davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30

Tor Billings, and 1t was three years
before he had gathered enough money
together to repay Joyce.
one day in the latter part of 1907
Billings read something in the papers
that made him start A few days later
he called Joyce on the telephone.
I wish you would come up and see
a. show that have got on here he
said, and after the show would like
you TO nave supper with me. When
VIII 1t be convenient"
Joyce said he had no engagement
Tor that night
All right; come tonight said Bill
ings.
me two men saw the performance
ana later had bite to eat together.
What did you think of the showr'
asked Billings.
It's great" said Joyce. "You curnt
to make lot of money out of IT,.
Il think 1t will run a year, Billings
declared. IF 1t doesn't I will be the
most surprised man in New York. Come
and see 1t whenever you feel so dis.
posed. There is always a box at your
service"
on CHRISTMAS eve special messeu-
ger called at the residence of Mr..
joyce and handed an envelope to him.
joyce opened 1t and looked puzzled
when he glanced at the contents.
There was check for nine thousand
and odd dollars and a statement. He
couldn't understand what they signi-
fled
Where did this come from?" he
asked the boy
The boy told him he had been sent
from Mr. Billings theatre
Joyce got Billings onothe phone and
questioned him. .Hubse e4r4.
That is all right, old man., said
Billings. That is your share up to the
beginning of this week. l think your
prediction about the show. running for
year will be more than verified We
have got big money maker"
I'VE" exclaimed Joyce.
Yes, we." said Billings. "You Ic.
me have $4,000 In London when / was
the most forlorn creature in the Brit
ish empire. 1 could hardly restrain
myself from offering assistance when
I read OF your failure that day in Oc-
tober You are In for quarter share
of this show. Now, / don't want a
word OF protest from you about II.
either. You have got to take 1t.
know you better than you knew me
that day in London, and this Is the
least can do to get square with YOU.
old boy Give my regards to Mrs Mer-
riman.
Joyce Is back in Wall street today.
The profits out Of that show put him
there. ~-r~,'-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30

N3. BILLINGS went across the At
MI lantic with "A chorus girls. the
best singing comedian of the
American stage, leading woman of high
eight comic opera performers who
thought they could play the principal
roles better than the two stars He
had put In three weeks selecting these
AZ chorus ladies. They were the pick
of Broadway. There was not one in
the bunch that would not have drawn
ical culture show. He had to bid high
to get them. The market price for
girls was SIS a week. He engaged
them for s35 and made each and every
one of them know that there was a
real good chance for them to capture
n baron an earl, or duke, If she
proved good enough for the front row.
To Billings that English trip was
momentous He had been connected
directly or indirectly with the stage
his first plunge as a manager. He had
paid $4,000 down and was to pay roy
atty to De Koven for new opera
that gentleman had written for him,
and then he paid nearly $4,000 Tor
scenery specially painted and for cos
tunes. That $4,000 he had raised
among his friends.
Success in London meant a fortune
for him. He had a great faith in DE
Koven and believed he had another
"Robin Hood" in the opera that COM
poser had turned out.
The trip across was pleasant and un-
eventful, If you except a few rows
among the A chorus girls and two
threats of the leading woman to resign
If she were not seated at the captain s
table and If she were not starred in
the benefit concert to be given that
night before the big ship reached Liv-
erpool. Billings Strengthened out
everything satisfactorily. and the nigh.
the show was to open he went to the
theatre outwardly bouyant and cheer
full but inwardly feelig as a condemned
man does when he goes to the scaf-
fold or the electric chair. For one
week after his arrived In London he
had worked 18 hours out of the 24.
He had Hooded the newspapers with a
mass of stun booming the show, some
of which had ben printed. He had
covered the dead walls OF London town
with the handsomest three-sheet post
ers the British people ever had TO con-
front them as they rode or walked
about the city. He had spent hours of
agony rehearsing the company. AT
first II seemed as II he could never get
tho troupe TO sing or to act like human
beings, but gradually the wrinkles had
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30

