davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1909-10-28

u. Pss.ess. pleasant Pellets cure snssapanss
Opnpsipatioa 10 ths causs Of many dlnpassa. Gar
6As eAass anA zoe cure H. dissass. nAay - tAk1
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1909-10-28
How She Knew.

How She Knew.
The cartoonist's wife was talking 70
q friend.
II just know Fred didn't want to
work at the once last night" shs
said.
why. how do you know!" was
asked.
because In his sleep he said: Well.
III stay. but don't want to draw
Llppincott's Magazine.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1909-10-28

Money talks. but It often fails 70
tell the truth.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1909-10-28
BABY's wATERY ECZEMA.

ttehsd and Scratched Until Blood Ran
$50 Spent on Useless TrsatnsWts
-0lsease Seemed lneurabls.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1909-10-28

The wickedness Of other men w
have always In our eye. but We cast
our own over our shoulder.-Seneca
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1909-10-28

In case Of pain On the iunss Hamlins
Wizard Oil acts like . mustard plaster,
except that IL u moes elective and u -
0nch nicer and cleanGr 70 ~.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1909-10-28

To the good the world II very good
to the bad 1t IL bad.-6milee.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1909-10-28

THE SOURCE OF rROUBLB
Pass - rsachsA beioro 10 eAn ~ cusod. Allso'
L.ng oaAo. 80 e - ss"s cf Eosr egagh. -
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1909-10-28
Not to 0e Envled,

Not to 0e Envled.
After all. = rich man only has
three meals a day
And no time to eat 'em."-Louis
Vile Courier.J0urnal.
The Elk Mountain pilot., 1909-10-28

70 60. 5::s:::::;
= ORR oR opora1ty,
Wgha1o UglrlD paiA
- n n EY
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16

~ that the room 1t hid had a tall
French window letting on to a garden
where camellias had once dropped like
blood. The open door to the right led
to the library.
There the yellow light touched the
dark wainscoting, the marble mantel-
piece, dim paintings OIL the wall and a
great brass bound Korean desk In a
corner. What black thing had once
happened III that room? What face
had once looked ut him from that
wheel chair? 1t was an old face gray
and lined and passionate, his father
doubtless. He told himself this calmly.
with an odd sense of apartness.
The others glance followed his pride
fully. Its a fine property" he said.
THE owners an invalid, l hear, with
one leg In the grave. He's In some
sanitarium and can't get much good of
it. Nice pictures, Them" he added,
sweeping u candle round. That's a
good locker over there. Must be the
old mans daughter, l reckon. Well,
I'll go and get you a finger or two to
keep the frost Out OF your lungs. It'll
be cold tonight. Make yourself ut
home" The door closed behind him.
The man he left was trembling vio-
lently. He had scarcely repressed a
cry. The portrait that hung above the
mantelpiece was Jessica's, in a house
dress of soft Romney blue and a sim
gle white rose caught In her hair. 1.-The
old mans daughterl' The words SEEM
ed to echo and re-echo about the walls.
voicing u new agony without a name.
Then Jessica was his sister!
AS he stared dry eyed at the picture
In the candle light the misery slowly
passed. He must know. Who she was,
what she was to him. he must learn
beyond ~peradventure. He cast II swift
glance around him. Orderly rows OF
books stared from the shelves; the ma
hogany table held only a pile of old
magazines. He strobe to the desk.
drew down its lid and tried the draw
ers. They opened readily, and he rap.
idly turned over their litter of papers,
written III the same Grabbed hand that
had etched the one damning word on
the draft he had found In the cabin on
Smoky mountain. Most of the papers
the searcher saw at u glance were of
no import, and they gave him no clew
to what he sought. Then. mysteriously
guided by the subtle memory that
seemed of late To haunt him, though he
was but half conscious OF its guidance,
his nervous fingers suddenly found aud
pressed Il spring, u panel TELL down,
and he drew out u folded parchment.
Another Instant aud he was bending
over 1t with the candle, his fingers
tracing familiar legal phrases ur u will
laid there long ago. He read with the
blood shrinking from his heart.
"To my SOU. Hugh, III return Tor the
care aud SoiIow lie has caused int all
the days Or his llIe, IoI Ills dlssolute
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16

