davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Irish standard., 1914-02-14
Then the deeper voice quite unrec.
onniza hlo q g his fafhar,cA onemor;nn.

Then the deeper voice quite unrec-
ognizable as his father's) answering:
Here am, Master; here ami"
And instantly the room vanished
and they were in the Never-Never
Land, and before them reared the big
gest house in the world, with a row OF
white pillars across its front a mile
high.
John Valiant felt an odd beating Of
the heart and Tightening of the
throat, for he saw scene that never
faded from his memory. 1t was the
one hushed and horrible night, when
dread things had been happening that
he could not understand, when big
nan with gold eyeglasses, who
;melied OF some curious sickish-sweet
perfume, came and took him by the
hand and led him into room where
his father lay in bed, very gray and
luiet.
The white hand on the coverlet
lad beckoned to him and he had gone
close up to the bed, standing very
straight, his heart beating fast and
lard
"John!" the word had been almost
whisper. very tense and anxious,
very distinct. John, you're a little
boy, and father is going away"
Toto Wishing. House?"
The gray lips had smiled then, ever
80 little, and sadly. mo, John"
Take me with you, father! Take
me with you!"
His voice had trembled then, and he
had had to gulp hard.
Listen, John, for what am say.
Ing is very important You don't
know what mean now, but some.
time you will" The whisper had
grown strained and frayed but it was
still distinct. II can't 60 to the Never
Never Land. But you may sometime.
If you &c If you do, and if you
find Westinghouse, remember that
the men who lived in it be-
fore you and me were gen.
tlemen. Whatever else they were,
they were always that. Be =
like them, John. will you?
Yes, father"
The old gentleman with the eye.
glasses had come forward then, hasti-
ly.
Goodnight, father"
He had wanted to kiss him, but a
strange cool hush had settled on the
room and his father seemed all at
once to have fallen asleep. And he
had gone out, so carefully, on tiptoe.
wondering, and suddenly afraid.
The Irish standard., 1914-02-14
CHAPTER u.
Vanity Valiant.
1.-THE witness ia excused"

Vanity Valiant.
"The witness is excused"
In the ripple that stirred across the
court room at the examiners abrupt
conclusion, John Valiant, who had
withstood that "pitiless' hail of cues.
tions. rose, bowed to him and slowly
crossed the cleared space to his coun-
sci. The chairman looked severely
over his eyeglasses, with his gavel
lifted, and statuesque girl, in the
rear of the room, laid her delicately
gloved hand on a companions and
smiled slowly without Withdrawing her
gaze. and with the faintest tint of col
or in her face.
Katharine Fargo neither smiled nor
flushed readily. Her smile was an in
dex of her whole personality, languid,
symmetrical, exquisitely perfect. The
little group with whom she sat looked
somewhat out of place in that mixed
assemblage. Smartly groomed and
palpably members Of a set to whom
John Valiant was a familiar, they had
had only friendly mods and smiles TO,
the young man at whom so many there
had gazed with jaundiced eyes.
To the general public which read its
daily newspaper perhaps none of the
gilded set was better known than
Vanity Valiant" The new Panhard
he drove was the smartest car on the
avenue, and the collar on the white
bulldog that pranced or dozed on it's
leather seat sported diamond buckle.
To the spacewriters Of the social col.
umns, he had been perennial inspira-
ton. The patterns Of his waistcoats,
and the splendors of his latest bache-
lors' dinner at Sherry's-with such
Items the public had been kept sufi-
GENTLY familiar. To it. he stood a per-
iect symbol OF the elder ease and in.
solent display of inherited wealth.
And the great majority of those who
had found place in that roomy cham,
Der to listen to the ugly tale OF squan.
dered millions, looked to him with a
resentment that was sharpened by his
apparent nonchalance.
Long before the closing session it
had been clear that, as far as indict-
ments were concerned, the investiga.
ton would be barren of result. OF
individual criminality. flight and sui.
eide had been confession, but more
sweeping charges could not be brought
home. The gilded fool had not brought
himself into the embarrassing purview
Of the law. f"
sss .
The jostling crowd hocked out into
the square, among them q fresh-faced
girl on the arm Of q gray.bearded man
in black frock coat and picturesque
broad.brimmed felt hat. She turned
her eyes to his.
80 that" she said, lis John Valiant!
I'd almost rather have missed Niagara
Falls must write Shirley cambridge
about it. I'm 20 sorry lost that
picture Of him that I cut out Of the
paper"
II reckon he's not such . he'd Int"
f. g .
The Irish standard., 1914-02-14
0z@
MLIANTS@VIRGlZVIA
al HALIT TRNINI[ RIVT< pe ssS a,,Ezars)
ILLUSTRATED @< LAUREN STOUT

