davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1911-05-28

no moro enchanting region in which to
dwell during the dead months. when even
country houses lose their charm"
X
Though Mrs. Watson will undoubtedly
be one Of the social powers in the new
set and In the democratic realm, she Is far
from being engrossed by the frivols of
Vanity Fair. save as an accessory of
public life and means to aid the cause.
With superb health and a spacious home,
she will at once take a place among the
important official hostesses, and the fame
of West Virginia will not decline under
her guardianship. But she is essentially
a home lover. and she feels the separa-
tion from her beautiful place near Fair
mont, town not far distant from Graf
ton and Deer Park.
'Spring In the broad valley which
stretches out from the Blue Ridge is as
Evening star., 1911-05-28
SAFE AND SANE.
Here's Suggestion for a Neighbor-
hood Fourth of July.
I'm woman's Home COMPANION.

-
From Woman's Home Companion.
The residents of Deerfleld avenue, Hart
ford. Conn, have for about ten years
celebrated the Fourth Of July in a safe
and sane way. There are some seventy
five families on the block, which is about
a quarter Of q mile in length. A COM
mittee is chosen and each family is asked
for a small donation. About $50 is
raised. which pays for everything
The first event on the program, at $50
O'Clock, is the children's parade, headed
by the newest baby, pushed by his proud
father; next come the other babies in
elaborately decorated carriages, followed
by the little girls, each pushing her
dolls carriage; next. the small boys in
Indian or soldier suits. and last, the older
children. All carry Japanese parasols
and silk flags furnished by the commit
tee.
At 1890 o'clock is a base ball game In
the park-played by teams picked from
the east and west sides OF the street.
Each team is cheered by its own follow
ers with tin pans and horns.
After luncheon comes a ball game be-
tween the youngsters OF the street and
a team OF small boys from the next street.
and after this the sports for the children,
including twenty-fve-yard dashes for all
ages, rope-skipping contest for the girls,
a shoe race for the boys and a peanut
race, with prizes for the two best in each
contest.
Then the fathers and mothers have
prize contests Of throwing the base ball.
running q potato race. tossing the bean
bag, etc.
In the evening are the great illumina
ton and band concert. Hundreds Of Jap
anese lanterns are hung on cords. pre-
viously prepared, up and down the street.
from tree to tree and to the porches,
and each house is decorated with many
beautiful lanterns. A band of twenty-five
pieces renders a fine program.
Evening star., 1911-05-28

ing his cigar-holding hand equatorward.
Ito take that chance. And / don't mind
saying that I'm pretty keen to find out II
Mrs. Reardon. nee Madigan. is still in this
town, If she's still nursing. and IL I can
get her to nurse M. or words to that ef-
feet"
"Of course you are" said the smiling.
shrewd-eyed little doctor. Il should
think you would be. About ten minutes
from now 1 shall be asking the nurse's S
But. presuming-and I hope we can so
presume-that Mrs. Reardon or Miss
Madigan is still engaged in nursing and
that she isn't at present on a case. what
to nurse?" The doctor blew a cloud of
yellow smoke at the robin s-egg blue silk
en- ceiling of the J. Reardon sitting room
and smiled inquiringly at J. Reardon.
y
"a sorrier man than a sick one" said
Mr. Reardon. Its your end, take it..
to rig me out with a nurseable ailment.
The main thing is to find her and get her
here. Itl have to be under more or less
false pretenses. Of course-getting her
here, I mean. I think she'd bolt at the
name Of ]. Reardon. You wouldn't blame
her II you knew all. or even q little. about
the Reardon she knew
Different Reardon now, I'm taking
it?" asked the doctor. scrutinizing his
patients face.
"Au the difference between not having
had drop for nine years and having
been nursed by trained nurse wife for
the Wtllies about once month before
the nine years began" replied Mr.. Rear
don. "And the difference between having
nothing then and having picked up quite
g. chunk since then. If there's any place
between Puerto Cortez and Montevideo
that I haven't installed an artificial fee
plant in since I jumped this burg, for
its good and the peace of mind of the
Wife, nine years ago, it's because
couldn't find 1t on an east coast map. So
I'm back"
with bells, let me add" said the doc
tor. 1T is like something out OF q story
book. and I am just old imbecile enough
ter. I hope?"
''If she had been I'd have stayed away
Bitter? She didn't know what tha,
meant"
mo communication in nine years.
Why?"
IT wanted to come back for a surprise
party, and she didn't know where I was
Now I'm fearing maybe 1 overstayed my
leave"
IT hope not" said the doctor. rising
'1'll find out from the directory. First
name?'
Kate"
Kate Reardon. or Madigan. You'll be
wanting to unfold yourself to her grad.
ually. Of course. TIL attend to that
Evening star., 1911-05-28

