davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-07
CHAPTER ~.
Numbers Seven and Nine.

Numbers Seven and Nine.
Afterward, when tried to recall our
discovery of the body in lower ten,
found that my most vivid impression
was not that made by the revelation
OF the opened curtain. | had an in
Simultaneous picture OF slender blue
gowned girl who seemed to sense my
words rather than hear them. of two
small hands that clutched desperately
at the seat beside them. The girl in
the aisle stood, bent toward us, per-
plexity and alarm fighting in her face.
With twitching hands the porter at.
tempted to draw the curtains togeth-
er. Then in paralysis OF shock, he
collapsed on the edge OF my berth and
sat there swaying. In my excitement
| shook him. g.
For heavens sake, keep your
nerve. man." l said bruskly. you'll
have every woman in the car in hys-
terics. And If you do. you'll wish
you could change places with the man
In there" He rolled his eyes.
A man near, who had been read
Ing last nights paper. dropped 1t
quickly ana t1ptoed toward us. He
peered between the partly open cur
talns' closed them quietly and went
oack' ostentatiousiy solemn. to his
seat Inc very crackle with which he
opened MS paper added to the burst
ing curiosity OF the car. For the pas
seheers knew that something was
ahlss: l was conscious OF sudden
tension.
win the curtains closed the por-
ter was more himself; he wiped his
lips with handkerchief and stood
erect.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-07

I'm afraid it's too late. but I'm not ex.
perienced in such Matters
Together we opened the curtains,
and the doctor, bending down, gave a
comprehensive glance that took in the
rolling head, the relaxed jaw, the ugly
stain on the sheet. The examination
needed only a moment. Death was
written in the clear white of the NOS
trils. the colorless lips, the smooth.
ing away of the sinister lines of the
night before. With its new dignity
the face was not unhandsome; the
gray hair was still plentiful, the feat
ures strong and well cut.
The doctor Strengthened himself and
turned to me. Dead for some time"
he said, running a professional finger
over the stains. These are dry and
darkened, you see, and rigor mortis
Is well established. A friend OF
yours?"
II don't know him at ALL" l replied.
Never saw him but once before"
Then you don't know If he is trav.
cling alone?"
mo. he was not-that is, don't
know anything about him." correct.
ed myself. It was my flrst blunder;
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-07


- curtain waa going up on the first
ct OF the play. And for while we
1oGld all say our little speeches and
'Fg our little songs, and /, the vii
mn, would hold center stage while the
gallery Kissed.
Inc porter was standing beside low.
er ten. He had reached In and was
knocking valiantly. But his efforts
met with no response He winked at
me over his shoulder; then he unfast
ened the curtains and bent forward
Behind him. l saw him stiffen, heard
MS muttered exclamation, saw the
pluish pallor that spread over his
race and neck. AS he retreated a
step the interior Of lower ten lay open
to the day.
The man in 1t was on his back the
early morning sun striking full on
MS upturned face. But the light did
not disturb him. A small stain of red
dyed the front of his night clothes
and trailed across the sheet: his half
open eyes were fixed, without seeing
on the shining wood above.
| grasped the porter's shaking shout
ders and stared down to where the
train impaired to the body grisly
suggestion of motion. Good Lord" !
gasped, the mans been murdered"
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-07

TO the end and went out, and still I
stared. For i had seen on her express
|Sive face a haunting look that was
horror. nothing less. Heaven knows,
am not psychological. Emotions
Thave to be written large before l can
read them. But q woman in trouble
always appeals to me, and this woman
was more than that. She was in dead
ly fear.
II had not been afraid of being
ridiculous, l would have followed her.
But fancied that the apparition of q
man in red and yellow bath robe.
with an unkempt thatch of hair. walk
Ing up to her and assuring her that
he would protect her would probably
put her into Mysteries. l had done
that once before, when burglars had
tried to break into the house, and had
startled the parlor maid into bed for
q week. So I tried to assure myself
that had imagined the lady's distress
-or caused It, perhaps-and to dis
miss her from my mind. Perhaps she
was merely anxious about the un-
pleasant gentleman Of the restaurant.
l thought smugly that I could have
told her all about him: That he was
sleeping the sleep Of the just and the
intoxicated in berth that ought, by
all that was fair and right, to have
been mine, and that II were tied to
man who snored like that I should
nave him anaesthetized and soft pal
ate put where 1t would never again
nap like loose sail in the wind.
We passed Harrisburg as J stood
there. 1t was starlight, and the great
crests of the Alleghanies had given
way to low hills. At intervals we
passed smudges of gray white, no
doubt in daytime comfortable farms,
which Mcknight says is a good way
Of putting it. the farms being a lot
more comfortable than the people on
them.
| was growing drowsy; the woman
with the bronze hair and the Mortified
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-07
Copyright. by Bobbs-Merrill col

| was less disposed than over to 70.
nne0sh my claim, but the porter.
after little quiet investigation. of.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-07
Beware Of oIntments Tor catarrh Thas
Contain Mercury.