rur the 1irst time the young man
noted that the street below was filling
with desultory crowd. He distin-
guished knot Of Italian laborers talk
ing with excited gesticulations
smudged plasterer, tools in hand
clerks, some hatless and with thin
alpaca coastal peering at the voice
less front of the great building, al nd
all, he imagined, with thriving fear
in their faces. AS he watched, WON.
an, coarsely dressed, ran across the
street, her handkerchief pressed to her
eyes. 1856 1880. 1870. -.
The notice has gone up on the
door," said the manager. Il sent word
to the police. Crowds are ugly some.
times"
Valiant drew sudden sharp breath.
The corporation down in the mire.
with crowds at its doors ready to
clamor for money entrusted to it. the
aggregate savings of widow and or.
phan, the piteous boarded sums earned
by labor over which pinched sickly
faces had burned the midnight oil!
The older man had turned back to
the desk to draw a narrow typewrit-
ten slip of paper from pigeonhole.
Here" he said, lis list Of the bonds
OF the subsidiary companies recorded
In your name. These are all, of
course, engulfed in the larger failure.
You have, however, your private for.
tune. II you take my advice, by the
way" he added significantly, you'll
make sure Of keeping that"
What do you mean?" John Va,
liant faced him quickly.
The other laughed shortly. ga word
to the wise,'" he quoted. tits very
good living abroad. There's q boat
leaving tomorrow"
A dull red sprang into the younger
face. you mean"
Look at that crowd down there
you can hear them now. Therell be
a legislative investigation, OF course
And the devil'l get the hindmost."
He struck the desk-top with his hand.
"Have you ever seen the bills for this
furniture? Do you know what that
rug under your feet cost? Twelve
thousand-it's IN old Persian. What
do you suppose the papers win do to
that? Do you think such things win
seem amusing to that rabble down
thefe?" His hand swept toward the
window. TITS been going on for too
many years, tell you! And now
some one'll pay the piper. The light.
Ming won't strike me-Tm not tall
enough. You're . vice.president"
DO you imagine that I knew these
things-that l have been q party to
what you seem to believe has been q
deliberate wrecking?" Valiant tow.
ered over. him, his breath coming fast.
Dc hands clenched hard.
Xe1f The manager laughed aeasn
The Irish standard., 1914-02-14


the others quivering nerves like hot
sandpaper. "Oh, lord no! How should
you? You've been too busy playing
polo and winning bridge prizes. How
many board meetings have you at
tended this year? Your vote is prox-
led as regular as clockwork. But
you're supposed to know. The people
down there in the street won't ask
questions about patent-leather pumps
and ponies; they'll want to hear about
such things as rotten irrigation loans
in the Stony-River Valley-to market
an alkali desert that is the personal
property of the president of this cor
poration."
Valiant turned blank white face.
"Sedgwick?"'
Yes. You know his principle: It's
all right to be honest, II you're not
too damn honest He owns the Stony
River Valley bag and baggage. 1t was
big gamble and he lost"
Valiant was staring at the other
with strange look. Emotions to which
in all his self-indulgent life he had
been stranger were running through
his mind, and outre passions had him
by the throat. Fool and doubly blind!
A poor pawn, a catspaw raking the
chestnuts for INSCRIPTIONS men whose
ignominy he was now called on, per-
force, to share! In his pitiful egotism
he had consented to be figurehead,
and he had been made tool. A REQ
rage surged over him. No one had
ever seen on John Valiant's face such
look as grew on it now.
He turned and without word
opened the door. The older man took
a step toward him-he had a sense of
dangerous electric forces in the air
but the door closed sharply in his face.
He smiled grimly. Not crooked" he
said to himself; merely callow. A
well-meaning, manicured young fop
wholly surrounded by men who knew
what they wanted!" He shrugged his
shoulders and went back to Lis chair.
Valiant plunged down in the eleva-
tor to the street. He pushed past the
guarded door, and threading the
crowd, made toward the curb, where
his bulldog, with a bark of delight,
leaped upon the seat of a FURNISHED
car, rumbling and vibrating with pent-
up power. There were those in the
sullen anxious crowd who knew whose
was that throbbing metal miracle, the
chauffeur spick and span from shining
cap-visor to polished brown puttees,
and recognized the white face that
went past, pelted it with muttered
sneers. But he scarcely saw or heard
them, as he stepped into the seat, took
1.-the wheel from the chauffeur's hand
and threw on the gear. IS.
He drove mechanically past hun
dred familiar things and places, but he
saw nothing, till the massive marble
fronts Of the upper park side ceased
their mad dance as the car halted be.
fore tall iron-grilled doorway with
wide glistening steps, between win.
dows strangely shattered and dark.
He sprang out and touched the bell.
The heavy oak parted slowly; the con.
fidential secretary Of the man he hae
come to face stood in the gloomy
doorway.
Il want to see Mr. Sedgwick."
you can't see him, Mr.. Valiant"
But will" Sharp passion leapet
into the young voice. HE must speak
to me-"
The man in the doorway shook his
head. He won't speak to anybody
any MORE" he said. "Mr. Sedgwick
shot himself two hours ago.
The Irish standard., 1914-02-14
ITS Very Good Living Abroad
There's Boat Leaving Tomorrow"

