davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1915-09-26

and your companion over to her resi-
dence, sir-
Il shall be delighted. Mr.. Mollison,
for to tell you the truth these cubes
interest me more than ever now that
1 have seen this sample of them. I
suppose you are aware of the fact
that this Is one Of those little sections
belonging to a toy known as a child S
box of building bricks. Mr. Mollison
Those little wedges and cubes and
rectangles made Of cement and intend
ed to amuse as well as to instruct the
human small Fry in the art of erect
ing archeS, temples and houses in ac-
cording to accompanying designs, and to
be purchased al any toy shop at prices
ranging from six pence to a guinea a
box. Take 1t and look at it. Now that
character is perfectly obvious. my dear
sir"
God bless my soul, why. so 1t is,
toy building brick and nothing more.
And now that you bring the matter to
my attention, Mr.. Cleek, recall the
fact that several such boxes were dis
tributed to the children of the parish
from our church tree at our last
Christmas celebration, sir. and I be-
lieye-indeed. I may say I am sure
that one of them fell tc the lot Of
pOOT DdVlO AdSSWdQe lttle son. on
becoming excited suddenly recall
more than that. now. recall the fact
that his mother told me she set him
out on the back doorstep with his toys
to amuse himself while she and his
grandmother set about making that
steak-and-kidney pudding, Mr. Cleek,
and, as he fell asleep there aE1 she
carried him up and put him to bed,
il Is quite possible that the toys were
left there and under the stress and
sorrow of after events were entirely
forgotten"
VERY likely agreed CIeek I'm
which case it will be fair to suppose
that the nocturnal visitant found them
there and carried them OF for the pur-
pose they have since been put to.
think We shall make no grave error, Mr.
Mollison, IL we conclude that the cubes
which have So terrified David I.assa.
wade's wife were supplied by her In.
FAINT son. think. too"-hazardins =
guess. which afterward was found IN
be correct-''that when We come to look
more closely into the matter We shal,
The Washington herald., 1915-09-26
IC(DCCUTU IUUUDY
K THE SCARLET CUBES :.


had set hard like stone. But, con-
trary to Cleek's expectations, it was
not scarlet by any means. Instead.
it was of a peculiar drabbish-fawn
color, with not so much as hint Of
red about it.
But I thought you told me the
cubes were scarlet" began Cleek,
glaneing up as the thing dropped on
to his palm, and he had need to say
no more, for Mr.. Mollison, too, had
remarked the color of it and was star
ing at it and scratching his ear per-
plexedly.
God bless my soul! What a
strange, what an amazing, transfor-
mation~ he bleated helplessly.
'Oh. but there are others-there are
several others. Mr.. Cleek. Mrs. Lass
wade has eight or nine Of them In the
exact state they were when left at
her door. If you will accept a seat in
the trap and allow me to drive you
The Washington herald., 1915-09-26

ground and literally hacked tc
pieces"
Il see! Pretty rough that on the
old lady. Lose any more in the same
way since"
mo. Not one, fortunately. for il
would have ruined her completely il
she had. 1t was all over and done
with that first night"
'H'n,! Just so. Then that would
argue that the-er-butcher, whoever
he may be, got what he wanted and
had no reason to return"
"Got what he'--God bless my soul,
Mr.. Cleek, you surely don't i'm
Imagination is my great weakness,
Mr.. Mollison. Don't attach any i'm
poratnce to my mental wanderings.
Let us shelve the assassinated ducks.
if you please and return to our NUT
tons-or, rather, to our scarlet cubes.
Did they, too, begin to present them
selves to notice on that first night
Or did they make their initial appear
ance at some time later?"
"Oh, later. Mr.. Cleek-two nights
later, in fact. Poor David's wife does
not know at what exact period they
were placed there, but she found them
on the back doorstep when she got up
in the morning"
Tell me about them if you can.
am deeply interested. You have seen
some of them, no doubt?'
More than seen, Mr.. Cleek. have
one of them on my person at this
moment. 1t belongs to the first set
poor Mrs. Lasswade received. l have
carried it in my pocket ever since.
Here it is if you would like to exam
inc it, sir"
He fumbled in his waistcoat pocket
for a moment or two, then drew out
between his thumb and forehnger the
cube in question and laid it upon
Cbek's outstretched palm.
1t was curious little thing of
about an inch square, heavy for its
size. and apparently made of some
mortsr-like substance which had been
poured into a mold and. on drying,
The Washington herald., 1915-09-26

