davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24

the first days of Groton. Think 1t
over and send me line by New
Years so may know during January.
| repeat that | want you and that l
nope you may care to come"
The letter was dated from Hong
Kong.
Care to comet" The man flapped
the paper with gesture of despair,
and at the second door creaked
mournfully behind him, opened half
way, and the clergyman's clear-cut
speech sounded through it.
You don't mind the draft?" the
voice asked. Its close in here"
The man outside, the letter clasped
against his knee, did not stir; he lis
tened intently. The two within sat
down without seeing him, back to
back with him, the wall between.
Every word they spoke came out to
him distinctly.
why don't you put that bag on the
floor? You hold on to it as if ii were
treasure" the pleasant, easy tones
of the parson continued
The big mans answer came after
a seconds pause. 1T is treasure" he
said briefly.
DO you mean-Sidney, you're not
driving home alone tonight with the
mems wages?"
NO, not alone. Tomlinson meets
me-"
"Tomlinson! He's nothing. That is
he's good coachman, of course,
but the mildest ruffian could do up
Tomlinson with one hand. A great
protection"
81 don't want protection" the slow
voice half-laughed. Il can protect my
self-and Tomlinson."
The man outside could all but see
the c,ergyman's head shake dlsap-
provingly
Il don't like It. It's six miles ard
you'll have to go through the River
Mills-the other roads impossible.
There's bad lot of roughs there Just
now. Pat O'Hara-who used to be my
man of-all-work-told me about it last
week. He's working now on the Falls
bridge, and lives two miles this side.
He says they're genuine desperadoes.
1t will be known that you're coming
ftsy always known Wat possessed
you to go back at night?'
Delayed" the laconic tones an.
swered. "A meeting of the board of
directors"
s"Well. delay a Bit longer, and you
may save time" the clergyman threw
back. Don't go home tonight Sid.
ney-it's really unsafe"
Must get home for Christina.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24
morning-couldn't d!sappoint the ba.
nv said tho Skoad.x ....i..

morning-couldn't d!sappoint the ba.
by" said the Steady voice.
I know" the clergyman agreed.
I'm In the same box. Yet" he
harked back, its taking too much
risk. You have no right to run such
risk. How much are you carrying?"
Three thousand dollars"
The man outside drew a sharp
breath as If the distinct words had hit
him. Three thousand dollars!
The clergyman inside repeated
them. Three thousand dollars! It's
too much to carry after dark through
nest of banditti"
"Banditti!" The others tone pro-
tested.
But DR.. Harding persisted. AT least
leave the money in town"
Where?" Maxwell asked. THE
banks are closed. The mems wages
must be paid the twenty-sixth. I'll
carry 1t safe enough-the Maxwells
have carried their employees wages to
Maxwell Field for five generations"
The clergyman's reply was serious.
with two Maxwells killed to discour-
age the practice" he said. There was
silence for moment. Then, 81 see
what can be DONE" the older man
spoke. Give me the money. I'll take
1t to the rectory tonight, and to-mor-
row you'll all be over to service and
you can fetch it back. How is that?"
You've lonely drive, too"
Only two miles," said Harding.
And there's no danger for me. No
body suspects parson of money"
Maxwell considered, hesitated. 81
think I'll accept your offer, DOCTOR"
he said at last "Quarles, the man.
ager, objects to my landing with a
bag which carry carefully myself, as
/ must when it's loaded this way"
The man outside, strained forward,
could imagine the manufacturers
hand laid on the stout bag on his
knee. my dress-suit case | throw
at somebody to be put into the trap,
ana l think no more of it, but this l
Keep by me, and I'm so we'll known
about the country that they are ia.
miliar with my ways"
The confident voice, the voice of a
parsonage, went on, but the shabby
figure outside relaxed, shivering a bit,
against the wall of the station. He
was thinking fast, but his listening
now was less careful; he knew the
rest; his data were collected.
There was a whistle down the track,
and a wave Of humanity drew togeth-
er; the train pulled in, the man hov.
ering in the background waited to
see Mr.. Maxwell of Maxwell Field, in
fur-lined ulster with its collar and
GUNS of sable, and the thin clergy
man in his overcoat a little gray at |
Inc seams, enter car together, be- |
ore he sprang unnoticed into the car
behind them.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24

