davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-06-25

them was momentarily growing less
noticeable.
As Marrophat's car drew abreast
Alan nodded and said quietly: Don't
be alarmed; l can attend to this gem
tleman single.handed."
And this he proceeded to demon
strate with admirable ease, even
though called upon to do 20 far soon.
er than he had thought to be-thanks
to Marrophat's hair-brained precipt
fancy. For, failing to influence tho
taxi driver by shouted demands or
threats. or to gain the least attention
from Alan, Trine's first lieutenant alb
ruptly and surprisingly took his life
In his hands and in one wild bound
bridged the distance between the two
flying cars and landed on the taxi's
running-board.
stop!" he screamed madly. stop.
I say! You don't know what you're
doing! Let me tell you"
He got that far but no farther. In
the came breath Alan had flung wide
the door and was at the fellows throat.
There was a struggle Of negligible
duration; Marrophat was in no way
his antagonists match; within three
seconds he threw out both hands,
clutched hopelessly, at the framework
Of the cab, and fs IT. heavily to the
street.
The taxi sped on without pause, its
driver deaf to the halls Of innocent If
indignant bystanders. Alan pulled
himself together and looked back Just
in time to catch a glimpse of a num-
Der Of loafers lifting Marrophat to his
feet and helping him to the sidewalk
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-06-25

chance to move aside. but seized hin
20 faercely by the wrists that he in
~stinctively lifted to protect himself.
and she fairly threw him half . dozen
feet from her. He brought up with
. crash against the wall even % the
door slammed behind the girl.
When Alan. the first to recover.
gained the sidewalk she was already
in the taxicab. Whatever reward she
had promised the man. he whipped his
machine away 90 II from the fear Of
sudden death.
And darting from the house hard
on the minister's heels. Marrophat
leaped into his own car and. as II he
had not heard her threat or received
substantial proof Of her earnestness,
tore OF in pursuit.
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-06-25

inclined to believe that Marrophat
hoped to stop the taxicab by depriv.
Ing it, in corrse Of time, Of Its fuel.
And with this in mind he was present.
ly surprised, a. the cab took . corner.
to e Marrophat's al stop at that
corner and Marrophat himself. get
down. The brow Of q hill interviewed.
shutting of sight Of the backyard a
be knelt and lit q match. 1t was the
girl who gave the alarm, suddenly
Withdrawing her head from the win
dow to scream at Alan:
"He's fired the gasoline! It's dam.
Ing along the street, following the line
Of the leak-and catching up with us!"
Without pauslng to put his hand to
the latch, Alan kicked the door open.
Jump" he cried. For your life
Jump! AS soon as that flame catches
up with the tank"
simultaneously the chauffeur, over
bearing, shut of the power.
The three gained the sidewalk bare
ly in time: the tiny trail of flames, al
most imperceptible in the sunlight
was not a yard from the jet that squirt
ed through the bullet hole in the tank.
In the 1utter Of an eyelash the explo-
sion followed. Had the cab been Dad
ed with nitroglycerin its destruction
could have been no more absolute.
There was a roar . and then
q heap of smoking ruins.
Without waiting to admire the spec
tacle, Alan caught the arm of the girl
and hurried her up the street, at the
same time calling to the chauffeur to
follow. And chance brought them to
the next corner as another cab. fare.
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-06-25

WUtV DRPS0GSO VtbAuV0V " 6OS0PV
Without Being Seen.
tow; we fooled them handily-thanks
10 your faith and bravery, sweetheart!
and everything 10 going to be we'll
with 10 from now ON. Over In Jersey.
the minister is waiting now to marry.
a.: and down at the White Star dock
the boat IL waiting that 10 to carry US
of to England the moment we're mar
ried. Think Of that-and that I love
you. Nothing can possibly break the
strength Of that combination!"
For another minute che rested %
she had ever since sinking into her
corner Of the taxicab-moveless, taut,
unresponsive.
Then . long sigh shook her to her
very heart. and Of q sudden the small
list in Alan's grasp relaxed and her
face turned to his like . flower to
the sun. . face TRANSPORTED. it, hips
now soft and yielding. ito eyes un.
closed and smiling into his . smile
all misty with unshed tears.
ALAN" she breathsd gently. IT
can't 'bs true! I'm trying 90 hard to
believe-but all the while I know it
can't be true!"
He converted Q skeptic with the
mute eloqusnce Of his lips /.
1 Head upon his shoulder. the 81
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-06-25
FIJI TREY o'nEARrs
Make-BeIleve.
CONTINUED From Last Week)