about a white house. He hesitated q
moment, then walked slowly up the
broad, weed grown garden path to-
ward its porch. In the half light the
massive silver door plate stood out
clearly. He had known instinctively
that that house had been a part of his
life, and yet a tremor caught him as
he read the name-Stires. The intui-
ton that had bent his steps from the
street, the old stirring of dead memory
had brought him to his past at last
This house had been his home.
He started. A man in his shirt
sleeves was standing by a half open
side door regarding him narrowly.
thinking of buying?" The query
was good humoredly satiric. "or may
be just looking the old ranch over with
a view to a shakedown!"
The trespasser smiled grimly. 1t
was not the first time he had seen that
weather beaten face. you have Civ
en- up surgery as a profession, | see
he said.
The other came nearer, looked at
him in a puzzled way. then laughed.
"If it isn't the cove we picked up or
the railroad track he said, dog and
all! l thought you were far down the
coast, where it's warmer. Nothing
much doing with you. eh?"
Nothing much" answered the man
he addressed. Others might recognize
him as the black sheep. but TVS non
descript Waterman whom chance had
set here could not. He knew him only
as the dingy vagabond whose broken
head he had ~bandaged in the box car.
I'm In better luck," went on the
man in shirt sleeves II struck this
about two months ago as gardener
first, and now I'm a kind of a sort Of a
watchman. They gave me a bunk In
the summer house there"-he Jerked
his thumb backward over his shoulder
-"but 1 know a game worth two OF
that for these cold lights. I'll show
you. | can put you up for the night"
he added, "if you like"
The waysarer shook his head. 81
must get away tonight, but I'm much
OBLIGED"
Haven't lone anything, have your
asked his one time companion Curl
ously. You didn't seem that sort"
The bearded face turned away. I'm
not wanted by the police, no, but I'm
on the move, and the sooner l take the
trail the better. | don't mind night
travel
YOU'D be better for a rest" said the
Waterman, but you're the doctor.
Come in, and we'll have a nip of some
thing warm anyhow"
His guest followed him into a spa
cious hall, scarce conscious of what he
did. A double door to the left was
shut but he nevertheless knew perfect
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16

with the sluice robberies. The lucky
find, too, constituted a material boom
for Smoky Mountain and bettered the
stock in Its hydraulic enterprises, and
this had been written on the credit
side of the ledger. Opinion, SO all pow
erful in a new community, had altered.
All this he who had been the outcast
could not guess. but he felt the change
with satisfaction.
cabin thinking. At length he called
the dog and fastened 1t in Its accus-
toned place and began slowly to climb
the steep ascent toward the Knob
When he came to a certain vine grown
trail that met the main path he turned
aside. Here lay the spot where he had
first spoken with her, face to face
Here she had told him there was moth
ing in his past which could not be
buried and forgotten.
As he parted the bushes and stepped
into the narrow space beside the jut-
ting ledge he stopped short with an
exclamation. The place was no longer
a tangle of vines. A grave had been
lately made there, and behind 1t, fresh
chiseled in the rock, was a statue-a
figure seated, chin on hand, as If re-
garding the nearby mound. AS In a
dream he realized that its features
were his own. Awestruck. the living
man drew near.
1t was Jessica's conception of the
prodigal son as she had modelled it in
Aniston In her blindness. after Hugh's
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16