at the fields with resentful eyes. He
came to stop in front of a bench.
and, dropping into it, drew out let
ter The thin envelope fell open as
If read often before.
Dear Carl" the writing ran, 81
saw Peterson two days ago and he
told me you were playing in bad luck.
There's an opening out here in my
business for person who knows sew
eral languages, and you came to my
mind. Would you care to take It?
You would have to put up thousand
or two, and that, beyond travelling ex-
penses, would be all the money nee
essary. l think you would like It.
The business is going to be big one,
and we are making money now. There
Is plenty of work, but plenty of play
also of the kind you're good at--ten-
mis- and polo and that sort And there's
the certainty Of fresh start in life
with every chance of solid career.
I'm sure you know what a pleasure
1t would be to me, because it's always
been a pleasure to be with you since
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24
E = e. :, A
a. ''ssss''s
NLlyVgM1zMl, *. saissl9AYGfs al1lgyAgsESsSsS

There were half-visible footsteps in
the white carpet on the ground. but
the big flakes had blurred them. the
children did not notice. An hour be-
fore man had hurried along the
road from town, powerful man,
walking fast. AS he walked he spoke
to himself in a low tone
THE note about Pat O'Hara's bro
ken leg ought to take him three miles
out of his way-it ought to delay him
an hour. Lucky remembered where
the horse and trap would be kept"
He passed a stream, tinkling sill
verify in the stiffness under it's roof
of Ice and snow. He halted and
stared down.
Il took my first trout in that hole"
he murmured, and swung on.
But the ghost of boy had caught
his arm and chung to him and went
with him down the road. He could
not shake the ghost-boy loose.
DR. Harding took you home to
lunch that day." the boy whispered,
and the trout was cooked, and they
indue al event OF IL.
We'll, what of that?" the man an
swered the memory aloud. I'm not
going to hurt Dr. Harding, am II"
He won't give up what he has set
himself to guard"
The big fellow spoke again grimly:
Hell have to-" The muscles of his
bent arm frightened. The clinging
ghost-boy clutched closer.
You couldn't hurt him! You could
not do 1t in this place, where the good
years of your life were passed. You
know every foot Of this ground-every
foot OF 1t has a happy association.
You've played hide-and-seek in that
barn of Harding's, and gone to sleep
in the hay-loft. Can you go there and
take money from him?"
Concluded Monday
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24

dertope they made their plans Very
nearly were the plans shipwrecked by
Nature, however, for, AS they waited
till the night should be older, tie
clock licked, the fire sang a lullaby.
and the children fell asleep.
But at half-past eleven log
dropped noisily, the light of it blazed
up and the adventurer-in-c chief, the
deed to be done in her veins, awak-
ened. 1t needed all her energy to
persuade the boy, numb with Sleep
that sleep was not the one possibility
in a midnight world. But there was
persistent spirit in her, and in ten
minutes two mulfled little figures crept
through the shadowy house and out
over the white lawn, misty with still
falling snow, and up the slope to the
door of the stable.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24