When Mrs Lasswade ran over to his
mothers place to show her the let
ter and to tell her the news, naturally
the old lady was so excited she did
not know whether she was standing
on her head or her feet, and nothing
would do her but that she must 60
back with her daughter-in-law and be
there to greet David when he arrived.
That was before sunset, Mr.. Cleek.
Her little flock of ducks, fowls and
geese was still wandering about the
inclosure where she keeps it and she
was so excited she forgot to drive
them into their roosting quarters and
pen them up for the night; in fact, she
never even thought of them until she
returned, broken hearted. at twelve
o'clock at night. When she did think
of them and went out to pen them up
she found fourteen ducks, three hens
and nine geese lying dead on the
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-07-23
The banker detective 3
siole-Stepped, and caught
the madman'S wrist.

1ock on the trap-door opening to the
sky
I'm superintendent here. There's
my ROOM" said the man, kicking
open a nearby door, and pointing into
bare hall with three or four rooms
leading off it.
AS Poe looked in, a harsh voice
cried:
Hello! What are you up tor
Tracing the raucous voice to huge
wicker cage sitting in one corner, the
banker saw sedate, grim-faced par
rot blinking at him from it.
by the way, was going to ask
where you keep the key to that roof
door,"
"Oh, right here!" smiled the janitor,
in reply to the abrupt question, point
ing to nail on the kitchen door on
which hung several keys. tits the
top one; them other two Is insists. My
woman keeps 1t handy to hang out her
clothes"
81 see," answered Poe, STOPPING be-
fore the corner cage to say, Hello,
Polly!"
Hello yourself, and see how you
like it! Oh, you kid" Polly cackled
back.
Don't pay no attention to him, SIR"
said the janitor nervously. HE don't
mean nothin' by it. Some Of the
boys teaches him that talk"
"The boys? What boys do you
mean ?" asked Poe.
"Oh, there's some always hangs on
behind the stage, sir. There's Billie
that used to do song an dance, an
Professor Hertz that walked on with
an animal turn one time, an the HUI.
man Frog-all old friends Of mine Ii
manner Of speakin'. They belong to
the buildin' as much as ! do; most OF
EN- seen better times an they can't
get away from stage props. They
sometimes comes up here fer can o
beer an a little friendly game q
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-07-23
pinochle. IT'S happy-go-lucky place,

pinochle. It's happy-go-lucky place,
sir
Il see. Play poker too?" asked
Poe, taking out his pencil, and work
ing white poker chip along the bot
tom of Polly's cage toward the wires.
Polly snapped at the chip with her
beak, but finally Poe managed to ex-
tract it, and hold it up for the janitor
to see, Polly screaming:
"Helloi What are you up to-"
No. They amt none Of 'em plays
poker here" The janitor scratched
his head, and looked at the chip. Don't
know where she could "a picked that
up. 1t weren't here yesterday, That's
the trouble of keepin' birds where
folks goes an comes as they pleases"
You're sure that chip wasn't there
yesterday
Yes; | cleaned her cage"
DO any of the boys you speak Of
play poker anywhere?" queried Poe
quickly.
"Oh, l s'pose so. Some of 'em amt
got nothin' else to do-the Human
Frog, for instance; he amt had an en-
gagement in twenty years"
'All right. thank you," replied Poe,
stepping to the door, and making a
mental note of the relative position Of
the parrots cage and the key hanging
on the wall. He slipped the janitor a
half-dollar, turned, and hurried abrupt
ly down the stairs.
On the street again Poe walked up
Broadway, and entered a saloon near
Forty-second street, well known as a
rendezvous of the sporting fraternity.
"Slivers!" Poe beckoned aside a
fiaccid-faced man, with a confidence
begetting iron-gray mustache who was
leaning against the bar chewing a
tooth-pick.
Slivers, "picker-up" for gambling
house in the neighborhood, bowed
and hurried to Poe's side, glancing up
at him in the swift, anxious manner
of fortune-follower seeming some
thing in the shape of oblong money.
Poe extracted the poker chip he had
rescued from Polly's cage, and held it
toward Slivers on the palm of his
hand. 1t was quite distinctive coun-
ter, thick and misunderstanding, with
three minute rings of red in the cen
ter
What house uses this style chip"
queried Poe.
Slivers took it in his hand, and look
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-07-23
He threw the MISUNDERSTANDING dow