Clarence Watson OF Fafrmont, W. Va
rs the successor of the late Stephen b.
Eikins, would be interesting. IL for that
tact alone. Senator and Mrs. Elkins were
tor nearly thirty-five years conspicuous
personages in Vanity Fair. and to emu
late their example even in part would
seem an almost unattainable ambition.
Senator and Mrs. Watson are, however,
worthy successors even of such a re-
nowned reputation as the Elkinses con-
ferred on West Virginia. and Mrs. Wat
Evening star., 1911-05-28

CHE Will Be Among the
0Prominent Leaders of
the Senatorial Set-Is the
Daughter of DR.. Thomas
Owings of Ellicott City, Nd,
and Was Married Sixteen
Years Ago to the Senator
From West Virginia = A
Noted Lover of Horses, and
Was One Among the Exhibi-
tors at the Recent Horse
Show in Washington.
Evening star., 1911-05-28

there, listening for the lothly telephone,
which at any moment of the day or night
is liable to call her for another case. she
does some or all of these things:
Sleeps nurse-fa ashion-sometimes as long
as twenty minutes at a stretch. at the
extreme edge of the outer fringe of the
borderland of slumber, with startled
awakenings to heed the imagined night
summons of her last peevish patient
Repairs rents and rips and sews buttons
on uniform shirt waists.
Packs professional suit case to be ready
for next call
Writes three lines of letter to the
folks at home, telling them how she loves
nursing, and falls asleep with her head
on the table at the fourth line.
Repacks suit case.
Searches unsuccessfully for discarded
pair of shoes which. she remembers did
not murder her feet as did the pair she
wore on her last case
Telephones for the washerwoman.
whom she actually sees about once
year.
Cooks something appallingly indigesti-
BILE on the gas OF oil stove and eats same
with gloating disregard for the conse-
auences. Grained nurses perform these
reckless gastronomc feats in a spirit of
rebellion against dietetics. dietary lists
and diet kitchens.)
Remembers that her hypodermic needle
IL out of kilter and tinkers with 1t. Packs
bag again. Let's out tucks In some
shrunken uniform skirts Looks at and
starts to fix over the four-year-old party
dress which she has had just two chances
to wear In four years. Decides to go out
otr
tired to dress and compromises by wash
ing her hair.
Wonders where there's a good matinee,
tries to recall the last time she was at a
theater, and concludes that she must not
risk losing a call by going to matinee.
Calls up three or four nurse friends on
the phone, hungry for the company"
Evening star., 1911-05-28
Infant Stronger Than Adult.
rom the London Telegraph

From the London Telegraph.
The myth of the infant Hercules who
strangled two serpents In his cradle may
not have been a myth at all, but fact.
Modern science has proved that 1t is quite
possible feat. The newborn babe is
relatively much stronger than a full
grown man. according to the result OF
medical tests: THE muscles of the fore
arm are surprisingly vigorous. A few
hours after birth a baby suspended by its
finger to a stick, TO the finger OF
person. can hold itself in the air for ten
seconds, and in the case OF particularly
strong infants for as long as half min
ute AT four days old the child's strength
has increased, and the time is two and
half minutes for 9S per cent OF babies.
The maximum is attained at fortnight.
Few infants can hang on for more than
one and a half minutes. though one ex-
ceptional young Hercules remained sus-
pended for two minutes and thirty-eight
seconds by his right hand. After that
he still hung on with his left for fifteen
seconds longer" 1t is not stated whose
babies were put through these horizontal
bar gymnastics at the early age OF from
one hour TO q fortnight
Evening star., 1911-05-28