cross-street and circled into the yawn.
ing mouth of his garage.
A little later, the bulldog at his
heels, he assembled the steps of his
club, where he lodged-he had dis.
posed of his bachelor apartments a
fortnight ago. The cavernous seats of
the lounge were all occupied, but he
- not pause as he strobe through
the hall. He took the little pile of
letters the boy handed him at the
desk and went slowly up the stairway.
He wandered into the deserted libra.
ry and sat down. tossing the letters
on the magazine-littered table. He had
suddenly remembered that it was his
twenty-fifth birthday.
In the reaction from the long strain
he felt physically spent He thought
Of what he had done that afternoon
with a sense Of satisfaction. A re.
versal of public judgment, in his own
case, had not entered his head. He
knew his world-its comfortable facul
ty of forgetting, and the multitude of
sins that wealth may cover. To pre-
serve at whatever personal cost the
one noble monument his fathers
genius had reared, and to right the
wrong that would cast it's gloomy
shadow on his name-that had been
his only thought. What he had done
would have been done no matter what
the outcome Of the investigation. But
now, he t6(d himself, no one could say
the act had been wrung from him.
That, he fancied, would have been his
fathers way.
! He smiled-a slow smile Of reminis-
cence-for there had come to him at
that moment the dearest Of all those
memories play Of his childhood.
He saw himself seated on" low
stool. watching funny old clock with
a moon-face, whose smiling lips curved
up like military mustachios,' and wish
ing the lazy long hands would hurry.
He saw himself stealing down a long
corridor to the door Of q big room
strewn with books and papers, that
through some baleful and mysterious
spell could not be made to open at
oil hours. When the hands pointed
right. however. there was the "Open
6esame"-his own secret knock, two
fierce twin raps, with one little lone
some one afterward-and this was I'M
falling. Safe inside, he saw himself
standing on q big, polar-bear-skin, the
door tight-locked against all corners.
an expectant baby figure with his lit.
tie hand clasped in his fathers. The
white rug was the magic entrance to
the NeverNever Country, known only
10 those two.
! He could hear his own shrill treble:
"Wishins-House, Wishins-Houss.
sheya are xepf' -
The Irish standard., 1914-02-14
CHAPTER !.
xM2 1y eoee>-falt11k "a

The Crash.
Failed" calculated John Valiant
blankly. and the hat he held dropped
to the claret-colored rug like huge
white splotch of sudden fright. 1.-THE
Corporation-failed!"
The young man was the glass Of
fashion, from the silken ribbon on the
spotless Panama to his pearl.gray gait
ers. and we'll favored-a 1.-the stalwart
figure, with wide-set hazel eyes and
strong brown hair waving back from
candid forehead.
Never had his innocuous and but
,ter-fy existence known q surprise
more startling. He had swung into
the room with all the nonchalant hab.
its, the ingrained gertrude of the man
born with achievement ready.made in
his hands. And a single curt state
'ment-like the ruthless blades Of
pair Of shears-had shipped across
the one splendid scarlet thread in the
wool that constituted life as he knew
it. He had knotted his lavender scarf
that morning vice-president of the
Valiant Corporation-one of the great
est and most successful of modern
day organizations; he sat now in the
fading afternoon trying to realize that
the huge fabric. without warning. had
'toppled to its fall.
How solid and changeless it had
always seemed-that great business
fabric woven by the father he could
$50 dimly remember! His own invested
fortune had been derived from the
great corporation the elder Valiant
had founded and controlled until his
death. With almost unprecedented
earnings. it had stood as q very Glib
raltar Of finance. q type and sign Of
brilliant organization. Now, on the
heels Of trusts dissolution which
would be a nine-days' wonder. the vast
structure had crumbled up like a card
board. The rains had descended and
the floods had come, and it had fallen!
The man at the desk had wheeled
in his revolving chair and was looking
at the trim athletic back plotting the
daylight, with smile that was little
short Of covert sneer. He was one
Of the local managers Of the corpora
ton whose ruin was to be that days
sensation. colorless man who had &C,
CURED middle age with his first long
trousers and had been dedicated to the
commercial treadmill before he had
bought ssfety.razor. He despised al
loiterers along the primrose paths, and
John Valiant was but . decorative fis.
urehead.
Valiant started a. the other spoke at
his elbow. He had come to the win.
dow and was looking down at the
pavement. How quickly some news
AnreAdSi"
The Irish standard., 1914-02-14