Make-eelleve.
For upwards of three-quarters OF 81
hour of that golden morning which fol
lowed the night of his return to New
York, Mr. Law was permitted to es
TEEN himself le Aappiest Of mortals.
And inasmuch as this is not only q
longer uninterrupted term Of happt
ness than 10 humanity common but II
more of that emotion than ordinarily
leavens the whole Of a lifetime, Alan
WIS perhaps to be envied, even though
establishment when 1t came was sud
den, sharp. and to him unspeakably
shocking-a swift, u~npresaged plunge
from sunlit peaks Of supreme content
to the black depths Of . bleak Aver
nus Of despair.
The beginning Of the period was
oynchronous with the slam of q taxi.
cab door that shut away q superdvous
world from the company Of two who
loved.
The sound spelled safety as we'll %
success in Alan's understanding.
The car slipped smoothly away from
the curb, pursued only by q little gust
Of semi-ironic cheers from the little
company of working men who had wit.
messed as we'll as %measurably partici.
pated in the putative elopement from
the house Of Urine.
Vigilant for any indication that their
evasion had had a witness In that
strange home Of deathless hatred,
Alan watched 1t through the little
window in the back Of the cab until q
corner blotted out the vision of It.:
then with a sigh of relief sank down
by the side of the woman to whom his
every thought. impulse and emotion
were dedicated.
"Rose!" he whispered, and tenta'
lively touched one of the hands that
lay clenched in her lap.
She responded with w a sign to
indicate consciousness either of his
touch or his whisper.
And reminding himself of the strain
Imposed upon her by the experience
through which they had just passed.
Alan excused her unresponsiveness on
grounds of reaction, and for the time
felt constrained to let his sweetheart
rest and regain her normal poise:
there was bliss enough for him in the
consciousness that he had won her
safely away, that nothing now more
than a short hours drive across town
and by ferry across the Hudson stood
between them and the marriage that
should prove the contamination Of all
their trials . Barring accident!
Alan had too often suffered the pen
atty of disappointment for over-indul-
gence in this failing Of his for depreci-
ating the unforeseen, not to make the
mental reservation, Barring acct
dents!" with a little SILVER of dread.
Had any Of Trine's household been
cognizant Of his daughters escape.
Alan argued, interference must have
been instant.
Despite the %reassuring aspect, the
p~reoccupation of his companion SO
wore upon him that he was presently
no longer able to refrain from disturb
ing her.
"Rose!" he begged again, closing a
hand tenderly over hers. Dearest
girl, don't worry another instant! Do
calm yourself: remember we are safe
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-06-25

