrender. BY
James ]. Williamson of Company a.
Second Edition, revised and en-
larged. illustrated. New York: Stur-
gis & Walton.
The recent reunion of Mosby's men
at Front Royal. Va. lends a particular
interest to this second edition of Mr..
Williamson's exhaustive record of that
famous organization of troopers. The re-
printing of the work has been undertaken
in order to correct errors. supply omis-
sions and to add such new materials IS
have been collected since the first issue
The author explains that he has been
unable to include Acknowledgements of
all the references that have been supplied
him, owing to the fact that had he done
SO the volume would have grown beyond
practicable size, for Mosby's men were
among the most active units in the Con-
Evening star., 1909-09-11

we sometimes run to extravagances that
take the form, occasionally. of stories of
utter improbability and disregard of the
interests of truth. In producing this
class of literature Mr.. Irwin stands with
the leaders. He can tell story of Mum
chausen-like incredibility in the happiest
spirit imaginable, and he makes no de-
mandS upon his readers except to start
the book. The tale of Warrior the Tn
tanned" is somewhat like that of the
widely advertised .maneateT that was
shown in Washington few years ago,
for whose protection il was finally neces-
sary to detail policemen to prevent the
small boys from annoying him. 1t is
needless to say more than that Mr.. Irwin
is in his happiest mood in telling of poor
old Warriors adventures
HAPPY HAWKINS. BY Robert Alex
ander Wason. Illustrated by How
ard Giles. Boston: Small. Maynard
& Co.
1t is difficult to believe that any one
who delights in western fiction can start
this book without finishing it. Happy
Hawkins has a way with him that COM
pels attention in print. even 1t COM
PEELED attention on the plains and in the
corral This cowboy hero tells his own
story in an occasionally lapsing dialect
He has a remarkable gift of expression
and a tendency toward aphor1sm which
the context The story that is told by
this genial daredevil of a raconteur is In
teresting and provides much matter WV
idly descriptive of the southwestern cat
tie region.
A GIRL OF THE LIMBERLOST. BY
Gene Stratton Porter. illustrated by
Wladslaw T. Benda. New York:
Doubleday, Page & Co. Washing
ton: Woodward & Lothrop.
Those who remember "F'reckles VIII
finG in this story of the same region a
natural sequel but its interest Goes not
depend upon any previous publication
TIL. is a story of glrl who know
Freckles when she was a child, and
who learned from him the secret Of ma
ture love and became. under his direction
a student of butterflies and moths, so
that later. during the period Of this :a.e.
she was enabled to pay her way through
Evening star., 1909-09-11

sentation of the terrors of justice in the
middle ages.
The town hall at Brussels is most i'm
posing, and Its history most romantic 1t
is certainly one of the noblest Gothic
buildings in Europe with It's many pointed
arches, its grand terrace, its hexagonal
turrets and its gables and crenellated
balustrade. The Gothic facade facing the
market place dates from 1902. the east
wing being completed in 1444. The tower
is 80 feet high and dates from 1448. The
rear of the hall is more modern. thanks
to French bonbardment. and only dates
from the beginning of the eighteenth CEN
tury. Wonderful pictures. tapestry and
carvings are shown In the interior halls,
principally historical scenes in which
Charles V and various Spanish and Aus
trian rulers figure in scenes with citizens,
receiving or demanding rights
Louvain, noted in all times for its learn
ed men. claims that its town hall is the
most beautiful in Belgium. 1t is cer-
tainly very fine and rich example OF late
town hall in its style. and dating from
1447-6S The exterior of the building,
however. is modern restoration, which
Still the ten pointed windows can still be
recognized from which the mayor and
alderman of the city. in unlucky thirteen,
were thrown out and received by clam
oring populace on the points of exception
ally Sharpened spears. This little pleas
antry took place in 1873 and for several
years afterward prominent citizens were
quite unwilling to take municipal office. A
Evening star., 1909-09-11

cally and briefly the story of each of the
following subjects: The First Period:
Troy. Babylon and Piatea. The Second
Period; Pc ea, Tyre: saguntum. Syracuse Ale
Constantinople. III a. D.: Paris Antioch
The Fourth Period Orleans. Constantine
pie. 14ii. and Rhodes The Fifth Period
Gibraltar. Antwerp, Nicksburg, Paris and
Port Arthur.
SCHOOL CHILDREN THE WORLD
OVER, With Stories and Descrip-
tions BY Lucy Dunton. With
numerous illustrations from copy
righted stereographs by Underwood
& Underwood. New York. published
by special arrangement. New York:
Frederick A. Stokes Company.
All over the world children are study
ing in schoolrooms and in the open,
studying under native teachers and under
missionaries: in private and public
schools learning the lessons of youth in
order to equip themselves for life. No
more interesting research is opened than
one conducted into the methods of educa
ton in different countries, and while this
volume just issued is not in any sense an
educational treatise, il diScloses in an i'm
portant degree the conditions under
which the worlds work of education is
being carried on. There are thirty-six
pictures, each showing group of school
cHlluTeI, anu accompanied Dy page "
text telling the most important facts con-
cerning the methods of teaching and the
kind of children and the sort of studies
they pursue. Germany. Palestine, Maori.
Egyptian. African, Cuban. Hindoo, Aus
tralian japanese, Persian, Mexican and
Moki Indian children-indeed, there are
children of every land in this book, which
will prove of the keenest interest to adults
as well as to youngsters. The most sue
cessful photograph of all the collection
is that showing a group of Japanese boys
playing marbles after school. virtually
the only one. indeed, in which the chill
dren presented in an unconscious
position.
WARRIOR, THE UNTA MED; the Story
of an Imaginative Press Agent by
viii Irwin. illustrations by F.. Il.
Gruger New York: Doubleday.
Page & Co. Washington Wood
ward & Lothrop.
In our American desire for amusement
Evening star., 1909-09-11

