davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19

eigner pointed out was an advertise
ment headed "One Hundred Dollars
Reward To earn it, one must re
turn the rag-doll lost, strayed, OF
stolen from the Millionaire's man
sion. 1t seemed that grief still raw
aged, unchecked, in the bosom of the
too faithful Child. Flip, the terrier
capered and shook his absurd whis
lkers before her, powerless to distract
She walled for her Betsy in the faces
of walking, talking, ma-ma-ing, and
eye-closing French Mabelles and Vic.
lettes. The advertisement was a last
resort.
Black Riley came from behind the
stove and approached Fuzzy in his
one-sided, parabolic way.
The Christmas hummer, flushed
with success, had tucked Betsy under
his arm, and was about to depart to
the filling of impromptu dates else.
where.
Say, b." said Black Riley to him,
where did you cop out dat doll?"
This doll?" asked Fuzzy, touching
Betsy with his forefnger to be sure
that she was the one referred to-
why, this doll was presented to me
by the Emperor Of Beloochistan. |
have seven hundred others in my
country home in Newport This
doll"
Cheese the funny business" said
Riley. you swiped it or picked it up
at de house on de hill where-but
never mind dat. You want to take
fifty cents for de rags and take It
quick. Me brothers kid at home
might be wantin' to play wild it. Hey
WHAT"
He produced the coin.
Fuzzy laughed gurgling, insolent,
alcoholic laugh in his face. Go to the
Office of Sarah Bernhardt's manager
and propose to him that she be re.
leased from a nights performance to
entertain the Tackytown Lyceum and
Literary Coterie. You will hear the
duplicate of Fuzzy's laugh.
Black Riley gagged Fuzzy quickly
with his BURBERRY eye as wrestler
docs. His hand was itching to play
the Roman and wrest the rag Sabine
from the extemporaneous merry-an.
drew who was entertaining an angel
unaware. But he refrained. Fuzzy
was fat and solid and big. Three
inches OF wellnourished corporeity,
defended from the winter winds by
dingy linen, interviewed between his
vest and trousers. Countless small,
circular wrinkles running around his
coat-sleeves and knees guaranteed
the quality of his bone and muscle
His small, blue eyes, bathed in the
moisture of altruism AMI wooziness,
looked upon you kindly yet without
abashment He was whiskerly, whis-
kyly, fleshily formidable. So, Black
Riley temporized.
"Wot'll you take for it, den?" he
asked.
Money" said Fuzzy, with husky
firmness. cannot buy her."
He was intoxicated with the artists
first sweet cup of attainment. To set
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19

! Of the young. The Child bawled, and
WIS dragged away, hugging her Betsy
close
There came the Secretary, pale,
poised. polished. gliding in pumps,
and worshipping pomp and ceremony.
He counted out into Fuzzy's hand ten
ten-dollar bills; then dropped his eye
upon the door, transferred it to James,
| It's custodian, indicated the obnoxious
Garner of the reward with the other,
and allowed his pumps to watt him
away to secretarial regions.
When the money touched Fuzzy's
dingy palm his first instinct was to
take to his heels; but second
thought restrained him from that
| blunder of etiquette. 1t was his; 1t
had been given him. It-and, oh,
what an elysium 1t opened to the gaze
| Of hi" minds eye! He had tumbled to
the foot of the ladder; he was hun.
cry, homeless, friendless, ragged, cold.
drifting; and he held in his hand the
| key to a paradise Of the mud-honey
that he craved. The fairy doll had
waved q wand with her rag-stuffed
hand; and now wherever he might go
the enchanted palaces with shining
| foot-rests and magic red fluids I'M
cleaning glassware would be open to
| him.
He followed James to the door.
He paused there as the fluHky drew
open the great mahogany portal for
him to pass into the vestibule.
Beyond the wrought-iron gates in
the dark highway Black Riley and his
two pals casually strolled, lingering
under their coats the inevitably fatal
weapons that were to make the re-
ward of the ragdoll theirs.
Fuzzy stopped at the Millionaire's
door and beth ought himself. Like lit.
tie sprigs of mistletoe on dead tree,
certain living green thoughts and
| memories began to decorate his con.
fused mind. He was quite drunk,
mind you, and the present was begin.
| ming to fade. Those wreaths and fes-
| toons of holly with their scarlet bel
| ries making the great hall gay
| where had he seen such things be-
| fore? Somewhere he had known pol
| ished floors and Cdors of fresh flowers
in winter, and-and some one was
singing a song in the house that he
thought he had heard before. Some
one singing and playing harp. OF
course it was Christmas-Fuzzy
thought he must have been pretty
drunk to have overlooked that.
And then he went out of the pres
ent, and there came back to him out
of some impossible, vanished and ir-
revocable past little, pure-white,
transient, forgotten ghost-the spirit
OF noblesse oblige. Upon gentleman
certain things devolve.
James opened the outer door A
stream of light went down the gray
eled walk to the iron gate. Black
Riley, Mccarthy and One-ear Mike
saw, and carelessly drew their sinister
Gordon closer about the gate.
With a more imperious gesture than
James master had ever used or could
ever use, Fuzzy compelled the mental
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19