my knee. Benny-you weigh q ton.
dear" demonstrated the mother. push
ing q heavy foot Wen do this,
Alice. Benny knows While Shep-
herds Watched as we'll as |, and II
he'll say it, then I'll do The Night
Before Christmas and the story, and
Just anything you want"
Il like your saying OF it, mother,
better than do Benny's. He always
makes the angels talk like people,"
Alice demurred.
But the boy, undisturbed by criti-
clsm, began at once. His large brown
eyes fixed on the fire, he recited,
slowly and conscientiously the two
hundred-year-old Christmas carol:
While Shepherds watched their fiocks by
night
All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around,
the reedy voice repeated, and a listen.
er might have understood what Alice
meant. 1t was much as If John Jones
had met William Smith and men,
toned to him a matter of news about
mutual friend, an angel. But to the
woman who listened with the boys
head against her shoulder, the incon-
gruous infections were sweet; the
audacity of it seemed to bring SO
near, that it thrilled her, a night
when, for another Childs sake, the
skies had rung with song that has
echoed always. Benny's fresh tones
disclosed, with careful conversational
emphasis, more and more facts about
angels, to him shade less real,
shade more holy than his mother.
To you in David's town this day
Is born of David's line
A Saviour. who is Christ the Lord,
And this shall be the sign
was elucidated in realistic manner,
and the child proceeded to explain.
THUS spoke the seraph and forth
with appeared shining throng of an
gels-praising God-who thus ad
dressed their joyful song"
An atheist would have got an i'm.
preston, hearing him tell it, that the
boy had seen with his eyes and heard
with his ears what he related. There
was silence as the sturdy tones end
ed and Benny's eyes gazed on into |
the heart of the fire, as If they saw in
vision the still eastern night, the |
shepherds on the hills, the white flight |
of angels.
You repeated it very nicely" Mrs. |
Harding said softly and put her mouth |
against his head again. Now you
shall have yours"
The big 11-year-old girl caught her
mothers hand-a hand worn with
homework and sewing-and held 1t
against her cheek.
Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the house." the wo-
man began, and went on, as many I
women have begun and gone on with
the charming old poem, to children on
Christmas Eve. The fire cracked in
the pauses. and the logs fell apart
with gentle heaviness, an accom-
paniment to the swinging sentences.
Now just one more, children dear,
and you really must go to bed. It's
very late-look! It's almost nine"
and the girl and the boy cried out to-
gether.
oh, the Beasts! The Beasts!"
They pressed against her, head on
either shoulder, and held her hands in
theirs, while she told them a tale of
a boy in a German forest whose ia.
Their and mother were so poor that
there was not enough to eat in the
house. She told them how he lay in
his cot on Christmas Eve and heard
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24

ElteihuDer when shot was fired
through her bedroom window in her
home last evening in an attempt to
kill her.
The shades were drawn, but as Miss
Eftelhuber was standing near the win.
dow, her shadow on the curtain save
the would-be murderer his mark
When the bullet struck her she ran
into the kitchen, where the other
members of the family were seated
crying, Il am shot am shot!" The
bullet went through her dress, but
when it struck the corset it glanced
on. B.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24
"Say The Night Before Chr

the alert leisure of a house where
much is done. The children leaned
close against the woman between
them; the girls hair was spread on
her mothers shoulders, and the boys
arm was around her and his head
pressed her arm.
Say The Night Before Christ
mas again mother" he begged You
promised you'd say 1t next"
mo, she didn't, Benny" objected
the girl. she only promised she'd
say 1t again; she hasn't said While
Shepherds Watched at all yet, or told
rs the story of the beasts on Christ.
mas Eve. Have you. mother?"
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24

70 the stable; how, as he came to the
door, he heard strange hoarse voices
speaking low, and listened and found
that 1t was Friedel end Minna talking
together; how then he remembered
mat once a year, at midnight on
Christmas Eve, dumb beasts may find
speech in memory of the night when
the Christ-child lay among beasts, in
the manager; how little Hans listened
to the thin old horse and the hungry
old COW and heard them grieving for
The poverty of their master and mis-
tress and heard them speak of the Sc
cret which, If the beasts might have
speech to tell it. would make every
thing right; how Hans went in boldly
then and gave the animals his break
fast, and asked them to tell him the
secret; how they told him, in unused.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24

1seSsSthe ghost of a reason why the
0es155 local from Manchester should be
swo hours late.
The handful of passengers at Blen-
neim Junction wandered aimlessly,
AFRAID to go away lest the belated
Train should make up time; now and
again they drifted together and ex-
changed pessimistic surmises as to
any ones chances of getting any,
where for Christmas The shifting
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24

The two big children and their small
mother sat on the rug before the fire,
The fire being an especial luxury for
Christmas Eve. The nursery was a
pleasant room; the spendthrift fire
light washed brightness over gay col
'rs OF coarse stuffs, over cheap prints
II fine pictures, over the whitewashed
walls and the peace of the two white
beds folded back for the night. There
vas a homelike atmosphere, full of
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24

human atoms might be classified as
tour punches: the small-boy bunch,
three women circling about stolid
and annoyed boy; the tobacco bunch,
four unshaven men; the parson-
black of clothes. pallid. yet strong of
face-and his friend. a prosperous
business man by the look of him; and,
the fourth division. solitary individ-
ual. This last was young, and so
strongly built that muscle was the
first impression on looking at him.
His listless movements were power
ful. his face was cast In a virile
nQld, but 1t was strength and beauty
gone wrong. The face was lined with
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24
NEGROES TO FORM
TAXPAYERS LEAGUE
Prmoters of Scheme Statt y \at II
Has No PoIitical Sienific'
However.
special TO The NeWS.