Of an unsavory-looking tenement. be-
fore the cab took a corner or two
wheels . . :"
"Not seriously injured, l fancy" he
told the girl in response to her eager
look. Worse luck!" he added
gloomily.
But it seemed that he was to have
his luck, before that ride was ended.
Three blocks further on a tire blew
out with a report like a cannon-crack-
er, and the taxi lurched perilously.
h%esitated, slowed down, and limped
dejectedly to the curb.
Alan and the chauffeur piled out in
the same instant, the one standing
guard-with IN eye out as we'll for
another cab-while the other assessed
damages.
Nothing for it but a new tire, sir"
this last reported alphabetically. 1T
must have been a broken bottle or
something like that-it sure did rip
the usefulness clean out of that shoe"
"Go to it," Alan advised him terse-
ly; land if you make a quick job of it,
Ill stand the cost of the new tire"
But If another cab comes along
while you're at It you'll lose Us as
quick as a wink. Here's my card, in
case we have to desert you in a hurry;
you understand this is a matter of life
and death, and I'll nave no time to
settle up with you. But you can call
at Mr.. Digby's Office and he'll fix
things up to your satisfaction"
The man took the card and after .
glance at the name touched his hat
with more noticeable respect.
"All right, MI. Law" he agreed;
anything you say" And forthwith
got to work.
The rapidity with which he COM
pleted the change of tires proved him
an excellent chauffeur, an adept at his
craft; but the delay was one disas-
trous for all that. 1t worked together
with what Alan pardonably described
as the DEVILS own luck to bring the
touring car in sight at the precise mo
ment when the chauffeur was cranking
up and Alan on the point of ~re.enter.
ing the cab. And though they were
of again before Alan could close tho
! door, the attempt was hopeless from
the start.
And yet-whether or not because
| Alan's distaste for interference had
been too convincingly demonstrated
the touring q for the time being
contented itself with trailing about
fifty feet in the rear. while the taxi
aed the tenement purlieus OF .ths Ho-
boksn waterfront and found its way
into the broader streets Of an unprs-
tentious suburban quarter.
Not until they were well into the
suburbs, with few dwellings near and
no pedestrians to interfere. did Mario
phatis purpose become apparent. Then.
however-and It happened while Alan
was looking back-the touring q
drew in swiftly and easily and Mario
phat, rising in his seat, leveled . re-
| yolver over the windshield and fired.
The crack Of he weapon was prac.
tically coincident with . metallic thud
beneath the Q seat Of the taxicab.
Not for some moments did Alan %.
preciate the viciousness Of the scheme.
surmising that the gasoline tank had
bsen punctured by the bullet, hs vas
1 E#r A. =. - - hAA - W. LFA kE'L -FNn
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-06-25

Alan.
tackle dragged the ground with ito
ropes.
It was the work Of . minute to con.
vince q thick-headed policeman that
the attempt was feasible and should
be permitted. 1t was the work Of less
than another minute to rig q loop in
the line and fasten round his body
beneath the arms. Volunteers did not
lack; . couple Of husky longshoremsu
sprang to the ropes at his first call.
They heaved with q will. His feet left
the ground. he scared, he caught the
saves Of the shed.roof, and shouting to
cease hauling, drew himself up on this
last. backed q little ways down It ana
calculating his direction nicely. Y
. running jump launched himself
over the street.
The momentum Of his leap carried
him we'll out over the heads Of the
throng assembled in the street an
truly toward that window whore Ros
Wal waiting. Then ito force slaca ~
ened. For an awful instant he BE-
liexed that he had failed. But with the
last expiring ounce Of impetus. no wa
brought within grasping distance Of
the window sill.
Hauling himself up. he gathered her
into his arms
4 great tongue Of tawny hans licked
angrily out Of the windoWs - Ii
swung her back TO safsty.
Continued next wssk.) .95i
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-06-25
CHAPTER XVII.
The Ring.