even of a wire chat. and finds that they
are all Registered out"-''on cases."
Picks up and reads the headlines Of a
newspaper she had bought on her way
home from the case before her last one,
six weeks ago.
Drnpties suit case and repacks same to
be ready for q call.
Examines her face critically in the
glass. observes how the nursing work Is
telling on her, and wonders drearily how
much longer she will last at 1t and what
she will do when she breaks down and
can nurse no longer.
telling them how dearly she loves her
work and that she hopes to get home for
a visit some time next year" Sits down
with her hands in her lap, feels lonesome
and low-spirited, and has "a good cry
Dumps things out of a bag and repacks
1t again for luck.
This. of course. Is composite picture Of
an average day. Some nurses forego the
good cry There may be other individual
deviations from the program But these
are the main activities Of the nurse 8
resting days between cases.
Miss Madigan. after having been reg
istered in" for nearly a month without a
call. had trimmed the days routine down
to the frequent repacking Of her bag, the
cooking of the necessary indigestible
food and the listening for the ringing OF
a telephone which seemed to be wrung
dry of calls.
Two elderly doctors, for whom she had
done great part OF her thirteen years Of
nursing. had died within short time Of
each other q few months before. Since
then she had been summoned for q few
short cases-hurry calls from the Nurses
Directory for obscure doctors who asked
for any nurse instead of some particular
nurse. Most of these brief cases had been
what nurses call the leavings Of the list
wild-eyed, penitent alcoholics at blithe
tenderloin hotels. Now. for the better
part Of month, she had had no call of
any sort.
She knew that she was being over
looked as well as she knew that she was
thirty-six years od-the two facts ran
find out just what becomes Of the super
what they do, how they live. They pass
behind a veil of mystery. The sick
male. when told that he must have
nurse. demands that the doctor send him
"a locker" Woman notwithstanding
those with susceptible husbands-insist
upon having young nurses. Thus the
older and better nurses are thrust into
the discard. They face. the fact with
varying degrees OF equanimity. But face
1t they must.
Miss Madigan was preparing for bed
the evening Of her twenty-seventh day
without call. She wove her thick black
hair-slightly sifted with gray from many
years of broken sleep-into a heavy plait
which dansled far below the imaginary
Evening star., 1911-05-28

long silence. 1t was a call for a case
at the Hotel st. Plazdorf. Miss Madigan.
trig and alert, reached the ST. Plazdorf
in a taxicab just eighteen minutes from
the instant she had started to grope for
her bed in the dark.
u. Reardon, Any-Place- -Where-There-
lsn't-Ice." had been written, pretty clerk
ly, on the dignified register of the Hotel
ST. Plazdorf about two hours before
Miss Madigan had received her call. ].
Reardon had got in on the Pacific mailer
CITY of Para from the isthmus, which
had berthed at her North river pier at
them plastered over with labels Of South
American hotels. steamships and rail-
roads, and he wore the kind of clothes
that fashionable South American tailors
pattern. with added fancies of their own,
upon British models. ]. Reardon was
tall. lean. wlde-shouldered, black-bearded
and springy of step. His gray eyes had
the twinkle that goes with eyes set In
the head of man by the name Of Rear
don His two rooms were the final word
even in the splendidiferousness Of the st.
Plazdorf. Three minutes after reaching
them j.: Reardon had summoned the
house physician. The house physician.
from a guest with two of the best rooms
IN the house, responded Immediately. j.
Reardon received him standing. He look
ed very loomful and healthy. and he was
smoking an intensely black cigar.
Where is the patient, Mr.. Reardon p
inquired the doctor. He was one OF those
paunchy little physicians with white
mutton-chop whiskers, and he liked his
little joke.
Fronting you." said Mr.. Reardon. II
need nutritious diet of assorted bread
pills. with some American ham and eggs
on the side. a whole lot Of rest and
quiet and a nurse"
II grant you the ham and eggs, and
maybe the pills." said the doctor, smil-
ing. But the nurse-why the nurse?'
Il didn't say the nurse, Doc replied
Mr.. Reardon. II said nurse"
"A nurse" accentuated the puffy, COM
Portable little house physician OF the st.
Plazdorf. II see we are going to get on
together. I like patient that particu-
larizes. A nurse. That means a certain
nurse. It also means something interest
ing. I am listening, Mr.. Reardon."
The doctor sat down, crossed his legs
and lit one of ]. Reardon's six-inch Bra
zil-made cigarettes. ]. Reardon obvious
ly SO regarded him.
This nurses name, Doc" he said. lean
ing forward in his chair and tapping the
house physicians knee, rs Reardon.
Was Reardon, maybe I ought to say.
Reardon, nee Madigan. If she's still in
this town, and still nursing, why, prob
ably she's using her nee name Of Madi-
gan. It's bigger IF than I care to
think about But there's always a chance.
I've come back from down below" wav-
Evening star., 1911-05-28