special TO The NeWS.
Jackson, Miss. Dec PA mass
meeting of the negroes called to as
semble at Forest on the 18th day Of
January for the purpose of forming
Taxpayers League. and induce ev-
cry negro assessed with poll tax to
settle his obligation before the first
of February.
A few years ago deep sgniGcan
would have been attached to a move.
ment of this sort, and political mo.
tives would have been Immediately at
tributed to it. In this instance. how.
ever, the promoters state that it has
no political significance whatever!
that they desire to make every negro
citizen realize that the poll tax is notV
only legal obligation, but moral
one as well, assessed primarily for
the benefit of the public schools. and
that the negro parents of Missssippi
cannot reasonably expect the state IN
educate their children unless they
meet the obligations they owe to the
common school fund.
The records of former wears sbow
that not exceeding ten per cent of the
negroes in Mississippi assessed with
poll taxes make payment on s,me
PRIOR to the first of February. and
thousands of members OF the race in
each county annually dodge this oh.
lgatlon. Furthermore, little or M
effort to collect poll taxes from No.
groes is made by the tax collectors
many of whom seem to think that :,
the negro manifests 10 desire to voa
he should not be required to nav 90
per year for the franchise privilege
In Kinds county last year tho d.
linquent poll tax list showed marc
than $4,000 assessed against negroos
ana uncollected. AS rule, the tax cal.
iectors send out deputies after tho
first of February and comnol nov
ments from negroes, but a danrt,,
rare'y manages to collect more t,,r
few hundred dollars.
1t is stated that the mass maet,nn
to be held at Forest on January ,s,,
is the beginning of a general move
ment to be launched by leaders of tho
negro race, and similar gatberinos
VIII be held in many other counties
during the coming month; that the
sole and only actuating motive is IN
induce the negroes to pay poll taxes
In order that each county may have
better schools, longer terms and
higher salaries for teahers, and thew
are appealing to the white citizens n
AID them in the work of organization
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24

HERE were thick
flurries at intervals
as II tho world were
filled with a sudden
storm Of white feath-
ers, but no weight of
snow fell; the air
had a sweet cold
ness as one inhaled
1t, yet was as mild
as December twenty
fourth might be and
not be pusillanimous
"a well-behaved win
49,. 4 Al.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24
lie Begged"

he listened as they
! was left into three
norrow's breakfast,
/ the 10y; how he
in the dark as he
lge to xii his two
Fse f'riedel and the
her than let them
BOW, lying awake
pc could not bear
lar horse and COW
barn, on thSl last
pc stole into the
he coarse bread
pre- saved for HIS
arriea them out
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-24
CORSET STEEL
SAVED WOMAN
(By Associated Press.|

Chicago. Dec. PA corset steel
probably saved the life Of Miss Ethel
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-05-18
A Conspicuous object-LessOn.

The attention of members of Yer
mont Senates, past, present, and pro-
spective, and of governors likewise,
is directed to the fact that every day
or so Washington dispatches begin
with the assertion that THE Presi-
dent sent the following nominations
to the Senate today" The President
of the United States recognizes the
fact that such nominations as he
makes to the Senate are made in the
name and in behalf of all tne people
of the land and that they have right
to know what he proposes to have done
for them before it is to late, perhaps,
to influence rejection or confirmation
in the Senate.
In Vermont, however, the senators
appear to think that similar business
is a little private undertaking be-
tween them and the governor and
that it is not the public's business at
all until matters have proceeded so
far that public protest or criticism
cannot change. the result. When the
Messenger suggests, as it has bien-
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-05-18

ANSABzL:
Use Gold Medal Flour for your pastry
GERALDINE
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-05-18
FRANK B. HOWE. Editor ard FSblists