less and the deficiencies of the day
might not be supplied by the morrow.
"a cool hundred" said Fuzzy
thoughtfully and mushily.
Boys" said he, you are true
friends. I'll go up and claim the re-
ward. The show business is not what
it used to be-"
Night was falling more surely. The
three tagged at his sides to the foot
of the rise on which stood the Mil
lionaires house. There Fuzzy turned
upon them acrimoniously.
"You are a pack of putty-faced
beagle-hounds," he roared. Go away"
They went away-a little way.
In Pigeon McCarthy's pocket was
a section of two-inch gas-pipe eight
inches long. In one end of it and in
the middle of it was lead plug. One.
half of 1t was packed tight with solder.
Black Riley carried q slung-shot, being
Il conventional thug. "One-ear" Mike
relied upon a pair of brass knucks-
IN heirloom in the family.
why fetch and carry" said Black
Riley, when some one will do it for
"? Let him bring it out to us. Hey
what"
eve can chuck him in the river, y
said pigeon" Mccarthy, with a
stone tied to his feet"
"Youse guys make me tired" said
"One-ear" Mike sadly. Amt prog
ress ever appealed to none of yez?
| Sprinkle little gasoline on i'm, and
drop i'm on the Drive-well?"
Fuzzy entered the Millionaire's
gate and zigzagged toward the softly
glowing entrance of the mansion. The
| three COLLINS came up to the gate and
| lingered-one on each side of it, one
beyond the roadway. They fingered
their cold metal and leather, conf.
dent.
Fuzzy rang the door-bell, smiling
| foolishly and dreamily. An atavistic
instinct prompted him to reach for the
button Of his right glove. But he
wore no gloves; so his left hand drop
ped, embarrassed.
The particular mental whose duty
il was to open doors to silks and laces
sbieI at first sight Of Fuzzy. But a
second glance took in his passport,
his card of admission, his surety Of
welcome-the lost rag-doll of the
daughter OF the house dangling under
his arm.
Fuzzy was admitted into a great
/ hall, dim with the glow from unseen
lights. The hireling went away and
returned with maid and the Child.
The doll was restored to the mourn.
ing one. She clasped her lost darling
to her breast; and then, with the in.
ordinate selflshness and candor o.
childhood, stamped her foot and
whined hatred and fear of the odious
being who had rescued her from the
depths of sorrow and despair. Fuzzy
wriggled himself into an ingratiatory
attitude and essayed the id'otic smile
and blattering small talk that is sup
posed to charm the budding intellect
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19

are more
EA mas stories to write. Fic'
MdN ton Is exhausted; and
NyEK newspaper items, the next
w. best, are manufactured by
clever young journalists
who have married early and have an
engagingly pessimistic view of life.
Therefore, for seasonable diversion,
able sources-facts and philosophy.
We will begin with-whichever you
choose to call 1t.
Children are pestilential little ami
mails with which we have to cope I'M
der a bewildering variety of condi-
tons. Especially when childish sor.
rows overwhelm them are we put to
our wits end. We exhaust our paltry
store of consolation: and then beat
them, sobbing, to sleep. Then we
grovel in the dust of million years,
and ask God why. Thus we call out
of the rat-trap. AS for the children,
no one understands them except old
maids, hunchbacks, and shepherd
dogs.
Now come the facts in the case Of
the Rag-Doll, the Tatterdemalion, and
the Twenty-fifth of December.
On the tenth of that month the
Child Of the Millionaire lost her rag,
doll. There were many servants in
the Millionaires palace on the Hud.
son, and these ransacked the house
and grounds, but without finding the
lost treasure. The Child was a girl
of five, and one of those perverse lit.
tie beasts that often wound the sensi.
bilities of wealthy parents by fixing
their affections upon some vulgar, in.
expensive toy instead Of upon dia.
mond-studded automobiles and pony
phaetons.
The Child grieved sorely and truly,
a thing inexplicable to the Million.
aire, TO whom the ragdoll market was
about as interesting as Bay State Gas;
and to the Lady, the Child's mother,
who was all for form-that is, nearly
all, as you shall sec.
The Child cried inconsolably, and
grew hollow.eyed, knock-kneed, spin
ding, and corykilverty in many other
respects. The Millionaire smiled and
tapped his Golfers confidently. The
pick of the output Of the French and
German toymakers was rushed by spe-
cial delivery to the mansion, but Rs-
-chel refused to be comforted. She
was weeping for her rag child, and
was for a high protective tariff
against all foreign foolishness. Then
doctors with the finest bedside man
ners and stopwatches were called in.
One by one they chartered futilely
about peptomanganate of iron and
sea voyages and hypophosphites until
their stop-watches showed that Bill
Rendered was under the wire for show
or place. Then, as men, they advised
that the rag-doll be found as soon as
possible and restored to it's mourning
parent The Child shifted at thera.
peutics, chewed q thumb. and waited
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19