F you want to get married in Belgium
you must go to the town hall of the
particular city in which you happen
II to reside and take one of the chief
parts in a brief ceremony, which
alone legalizes your matrimonial union.
You can go to church before or after the
little bit of civic business-as you choose
but nothing that priest minister can do
for Won. however soothing to your feel
ings or your conscience, can give any
recognized binding to your wedding vows
as far as the law of this country goes. In
most Of the ancient and wonderfully in
teresting town halls of Belgium there is
.Salle des Marriages. a spacious chamber
specially reserved for nuptial ceremonies.
At Antwerp the town hall is more to be
admired for it's interior than for its ex-
terror The facade is in the Renaissance
style by Cornels de Vriendt and dates
from 1881.
The Antwerp town hall occupies the
whole of the west side of the square of
old guild houses and in its center rises
TO a height of 1873 feet. sctatue of the
Virgin Mary is in niche in the center OF
the top story.
Half dozen wedding parties await the
advent of the deputy mayor each morn
ing The procession Of brides and their
friends leads into the marriage chamber,
the walls of which are appropriately
covered with five frescoes.
Evening star., 1909-09-11
WHITE HOUSE. BY Agnes Carr

WHITE HOUSE. BY Agnes Carr
Sage. author of "A Little Colonial
Dame" etc. Illustrated. New York:
Frederick A. Stokes Company.
During the last two administrations
children have been conspicuously in evi-
dence at the White House. All the people
of America have been interested more or
less In the youngsters occupying the
presidential headquarters, and this mas
revived interest in turn in children VINO
have In the past been In that posltioh.
The present volume gives an instructive
and entertaining account of the juvenile
occupants of the executive mantion from
the earliest days The author says OF the
historical house:
within its snowy walls a myriad joys
and a myriad sorrows have been known
Little souls have been born: great ones
passed away. The famous East room ana
the pretty Blue room have each been the
scene of many wedding and many
christening: while, as we look back across
the nineteenth century. we see a prl2ht
blithe band of young Americans. the boys
and girls of the historic White House.
who have come and gone. fitting through
the gardens. awakening the echoes in the
long corridors with their fresh ringing
voices and ever. by their presence. max
ing more CHEEKY and homeike place OF
the big stone homestead of the nation.
The text describes the occupations and
pastimes of the various youngsters and
gives an instructive account in passing
of the circumstances in which they occu-
pied this conspicuous home. Numerous
photographs. some of them reproductions
of old portraits add interest to the pages.
THE BOOK OF FAMOUS SIEGES. BY
Tudor jerks illustrated. New York:
Doubleday, Page & Co. Washington:
Woodward e. Lothrop.
From time immemorial men have been
fighting and besieging cities and other
strongholds. The siege was more con-
spicuous feature of warfare in the ancient
days than it is today, and history is re-
plete with instances of stubborn defenses
conducted over long periods. and of equal
ly stubborn attacks. Mr.. jerks has as
sembled the facts about these various
contests of endurance in volume Whlch
will be of importance to young students
of world affairs. He divides the time into
five periods and in these he tells graphi-
Evening star., 1909-09-11

to fit across his face. which fell again
under a sudden cloud. He did not an
swer directly but asked:
Was that written recently?'
within a month, as we judge" an
swered Beckwith.
Calden sighed as he continued:
Once that would have been the best
news that I could possibly receive Now
it doesn't matter. It's too late!'
But do you know the handwriting 2"
asked Beckwith. little mpatiently.
"Oh. l beg pardon" he said Il was
SO engrossed in what might have been
that | forgot the actual situation and
thought l had answered It's the writing
of man of the name of Clayton, Noah
Clayton. who was a confidential clerk in
the Venezuela Syndicate, and must have
known who it was that robbed the COM
pany. He is man whom | had long
search made for after l was sent to
Hacklebury. Finally, / was told he was
dead. If he's living and ! could have got
him to the stand I'm certain that he
could have been made to tell. but that's
all useless now.'
What were his relations with John
Altenburg?'
"Tney were fellow-conspirators and
robbers" exclaimed Calden, with sudden
fire. '.of whom Altenburg carried off the
punder while Clayton got the dregs.
i've always believed there was some
thing in Clayton's past and known to
whip hand There's no other ground on
which I can account for a man like Alien
burg having such control over man like
Clayton as he did.
What sort of a looking man was Clay
ton? How old. his build and SO forth"'
asked Trafford.
Il haven't seen either for ten years.
but in those days the two men were much
alike. You see. they were double cousins
and very nearly of an age. Clayton a
year or two the older. l met Clayton.
who'd been knocking round the world
considerably, about the time of my mar
riage. He was rather a favorite of my
wife's. l really think she cared more
for him than she did for her own brother
Personally, l think he was a good deal
more of man. and l must say that, on
the whole. / liked him, and l certainly ex-
pected better things of him than to join
hands with Altenburg in a scheme of rob-
berry. AS l said before. l do not believe
he would have done IL il Altenburg had
not had some hold him, the exact
character of which the rest of us did not
know. While they were very much alike
in person. l think Clayton would have
been the better looking of the two. only
he always wore a full beard and mus
tachc, at leas. after he came back from
his rovngs. while Altenburg was always
clean shaved, which gave him, in my
eyes at least the advantage. My wife.
however, always insisted that Clayton
Evening star., 1909-09-11