He threw the window-grating down
disgustedly, and glanced up at the wall
of the theater opposite. There wax
fire-escape jutting out about two fleet
beyond the line of the building, AMIDST
opposite the middle ventilating win
dow in the bank and only two feet
lower down, but eighteen feet away
The flicker Of an idea flashed in Poe's
violet eyes; he entered the lobby of
the theater, and with some difficulty
obtained permission to explore the
seldom-used fire-escape.
Standing on the narrow landing, out
side second-story window, he learned
that the fire-escape was of the self
adjusting, counter-balance order-an
arrangement devised so that the low
est section would connect with the
ground only when actually needed.
The iron stairs formed a ladder about
fifteen feet long, which jutted straight
out from the fire-escape landing, and
was balanced by weights in such a
way that when a person stepped out
on the horizontally placed ladder it
went down with the weight and
reached the ground, readily righting
itself again.
Poe tested the working of the extern
sion stair-ladder, and calculated with
quick eye that if an agile man were
to run out rapidly, not giving the
ladder much time in which to descend
with his weight, he might, if he were
wonderfully dexterous of limb, fall fiat
forward from the end of the descend
ing ladder and catch at the ledge to
the middle window in the bank op-
posite. thus spanning an apparently
unbridgeable gap of eighteen feet.
Having assured himself that this
was possible, Christopher Poe climbed
the four flights of fireescape stairs,
and finally emerged on the theater
roof There he inspected the door
leading below, and found 1t securely
locked from the inside. Then he made
a circuit of the roof space, search
ing everywhere for certain traces he
hoped to discover, but finding moth
ing. He seemed disappointed in this,
and made a second careful search, but
that too proved fruitless.
Without further loss Of time he
hurried down the fire-escape, entered
by the window that had been opend
for him, and asked the janitor to take
him up the inside stairway. The man
did so, and Poe examined the pad
Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-07-23

ed at it highly conservative, formal,
and judicious length of time, to assure
Poe 1t was quite a balanced profes-
sional verdict he was forming.
They use those at the Judges an
Doc Lyman's," he answered finally.
Most likely this came from the
Judges. / think there's only one ring
on 'em at the Docs; they amt as
good, they're seven penny-weight or
so lighter, and cost about fifty cents
box less. Why? Thinkin' Of openin'
little quiet hotel game? Don't want
the services of an A Number"
mo, thanks! I'm in a hurry.
the boys drink" replied Poe, picket
ing the chip, and slipping sman bill
into the thirst-trembly hand of Slivers.
Hurrying over to his rooms just off
Fifth avenue and Fffty-fifth street,
Poe found small, neat package await
ing him. 1t was the thumb from Doc
tor Robinson, the bruised skin nicely
replaced, and the whole covered with
glass-like substance which made it
easy to handle and much less dis
agreeable.
Poe dropped down before study
table, and turned on the strong cleo
trio light above. He held the glass
encased thumb in his fingers, and
studied it carefully, finally tracing an
outline Of 1t on a piece of paper.
Below the drawing he made few
notes, as follows, before adding it to
his collection Of reproductions
Classification; dubbed Thumb.
characteristics, on comparison:
Wf1ful. brutal, unreasoning, un-
comfortable temper, vicious, lack
Of reasoning powers-paralysis,
unbalanced, partial insanity.
He leaned forward over the glass
covered thumb and the poker chip,
his eyeb fows held high, and two deep
wrinkles joining the corners Of his nos
trils and lips.
II The Human Frog! Let's see," he
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19
Luke MoLuke Says.