Weware OF Ointmento TOR catarrh 7hao
Contain Mercury.
~ mercury will surely destroy the
wise Of smell ana completely derange
the whole system when entering It
through the mucous surfaces Such
articles should never be used except
on prescriptions from reputable ply
sicians. as the damage they win do IL
ten fold to the good you can possibly
derice from them. Hall's Catarrh
Cure. manufactured by r. J. Cheney
4 Co., Toledo. O.. OBTAINS no mer.
curry. and il takep Internally. acting
directly upon ~ blood and mucou.
surfaces Of thT system. In buyine
Halls Catarrh Cure be sure You ger
the genuine. It is taken internally
and made in Toledo. Ohio, by .. J
Cheney 4 Co. Testimonials free.
Sold BY Druggists. Price 76c per
Bottle.
Take Halls Family Pills for consti
patton.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-07
DR.. w. A. Charping,
optieIan sn optometrIst.
graduate New York. Chicago. Atlany
and Boston.
office Carter Bldg. Room sos
mo one," answered promptly and

mo one" answered promptly and
positively
The doctor was investigating the
murdered mans effects. The pockets
of his trousers contained the usual
miscellany of keys and small change.
while in his hip pocket was found a
small pearl-handled revolver of the
type women usually keep around. a
gold watch with a Masonic charm had
slid down between the mattress and
the window, while snowy diamond
stud was still fastened in the bosom
OF his shirt. Taken as a whole, the
personal belongings were those of a
man of some means, but without any
particular degree of breeding. The
doctor heaped them together.
Either robbery was not the mo-
tive" he reflected. "or the thief over
looked these things in his hurry"
The latter hypothesis seemed the
more tenable. when. after a thorough
search, we found no pocketbook and
less than q dollar in small change.
Continued Tomorrow
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-07

READ THE DAILY NEWS.
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-07
CONTEST NOTICE.
Department of the Interior, United
States Land Office-Serial No.
01275-Contest No. 3046.
Jackson, Miss, Jan. IS, 1910.

A sufficient contest affidavit having
been filed in this office by Aaron
Shears, Epps, Miss, contestant,
against Homestead Entry No. 1882,
Serial No. 01275, made January s,
1908, for the E1-2 of SELL, and the
SEA of NW1-4, Section IA, Township
2 North, Range ~ West, ST. stephens
Meridian, by Ed. Harris, Contestee, IN
which it is alleged that he knows the
present condition of the same; also
that said ED. Harris has wholly
abandoned said entry and that he has
never lived upon said land nor cul-
tivated the same as the law directs"
said parties are hereby<hotified to ap-
pear. respond, any, offer evidence
touching said allegation at 10 o'clock
a. m, on February "a, 1910, before T.
j. Nixon, Circuit Clerk of Forrest
County, at his office in Hattiesburg
Mississippi, and that final hearing
will be held at 10 o'clock a. m, on
March Z, 1910, before the Register
and Receiver at the United States
Land Office in Jackson, Mississippi.
The said contestant having, in a
proper affidavit, filed January IS, 1910
set forth facts which show that after
due diligence personal service of this
notice can not be made, it is hereby
ordered and directed that such notice
be given by due and proper publica-
ton.
L. @. c. LAMAR,
Register.
Record address Of entryman-
Epps, Mississippi. z4-4mcns
REAn TTJE nATT.v NEWR
The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-07

face was fading in retrospect. It was
colder, too, and turned with a SILVER
to go in.
AS l did SO. bit of paper f1uttered
into the air and settled on my sleeve,
like butterfly on gorgeous red and
yellow blossom. 1 picked 1t up curl
ously and glanced at it. 1t was part
OF telegram that had been torn into
bits.
There were only parts of four words
on the scrap. but it left me puzzled
and thoughtful. 1t read: "-ower ten,
car seve-" Lower ten, car SEVEN"
was my berth-the one had bought
and found pre-empted.
The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-02-26

