davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05
Copyright, 1914, by Louis Joseph Vance

you should have failed. There is some
thing beneath this, something yor
will not tell me-"
She endeavored to speak, but he en-
forced silence with sonorous MOI
His hand sought the row Of buttons
on the desk and pressed one long.
Almost instantly a servant glideC
noiselessly into the room.
MY daughter Rose-have hel
brought here to me at oncei"
In another moment the replica OF
his daughter Judith was ushered into
his presence.
Upon this one he loosed the light
nings of his wrath without ruth
Rose suffered him in silence His
most CALLING recrimination educed no
retort from this one
In lull in Trine's TRADE, Judith
chose to interject: Don't be so hard
on the silly fool: she's not responsible;
she's sick with love for that cookbook
ing simpleton!"
And you!" Rose turned on her
ssionately-"what about you? If /
love Alan Law, at least l love him
openly. I am not ashamed to own it
and don't pursue him, as you do, pre-
tending l mean to sacrifice him to a
wicked family feud, and then spare
him every time l meet him, to lead
him to believe | haven't the heart to
lnJure him-as you do, hoping so to
work upon his sympathies and earn
kindly word and a pat on the head
from his hand!"
Fiercely she leveled a denunciatory
arm at her sister '"Therei" she cried
to her father-'if you need to know
there stands the daughter who has
betrayed your faith-as l have not,
who have never even pretended to
approve your villainy!"
Il think" Urine announced in a
voice Of ice-'I have learned now
what l needed to know"
His fingers sought the row of but
tons; and when a servant responded,
he inquired:
Mr.. Marrophat has returned?"
He is in the waiting room, sir"
Conduct Miss Judith to him and
tell him l hold him personally respon-
sfble for her safe-keeping. He will
understand"
And for a long time thereafter the
father, alone with the daughter who
had been estranged from him since
birth by every instinct of her nature
essayed in vain to break down her
mutinous silence.
At last Urine summoned two Of his
creatures and had her led weeping
from the rooms to be held prisoner in
her bedchamber on the topmost floor
of the house.
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05

"Perhaps-perhaps!" Digby assent
ed, stroking tremulous lips "But I'm
afraid for you, my boy. Who knows
that Trine's spies were not watching
my man when he made this reserva-
ton? Who knows but that Arthur
Lawrence was too thin a disguise for
Alan Law? l tell you, I'm frightened
to the marrow of my old bones! Do
me this favor at least, my boy: now
that you've been warned, whether by
accident or design-we won't argue
that-do leave town-go incognito to
some quiet place near by and wait
there for the sailing of the next trans.
atlantic steamer. Oh, surely you can't
deny me this one wish Of my fond old
heart, my boy!"
With a gesture of unfeigned affec-
ton Alan dropped a hand on Digby's
shoulder.
There's nothing on earth / would
not do for you," he said: you've been
father and mother to me ever since
l can remember, even if we we're sepa-
rated, most Of the time, by three thou
sand miles of salt water. But this
thing-I can't do it, even for you I
can't do it even for myself. Rose
Urine is here in New York, in the
hands and at the mercy of her father
and sister: and you may judge what
their mercy will be when you learn
all that she has done for me. / won't
go and l can't go until l find her and
take her with me. And that is final"
Then" Digby struck in, grasping
wildly at a straw of hope, 81 have your
word you'll go, providing l find and re-
store Rose to your
"You have my word to that, unques-
tionably. Bring Rose to me, and I'll
gladly shake the dust of New York
from my shoes, and never return till
Urine is put away comfortably in his
grave"
at shall be DONE" Digby promised.
'It must!"
you believe that?"
TN twelve hours Rose shall be re-
stored to you
"Will you make a book on it? I'll
bet you something happens-and hope
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05
AIan's Appearances at the Hotel Mono 18th.