OuSi1s
other street was a pleasaunce trim
med to a leaf, and the garage and
stables. The Scotch pup had ravished
the rag-doll from the nursery, drag
god ii to a corner of the lawn, dug a
hole, and buried it after the manner
of careless undertakers. There you
have the mystery solved, and no
checks to write for the hypodermical
wizard or fipun notes to toss to the
sergeant. Then let's get down to the
heart of the thing, tiresome readers
the Christmas heart Of the thing.
Fuzzy was drunk. Not riotously or
helplessly or loquaciously, as you or
might get, but decently, appropriate.
ly, and inoffensively, as becomes a
gentleman down on his luck.
Fuzzy was soldier of misfortune.
The road, the haystack, the park
bench, the kitchen door, the bitter
round of eleemosynary beds-with.
shower-bath-attachm the petty
pickings and ignobly garnered larg-
esse CT great citites-these formed
Tie chapters VI HIS HiSlOIy.
Fuzzy walked toward the river,
down the street that bounded one
side Of the Millionaire's house and
grounds, He saw leg OF Betsy, the
lost rag-doll, protruding, like the clue
to Liliputian murder mystery, from
it's untimely grave in corner of the
fence. He dragged forth the maltreat.
ed infant, tucked 1t under his arm, and
went on his way grooming a song Of
his brethren that no doll that has
been brought up to the sheltered life
should hear. Well for Betsy that she
had no ears. And well that she had
no eyes save unseeing circles Of
black; for the faces of Fuzzy and the
Scotch terrier were those of brothers,
and the heart of no rag-doll could
withstand twice to become the prey
of such fearsome monsters.
Though you may not know 1t, Gro
gan's saloon stands near the river and
near the foot of the street down
which Fuzzy travelled. In Grogan's,
Christmas cheer was already rampant.
Fuzzy entered with his doll. He fan.
cicd that as hummer at the feast of
Saturn he might earn a few drops
from the wassail cup.
He set Betsy on the bar and ad.
dressed her loudly and humorously,
seasoning his speech with exaggerat.
ed compliments and endearments, as
one entertaining his lady friend. The
loafers and bibbers around caught the
farce Of it, and roared. The barten.
der gave Fuzzy a drink. Oh, many
of us carry rag-dolls.
lone for the lady?" suggested Fuz.
zy impudently, and tucked another
contribution to Art beneath his waist
coat.
He began to see possibilities in
Betsy. His first-night had been sue
cess. Visions of a vaudeville circuit
about town dawned upon him.
In a group near the stove sat pig.
con" Mccarthy, Black Riley, and
"One-ear" Mike, well and unfavorably
known in the tough shoestring district
that blackened the left bank of the
river. They passed a newspaper back
and forth among themselves. The
item that each solid and blunt for.
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19