trick Of turning a bottle upside down
to see what was in 1t. And after work.
ing the trick he was always can
tankerous. as they say in Indiana One
night the Little Green Frog sent a
mosquito friend to wait on this man.
sing him a popular song or two and
otherwise entertain him until daylight.
The next morning the man got out of
bed on the wrong side, as the saying
goes, and he worked the bottle trick
two or three times before he went to
Evening star., 1911-05-28
By Margaret B. Downing.

[TH the passing Of
the late Congress
and the retire
ment of SO many
dominant figures
In the socio-po-
litical life at the
capital, II Is natur-
al that the poten-
tial leaders from
the incoming set
should attract uni
V er s a l attention.
Evening star., 1911-05-28

the meeting of the committee. And
while the committee was in session try
ing to decide what to do about a girl
the man broke loose.
X
''I don't see.' he said. why we should
be SO doggone nice about this busi-
hess. If woman amt got any more
sense than to get into politics she's
got to take the consequences. Anyhow.
she amt such a much. She
Hold on here, Bill.' put in the
Knight. that girls runnin' against me-
but I won't stand for any talk about
her
''I'll say what l please an where
please. Jim Henson. said the man, and
Evening star., 1911-05-28


please give me the correct time" said
Miss Madigan.
Mine twenty-four," promptly replied
the operator.
Miss Madigan hung up the receiver with
e sigh and a puzzled shake of the head.
The telephone was working all right.
Perhaps there was some mistake at the
directory and. for the ninth time in the
twenty-seven days. reported in"
Yes. we have you marked fn,'" re-
piled the young woman In charge Of the
directorys night calls.
Perhaps my phone number is register
ed incorrectly" suggested Miss Madigan,
hoping it might be that
Let me see-we have it nine-o-seven-
nine Morningside-is that right?" said the
directory young woman.
yes. that is right" said Miss Madigan,
shaking her head and signing again. She
was about to return the receiver to the
hook when she had another idea. II
wonder what is the matter with -calls?"
she asked the night woman at the direc-
tory Are the doctors busy?"
Rushed" was the laconic reply.
Nurses, too?"
Nearly all out-never saw such
skinny list of in"
THANK you-good night" said Miss
Madigan, hanging up.
She smiled somewhat drawn smile at
her reflection in the glass as she finished
cold-creaming her face. 1t made no diff
ference that she still was wholesomely
good to look upon, opulent yet trim of
contour, and what women call sweet
faced"-this last an Intentionally negative
phrase sometimes meant to be an upper
cut She was thirty-six. even If she felt
1T more than she looked 1t. They want
the fresh-skinned girls just out of train
ing," she thought; and she remembered
how, when she herself had just left the
training school and began private nurs-
Ing. she had regarded nurses of thirty-fve
or SO as antiques. Now I am one of the
antiques. and on my way to the scrap
heap, 1 suppose" she murmered, still
smiling whimsically. She did not indulge
In the luxury Of self-sympathy. But she
wondered what she was going to do about
her room rent
Fingers upon gas-key. she was blocking
out a visual path to the single bed, when
her glance fell upon a battered, dull
lacquered box upon the bureau. She
CROPPED for the key In one Of the drawers
and unlocked the box. It held a litter
Evening star., 1911-05-28

