davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
THE MATCHMAKER OF MON
TREUlL.

Monsieur Pei was not a popular
man in Montreuil His neighbors
talked about him every day and shook
their heads gloomily when they did
so. Even the children hushed their
chatter when he went by, and it is re-
lated to this day, by the old inhab-
itants, that the dogs showed their
teeth and growled at the sight of him.
His habits and appearance were all
against him. For one thing, Pei would
have no traffic with his neighbo-S, fur
Their than to mend their watches AMI
clocks. He seemed to hate all man
kind. If the grocer or the notary babe
him good morning, Pels answer
Ger or the notary would mutter some
thing about the evil eye. If ever q
man had an evil face, that man was
Pei. His countenance was long and
hooked, and two little red, fiery eyes
glared with changeless hostility upon
all around him. His ears were large
and stuck out from his head like sails,
and his complexion was of the waxy,
bloodless hue Of a corpse.
His business was matchmaking; but
his passion was chemistry, and all his
spare hours were spent in his house
which presented a forbidding appear
ance. He had boarded up the lower
windows and the doors always were
barred and locked. He had a furnace
in the house, and often strange lights
of various colors and diabolical sug
gestion cleaned through the chinks IL
the window boards, and passers-by
could hear the wheeling of bellows
and the roaring Of flames. At times
Pei never left his house for days to
gether, and then the fire always was
roaring. At other times he would ap
pear on the streets in sober black gar
ments, his chest covered with ribbons
and ecorations-which he had made
himself. Then he would insist tina
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12

one Of those disappointed, for in in
telligence and fortune Burton was a
most eligible party.
The boys at the club were fond
Of jokes and the arrival of the month
with 20 days in it favored their
wicked designs.
Now, then, you want to rush the
program hot and heavy" was the
decision Of Ned Walton a tireless mis-
chief maker and therefore the plot to
give Burton a period of misery was
set in motion.
"A young lady called twice, sir, :"
was the announcement of his landlady,
two evenings later, when Burton came
home from the Office
He colored and fidgeted. Visits from
young ladies comprised proceeding
to which Burton was an utter
stranger. He could not even recall
where recently he had joined company
with a member of the opposite sex
so far as a single block on the public
streets.
'Er-that is strange. Leave any
name? All, perhaps nay sister from
Smithville."
oh, no, sir-I know her" disclosed
the landlady. She was yelled. Your
visitor was young and graceful and
acted very anxious to see you. 1t
struck me she was quite mysterious.
/ And when she left l noticed she joined
! two other ladies in the street"
Witnesses" gasped Burton to him.
self. IF all the crowd tell about the
/ outlandish exercise Of the leapyear
privilege by the female sex this
year is true, fear | am going to be
the object of some annoyance"
For three days Burton did not go
home to dinner. For three evenings
/ he went without a light in his room
and barricaded the doors. His "veiled
lady visitor" did not appear again
however. He began to feel relieved,
when a letter reached him.
It's pages were delicately scented
and the handwriting was exquisitely
dainty It's sentiments were burn
ing, protesting the ardent admiration
OF longing soul seeking life ideal,
and finding it in him. 1t promised
further epistles, it suggested that he
wear a pink carnation in his coat the
next day, in order that his correspond
ent might know that her continued
attentions might not be distasteful tC
him.
That especial morning Burton but
toned up his coat tightly and reached
his office by unfrequented byways
He stayed away from the club, he haC
serious thoughts of taking a vacation
When one day a bouquet was deliv
cred, he decided that affairs haC
reached the limit. He was so dis
turbed he decided to take a day off.
Burton made for the outskirts
craving for a days solitude in tn,
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
In Leap
Year
Y
Blu GEORGE COBB
3l9ll1l l3Q
Copyright. 1916, by W. G. Chapman.)