What we get is always coming to
us. Just because nothing happens
without a cause The man who has
grudge and is always hating some
one and losing his temper over every
thing gets dyspepsia or goes crazy or
rheumatic, but he doesn't know it's
mis- fault He tells every body he
meets about his trouble and then
wonders why they don't love to stay
around and enjoy his company The
boy who watches the clock and only
thinks OF pay day will wonder why
the Industrious, busy, cheerful chap
gets the raise while ne gets the
bounce. (The boss knows) The fell
low who wastes his time wonders
why the boy who reads and studies
and has the savings bank habit gets
rich. If you are sick or well, rich or
poor, happy or miserable is is always
the result of something you did
Buster Brown.
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-05-18

In another column today the Ban
ner reprints some rather curious
comment from the Randolph. Herald
and News on the subject of taxation
in which that paper says that tho
Banner seems to assume that the
questions involved were settled by
the majority on a basis of personal
selfishness, suspiciousness, ignorance
and prejudice" VIII the Herald and
News please point out when and
where the Banner has said anything
of the kind? We have no knowledge
of ever holding or expressing any
such theory in regard to a majority
or any considerable minority In fact
the whole argument of the Herald
and News falls absolutely fiat in that
it sets up a man of straw and then
proceeds to tear him apart. The con-
temporary appears nervous in APP
preaching this question of taxation.
What else can be the reason for its
Charge, entirely without foundation,
that the Banner has accused silent
and inconspicious men of unworthy
motives. On the other hand the
Banner has frequently upheld these
silent and uncouspicuous men, and
been rather sayagely criticised by
this same Herald and News for so do
ing. Was the Herald and News right
when it lambasted tnem so severely a
few weeks back or is it right now
when it comes to their defence? We
are willing to admit the latter pre-
sumption and to welcome even this
late repentance on the part of the
Randolph contemporary. AS to the
tax question itself we have the faith
to believe that the citizens of Yer
mont are gradually becoming educat
ed on the subject and will in time
insist on certain changes that will be
of benefit to the greater number OF
the citizens of Vermont and that will
aid in Developing the natural resources
of the state.
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-05-18

nially for years, that tae governors
nominations should be given out to
the public at the same time they are
sent to the Senate, it succeeds in
arousing only smile of pity that a
newspaper should try to NEEDLE with
something that does not concern it.
Some day when this practice re-
suits in a mischief that it is too late
to correct, the people will visa they
had insisted that their own business
be made public.-St. Adams Messen-
ger.
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-05-18
INCREASE REVENUE $4,000
State Will Profit by Granting More
Fourth Class Licenses

Montpelier, May 1S.-Guy w. Bailey
secretary of state, says the increase
this year in revenue to the state from
fourth class licenses to sell intoxicat-
ing liquors will be about $4,000 not
withstanding the fact that the fees
have been reduced from $3.50 to $500.
This increase in revenue is due to
the fact that 20 applications for such
licenses have been received this
spring while only five fourth class Ii
censes were issued last year.
The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-05-18

A correspondent of the Rutland
Herald writes to that paper as fol
lows:
Anent the subject of taxation | see
that mortgage loans upon real estate
in New York have a clause inserted
that if such loans are exempted from
taxation the interest will be reduced
from per cent to Az per cent, or
even to per cent. This seems to
the writer would be of equal advan-
tage to Rutland and the state of Yer
mont. If we could only see the adj
vantage of relieving all money loaned
and all improvements from taxation,
taxing the rental value or land. it
would be one of the very best induce
ments for people to come into the
state and there would be little field
for boosting committees. At any
rate this subject is up for adjustment
and it will not down until it is settled
right. 1t seems to the writer to be
an axiom that If the burden is taken
off of anything, whether it is a hat or
a house that it will tend to improve
either one.
1t seems to us that the writer of the
above is right at least as far as tax
ing loaned money is concerned. What
is needed in this state is more money
for the development of business, for
the increase of production of tillable
land, and for the purpose of allow
ing people of small means to own
their own homes, and why we should
drive away money by taxing it high
er than we do any other form of prop
erty is more than we can understand
stand.