gathered aft, could make out the faces OF the
men at intervals by the glow of their pipes The
officers cabins forward In two dcckcd house
with the bridge atop. There lights in the upper
ports where the captHn's cabin would naturally be.
"It a gloomy moonleSs night and made
quicl, cIrcnt of the lower cabins two n side. The
door of the forward cabin OH the side toward the
wharf was locked as It's port The others
open aud empty. / mounted the ladder and had peep
into the captains quarters There he was. big red
faced chap, as rough aud open the voice in which
l heard him speak. He busy Mt little desk
with papers and the sole occupant OF the place.
Il descended and gave my best attention to the
closed door, 1t took about five minutes. When It
swung open l stepped inside. had one foot over the
high sill and there paused Perhaps 1t was the sem
blancc that stuy little hole bore trap perhaps 1t
was. have said. an instinct But before going
further drew back and moved cautiously into the
adjoining cabin. Ny lantern showed me a connecting
door In the bukhead. strongly bocd on this side at
top and bottom slipped these bolts and returned to
the forward cabin
1T was an ordinary first or second officers home
with bunk. a shelf of paper backed novels,
battered chronometer and few trashy pictures COM
plcted the decorations, Under the bunk was steamer
trunk. And on that centred my attention,
Il won't say but what steamer trunk IS a COM
mon enough thing on vessel But In a mates cabin
and on cargo boatE / couldn't sec It. No officer
however much OF q dnhuy he may be- would be seen
with steamer trunk Usually n set of drawers
built In under the berth Is his place for storage
STOPPING low Inspected the edges of the space And
it needed microscope to determine that the frame
work supporting just such drawers had been re-
Gently ripped out to make room for the trunk
II was well pleased. had sufficient proof that
Leng was making his getaway and here for n ven
ture was the prize he meant to take with him
grabbed the trunk, swung ont one end and then the
~ f1a M M.
not difficult / had them loose and bending from
the rear Of the trunk, clicking down the catches
suddenly the lid new mp with violence thar
whIred me from my bnlancc and sent me staggering
TO fnu across the bunk, And In the light OF my
lantern there from the interior OF the trunk rho
white face and single, cleaning eye Stephen Lenet
II shouldn't have minded the jack In the box per
The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-02-26

led him toward The one ric;ety elevator which
was luckily ou one of its periodic explorations over
head.
Been in port long, asked, pleasantly.
'He grinued not unnmably Bout two weeks
"'What vcsselT
Shasta. African trade
"'Ah! l think l know her I nodded Captain
Captain
SAKE prompted the sailor
SAKE, OF course Leaving soonT
Morrow mornn''
81 left my sailor 10 the deliberate mcrclcs of the
rckety elevator and skipped for the North River
water front. The Shastn Leng'S little iron
steamer. ! found her lying outside another vessel at
dngy wharf bearing no sign, trim yellow and
green cargo boat new and spruce In lines aud rig No
loading under way and WAS about to step out
when ] saw a man In n brown derby engaged In
earnest discourse with bearded ruliau who looked
Ike wntchmnu behInd pile Of bales l turned on
my heel aud made tracks back to Broadway The
man IN the brown derby was Satt private detec-
tive with a good record in commercial cases
with this development iu mind it wns surprise
when dscerncd loungng 0gure In the rear ball at
the Office building and recognized 1t as Saunders,
Slatts partner. Leng had been placed under close
espionage so much was evident mounted to my
office and took another turn with the cut In on the
telephone Within five minutes there came two calls
for Leng. The Stenographer responded with the
gratuitous information that Mr.. Lcne had gone TO
Long Island for several days
'Thcre was dinner party in progress that night
board n dashing little yacht which lay ut the
next pier but one to the Shasta About eleven O'Clock
the bearded watchmau and two detectives with him
edited 10y the unsteady manoenVres ol Il cheer
fully drunk and impeccably dressed gentleman who
staggered toward them the scene of fcstlvity
and demanded match. So reasSurnG were hts
leasantricS aud so disarmlng his rambling comments
that they toeranty him on hs course again after
n warning as to Tho Iurkpg dangers OF West street
Had they wntcbed him further than the shadow be-
yond the bales they might have seen hm slip along
the further string piece Of the wharf with reason
ably sure and nimble foot
There one gangway out on the Shasta when
crawled up under the bulk Of her side but I did
not it. She was low amidshlps the tide
out and a hawscr gave me 4 foothold The watch
The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-02-26