"1Ngh mas pdtd u" at once. During
these last few days the impulse to tell
all that she had concealed had been al
most irresistible. Now the barrier had
fallen. The secret she had repressed so
long came forth in a rush of sentences
that left him mute and amazed.
81 should have told you BEFORE" she
ended, but l didn't know-l wasn't
sure She broke down for very joy.
He looked at her with eyes unnat-
urally bright. Tell me everything,
Jessica" be said. Everything. from
the %beginning!"
HE was young and irresponsible.
Jessica," said the old nan Money al
ways came so easily. He didn't realize
what he was doing when he signed
that draft. He has learned a lesson out
in the world. 1t won't hurt his career
in the end, for no n but you and |
and one other knows It. Thank God.
If his memory back
"Oh, it will" she breathed. ut musti
That day on the Knob he only needed
the clewl When l tell him who | am
he will know me. He will remember it
all. | am sure-sure! Will you let me
bring him to your" she added softly.
YES" he said, pressing her hand,
tomorrow. L shall be stronger then"
She rose and lighted the lamp, shad-
ing it from his eyes.
do you remember the will, Jessi-
ca" he asked her presently-"the will
l drew the day he came back? You
never knew. but l signed 1.-THE night
Of your wedding. Harry Sanderson
was right, my dear, wasn't he?
81 wish now l hadn't signed it, Jes-
sica," he added. 81 must set it right!
l must set it rightr' He watched her
with a smile on his face. 81 will rest
now" he said. And she adjusted the
pillows and turned the lamp low.
Crossing the room, she stepped through
the long window on to the porch and
stood leaning on the railing. The
words of the Biblical narrative flashed
through her mind: And he arose and
came to his father. But when he was
yet a great way off his father saw
him and had compassion and ran and
fell on his neck and kissed him." So
Hugh's father would meet him now
Harry had labored, spurred by a
fierce haste to make requital. Till the
last ounce Of the rich pocket had
been washed and the whole taken to
the bank In the town no one had
known of the find. 1t had repaid the
forgery and left him a handful of dol
lars o~ver-enough to take him far
away from the only thing that made
life worth the effort.
A gradual feeling of apprehension
had come to J~essica-an impression OF
Darkness and chill that affected her
strangely. She stood still, frightened
at the sudden sense of utter sound
l~essness.
She caught up the lamp and, turning
the wick, approached the bed. She
put out her hand and touched the
wasted one on the coverlet. Then a
sobbing cry came from her lips.
David Stires was gone. A browning
joy had goldened his bitterness at the
last moment, and he had gone away
with his sons face in his heart and
the smile of welcome on his lips.
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16

hole" The warning light from a signal
post threw a crimson splash on the
ground. Its green pane cast a pallor on
a bearded face turned out yer the
gloomy water.
ut was here" he said aloud. He
stood a moment. his hands clinched.
~The new life began here. Here, then.
is where the old life ended" From
where he stood he could see blossom
ing the yellow lights of the little city,
five miles away. He set his shoulders.
whistled to the small dog that nosed
near by and set off at a quick pace
down the road.
Once in the streets he turned up his
coat collar and settled the brim of his
crossed an open square and presently
came to the gate of a Gothic chapel set
well back from the street. Its great
rose window vas alight. for on this
evening was to be held a memorial
service for the old man whose money
had built the pile, who had died a fort
night before in a distant sanitarium.
He turned at the sound of wheels,
and the blur shocked itself apart to re
veal a kindly face that looked at him
for an instant framed in the window
Of a passing carriage. Inside the car
rage Bishop Ludlow settled back,
with a sigh. "Only a face on the pave
ment." he said to his wife, "but it re
minded me somehow of Harry Sander
SON.
"How strange it is" she said-the
bishop had no secrets from his wife
"never a word or a sign, and every
thing in his study just as he left it
What can you do, John? 1t is four
months ago now, and the parish needs
a rector"
He did not reply for a moment. The
question touched the trouble that was
ever present in his mind.
81 know" he said at length. 81 may
have failed in my whole duty, but |
haven't known how to tell David
Stlres, especially since we heard of his
illness. l had written to him-the
whole story. The ink was not dry on
the paper when the letter came from
Jessica telling us of his DEATH"
Behind them as they talked the
man on the pavement was walking on
feyerishly, the dog following with a
reluctant whine.
At last he came to a wide, dark
lawn set thick with aspens clustering
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16

career and his graoeirss deserrion, /
do give and bequeath the Jun OF
$1,000 and the memory OF his misspent
youth. The residue of my estate, real
and personal. | do give aud bequeath
to my ward. Jessica Holne'-
The blood swept back to his heart
in u flood. Ward, not daughter! HE
could still keep the one sweet thing
left him. His love was Justified. Tears
sprang to his eyes, and he la1u The
parchment back and closed the desk
He hastily brushed the drops away as
the Waterman entered and set down
Two glasses and Il bottle.
There you are. ThAt'n D. worth
hve miles to you!" He poured noisily
and held out his hand. Good lucK!"
he said.
The dog thrust a cold muzzle into
MS hand as he walked down the gray
Ell path slowly, feeling the glow of the
liquor gratefully, with the grudging
release it brought from mental ten
sion. He had not consciously asked
himself whittier now. In some sub
conscious corner of his brain this had
been asked and answered. He was
going to his father. Not to seek to
change the stern decree, not to annul
those bitter phrases-"his dissolute ca
reer, the memory Of his misspent
YOUTH Only to ask his forgiveness
and to make what reparation was pos
sible; then to go out once more to tbs
world to fight out his battle.
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16
Continued from page 3