the millionaire's mansion to do with
long, wainscoted Virginia hall, where
the riders were grouped around sill.
yer punch-bowl, drinking the ancient
toast of the house? And why should
the patter of the cab horses hoofs on
the frozen street be in any wise re-
lated to the sound of the saddled hunt
ers stamping under the shelter of the
west veranda? And what had Fuzzy
to do with any of it?
The lady, looking at him over her
glass, let her condescending smile
| fade away like false dawn. Her
eyes turned serious. She saw some
| thing beneath the rags and Scotch ter
rier whiskers that she did not under.
| stand. But it did not matter.
Fuzzy lifted his glass and smiled
vacantly.
"P-pardon, lady, he said, "but
couldn't leave without exchangin'
compliments sheason with lady tn
| house. 'Gairst principles gentleman
| do sho."
And then he began the ancient salu-
tation that was tradition in the
house when men wore lace ruffles and
powder.
"The-the blessings of another
| year"
Fuzzy's memory failed him. The
lady prompted:
BE upon this hearth"
THE guest" stammered Fuzzy,
And upon her who" continued
the lady, with leading smile.
"Oh, cut it out" said Fuzzy, ILL
iuanneredly. Il can't remember. Drink
| hearty"
Fuzzy had shot his arrow. They
drank. The lady smiled again the
smile Of her caste. James enveloped
Fuzzy and re-conducted him toward
the front door. The harp music still
| softly drifted through the house.
Outside, Black Riley br ,athed on
his cold hands and Rugged the gate.
Cold though he was, he did not think
of deserting his post while Fuzzy re-
NAMED inside.
Il wonder" said the lady to herself,
musing, "who-but there we're so
many who came. l wonder whether
memory is curse or blessing to
them after they have fallen so low"
Fuzzy and his escort were nearly
at the door when the lady called:
James,"
James stalked back obsequiously.
leaving Fuzzy waiting unsteadily, with
his brief spark of the divine fire en-
tirely gone.
Outside, Black Riley stamped his
cold feet and got firmer grip on his
section Of gas-pipe.
you will conduct this gentleman"
said the lady, downstairs. Then tell
Louis to get out the Mercedes and
take him to whatever place he wishes
to CO."
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19

faded-blue, earth-stained rag-doll on
bar, to hold mimic converse with It,,
and to find his heart leaping with the
sense of plaudits earned and his
throat scorching with free libations
poured in his honor-could base coin
buy him from such achievements.
You will perceive that Fuzzy had the
temperament.
Fuzzy walked out with the gait Of a
trained sea-lion in search of other
cafes to conquer.
Though the dusk Of twilight was
hardly yet apparent, lights were begin.
ming to spangle the city like popcorn
bursting in a deep skillet Christmas
eve, impotiently expected, was peep.
ing over the brink of the hour. Mil
lions had prepared for its celebration.
Towns would be painted red. You,
yourself. have heard the horns and
lodged the capers OF the Saturnalians.
Pigeon" Mccarthy, Black Riley,
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19

in the hall. James explained some.
where to some one.
Then ne came and conducted Fuzzy
into the library.
The lady entered a moment later.
She was more beautiful and holy than
any picture that Fuzzy had seen. She
smiled, and said something about q
doll. Fuzzy didn't understand that;
he remembered nothing at all about
doll.
A footman brought in two small
glasses o. sparkling wine on a
stamped sterling-silver waiter. The
lady took one. The other was handed
to Fuzzy.
AS his fingers closed on the slender
glass stem his disabilities dropped
from him for one brief moment. He
Strengthened himself; and Time, so
disobliging to most of us. turned back
ward for a moment to accommodate
Fuzzy.
Forgotten Christmas ghosts whittier
than the false boards of the most epu-
lent Kriss Kringle were rising in the
fumes of Grogan's whisky. What had
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19

and "One.ear" Mike held hasty con-
verse outside Grogan's. They were
narrow-chested, pallid striplings, not
fighters in the open, but more danger
GUS in their ways of warfare than the
most terrible of Turks. Fuzzy, in a
pitched battle, could have eaten the
three Of them. In go-as-you-please
encounter he was already doomed.
They overlook him just as he and
Betsy were entering Costigan's Ca.
sino. They DETECTED him, and showed
the newspaper under his nose. Fuzzy
could read-and more.
Boys" said he, you are certainly
damn true friends. Give me a week
to think it over"
The soul of real artist is quenched
with difficulty.
The boys carefully pointed out to
him that advertisements were soul
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19

would have quickly suggested, by in
duction, "A rag and a bone and a
hank Of hair" Flip" a Scotch ter
rier, next to therag-doll in the childs
heart, frisked through the halls. The
hank Of hair! Aha! x, the unbound
quantity, represented the rag-doll.
But, the bone? Well. when dogs find
bones they Done! 1t were an
easy and a fruitful task to examine
Flip's fore feet. Look, Watson Earth
dried earth between the toes. or
course the dog-but Sherlock was not
there. Therefore 1t devolves. But
topography and architecture must in
tervene
The Millionaires palace occupied
lordly space. In front of it was a
lawn close-mowed as a South Ireland
mans face two days after a shave.
At one side of it and fronting on an
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19

to close the door. Upon q gentleman
certain things devolve. Especially at
tie Christmas season.
ut is cust-customary," he said to
James, the flustered, when a gentle
man calls on Christmas eve to pass
the compliments of the season with
the lady of the louise. You undstand?
shall not move shtep till pass COM
plments season with lady the house.
Und'stand?"
There was an argument. James
lost. Fuzzy raised his voice and sent
1t through the house unpleasantly. |
did not say he was gentleman. He
was simply tramp being visited by a
ghost.
A sterling silver bell rang. James
went back to answer 1t, leaving Fuzzy
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19
Eligible.