has been full of romance, and the
story would make a book of surpass-
ing interest. Yuan Shih Kai was only
81 years old when first saw him in
Corea, and he is only about 55 now,
He started life as a poor boy, but
like many poor Chinese boys, was
given enough schooling to enable him
to pass the examinations and get into
the army. He rose so rapidly that he
was resident general of Corea befon,
he reached 80 and from then on he has
been in the thick of things and making
history.
During his stay IN Corera he was dicta-
torial and insulting to the Coreans and
the foreigners. The Chinese-Japanese wal
made him a diplomat and he is now ono
of the most conservative of statesmen
fe~<hinks twice before he acts, and still
he is not afraid to make decisions and act
promptly.
I was told in Peking how Yuan Shih
Kai put down rebellion while he was
viceroy of Chill. This was Just after the
Boxer rebellion, when the foreigners still
held Tientsin. Yuan had moved with
his viceregal court to Pao Tingfu. The
country was still filled with the turmoil
OF the revolution, and it was necessary
that Yuan should show the foreigners
that he could control. He sent orders to
the rebels that they must submit and
upon their refusing to do so ordered a
regiment of soldiers to mach to the town
where they were, and, if they did not a t
once put down their arms, to slaughter
them EN- masse. The rebels showed fight
and Yuan Shih Kai wiped out the town,
killing a thousand of the people in less
than one hour.
The day after this Yuan said to the
American who told me this story:
Il suppose you people at Tientsin will
critieise my action, but if they do so you
may tell them that that is the way | do
business and that future rebellions will be
handled like this"
The story of this slaughter went ov.,r
north China, and it struck terror to the
hearts of the Boxers. 1t also convinced
the foreigners that Yuan meant business.
l am told that Yuan is a born military
leader and that he would rather talk any
time to a military man than to a civilian.
He looks best when he is in uniform and
is riding at the head of his rtoops. Of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30
Not Needed
-erybody's Magazine.

From Efverybody's Magazine.
Eugene was going for a weeks mo-
tor trip with his father. Have you
everything you need?' inquired his
mother. You'd better let me look at
you bag
"Eyerything's In it," replied the boy.
who was very anxious to be off "Ev-
cry single thing / need" -
Have you taken your brush and
comb?' queried his mother.
Brush and comb" cried Eugene in
disnantly. Why. mother, I thought !
was going ON a vacationr
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30

ers leave. The empress dowages sent
word to Yuan Shih Kai to take his
troops and move forward to Tientsin
and kill all the foreigners there. Yuan
delayed on one plea or other until the
siege of Peking occurred, after which
the old dowager got holy fear of all
outsiders. She was forced to leave the
Chinese capital and only came back
to power under the most bitter humil-
iation. She then realized that had
Yuan carried out her instructions as
to Tientsin China would have been
ruined. At any rate, Yuan was never
called to account for his delay. He
made himself popular with the for-
eigners by his protection of them dur
ing the Boxer rebellion and at it's close
was found to have great influence with
the foreign powers. AS soon as the
troubles We're settled he came to the
support of the empress dowager and
took his place as the strongest and
most progressive man of the progress
sive movement which was then inaug-
urated.
L was in China at the time that the
empress dowager died and Yuan was
then the viceroy of Chihli, and was
the greatest man in the empire outside
the government. He had introduced
modern schools and Industrial estab-
lishments. He was reorganizing the
army and instituting all sorts of re-
forms.
After the empress dowager's death
he had much to do with the govern
ment under the baby Emperor, until
the Manchus and others who were
bossing the administration concluded
he was getting too powerful. and they
sent him into retirement on the ground
that his legs were too sore for him to
perform his duties. Then the last great
revolution came on, and Yuan again
sprang to the front. The empire was
shattered, and the republic arose.
doubt not he could have taken an army
and gotten possession of the throne
himself. Many thought he would do So
but he was content to let China be n
republic and he is now its President
and practically it's dictator,
This, very briefly, is the outline of
the career of a republican President
who is the ruler of four or five times
as many people as Woodrow Wilson. Il
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30
A Real Husky