solccl"G 1t. IT, The grim amISemcnt of the agent he
cause II bore thc word Lawyer In aged letters on tfe
door, welcome economy struggling graduate.
Incidentally the telephone wires to Longs place
outside the window
Il passed three really profitable days In that Office
working variation III the kings bishops gam
bit. The receiver on the harness toned down
so that voices over LcnGs wire Intrusive.
There only two messages that interested me-
both the afternoon of the third day ! heard n
bass rumble ipquirIng >pr Lcnc. That rentleman
was called to tho phone by his stenosrnprcr and
answered Snapplshly
Mr. Lcng. Tnll-oo. Holl-oo. doomed the Stran
ger with broad tang OF Scots
" Yes. Who is this? Yes Hello
'Hal-oo I want Mr.. Lenc, Ha-oo'
g" This Is Lcng Who Is it,
&" That YOU Mr.. Lcug? Hall-oo'
Say Speak up. What the devils the matter
with YOU? This Is Leng, for the last time
"oh. that You Mr. Lcng? I'm SAKE l wanted
to say wen be needm some"-
Ring OF, you IDIOT III be up In fifteen minutes
The Quinine Pills.
THE other call was brief. Lcug rang mp large
retail drug hrm
"'Wbcrcs that gross Of four grain oulninc pills
orderedr he snarled and gave the clerk fits untI hs
promised TO have the package around Immediately
81 found interest here In the first place the man
SAKE had plainly disturbed Ieng by calling him or
all and had been swiftly sIlenced for his pnins
Equally clear the fact that SAKE had little skill
and less liking OF the telephone. This OF itself was
remarkable and argued that he a business
man, at least not a New York business mana
conclusion confirmed by the flavor in his speech.
Moreover his a voice attuned to lesser limits
than all outdoors, | thought.
THE matter Of the quInnc pills not clear.
but It attracted What could Leng want of
gross OF them? or 1t might be that they
needed his rubber plantation. But the amount
seemed rather small for colony and large for
individual.
"Of the two messages, the first came about two
hours before the other II possible that what
Sake twas necdn' the quininc pills But this
fell to the ground again under Leugs instant fore
stalng OF SAKE There was nothing particularly fur
tive or damaging about quinine pills. And Leng's
sharp command had held suggestions of both. An
things considered, it looked IL something was on
foot et
II left my post and sauntcrcd in the lower hall
watching those who in and out. With sharp eye
for Lengs AS l stood the door saw sailor
pause outside broad souching Ill clad fellow, with
fiat, good natured face and greasy cap He peered
at the number and turned In dlndcnty. approached.
" is Mr.. stephen Leng heroT he asked with awk.
ward dlthdcnce
Yes, l said, brsky. This way. I'LL show you
The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-02-26

formancc much hut for very neat and capahi,
ltle revolver with which he procured my respectful
attention his good eye being back Of IT, Ho sat
there like man risen fIom his coffin. found Tie
bunk very comfortable.
The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-02-26
The Open Door.

"wCll, what do you wantT he asked In the sam,
snary, squcaky tone by which had identified hu.
/ might have been intrudng clerk or an importu
shoe string pecr for all the impression my mid
night visit seemed 10 make upon him
"'Why Mr.. Lene.' ! answered In some cmbnrrass
ment to be quite frank. was looking for you
Were. CHI Well here I am' he said dryly.
"Ncs, here you arc echoed
I'VE looked at each other He hitchcd himself into
n more comfortable position but kept his eye very
watchfuly upon me as did the same. SO rs not to
annoy him olasped my hands over one knee.
"'Whnt have YOU to proposcY he asked presently.
"IIc had me there ] unable To discover that
] had anything to propose. Perhaps we'd better
leave that TO yon.' l suggested II there Is
thing my mind Just present It's the fact that
the door IS wide open behind YOU
He smiled cylly and never wavcrcd cyelash
why should that interest your he snapped.
Il dismissed the question calmly. One Is possibly
permitted TO have nm interest in n gentleman who
keeps covered with n revolver l sald III Il lc
only the hope OF pleasing him.
The Press., 1910-04-27

time he not only has retained the re- gard and respect of his customers, but of the business men among his as- sociates. He is a director of the Staf- ford Savings Bank.
 MT. Ellis is the son of Rev. William w. Ellis, who entered the ministry after having become a successful merchant. The son has apparently inherited his fathers commercial instincts, for his grocery business has grown to large pro- portions under his management and is one of the oldest and most important of its kind in the town.
 On the counters and shelves is full and complete stock of fine groceries, canned goods, four, vegetables and fruit. Only the finest grades of each commodity are kept, and the store makes quite speciality of imported and fancy groceries. Besides his son,
The Press., 1910-04-27
GEORGE L. DENNIS.