out realizing that he had come in that
he found himself again In
Braxtons Woods, where he had met Ju-
dith that day when she had resented her
to explain He was certain that
he hadn't come that way because he had
once met her there and hoped he might
do SO again; he was certain that he
hadn't come there because there was a
wood road that led in the direction of the
Altenburg house, and. above all. he was
sure that she would not misinterpret
him, as Horace had done. and thereupon
he wished that she was there then, that
he might make surety doubly sure
He had just turned into that certain
wood road that led. indirectly, but surely.
to the Plains road. and in doing so skirted
the rear of the Altenburg farm, when he
heard rustling in the underground and
man stepped out of the thickest part
into the road a few rods ahead While
there was nothing unusual in the incident
itself. there was something in the move
ments of the man that struck Grimble-
to draw back into position from which
he could watch he other without himself
being seen. The newcomer moved like
a man who was engaged III a search; yet
while at one moment he seemed intent
upon marks on the ground, at others he
stood erect and peered through the
branches, as if trying to find some mark
at dis ance. Then he would stoop
again, as examining the earth. and finally
he moved on into the underground on
the opposite side of the road from that
at which he had appeared.
There was something in the movements
or the appearance of the man that struck
the watcher as familiar. and yet for the
moment he found it impossible to place
him. He waited long enough in his posi-
ton to feel satisfied that the man was not
10 return, and was just about to resume
his way when into the wood road at al
most identicaly the spot where the first
man had appeared. another stepped IS
silently and unannounced the first.
He, however. was making no pretense of
looking for marks In the road or woods.
but was openly and withou, disguise fol-
lowing and tracking. He also had a
familiar air. and one that 1t did not take
long to resolve. In spite of
a fairly effective disguise he read him at
once as Fry.
1t had then to do with the Altenburg
affair. the present incident? But who
could the first man be? No one who had
thus far. OF that. in spite of
his inability to penetrate the appearance
of familiarity. he was certain. Another
man was, in some way. in the affair:
man Of whom he had no knowledge and
whose existence had been kept from him.
Was it development from which to
draw hope or new fears?
ITO be continued tomorrow)
Evening star., 1909-09-11

few years ago serious damage was done
to the facade by lightning, and the restor-
alton is still progressing.
The Bruges town hall dates back as
far as 1876 and seems to have suffered
less from siege and sans-culottes than
might have been expected, judging by the
high old times enjoyed by the ancient city
in the dim and DINNER past. The restor-
er has also got in his fancy work here.
but very gently. Even the forty-eight
inches in the pricipal facade have been
again filled with statues of sovereign
counts of Flanders to replace those whose
noses were knocked off and bodies gen.
orally mutilated by the heroes of the
French republic.
Ypres is another of the cities of old
Flanders which once enjoyed enormous
commercial prosperity, almost as great
as that of Bruges. 1t was the cloth cen
ter of al Europe and the cloth market
hal, restored a few years ago, Is, with
the exception of its clock perhaps, the
same in appearance as it was at the time
Of it's building by Count Baldwin in 100.
The Gothic facades have three stories
each and are f1anked with corner turrets.
The main facade is 40 feet long and
lofty belfry surmounts the roof, 20 feet
In height and f1anked by small towers.
most typical monuments to be seen in
Belgium: and while it is not the actual
town hall. it is usually accepted as SUCH
The town hall, which was built in the
reign of Charles v, is the chief attrac-
ton at Audenarde today. Here is one
more of the old cities of the Scheldt. and
Evening star., 1909-09-11

path which is approached from. the Ben
ming road The very existence of GEM
etery for pet animals seems to be gen.
orally unknown, even to the residents of
that portion of the Bladensburg road
which may be said to be in the vicinity
Evening star., 1909-09-11

federate forces. and covered wide area
and engaged In numerous encounters
with the Federal forces. The volume is
a summary of all the operations of the
command with many anecdotes Illus
trative OF the manner In which the cam
paicn was conducted Numerous illus-
tratfons are appended TO give additional
value TO the publication