T TUII futK.
rs that big risk you took a eood
oneY inquired the president
Positive" replied the local man.
ager The man has just been par
doned from a federal prison because
he hasn't much longer to live"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30

press dowager. This was big contract
and Yuan said he would have to have
sealed instructions before he would un-
dertake 1t. These orders the Emperor
refused to give. Thereupon Yuan Shih
Kai apparently consented and left Pc
king. the Emperor expecting he would
do the JOB.
After considering the matter for "a
hours, Yuan concluded that the job
was too dangerous, and he went to
Tienstin and laid the whole plot be-
fore Yung Lu. Yung Lu took few SOL
diers and went on a special train post
haste to Peking. He marched out to
the summer palace, where the empress
dowager was then living and laid the
situation before her. At her orders he
then came into Peking and entered the
palace. He captured the Emperor and
confined him in abuilding on a little
island in the palace grounds A day
later the empress dowager came back
She dethroned the Emperor and from
that time until her death she was su-
preme. When she did the Emperor sud
denly took sick, and it is supposed that
he was poisoned by her orders Some
say he was killed by Yuan Shih Kai
for fetr of his revenge should he again
be on the throne.
In this way Yuan and Yung Lu real
ly saved the empress dowager's life
and 1t is no wonder that she was
grateful 1t was as a kind of thank Of
fering to Yung Lu that she had his
q ole tod -,
the throne. and 1t was not her fault
that the boy Is not Emperor today She
also gave Yuan Shih Kai many high
offices and showered him with COM
missions of one kind or other.
l am told that some of these COM
missions would have resulted in Yuan's
ruin had he carried them out, but just
as he refused to obey the Emperor, so
his good sense showed him that he
would have to disobey the empress
dowager. One of these cases occurred
during the Boxer rebellion. | was in
southern China at the time and one
of Yuan Shih Kai's foreign advisers
told me the story.
The empress dowager was supreme
at Peking. The Boxers were rampant
at all the chief centers, and here and
there they were slaughtering mission
aries and demanding that all foreigr-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30

passage back to New York, first class
The other performers were almost as
bad. Only the A chorus girls seemed
to think of him other than swindlel.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30
BY RICHARD SPILLANE

one answer and that a refusal
The best singing comedian could not
understand why Mr. Billings should
not pay his salary. The tempera-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30

mental leading lady pestered him night
and day for not only her pay, but
They nevr knew how Billings got the
money, but they acknowledged that he
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30

the career of a republican President
who is the ruler of four or five times
as many people as Woodrow Wilson. Il
is only the outline. His whole career
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30

1 am told that Yuan is a born military
leader and that he would rather talk any
time to military man than to a civilian.
He looks best when he is in uniform and
is riding at the head of his rtoops. Of
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-06-13
OLD POKE BONNETS REVIVED
Made Into Things of Beauty by the
Clever Hands Of the Up-to-
Date MiIIiner.

Here and there one sees an alluring
poke bonnet brought to life by the mil
liner who is clever enough to know
that the old fashions are being re-
vived, and If women wish to look like
old prints they must have hats and
nantes to go with the gowns.
The revival of the poke bonnet has
met with approval because in it's mod
ern shape it is exceedingly becoming
and does not clash with the ideas of
present millinery. 1t is not scoop;
it merely has rounded brim in front
to shade the eyes, and is turned up
with flap in the back. There is q
chin band of black velvet or colored
satin ribbon and a bunch Of flowers
over one ear.
The milliners make these old-time
Powered nantes to go with the hat,
and the same color scheme is sup
posed to be carried out in the two. if
a woman is going to attempt trim
mind such hat and making such a
wrap at home, 1t is wise for her to
remember this.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-06-13
GOOD USE FOR OLD GOWN
Complete Transformation May Be
Made in the Fashioning Of the
One-Piece Frock.