said her uncle. He nalleu eau.
Grand Central Station" he directed,
with glance at his watch, and be
quick about it. We've just time to
make our train"
.
Some hours later, in an inner office
of downtown sky-scraper, the newly
appointed receiver of the Valiant Cor
poration, heavy, thick-set man with
narrow eyes, sat beside table on
which lay small black satchel with
paddock on its handle, whose con.
tents-several bundles of crisp papers
he had been turning over in his
heavy hands with look of incredu-
lous amazement. A sheet containing
a mass of figures and memoranda lay
among them.
The shock was still on his face when
knock came at the door, and a man
entered. The newcomer was gray
haired, Slightly stopped and lean
jowled, with humorous expression on
his lips. He glanced in surprise at
the Uttered table.
Fargo" said the man at the desk,
do you notice anything queer about
me?"
His friend grinned. "No, Buck" he
said judicially, unless it's that neck.
tie. 1t would stop a Dutch clock"
Hang the haberdashery! Read this
from young Valiant" He passed
over letter.
Fargo read. He looked up. "Securi.
ties aggregating three millions!" he
said in hushed voice. why, unless
I've been misinformed, that represents
practically all his private fortune"
The other nodded. Turned over to
the corporation with his resignation as
vice-president, and without blessed
string tied to 'em! What do you think
of that?".
Think! It's the most absurdly
idiotic thing ever met. Two weeks
ago, before the investigation
but now, when It's perfectly certain
they can bring nothing home to him.
He paused. "Of course l suppose it'll
save the corporation, eh? But it may
be ten years before its securities pay
dividends. And this is real money
Where the devil does he come In
MEANWHILE"
The receiver pursed his lips. 81
knew his father" he said. HE had
the same crazy quixotic streak"
He gathered the scattered docu
ments and locked them carefully with
the satchel in safe. Spectacular
young asst" he said explosively.
Il should say SOL" agreed Fargo
DO you know used to be afraid my
Katharine had . leaning toward him
But thank God. she's sensible girl!'
Dusk had fallen that evening wher
John Valiant's Panhard turned into g
The Irish standard., 1914-02-14
CHAPTER ~.
A Valiant of VIRGINIA,

valiant OF virginia..
For long time John Valiant sat
motionless, the opened letter in his
hand. staring at nothing. He had the
sensation. spiritually. of a traveller
awakened with a rude shock amid
wholly unfamiliar surroundings
He was trying to remember-to put
two and two together. His father had
been Southern-born; yes, he had
known that. But he had known moth
ing whatever of his fathers early days,
or of his forebears; since he had been
old enough to wonder about such
things. he had had no one to ask
questions OF.
Phrases Of the letter ran through
his mind: Sometime, perhaps, you
will know why you are John Valiant
Of New York instead of John Valiant
of Damory Court l cannot
tell you myself" There was some
tragedy, then, that had blighted the
place, some melancholy story" as the
clipping put it.
He bent over the deed spread out
upon the table, following with his fin
ger the long line Of transfers: ITO
John Valyante,," he muttered; what
odd spelling! Robert Valyant'-with-
out the e. Here, in 1890, the " be-
gins to be T." There was something
strenuous and appealing in the long
line of dates. valiant. Always Va
liant. How they held on to it! There's
never break
+, A curious pride, newborn and SELF
conscious, was dawning in him. He
was descended from ancestors who
had been no weaklings. A Valiant had
settled on those acres under royal
governor, before the old frontier
fighting was over and the Indians
had sullenly retired to the westward.
The sons Of those who had braved
sea and savages had bowed their
strong bodies and their stronger hearts
to raze the forests and turn the
prila eval jungles into golden planta-
lions.
There stole into his mood an Gerry
suggestion of intention. Why should
the date assigned for that deeds de-
livery have been the very day on
which he had elected poverty? Here
was a foreordination as pointed as the
index-fnger of q guide-post. EVERY
man carries his fate,'" he repeated,
On a riband about his neck Chum,
do you believe in fate?"
For answer the bulldog, cooking an
alert eye on his master, discontinued
his occupations conscientious II UNI
successful mastication Of the flattish
packet that had fallen from the folded,
deed-and with much solicitous tail
wagging. brought the sodden thing in;
his mouth and put it into the out,
stEatched hand.
His master unrolled the. PUPPY wad;
and extricated the object 1t had en-
closed-an old-fashioned iron door.key.
o. . - o.
After q time Valiant thrust the key
into his pocket, and rising, went to Q.
trunk that Law against the wall,
Ito be continued.)
The Irish standard., 1914-02-14