The Ring.
Theirs vas the last vehicle to swing
between the gates before these last
were closed.
And this was quite as we'll; for Alan,
rising for one last backward glance
through the rear window, started in.
voluntarily and choked upon an ex.
clamation when he deserted a power.
full touring a tearing madly toward
the ferry-house, it's one passenger half
rising from the front seat, beside the
driver. and exhibiting a c~ountenance
purple with congested chagrin as he
saw his car barred out of the carriage
entrance.
Quickly sensitive to his emotion. the
girl caught nervously at Alan's hand.
what is it, dear?"
"Marrophat," he snapped.
She uttered a hushed cry of dismay.
Don't be alarmed, however," he
fastened to comfort her. Hes lost
the race: the gates are shut-even the
passenger gates-and there must be
a company spotter somewhere nea by,
for the gateman is virtuously refusing
to be bribed by a roll of money as
thick as my wrist"
At that instant the taxicab rolled
aboard the ferry-boat; the deck gates
were closed; a hoarse whistle rent the
roaring silence of the city; winches
ratified and chains clanked: and the
boat wore ponderously out of its slip.
$50 much for Mr.. Marrophat!" Alan
crowed, sitting down. Fooled again!
He can't stop US now!"
perhaps . :"
"Why that perhaps? Why that
tone?" he demanded sharply. struck
by the foreboding her accents con.
fessed. /:
'This isn't the only ferry. There's
the Pennsylvania and the Lackawanna
and by hard driving he might even
manage to catch the boat that con-!
meets with this from the Christopher
street ferry Of the Erie!" !.
Impossible! I don't believe it! ]
WON'T"
Lets not" she agreed. But. Alan
"Yes?"
promise me-if he should managei
to catch up with us-you won't let himI
talk to you. l mean, don't let him:
NO fear Of that" he %asservated;
holly. III he tries to exchange one
word with mel only wish he would!",,
She seemed satisfied with that; butt
the incident had served appreciably to|
chill their spirits. They accomplished
the remainder Of that voyage in q!
silence that was no less depressed be-|
cause they sat hand in hand through
out. /:
Nor was their taxicab three minutes,
out Of the ferry house on the Jersey
shore-though the chauffeur, stimu.
later BY Alanie e~xtravasant promises.
was doing his best to fracture the
speed laws and escape arrest-when,
the girls fears were amply justified:
Q shout from behind drew Alan's head
out Of the window on one side and the
girls on the other and proved to both
that Marrophat had indeed found some,
way to make the crossing without
great delay.
His touring . was within fifty
yards when they nrst were aware. Of
It; and Marrophat. standing on the
running.board. was shouting inartiou.
lately and hourishing an imperative
hand: while the distance between
s.Ef LL-.N EEsLgE ~ gt-FHtHtH
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-06-25

less, hove into view. Promising its
driver anything he might ask, in or
out of reason, Alan gave him the ad.
dress, and helped the girl in.
If Marrophat pursued Alan could see
no sign of him. The second car made
better time than the first. Unhindered,
and as far as could be determined,
! without being followed, it covered the
brief remaining distance in a crate.
fully short lapse of time.
The suburb dropped behind a maze
of streets where dwellings stood shout.
der to shoulder and dooryards were
scant. The a swept up to a corne
house of modest and homely aspect.
Two minutes more, and Alan al ex-
changing salutations with and making
his bride-to-be known to Digby's good
friend, the Reverend Mr.. Wright.
Embarrassment worked confusion
with the young mans perceptive facul.
ties. AS this moment approached
gone through fire and flood, literally.
as we'll as iguratively, for each 9th
er's sake, incredulity drew q veil be-
fore his vision. He viewed the world
as in a glass. darkly.
He was aware Of a decently fur.
nished minister's study; of two wit
nesses in the" guise of unassuming
womenfolk of the minister's house
hold; of the Rev. Mr.. Wright himself
as a benevolent voice rolling ono
rously forth from a black-clad pres
ence; of the woman of his heart stand
ing opposite him; Of questions asked
and responses made; of a ring that
was magically conjured from some
store apparently maintained against
precisely similar emergencies; of q
hand that took the hand that was to be
his wife's and placed it in his; Of his
clumsy and witless bungling with the
task Of fitting that ring to the finger
of his sweetheart's hand
And then he was aware of a door
that banged violently in the hallway;
of the sound of q mans voice making
some indistinguishable demand; that
Roses hand was suddenly whipped
away. before he could at on the ring;
that the study door was flung open and
that this animal Of q Marrophat had
precipitated himself into the room.
He opened his mouth to protest.
and Marrophat silenced him with
cry.
"You fool! Drop that ring! Stop
this farce! Don't you know whom
you're marrying? That woman 10 Ju.
dith Urine. you idiot-not Rose!"
Blanhy Alan turned to the girl.
Her flaming face. her sullsn eyes.
her very pose. from which the man
ner Of Rose had dropped like . cast
garment. confessed the truth Of Mar.
rophat's assertion. And - II this were
not enough. Judith confessed 1t doubly
With . sudden outbreak Of such rage
90 never could have been brewed In
Roses gentle nature.
."You devil!" she cried-and threw
herself in front Of Narrophat with .
spring a. 1.-THE 90 that Of q leopardess.
take warning nov from me: keep
out Of my way forever after this-or
take the consequences! God knows,".
she painted, why I don't kill you %
you stand!"
He wa In her way. between her and
the open door. Che gavs him -
The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-06-25