"God help mel" he whispered, the
pent passion of his dreams rushing to
utterance. "Why did l ever see your
face? | was reckless and careless then.
/ had damned the decent side of me
that now is quivering alive. | have
tried to blot your face from my MEN,
DRY, but 1t Is useless. ! shall always
see It,"
On the lawn just outside the window
low voices were heard through the in.
~~creasing rain. They passed, and after
"a moment he softly Unmatched the win
dow.
"Goodby," he said.
She stretched out her hand. He
touched T., then drew the window
wide. AS he stepped noiselessly down
on to the springy turf the lightning
flashed again. a pale green glow thc
seemed almost before her face. She
drew back, and the same instant,
through the thunder, the electric bell
on the wall rang sharply. She threw
on her dressing gown, thrust her feet
into slippers and fastened from the
room.
The same flash that had startled Jes
.sica lighted brightly the physician and
the Waterman, who stood at the cor
ner of the building, having finished
their tour of inspection. 1t was the
latter who had found the open door
and who had aroused the doctor, insist
ing that he had seen a man in the hall
The other had poohpoohed this, but
now by the lightning both saw the
figure emerge from the French window
and disappear in the darkness.
They ran back, the physician ahead
The window was not locked. and they
stepped through it into an empty
ITO be sure!' said the doctor disgust
eddy. "He was here all the time, heard
us searching the halls and took the
first unlocked door he found. Miss
Holme. no doubt, is sitting up with
Mr.. Stires. Not a word of this" he
added as they walked along the hall.
He. barred the outer door behind the
Waterman and went on. AS he reached
David Stires' room the door opened.
and Jessica came out. She spoke to
him in a low, anxious voice. 81 was
coming for you" she said. 81 am
afraid he is not so well. | cannot rouse
him. Will you come in and see what
you can do?"
The doctor entered, and a glance at
his patient alarmed him. Until dawn
he sat with Jessica watching. When
the early sunlight was flooding the
sonm.- however dStHrres-epened
his eyes and looked upon her quite
naturally.
"Where is Harry SandersonT he
asked. II thought he was here"
She looked at him with a forced
smile. "You have been dreaming" she
answered.
81 suppose So" he said, with a sigh,
shut it was very real. l thought he
came in and spoke your name"
She stroked his hand. at was fancy.
dear"
He lay silent a moment. Then he
said, "If it could only have been Har-
ry you married instead of Hugh, for
he loved you. Jessica."
She flushed as she said, "Ah. that
was fancy too"
1t was the first time since the day of
her marriage that he had spoken
Hugh's name.
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16

o the question that in that
dim had become an imminent de-
mand.
what If 1 love her! What right
have l to love her, with a wretched
name like mine? She has refinement,
a measure of wealth no doubt, and l
am poor as poverty, dependent on the
days %grubbing in the ditch for tomor-
rows bacon and -four. Yet that would
not stand in the way. l I'm no venal
rogue, angling for the loaves and fishes.
Whatever else she cursed me with, ma
ture gave me a brain, and culture and
experience have educated it. With
hand or brain l can hew my own niche
to stand in"
So he had argued, but his argument
ended always with the same stern
and unanswerable conclusion: ITO drag
her down in order to lift myself! Be-
cause she pities me-pity is akin to
~Iove-shall l take advantage of her
interest and innocence?'
In the cabin through the long hours
till the dawn began to infltrate the
dark hollows Of the wood be had lain
wide eyed, thinking. When day came
he had cooked his breakfast and there
after sat watching the havoc of the
storm through the window. Hours
passed thus before the fury of the
wind had spent itself. At length he
rose, threw open the door and stood
looking out upon the wind whipped
foliage and the drab %desolation of the
fog. Then he threw on his mackinaw
coat, picked up his gold pan and climb
ed down the slope. Beneath all other
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16

the mountain where once more the one
time partner of Prendergast stood Cd
the threshold of the lonely cabin, senti-
mel over the mounds of yellow gravel
that marked his toll.
The returned wanderer had met with
a distinct surprise In the town. AS he
passed through the streets more than
one had nodded or had spoken his
name, and the recognition had sent a
glow to his cheek and a lightness to
his step.
Since the daring feat in the automo-
bile the tone of the gossip had changed.
His name was no longer connected
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16