The magnate was asking about
certain man whom he thought OF
employing in confidential capacity.
We'll, there's this about the fellow"
replied he whose advice was sought:
the truth certainly is not in him."
Just the thing-then it can't be
dragged out Of rim!" exclaimed the
magnate enthusiastically. Lippin.
colts.
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19
The Child Grieved soreIy and Truly.

for her Betsy. And all this time ca.
Diagrams were coming from Santa
Claus saying that he would soon be
here and enjoining us to show a true
Christian spirit and let up on the
poolr ooms and tontine policies and
platoon systems long enough to give
him a welcome. Everywhere the spir.
It of Christmas was diffusing itself
The banks were refusing loans, the
pawnbrokers had doubled their gang
of helpers, people bumped your shins
on the streets with red sleds, Thomas
and Jeremiah dubbed before you on
the bars while you waited on one foot,
holly.wreaths of hospitality were hung
I'm windows Of the stores, they who
had 'em were getting out their furs.
You hardly knew which was the best
bet in balls-three, high, moth, or
snow. II was no time at which to lose
the ragdoll of your heart.
If Doctor Watson's investigating
friend had been called in to solve this
mysterious disappearance he might
have observed on the Millionaire's
wall a cory of THE Vampire" That
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-12-19

Fuzzy Entered the MiIionaire's Gate
and ziszagsed Toward the Softly
Glowing Evidence of the Mansion.
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-09-04
WILCOX G[|DE"
|5[ATEST CRAZE

SHORT BEACH, conn. Sept. g.
It's good bye to the Turkey Trot. the
Bunny Hug, the Grizzly Bear and the
Boston. Dip, so far as the people Of
Short Beach and environs, which in
clude all the fashionable cottagers in
this section, are now concerned. Be it
known there has slid into the esteem
of these same ,fashionables- a, brand
ned terpsichorean endeavor, one thai
is predicted TO set all New York by
the ears and find instant favor in the
eyes of both footlight artists and
others who are wont to trip the light
fantastic. .e,-' ~-,l
This new dance is none other than
the Ella. Wheeler Hook Glide" and
it came as the climax of surprises
which, were apportioned in large guam
titles to the guests of the. famous
author philosopher and gentlewoman
at the Bal Masque given by her and
her husband at their beautiful cottage
The Barracks! i-f-
The dance as performed by Mrs. Will
cox and It's inventor. Miss Beers, pre-
sentS adj the poetry OF motion of the
waltz, all the stateliness of the minuet
and the gliding grace Of some of
the later and newer offerings which
have found such favor. r,"
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-09-04
ST0RK LEAVES TRIPLETS:
ALL OF THEM ARE GIRLS

WASHINGTON, PA, Sept. 3
There is no race, suicide in Canton
township. a portion of Washington
county. which lies close to the Borough
Of Washington This week the storll
visited the home OF MI and Mrs. Carl
Patti, leaving three little girls. The
tots weigh 41-2. and 8 1-2 pounds
respectively. All are doing well, and
bid fair to grow up into healthy young
damsels.
This is the second time within two
years that triplet have come to Canton
township. Some "a months ago the
stork left trio Of girls al the Nichols
home, next door to the Patt domiCile,
and all three are chubby, happy young
Sters. t-,
Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-09-04
GI0CONDA DESTROYED IN
REVENGE, Is HIS THEORY

LONDON, Sept. 3.-The Paris CORE
spondent of Truth publishes this story of
the disappearance of Gioconda at the
Louvre:
81 think have at last learned the
truth as to the fate OF the GiocorGa
We shall never again see Leonardo Da-
Vincis famous picture. One might wish
it had been stolen, for then there would
have been hope for its temperance. The
fact is, I learn that it never left the
Louvre; it persisted there.
"a photographers employee, wishing to
avenge himself on the world at large
for what he thought his wrongful dis
missal. imagined a piece Of sabotage
worthy Of a twentieth century Hero
strates; he spread the contents of a phial
of sulphuric acid over the portrait of
Mona Lisa"