tombed on the wreck OIL a virginia
plantation, would-be country gentle-
man, on an automobile and next to
nothing year!
He bethought himself of the fallen
letter and possessed himself of it
quickly. 1t lay with the superscrip,
ton side down. On it was written, in
the same hand which had addressed
the other envelope:
For my son, John Valiant,
When he reaches the age Of twenty.
five.
That, then, had been written by his
father-and he had died nearly twenty
years ago! He broke the seal with a
strange feeling as if, walking in some
familiar thoroughfare, he had STUN
bled on lichened and sunken tomb
stone.
When you read this, my son, you
will have come to man s estate. 1t is
curious to think that this black, black
ink may be faded to gray and this
white, white paper yellowed, just from
lying waiting SO long. But strangest
of all is to think that you yourself
whose brown head hardly tops this
desk, will be as tall Il hope) as I!
How wonder what you will look like
then! And shall 1.-The real, real l, 1
mean-be .peering over your strong
broad shoulder as you read? Who.
knows? Wise men have dreamed such
thing possible-and l am not bit
WISE
John, you will not have forgotten
that you are Valiant. But you are
also a Virginian. Will you have dis
covered this for yourself? Here is the
deed to the land where l and my
father. and his father and many, many
more Valiants before them were born.
Sometime, perhaps, you will know why
you are John Valiant of New York in
stead Of John Valiant of Damory
Court. can not tell you myself, be-
cause it is too true a story, and have
forgotten how to tell any but fairy
tales, where everything happens right.
where the Prince marries the beautiful
Princess and they live happily to-
.;ether ever after.
You may never care to live at
Damory Court. Maybe the life you
will know SO well by the time you
read this will have welded you to it.
self. If SO, well and good. Then leave
the old place to your son. But there is
such a thing as racial habit, and the
call Of blood. And know there is
such thing. too, as fate. Every
man carries his fate on RI
band about his neck SO the
Moslem put it. 1t was my fate to
60 away, and know now-since dis
tance Is not made by miles alone
that myself shall never see Damory
Court again. But life is a strange
wheel that goes round and round and
comes back to the same point again,
and again. And 1t may be your fate to-
go back. Then perhaps you will cry,
(but, oh. not on the old white bears
skin rug-never again with me holding,
your small, small handy
Wishing House.! Wishing Housed!
Where are your
And this old parchment deed will
answer I
Here am, Master; here ami :
"Ah, we are only children, after all,
playing out our plays. have had
many toys. but o John, John! The
ones l treasure most are all In the
Never-Never Land!"
Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1914-01-28
NO DIVIDENDS TILL
JUDGMENT is PAID

Joe Josephs, clerk of the Supreme
court is sending out the remittiturs
to the litigants in the matter of the
receiver of the State Bank and Trust
company against Esmeralda county
and Sheriff w. A. ingalls,. wherein
the receiver appealed from the deci-
sion OF the lower court awarding the
several amounts prayed for on the
ground that they were special depos-
its. The appeals have been recently
denied by the Supreme court, but al
lowing the receiver thirteen days to
answer. The time to answer having
expired the cases are ended with
the result that Esmeralda county
and Sheriff ingalls, will receive the
money sued for before any more divi
dends. II any. can be paid-CarsoI
Appeal.