q year ago, and
1t had been pre-
scented for pay
ment in a dis
tant city, the city
near which he
had been picked
up beside the
railroad track.
The forged name
was the same as
his own. Who
W a S d q | q
Stires? His ia
Their? Had that
city been his
home once and
that infa m Gus
act the forerun-
ner of his flight
ar axi1a He
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16

nurse with letters for him from the
mail. and while he opened them Jes-
sica laid aside the book and went
slowly down the hall to the sun parlor.
where the doctor stood with the group
gathered after the early supper, chat
ting of the newest strike on the
mountain. :
"Well be famous Il we keep on" he
was saying as she looked out of the
wide windows across the haze where
the sunlight drifted down in dust of
gold. I've a mind to stake out a claim
myself"
1--WE pay you better" said one of the
occupants grimly. Anyway, the whole
of Smoky mountain was staked in the
excitement a year ago. There's 10
doubt about this find. l supposed"
ITS on exhibition at the bank" the
doctor replied. more than $1,000
cached in a crevice in the glacial age
as neat as a Christmas stocking!'
The talk went on about her.
"Where Is the lucky claimY" some
one asked.
just peloW tnls ridge, the uocior
replied. ut is called the Little Pay
MASTER"
The name caught her ear. The Little
~Paymaster? That was the name on the
tree-on Hugh's claim! At that instant
she thought she heard David Stires
calling. She turned and ran quickly up
the long hal, to his open door.
The sight of his face at first startled
her. for 1t was held captive of emotion,
but 1t was an emotion of joy. not of
pain. A letter fiuttered in his grasp.
He thrust 1t into her hands.
"Jessica," he exclaimed, Hugh has
paid it, He has sent the $4,000. inter-
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-04-16

looked at the paper again with painful
intentness. 1t was Cancelled, therefore
had been paid without question. Yet
the man it had robbed had stamped it
with that venomous hallmark. Clearly
the law had not stepped in, for here he
was at liberty, owning his name. He
had been let go, then, disowned, to car
ry his badge of cline here into the will
derness! And how had be lived since
then?
He stumbled to a chair and sat
down, his frame rigid. He thought
of the robbed sluice In the gulch be-
low, of his own unhappy adventure OF
the night How could he tell what he
had done-what he might do? Min
utes went by as he sat motionless, his
mind catching strange Kaleidoscope
pictures hat fled past hin into the
void. At length he rose and went to
the window. Far down the hillside a
faint line through the mist spanned
the gulch bottom. A groan burst from
his lips.
THAT is the hydraulic fume," he
said aloud. Gold has been tolen
there in the past again and again
Some was stolen two nights ago. How
do | know but that | am the theft"
Was that what Prendergast had meant
by the safe way to peat the game?N
A SILVER ran over him. How do |
known he thought. Il can see my
self-the evil side of me-when the
dark had fallen waking and active. |
see myself creeping down there, steal
ing from shadow to shadow, TO scoop
the gold from the rifles when the
moon is under a cloud. l see men
sitting from dark to daylight with
loaded rifles across their knees watch
ing. l see a flash of fire. / hear a re-
port. | see myself there by the sluice
boxes, dead, shot down In the act of
a thief. making good the name men
know me byv'
The figure of Jessica came before
him, standing in her soft white gown,
her hand against her cheek and the
jasmine odors about her. The dream
he had dreamed could not be-never,
never, never! All that was left was
surrender, ignominious fight to scenes
barren of suggestion.
At that instant a shining point
caught his eye. 1t came from the pan
of gravel on the doorstep, on which
the rain had been beating. He thrust
the draft into his pocket and seized a
double handful of the gravel. He
plunged it into a pail of water and
held it to the light. 1t sparkled with
coarse, yellow flakes of gold. He
dropped the handful with a sharp ex-
clamation, threw on his coat and rush
ed from the cabin.
All day, alone on the fog soaked hill
side, Harry toiled in the trench with
out food or rest.
1t was a fair, sweet evening, and
the room where Jessica sat beside
David Stires' bed, reading aloud to
him, was flooded with the failing sun
light. Since the old mans seizure in
the night he had been much worse, and
she had scarcely left his room. Today,
however, he had sat propped by pill
lows, able to read and chat, and the
deep personal anxiety that had numbed
her had yielded.
A knock came at the door. 1t was a