I lose into the bargain. If you believe
you can carry out your promise, wire
the White Star line to reserve the
best available suite on the Oceanic,
sailing tomorrow morning at ten
and make arrangements for a mar
rage before the boat sails
"I'll go you" Digby agreed: "and if
| fail, l forfeit the cost Of the reser-
walton. But about this marriage"
He hesitated.
you'll have to have a license in
this state-and can't get one except
by applying in person with your bride
to-be There won't be time"
"Then we'll marry in Jersey!" Alan
insisted. dig up some clergyman over
there, if you don't know one your
self"
ooh, I'm well acquainted with the
very mani"
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05

arm was terrific. He doubted If he
could maintain it for another minute.
Nor was there any reason why he
should retain it. The end he had de-
signed for his victim was merely his
just desert
AND yet Alan could not let him go.
Thus the battle began anew-but
now 1t was a battle with a man half
crazed and struggling so madly that
he Well-nigh frustrated the efforts of
his rescuer.
In the upshot the assassin lay like a
limp rag across the girder, head and
arms dangling on one side, legs and
feet on the other, spent with his ter
rlhc exertions and physically sick with
terror.
And in this state Alan left him: he
mad done enough; let the man shift
for himself from this time on.
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05
WORLDLY WISDOM

Health is wealth-except for the
doctor
Perhaps a mollycoddle is a male
manicure artist.
When man has failed at every
thing else he poses as a critic.
1t is easy to forgive your enemies
after getting square with them.
When a woman looks at her
watch she guesses what time it is
The success of the self-made man
is due to self-made opportunities.
"Know thyself!" and you will
probably not feel proud of the ac-
quaintance.
A girl might do worse than con-
slider the oculist in her search for
the eye-deal man. Ouch!
Occasionally you meet man
who is so courteous that he is &C
tually polite to his own wife.
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05
ON SECOND THOUGHT

A mans favorite form of exercise is
patting himself on the back
The university of hard work is the
finest educational institution.
A husband is a human being whom
his wife abuses in private and brags
on in public.
There are no modest men, but some
give a sufficiently lifelike imitation of
modesty to fool the people.
The fact that an opportunist is born
every minute makes business good for
those who have gold bricks to sell.
In a small town a man is considered
a free spender if he patronizes the
barber shop more than twice a week.
A man works his head off in an eff
fort to secure a certain job and finally
lands it. After which it is announced
that he has decided to accept the no
sition rendered him.-Topeka Capital.
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05
CHAPTER XIV.
The Time o. Night

Not ill-p1eased to be left to his own
devices (whose proposed character
Digby would never have approved had
he so much as suspected them) Alan
none the less deferred action until
after midnight.
And espionage was all he feared
save and except always, of course, fail
ure to find his Rose.
1t was about one in the morning
when he arrived inconspicuously (but
not so much SO as to seem deserving
Of police surveillance) in the neigh
borhood Of the Riverside drive home of
his mortal enemy, grim white house
that lowered, stark and tall, upon a
corner.
His preliminary reconnaissance pro-
vided little more than comfortless ex-
ercise. Huge, still, its wall bathed in
the milk and ink of moonlight and
shadow, all it's windows dark but
one and that one, in the topmost tier,
showed only a feeble glimmer, so slight
that Alan almost overlooked it.
But once discovered, it focused upon
itself his thoughts with a power little
less than hypnotic
He believed with small doubt that
Rose was a prisoner within those
walls; that Judith must have con-
veyed her there with all speed.
And this being the presumptive case,
that small, high window of the light
might well be hers.
/. Directly across the street from the
| Urine residence, on the opposite cor
ner, a colossal apartment structure
stood half-finished, stonework to its
second story, gaunt iron skeleton rear
| ing above.
To his infinite disgust, Alan found
| the guardian very wide awake, very
much on the job: no chance here to
steal unseen into the building.
This in itself might have been
| deemed a suspicious circumstance:
not for nothing does an honest night
watchman so deny the laws Of nature
| and the tenets Of his craft. But Alan
merely praised the man while cursing
the very fact Of his existence; and, ac-
costing, overcame with bank-notes
what seemed an uncommonly stubborn
reluctance, and got his way
| He could not know that another
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05

window, she was dressed and clam
bered out upon the sill.
Sweetheart! My bravest little
woman!"
The hook hung steadily within six
inches of the window-ledge. Alan ex-
tended his arm.
Nothing to fear, except lest hold
you too tight, dear one!"
Without a word Judith set her foot
beside his in the hook, surrendered 10
his embrace, and closed her eyes.
Immediately they were swung away
from the window, over toward the OPP
posite sidewalk, and gently lowered to
the street.
"Maybe this isn't a good scheme!"
Alan exulted in the innocence of his
heart. "But / think it is. And those
workingmen think it a great lark
told them the simple truth, you see.
that we were eloping!"
By way of answer Judith breathed
only a word of tenderness.
And that instant the hook paused
and Alan stepped off upon the side
walk.
Safe and southland not a soul
over there the wiser as yeti" he de-
cIared with a derisive nod toward the
home of Trine. Come along. Here's
q limousine waiting. In twenty min
utes we'll be at the ferry, in forty over
in Jersey, within an hour married.
within four hours safe at seal"
(TO BE CONTLNUED0
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05
CHAPTER XIII.
A Sporting Offer.