It is rather astounding what fash
ionable air can be given to a one
piece frock that has served during the
winter as house gown, by adding to
it belted jacket of figured silk mate
lasse or crepon. Also, it turns the
gown into a serviceable thing for out
door wear through the spring and
summer and saves one the necessity
of getting suit.
A dark blue crepe de chine trimmed
with satin cloth which had served it's
purpose since December as a smart
house frock was converted by one
woman into spring suit for the
street and for afternoon wear by the
addition of a dark blue watered pop
lin jacket which had pronounced
wave in it. This was lined with a
figured silk in blue and yellow and
belted in with a loose girdle of crepe
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-06-13
Picturesque Note

Even in the matter of tailor-maie
gowns certain picturesque note as
serts itself this season, the severity
of the coats, for example, being very
frequently softened by the introduce
ton of frilled jabots of net and lace,
emphasizing the Directoire style in
which the collars and revers are cut.
The coats themselves. too, show a
very becoming fullness, both back
and front. above the curved lines of
stitched strappings with which so
many of the basques are finished. The
fabrics which are employed for some
OF these tailor-made gowns are in
themselves exceedingly picturesque
and far more decorative than the
smooth cloths and fine serges which
have been used hitherto for gowns of
this description.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-06-13
Profession of Motherhood

It is a difficult profession-this pro
fession of motherhood. In the animal
kingdom, as the offspring grow older,
the parents withdraw their ministra-
tons, but In the human family the
older the children grow the more d.
plomacy and enthusiasm Is needed
by the ruling spirits. When the boys
begin to get unruly and the girls be-
gin to get silly-as the husband gets
less ready to make an effort and more
willing to sit quietly by the fire In the
evening then 1t Is that many a fam
lily drifts apart. But the mother can
have no holiday. She must always
be on tap. The only difference is that
as the children grow older she must
pretend that 1t Is they and not she
who are managing affairs. Agnes I'd.
wards Rothery, In the Home Progress
Magazine.
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-06-13
hands through his hair with a quick

| hands through his hair with a quick.
nervous movement.
you've caught my clever friend, l
see. Kindly go through his pockets,
will you? He has something l must
ask him to return to me-"
We found 1t in Jacksons pocket
book-a cheque, antedated week. for
five thousand pounds, with covering
letter to the manager OF the bank.
Ford took the bit of stamped paper,
twisting It to and fro in his supple
| fingers.
1T was smart of you, Jackson" he
said, addressing the bowed figure be-
fore him. II give you credit for the
idea. To kidnap man just as he was
bringing of a big deal-well. you
would have earned the money"
But how did you get down here?'
struck In the manager.
HE told me that he had discovered
an old hiding-place-a priests hole
he called 1t, and / walked into the
trap as the best man may. do some
times. AS we got to the bottom of
that stairway he slipped sack over
my head, and had me fixed in thirty
seconds. He fed me himself twice a
day. standing by to see didn't holloa.
When I paid up he was to have TWEEN
ty-four hours start; then he would
let YOU know where l was l held out
awhile, but l gave in tonight The
delay was getting too dangerous.
Have you cigarette, Hartford? Thank
YOU. And who may you be?"
1t was to the detective he spoke
my name is Peace, Inspector Ad-
dington Peace, from Scotland Yard"
And 1 owe my rescue to your"
The little man bowed.
"You will have no reason to regret
it. And what did you think had be-
come of me, Inspector"
ct was the general opinion that
you had taken to yourself wings, Mr..
Ford"
1t was as we travelled up to town
next day that Peace told me his story.
l will set it down as briefly as may
be.
II soon came to the conclusion that
Ford, whether dead or alive, was In
side the grounds of Meudon Hall. II
he had bolted, for some reason, blythe
way, which was perfectly incompre-
hensible, a man of his ability would
not have left broad trail across the
center of his lawn for all to see.
There was, moreover, no trace of him
that our men could ferret out at any
station within reasonable distance. A
motor was possible, but there were no
marks Of its presence next morning
in the slush of the roads. That fact
1 learnt from curious groom who
had aided in the search, and who,
with a similar idea upon him, had
carefully examined the highway at
daybreak. i.
when l clambered to the top OF
the wall I found that the snow upon
the coping had been dislodged.
traced the marks, as you saw, for
about dozen yards Where they end
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-06-13