SUI prise had gained the closed door
before they recovered and sought 70
stay him.
Indifferent to them all, he shook the
knob and shouted: Rose! Rose!"
Her cry came back to him, q muf-
ded cream: ALAN! Help! Help!"
Backing away with a mad idea Of
throwing himself bodily against the
door and breaking it down, he was sud-
denly confronted by a hideous mask Of
humanity-face Of man all misshapen,
bruised and swollen and disfigured
with smears of dried blood and a dirty
bandage round his temples, but mono
the less vaguely recognizable.
The words that streamed from its
distorted lips drove recognition home.
Gee. fellers. look't who's here! II
It amt tn guy what threw me on'n
that gtrder this mornin,. Stand back
and let me kill TIL"
Without the hesitation of q heart
beat Alan swung heavily for the thugs
Jaw. The blow went solidly home.
The man fell like q poled OK.
P~andemonium ensued. Rallying to
their comrade, the rufians attacked
Alan with one mind and one intent.
Murder would have been done then
and there had it not been for q rotten
b~anister-rail. which gave way. precipi-
tating the lot to the ground floor Of
the hallway.
simultaneously the lamp on the wall
was struck from its bracket and
crashed to the floor, its glass we'll
breaking and loosing a food of kero-
sene to receive the burning wick. The
explosion followed instantly. In q
trice the hallway was a lake Of burn
ing oil. and hungry flames were lick
ing up the rotting wallpaper and eat
ing into decayed baseboards and stair
treads.
Still fighting like a madman. con-
testing every foot Of the way. Alan
was borne down the hall and out of
the front door. A scream of "Fire!"
greeted him as he reeled out into the
open. 1t was echoed by q dozen
Threats.
The doorway vomited men and
women of the tenement. They choked
it for a time, blocking both egress and
ingrees. BY the time they broke out
and left the way clear a solid wall Of
fame stood behind it.
Thrice Alan essayed to pass that
barrier of fire, and thrice it threw him
back. Then, struggling and kicking
to release himself and try again, he
was seized by a brace of able-bodied
policemen and rushed fifty feet from
the house before let go.
Lack of breath checked him momen-
tarily.
He looked up, dashing from his
smarting eyes tears drawn by the
sitting clouds of smoke, and saw
vaguely at the second story window .
woman leaning out and shrieking for
help.
That it was hopeless to attempt the
staircase he we'll knew. Drawing
aside, he endeavored to come to his
sober senses, and cast about for some
more feasible way to effect the rescue
Of his Rose.
The tenement occupied one corner
Of, a narrow street. Directly opposite.
q storage warehouse stood upon the
other corner. Before this last was the
common landing stage for truck de-
liveries, protected by q shed-roof.
And, suspended from a timber that
peered out v the caves, a hosting
Corpus Christi caller and daily herald. [volume] (Corpus Christi, Tex.) 1911-1917, 1915-06-29
eAApreR ".

Mr. barclay couldn't help being
fond 81 rommy but IN some Ways
Tommy proved AN awful dinappoint
mcnt 20 hlm
Adopted by thV millionaire, hts namc
changed 20 that Of his adaptive father
and brought up 20 be an arls,ocrat OF
wealth, Tommy had no interest IN
money except 70 spend IT, don't moan
that he Was especially wasteful OF
especially aNtfavRnnnt but only that
re took no interest 81 how the money
pad been gathered OF how Il could DO
made 70 work He was much moro
h.icFcaled ia horses and boats and
dogs md shooting than h any az MS
patrons financial aifairs
Mr. Barclay dld nog expect too much
% Tommy and soon saw that What
little be did expect ne wan not likely
10 Fet hot no WAS very fond 90 him
and tried 20 mako the best u him
Tommy spent an his leisure ,lu:e PLAY
ing polo or tennis or dashing on or
hunting trlpa, and soma fourteen o.
fifteen years after this story opers h
became very mitch Interested In Miss
Nary blackstone.
lie hadn't forgotten the little Ames