Some two hours later, that same
evening, Mr.. Alan Law, very much
alive and, in spite of a complete new
outfit of ready-made clothing, looking
much more like himself than he had
in a fortnight, issued forth from the
Grand Central station, hailed a taxi
cab, and had himself conveyed to the
Hotel Monolith.
But if he looked his proper self once
more, it speedily was demonstrated
that his wish was otherwise: for after
learning from the room-clerk of the
Monolith that suite was being held
in the name Of Arthur Lawrence, that
was the name Mr.. Law inscribed on
the register.
name that he gave to the person whom
he called upon the telephone immedi-
ately after being shown to his rooms.
But then he was speaking to his old
friend and man of business, Mr.. Digby.
Within another ten minutes this last
was in conference with his employer:
II think you must be out of your
head" he insisted nervously, once
their first greetings we're over "You
might just as sensibly throw yourself
from the top of the Metropolitan tower
as come to New York while Urine lives
and knows you're this side the water"
NONSENSE" Alan laughed. "Remem-
Der this is New York-not the back
woods Of Maine!"
Alan paused and smote his palm
with a remorseful fist. "By the Eter-
nal, I'm forgetting Barcusl"
"Barcus?"
Chap whose boat I chartered in
Portland-sheer luck on my part: he's
one of the salt of the arth. First.
something must be done for the how
You've got influence of some sort in
New Bedford, surely?"
Digby reflected: Some. There's
George Blaine, justice of the peace"
"The very man. Telegraph him in
Barcus' interests Immediately. And
telegraph Barcus as well-send him
a hundred for expenses, and tell him
to join me here in New York as quick
as he canl"
Your friends address," Digby in
CURED, mildly ironic as he sat down
at the desk and fumbled with the sup
ply of stationery.
New Bedford Jail, Of course!" Alan
chuckled-but cut his laugh in two as
something fluttered from the pack of
envelopes which Digby had disturbed
and fell to the floor between the two
men.
Face up, it grinIed sardonic mock
cry Of Alan's confidence: it was q trey
of hearts
With an ashen face and q TREMBLING
hand, Digby stopped to pick the
damned thing up; but Alan was be-
forehand with him, and got his fingers
first upon the card.
Nov will you believer" Digby de-
manded huskily.
In what? A simple coincidence ?''
Alan flouted. Not II Who knows I'm
In New York-or that the Arthur Law
renee for whom your agent engaged
these rooms was Alan Law. No. nv
friend: it's bit too thick for me. Take
my word for it, this is nothing more
nor less than souvenir of a poker
party held by yesterdays tenant of
this SUITE
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05
CHAPTER xxi.
The House Divided.


Alone in that strange place of ST.
lence and shadows-that den Of the
devils livery, crimson and black
chained to the invalid chair wherein,
day in, day out, for years on end, he
had suffered the Promethean torments
of the life that would not die out of
his wretched, wrecked carcass, though
without ceasing sharp-beaked envy,
hatred, malice and all uncharitable-
ness pecked insatiably at his vitals:
Seneca Urine sat waiting, with the inn
passivity Of a craven figure waiting
on the imminent hour of ultimate
arrangement for the wrong that had
made him what he was.
Another hour! In sixty
minutes more they will be here, Judith
and Marrophat and Rose-poor fool!
and him! In sixty minutes
more they will put him down before
me, bound and helpless, if not dead
slight pause prefaced words that
were whimpered prayer: God send
that he be not dead! Have l fingered
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05