ed l, too dropped to the ground out
side. There made remarkable
discovery. Upon little drift of snow
that lay in the shallow ditch beneath
were more footprints. But they were
not those of Ford. They were the
marks of long and narrow boots, and
| led into the road. where they were
lost in the track of flock of sheep
that had been driven over 1t the day
| before.
81 took a careful measurement Of
those footprints. They might. Of
course, belong to some private inves-
| tigator; but they gave me an idea.
Could some man have walked across
the lawn in Ford's boots, changed
them to his own on the top of the
wall, and so departed? Was it the
desire of some one to let it be sup
posed that Ford had run away?
when l examined Ford's private
From the bootboy I discovered that
the master had three pairs of shoot
ing boots. There were three pairs In
the stand Some one had made q
very serious mistake. Instead of hid
ing the pair he had used on the lawn.
he had returned them to their place.
The trick was becoming evident. But
where was Ford? In the house or
grounds, dead or alive, but where?
Il was able, through my friend the
bootboy, to examine the boots on the
night of our arrival. My measure
ments correspondent with those that
Jackson, the valet, wore. Was he
acting for himself, or was Harbord,
or even Ransom, in the secret? That,
too, it was necessary to discover be-
fore l showed my hand.
"Your story of Harbord's midnight
excursion supplied clue. The sec
rotary had evidently followed some
man who had disappeared mysterious
ly. Could there be the entrance to a
secret chamber in that corridor? That
would explain the mystifcation OF
Harbord as we'll as the disappearance
of Silas Ford. If SO Harbord was not
involved.
"If Ford were held prisoner he
must be fed. His gaoler must of ne
cessity remain in the house. But the
trap set in the suggested journey to
town was an experiment singularly un-
successful, for all the three men | de-
sired to test refused. However, If /
we're right about the secret chamber
I could checkmate the blackma1ler by
keeping watch on him from your
room, which commanded the line OF
communications But Jackson was
clever enough to leave his victualling
to the nighttime. l scattered the
-four to try the result of that ancient
trick. 1t was successful. That Is all.
Do you follow me?"
eyes," said 1; "but how did Jack
son come to know the secret hiding
placer"
"He has long been servant of the
house. You had better ask his old
master"
CHRONICLES TO BE coNT1NUED.)
The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-06-13
DOLL-MAKING AN INDIAN ART
Turned Out by Clever Aborig-
Ines of Mexico.

1t is thought that the tiniest dolls
are those made by Mexican Indians.
They are barely three-fourths OF an
inch long in many cases, but are new
ertheless perfect in detail
The method of manufacture Is as
follows: First there is diminut1ve
framework of wire. This is then wound
with fine silk thread until the proper
figure has been secured. The cos
tunes are then cut according to the
character of the doll, and fitted to It,
With needles that can scarcely be
held In the fingers, needles Of which
the eyes are almost invisible, various
designs are embroidered on the dolls
clothes with the finest Of silk threads.
So clever1y do the Indians execute
these designs that even through a
powerful glass the details appear to
be perfect, although the work Is &C
complished without the aid OF any
-enlarging device.
Once properly dressed, the doll Is
given its hair. Even to the details
of braids and ribbons this work is
carried out Then there are formed
the eyes. nose, mouth, hands and
feet.
In Mexico these dolls are sold for
ridiculously small sums. 1t takes about
two hours of painstaking labor to
make one of the simplest of the man.
ikins
Some dolls are provided with tiny
baskets of flowers, fancy sombreros
water jars and other paraphernal1a
| The baskets are made of hair by the
Indians of Guanajuato. The bits OF
pottery are made of clay, In exact I'm
itation of the practical sites. All these
accessories are sewed to the dolls
| Miniature roses are embroidered II
the costumes of the dancing girls anC
ornaments are arranged In their hair
Wreaths of flowers are hung about the
shoulders and the arms are formed In
graceful and life-like attitudes Of dane
ing. The matador is complete II
every particular-his costume being
gayly decorated In many colors, the
hair dressed In true Spanish fashion
including the conventional queue.