HEN a trained
nurse. engaged In
private nursing. Is
registered In"
(meaning when she
is not ION q caSe")
she sticks closely
to the room (usu-
ally a. dark and de-
pre- s 9 n g room)
which, for lack OF
a filter word. she
calls "home," and
Evening star., 1911-05-28

ment.
why. yes. I'm Jim right enough he
replied. somewhat huskily: but Tn
bound TO say you've got il all over me.
Who am talk"
Jim. dear the perfectly calm fen.snine
voice interrupted him. why didn't you
shave that terrible beard OF before you
hate boards. and
j. Reardon almost dropped the receiver,
so tremulous was the hand that held il.
But he pulled himself together and
hoarsely blurted into the transmitter:
Kate. Is that you, kate?"
fou know IL isn't professional for q
nurse TO permit herself TO be called by
her first name. Jim." came the quiet re-
ply. and j. Reardon sensed the laugh
that lay behind the words.
Where are you now. Kate?" J. Rear
don inquired In a basso that now waa
quavery with agitation.
There was no reply. He heard the re,
cefver hung up with a click But an In
slant later the door OF the communicat-
ing room opened. and Miss Madigan, the
flush on her face intensified by the rose
glow OF the room. stood framed in the
doorway.
Her husband reached her in two bounds :
and crunched her in q grizzly embrace
The puffy little doctor. walking in with
out ringing. pretended to be Mortified at
such situation between patient and
AAaASCs oao pcSdii 10 SpfulleT.
Bless my soul and Betty Martin. But
my dear Miss Madigau. I must say this
er-highly unprofesslonal-not to bs
thought of-worst imaginable conduct for
nurse-what the
4
But Miss Madigan caught the twinkle n
his eye. and she knew that he knew.
Il think you have to thank me for Q
pretty fairish sort OF a case. Mrs Rear
don." said the doctor a moment later.
gallantly stepping forward and kissing
her hand. ''Of course. am anxious
to see my patient mend as rapidly a.
possible. but still hope that this will
be the longest case OF your professional
career"
''I'n answer for its being the softest.
Doc" said ]. Reardon.
"I'N answer for its being the timeliest," !"
said Mrs. Reardon, opening her pocket
book and dumping its entire contents
four pennies-into her palm and holding
the coppers out for inspection.
II think Ioer-shall go away from
here" said the puffy little doctor. wtping
the moisture from his glasses as he
backed out.
Miss Madigan" has had the Reardon
case. which Is a travelling case-mainly In
South America-for nearly four years
now, but her patient doesn't require thai
she ''go in uniform"
Evening star., 1911-05-28

thought he ought to live up to the part,
and so he called 1t Castle Thunder. The
common people of the town OF Jones'
burg. hard by. said II was lot o. name
for two-by-four bungalow. but when
the knight heard what they said he closed
one eye and laughed, for he was a poll
tician as well as a knight, and he was
both fer the same reason-it helped him
to hold his job as county clerk. 1t wasn't
u very big job as jobs so, but 1t gave
him higher rank and more money than
he could have got without it. and by
Evening star., 1911-05-28

For heavens sake, woman" broke In
Mr.. Finnegan, what kind of a knight
was that?"
'He was a Knight Of Pythias, or some
thing" she answered "But / must ask
you not to interrupt. When he was at
home. which wasn't often. for he was not
a married man. he lived in castle on
the bank of the beautiful Patoka river,
which is somewhere in Indiana. 1t wasn't
really castle. but being a knight. and
Evening star., 1911-05-28
a1es

but she happened to glance at Mr.. Fin
negan and saw that he was sound asleep.
So what was the use?
Copyright. 1911. by G. s. Yost.)
Evening star., 1911-05-28

himself. but he fixed his eyes on Mrs.
Peterson's double chin. as the doctor had
directed, and prepared to take his medi-
cine
"Once upon a time,' she began, there
lived knight who wasn't very big or
wasn't very brave, but who was very
proud of being a knight: and whenever
he had a chance he would put on his blue
suit with the gilt buttons all down the
front, his black hat with the long red
plume spread over it's top and hanging
down behind, and grid on his pretty
nickel-plated sword that
Evening star., 1911-05-28

she had never been other than Miss
Madigan. Trained nurses come to know
the advantages OF Miss over Mrs" in
their work.
She gazed at the ring, poising 1t be-
tween forefinger and thumb. for a long
time before replacing 1t in the box. Then
she locked 1t away and again reached
up to turn off the gas.
Poor jim! If only he could have let
the drink alone!' she murmured. and
out went the light.
II wonder where the poor dear old
well-meaning od-for-nothing is to-
night?" she murmured. BLESS him, II
only they had stopped making 1t before
he was born-or married. and out went
the light.
'It'' may sound cryptic: but It had a
very concrete meaning for her.