Luke McLuke Gays.
What has become Of the old fash
Toned man who used to part his hair
on the back of his head?
Some girls study art and literature
and make names for themselves. And
other girls study men and make names
for themselves by making the men pro-
pose
The trouble with having a fur lined
coat Is that If you button 1t up on a
cold day people won't be able to see
that 1t Is fur lined.
About one man In each 10000 is sat
Istied. The other 9.999 either nave too
much or not enough.
No matter how fast a girl Is fleeing
from temptation she always pulls up
right In front of a milliner's window.
A widow wouldn't any more think OF
marrying a nan on n days notice
than would a romantic young girl
The widow wants to hear the same old
line Of counting blk all over again, and
it listens just as good to her as 1t does
to the young girl.
A woman in Cleveland has twenty
seven children. I'll bet 1t makes her
mad all over every time she sees a
picture of a stork.
The kiss that is a semioccasional
privilege tastes much sweeter than the
caress that Is a daily duty.
You can't tell what is inside of a
woman's head by looking at her face.
But If the face is painted you can get
a pretty good clew-
A man who leaves college with Alb,
AM. LII. B.. LII. NJ, and a string Of
other degrees tagged on to his name
imagines that he is some big dog.
Then he will go and get married. and
his wife will add the P. d. degree to
the list And P. d. means poor dub.
Every man knows a lot of remedies
that he is always recommending to
other people but wouldn't think of TAX
ing himself.
Gasoline will remove grease spots
from clothes. And it will also clean
the pockets in the clothes II you own
a car.
A Chicago university high brow
asks: Can a man be happy alone?'
He can. but not If his wife knows It
Mother can always find out what ia
Their did when he stayed out until 3
a m. She let's him tell all the things
he did and then she knows that he did
all the things he was afraid to men
tion.
If a man is as old as his jokes. poor
old MethuseIah will have TO go get a
reputation. There are a lot of fellows
who make him look like a pilzer when
It ONE to real longevity.
In the drama Of life the leading man
marries the leading lady and then hol-
lers because she doesn't come up to her
advance notices.
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19
Aunt Agatha's
Diplomacy
Proved Wanting When an
Emergency Arose
By cLARISsA MAcKIE

my dear Agatha said James Hem
inway, as he sat down in one of his
sisters green brocade chairs and placed
his hat on the polished mahogany
table. Il haven't come to stay: | merely
ran down to Glenwood to ask your ad-
vice and cooperation"
II suppose it's Dorothy" said Miss
Heminway, settling her fat form fuss
lily in an easy chair.
Its Dorothy again." admitted Hem
inway, with a troubled frown. You
know, Agatha. that my girl is a bit In
dependent-like Yourself" he smiled
ruefully, land that is why u wills so
often clash. Now it is a matter of mar
rage"
"Marriagep shrieked Agatha. Don't
tell me that child has eloped with
somebody
mo: whatever put that notion into
your head?' demanded Heminway Inn
patiently. 'She has been engaged to
Dick Forester for three months. You
knew that?"
Agatha nodded. "She wasn't happy
a bit about it, either" she said seri-
ously.
Agatha, you knew Dick and Dor
othy were fond of each other" protest
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19


ed Heminway. growing rather red
about the ears.
"In a brotberly and sisterly sort of
way, or with the affection of cousins"
argued Agatha firmly. II will say that
Dorothy tried to obey you that time,
James, although any n could see that
the child was unhappy about it. Now,
tell me. what is the present trouble?"
A"Dorothy has broken her engage
ment to Dick-and she has fallen in
love with my chauffeur"
with your chauffeur cried Agatha
in a horrifed zone that gratifed her
brothers injured feelings. Not that
chattering Frenchman-Henri?"
"No-no-give my girl credit for some
good taste" cried Heminway impa-
tiently. Henri left six months ago
and since then I've had a young chap
from Colorado. Woodruff by name.
He's the best chauffeur | ever had.
knows a machine from A to u. Quiet.
dependable sort of fellow. and what
does Dorothy do but take a fancy to
him and he to her-Agatha, he had the
audacity to come to mi yesterday
morning and that he loved
my daughter and asked permission to
marry heri"
James,! shrieked Agatha. trying to
suppress a thrill of warmth at the
recital of this romance in real life.
Eyes" said James grimly. "he had a
splendid nerve. There was only one
thing to do. and l did it,
"What was that?"
'Fired him on the spot" snapped
Heminway, arising and pacing the floor
n~ervously. After he had g~one-and,
confound the puppy, he took his dis
missal in a quiet sort Of way; he was
more self controlled than LATTER he
had gone, why, Dorothy came running
down and l told her about it. expect
ing she would be highly indignant at
his presumption in aspiring to her
heart and hand"
"And what did she have to say?"
asked Agatha eagerly.
AT first she cried because I had dis
missed him; then she 1ared up and
said she loved him and that she would
never marry any else, and right
under my very nose she telephoned to
Dick and broke of her engagement
with him. It's a fearful mess" he
groaned.
"Poor Dick" sighed Agatha. Il sup
pose he Is broken hearted
Poor Dick doesn't seem to need your
sympathies. Aggie. 1t appears that
the engagement was something of a
burden to him as well as to Dorothy.
He had fallen in love with Cyrus
Blanks pretty little girl and he is
happy enough Owe the outcome. Seems
he has offered to stand by Dorothy and
her chauffeur. If necessary"
"Oh. oh" gasped agatha. feeling that
her well ordered world was turning
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19