all true lovers, and cast it from him
with all his might-with such force
that it almost unseated him at the end
Of the swing. But nothing less would
have served to bridge that yawning
chasm.
And the watch flew straight and
true, squarely through the lighted win
dow and to the further wall.
At that very instant of his exultation
over an obstacle overcome, he heard a
sound behind him of heavy breathing
The assassin had come that close
upon his prey when Alan turned and
discovered his peril.
The same moonbeam which had
aided Alan in the composition of his
message struck across the others face.
and showed it like hideous Chinese
mask of deadly hatred, with it's eye
balls glazing and it's lips drawn back
from the naked blade gripped between
its teeth-a stiletto nothing short of a
foot in length.
With a sharp, startled movement,
Alan swung himself bodily about, so
that, seated again astride the girder,
he faced the assassin who sat I'D,
straddling the girder, his feet hooked
beneath it stiletto poised in his
right hand to strike.
But even now Alan was in little or
no better case than before. If he faced
the thug, he faced him with no arms
other than his bare hands. He had not
even a pen-knife in his pockets.
With a low cry of desperation Alan
snatched off his hat, a soft and shape
less felt affair, and flung it squarely in
the fellows face.
Before he could recover-before,
that is, it dropped away and cleared
his vision, Alan had bent forward and
grasped the wrist of the hand that
held the knife.
He snatched simultaneously at the
other hand, but it eluded him.
Alan had this advantage, as long as
the knife might not strike-that his
right arm was free, while the assassin
had only his left. With this he strove
persistently to reach his knife-hand
and possess himself of the weapon
AS persistently Alan foiled his purpose
by dragging the knife-hand toward him
and swinging it far out to one side. At
the same time he struck repeatedly
with his clenched right fist at the 9TH
er's face. His blows did little dam
age beyond disconcerting the other;
but this proved a very considerable
factor in the duel. In the end, they
served together with that steady, re-
sistless downward and outward drag,
to break the grip of the mans locked
legs.
Abruptly he pitched forward on his
face along the girder. kicking wildly,
grasping at the air. The stiletto fell
from an instinctiveIy relaxed grasp,
and disappeared. And before Alan
could release his hold, or ease the
strain upon the right arm of the as
sassin, this last had slipped bodily
from the girder and hung helpless in
space, dangling at the end of Alan's
arm-with no more than the grip Of
five fingers between him and death.
The shock of that unpresaged turn
brought Alan forward and fat on his
stomach. And the strain on his left
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05
FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW

Great Britain and Ireland consume
30,000,000 rabbits as food annually.
Technically speaking, hairs
breadth is IL ten-thousandths of an
inch.
A large restaurant in Hamburg is
housed in building made of COM
pressed paper.
Nearly all of the work in one of Ger
many's greatest breweries is done by
electricity.
A new type of electric meter is de-
signed to be read from outside
building using it.
The Norwegian government main
ta1ns an agricultural college and three
experiment stations
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05
Rose Turned on Her Passionately.


here in anguish all these weary years
for the fulfillment of my revenge only
to be cheated at the end by Death?
God grant that Alan Law may be laid
down still living here at my feet!
Inen
A bitter smile twisted his tortured
features: Then shall my will be done
to him! And then, when | have seen
him die as his father died-then-Ah
God!-then at last l too may die!
There was a long silence, then a
groan of exasperated protest: why
do they not come? Why does Judith
delay, when she knows how l suffer?
Why have l been put off from day to
day with her kilograms that begged
for more time and promised every
thfng-but told nothing until yester-
day. Where are those mes
sages she sent me yesterday"
His one sound hand groped out like
claw and sought a mass of papers
on the desk beside him, sorting out
from among them two yellow forms.
Painfully he blinked over these and
slowly his pain-bent lips conned their
wording;
Allan and Rose safe with me-wiu
bring both home tomorrow night with
out fall he read the first aloud; and
then the second: Have motorcar
waiting for me tomorrow morning
from three o'clock till called for New
Bedford waterfront-Judith.'
MOI" he affirmed with the feryor
of one persuaded by his own desires:
I must not doubt the grill She has
promised. she has performed
So still was he, indeed. that he
seemed to sleep, but so deceptive was
that semblance that he was alert for
the least sound. The girl entered soft
ly, as If fearful of disturbing his slum-
bers; but she found him with head
erect and eyes a-blaze.
Judith" he cried, his great voice
vibrating like brazen bell AT last
Where is he? You have brought him?
Where is he?"
With no more answer than a sigh.
the girl dropped her head and let her
hands hang Imply with palms ex-
posed.
After an instant of incredulous dis
appointment the man shot a single,
frigid question at her:
You have failed?"
81 have failed" she confessed
"Why?"
She shrugged slightly. Who knows
why one fails? did my best: he was
too much for me, outwitted me at
every turn. Time and again 1 thought
] had him, but always he escaped,
either by his own wit and courage or
with another's aid. Only yesterday
night they were all three in the hol-
low of my hands-but now bring you
only Rose"
She faltered, awed by the glare of
his infuriated eyes. Let me explain"
she begged.
He snapped her short: You cannot
explain. The thing is impossible, that
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05