The only gristmill in Stafford Springs is that owned and managed by George L. Dennis, and that was originally oper- ated by his father, E. c. Dennis.
 It is one of the most perfectly equip ped and widely-known establishments It has capacty for grinding two hun dred bags of meal a day, and is run at capacity the larger portion of the time.
 The gristmill is the outgrowth of small business that was started in 1860, when the greater part of the building which it now occupies was used as tannery. MT. Dennis managed the tan nery, and the gristmil was rented by E. E. Converse until about 1876, when the entire building was devoted to the work of making meal, feed, etc., by MT. Dennis. A speciality is made here of what is termed custom grinding, that is, the grinding of any quantity of grain for an individual to his order and from his own grain.
 The building is 125x4O feet, three stories in height, and has all the modern machinery for the business. Four men are constantly employed, with addi- tional numbers at certain seasons of the year.
 E. c. Dennis held many responsible official positions, having at different times served as warden, selectman and Der of the State Senate.
 George l.. Dennis is a Mason, and succeeded his father as director in the First National Bank.
The Press., 1910-04-27
J. F. WARREN.

A man of more than ordinary busi- ness tact is J. F. Warren, the popular clothier at 39 Main Street. For many years MT. Warren was in the employ of Postmaster Abel, and succeeded him as manager of the store. He now carries full line of men s clothing and fur nishings, hats, caps, gloves, etc. He has been managing this store since 1896, and has made it the guide for the good dressers among the men in this and other towns.
 MT. Warren goes on the principle that a man thinks more of the clothes he wears than of almost anything else that is associated with him. and he intends that no customer shall be dissatisfied with articles purchased of him. For this reason he takes especial pains to select only the best quality of material and fit, and to carry only the most up-to-date lines.
 An expert in the matter of display ing goods to the best advantage, both in the windows and on the counters, MT. Warren has thoroughly modern establishment Besides being a mem Der of the Knights of Columbus, the Red Men and Foresters, MT. Warren has been honored by election to the Board of Burgesses.
The Press., 1910-04-27
w. E. HANLEY.

Twenty-six years is long time for one man to remain in the shoe business in a town like Stafford Springs, but w. B. Hanley, the shoeman, has not only been here that long but his host of friends and customers are sincere in their wishes that he be permitted to remain as much longer.
 One reason for this is because MT. Hanley is personally very popular. An other reason is that the lines of shoes that he carries are the very best ob- tainable- Queen Quality and Edwin c. Burt in the ladies' sizes, and the W. L. Douglas and J. E. French shoes for men s wear.
 In addition to carrying these especial shoes, MT. Hanley has ever been care full that his stock shall be complete, and for this reason he is never obliged to tell a customer that he hasn't a shoe that will fit him.
 The stock is very neatly and handily arranged, and the window displays are unusually attractive. The store oc- cupies the street floor and basement, and is provided with comfortable seats and all the modern appliances for the trying on of footwear
The Press., 1910-04-27

his partners interest many years ago.
 His finely appointed store in Baker $ block is one of the largest and best equipped in the county. MT. Whiton carries a full line of groceries, canned goods, salt meats, etc., and is the local agent for the Occident flour.
 The store occupies the large street floor and basement, and requires the services of four employees and a num- Der of delivery teams. MT. Whiton has frequently been honored by his towns men with election to public office, hay ing served on the board of selectmen and in various borough offices. He makes his home at No. 46 East Main Street.
The Press., 1910-04-27
GEORGE G. CHITTENDEN.

A welcome addition was made to the list of business men in Stafford Springs last September, when George G. Chitten- den came from New York State and succeeded to the business of Joseph Stuhlbach, optician and jeweler, at No. IF Main Street.
 MT. Stuhlback had managed this busi- ness for eight years and made many friends. By his expert knowledge of his profession, by his courtesy and genial good nature, MT. Chittenden has taken all of these friends to himself and is rapidly making new ones.
 In addition to his work as an op- tician, MT. Chittenden is manufactur- ing jeweler and watchmaker. He carries also full stock of silverware, cut glass,