admitted Mr.. Heminway. smiling. as
he gathered Dorothy in his arms.
He looked across Dorothy's sunny
head and straight into the brown eyes
of Mr.. Paul Kirk Woodruff. Il say
Paul. tEat really was an accident
breaking into Agatha's garden and
moving down her cherished fence and
her lavender plants?"
Paul Kirk Woodruff never wavered
an eyelash as he returned his future
father-in-law's hard stare.
How could you think otherwise.
sir?' he asked meekly. and Miss Aga
tina never knew why her brother grew
so hilarious over the simple answer.
But Miss Agatha got her little motor
car after all. for her brother declares
she is IAN unconscious diplomat" and
Agatha is still trying to understand
what James really meant.
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19

All the News That's Fit to Print.
humble peg is all the go.
Everybody Is looking bad since the
box supper
Rorned-To Mrs. James I. Black, a
bouncing girl.
j. ". Taylor recommends stock pow
ders for crooked legged hogs = Birdseye
Valley Argus
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19
Bits Of Byplay
BY Luke McLuke
Copyright, 1915. the Cincinnari
Enquirer
By Luke McLuke

Cheer Upi
The worlds a good old place So take
No fear Of your tomorrows:
II offers lots OF Joy TO make
Up for its passing sorrows.
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19

THate tHe HIgHt Iueas
The old fogy IS certainly an opti-
mist. remarked the Crouch.
THAT SOP" asked the boob.
III sure is replied the crouch. why.
he regards the number ID as the begin
ming of a new dozen"
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19
huhl

Our language Is a Joke. said Bings.
Il know a lot of men
Who say they will not stand for things.
And then they fall for them."
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19

She likes TO dabble IN bum stocks.
They keep her highly pleased.
For. though the market costs ner rocks.
She's always being squeezed
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19
Particular.

Particular.
FOR fresh Young men nave no use.
Said pietty Mary MieNen.
you may cali me d little goose.
But don't call me a chicken.
cincinnati Enquirer
AS long as you are out Of reaeh
We are content TO call Nou peach
Marietta Uu1 Register Leader
Names is Names.
Eta Mann ives al Otway. o.
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19
Is That Sol

contortionists shouid have much dough,
They are on Easy street:
They touch the forehead with the toe
And thus make both ends meet.
Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-02-19
What Is a Fair Rate?

We do not know what constitutes a
basis for rate making and have never
heard Of anyone who did claim tc
know much about 1t, but If the pros
perity Of the farm is a factor to be
considered and the railroad commits
sion concludes that an increase in
rates is necessary, W. would prefer
that it come to US through articles OF
consumption on their journey from
the factory to the farm. We would,
for example, prefer that the rate on
hogs remain as at present and the
rate on meat bear the increase, for
any farmer can then avoid the burden
by raising his WI meat, and a farm
er who will not try to raise his own
meat ought to be penalized. We
think the rate on coal and brick can
much better bear an increase than
the rate on cotton and -four. We
would prefer that the rate on plows
remain the same. and machinery,
pianos and such articles as the pool.
er farmer cannot hope to possess bear
the burden of increase.
The increase in rates should be SO
arranged that the farmer who lives
at home will bear no part If the bur.
den, but let the farmer who boards
in other states and countries and
who feeds his stock in foreign lands.
pay the price of his folly.