/
gown Judith produced a sealed deck OF
playing cards. LET these declare the
will of Destiny toward us. l will break
the seal, shuttle the cards, and deal,
she explained, suiting action to word.
! The one who gets the trey of hearts
will drain that glass. Is it a bar
gain?'
"Never! Oh, now know that you
are altogether mad!"
Perhaps. Are you ready?" And
Judith made as if to deal.
"No-never! l tell you / refuseh'
Rose chartered, terrified.
You dare not refuse"
''Why?"
Because of this"
Whipping small revolver from al,
other pocket of her dressing gown, Ju
dith placed it on the table, ready t.
her hand.
you will shoot me if / do not con
sent?"
Not you-but him. If you refuse,
little sister, l will shoot Alan Law
dead when he comes to keep his ap-
polntment with YOU"
All" Rose cried in mingled fright
and amazement. How did you find
out?"
Never mind Is it bargain, now,
about the trey, of hearts? Remember
l shall keep my word about this pis'
toll"
With shudder Rose bowed her
head.
Deal, - she muttered fearfully, "and
may God judge between u.s."
One by one she stripped the cards
from the top of the deck, dealing first
to Rose, then to herself.
One by one they fluttered to the
table on either side the glass of poison,
and fell face uppermost.
Twelve had been dealt when she
held her hand an instant.
I have a premonition about thir-
teen," she said with a cruel smile for
Rose. Il am sorry"
But the card that fell to Rose was a
queen of hearts.
Another superstition gone to
smash" Judith commented, ironic-
and dealt herself the trey of hearts.
There was an instant of silent dread,
ended by Rose, as Judith's hand moved
steadily toward the glass.
Judith" she implored Don't
beg of you'll didn't mean i'll take
back my consent"
TOO late!" said Judith, lifting the
ole
strange smile.
Judith! you cannot mean to drink
it,"
Cant I, thought the other laughed
mirthlessly. Just watch mel"
With strangled cry Rose covered
her face with her hands to shut out
the sight, stood momentarily swaying,
and dropped to the floor in complete
faint.
Delaying only to recognize this phe-
nomena with a plying smile for the
weakness of spirit that caused it, Jul
dith's glance darted through the win
dow and saw that which caused her to
stay her hand an instant longer.
On the topmost tier of Orders of the
building opposite, Alan Law stood
amid a little knot of amused and ami
mated laborers, one foot in the great
steel hook of the hosting tackle, both
hands clasping the chain that linked
it to the gigantic block
And as Judith stared, he smiled at
something said by one of those about
him, looked back, and waved a hand
to some person invisible.
Immediately the arm began to lift,
the tackle to move slowly through the
blocks. Very gently he was swung up
and outward.
With a cry Judith flung the poison
heedlessly from her, leaped across the
room, and snatched up the street gar
ments Rose had dropped at her sisters
entrance.
In another moment she was strug-
Cling madly into them.
Before the shadow of Alan, clinging
to the hook and chain. fell athwart the
The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05
THE "MRS. HARRlsEsv

Why is there a revival of the belief,
IN fairies, which do not exist?
Why is the sunken road of Chain,
which did not exist, the best-known
feature of the battle of Waterloo?
Why is William Tell, who did not
shoot an apple from his sons head,
world hero for shooting an apple from
his sons head?
Why is the sea serpent? Why
ghosts? Why the national heroes like
Arthur and Barbarossa, who are to
come again to lead their people?
1--WE look before and after and pine
for what is not" Perhaps that an,
swers the whys.-Kansas City Star.