Copyright 1916, by w. G. Chapman.)
There were two predominating fea-
lures, dread and timidity, in the
thoughts and actions of Ralph Burton
as the leap year came in and he was
made the target of organized menace
and raillery on the part of those who
fancied they could play upon his
weaknesses.
You're a selected victim, Burton"
declared more than one of the little
town club Of which he was a member.
"Oh, he'll never escape through the
month" insisted others. You'd bet
ter keep away from the trap of So
cial functions"
Il rarely favor them" observed Bur,
ton gravely
And have a bodyguard," was the
further advice. Il understand that
the girls clubs laid out a regular
program, with dates and victims. Not
an unmarried man in the town will
escape"
yes, and a well-fxed individual
like Burton will be the especial OBJ,
ject Of persecution"
Ralph Burton smiled, but it was not
a natural smile. Nature had awarded
him a shrinking, self-deprecating ele.
ment, and he had never battled it. At
twenty-eight he found himself re
served young bachelor with an Unborn
veneration for all womankind, yet
bashful and retiring. II he had ever
loved, he had never been able tC
summon up the courage to confess
the fact to the object Of his adora
ton.
"A confirmed woman hater," was
the snappy ultimatum of more than
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12

1e was a professor Of the Sorbonne,
Ind that his chemical discoveries had
startled the world. A strange man was
Monsieur Pei; so strange that he was
sent to a lunatic asylum once and re-
NAMED there for year or two, after
which experience he resumed his
matchmaking and his chemical expert
ments.
1t was thirty odd years ago that a
woman named Elise Boehmer con-
sented to accept a situation as house
keeper in the Pei establishment. This
was just after the watchmaker's sec
ond wife and her mother had made a
sudden and mysterious exit from the
house. The second wife and her moth
er were wretchedly i'll when this hap
pened, and they remained in the
aeighborhood only long enough to re-
cuperate sufficiently to travel. They
we're not communicative. The most
they would say was that they thanked
God they had got away from that
house alive.
This circumstance increased the IN
popularity of Pei. What was going
on in his house, that two women
talk that way?
The friends Of Elise Boehmer tried
to persuade her not to take the job
It would be far better for her to work
herself to death as a charwoman than
to be associated in any way with q
man who certainly was in league with
the powers of darkness. But Elise
laughed at such advice. She had a
mind of her own. The mystery of the
Pei home attracted her. Moreover
she was zig, strong woman, and the
matchmaker was thin and frail, and
II he attempted any funny business
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12

credited her death to the eating OF
poisonous mushrooms. Investigation
showed that she had died Of poison
This was bad enough, but worse was
to follow. Another doctor remembered
that he had treated Pel's mother fol-
a similar complaint and she had died
The mothers body was disinterred,
and experts decided that she had died
of poison. It was soon made evident
that the inhuman wretch had killed
his own mother to get possession of
the little property she owned, which
he could not touch while she lived.
Then it was Remembered that two
girls who had gone to work for Pei,
in 1872 and 1878, had disappeared and
were seen no more, after a short serv'
ice with him. There could be no
doubt that they had met the fate Of
Elise Boehmer, or something similar,
but no great effort was made to trace
the facts in these cases.
Pei was tried at the Melun as
sizes, and distinguished French au
thor who was there wrote of the pris
oner: Those eyes never looked
straight at anyone, that shriveled
mummy face surely never smiled, thai
impenetrable mask had had no youth.
The murderer was convicted but
was only sentenced to transportation
for life, probably because of grave
doubts as to his sanity.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12

neighbor told my mother about Lydia
E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound and
l took it, and now l feel like a new
person. I don't suffer any more and
am regular every month. Mrs. HAZEI
HAMILTON, 1922 South 18th St.
When a remedy has lived for forty
years, steadily growing in popularity
and influence, and thousands upor
thousands of women declare they ow,
their health to it, is it not reasona
BILE to believe that it is an article o.
great merit?
Let us send you a copy of Elber
Hubbard's last book "The Life
of Lydia e. Pinkham." Addres!
The Lydia f. Pinkham Medicine
Co., Lynn, Mass. D
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12

she would show him what was which.
Elise had been thrifty all the days
of her life, and had a neat little pack,
age of francs put away for the rainy
day. No sooner had she begun work.
ing for Pei than he began borrowing
her money. He was engaged in an ex.
pertinent which would make him rich,
and everything she loaned him would
be repaid hundredfold. After max.
ing several loans she concluded that
the security was too shadowy, and she
refused to loosen up any more. Pei
glared at her with his wicked red
eyes and told her that she was read
ing her own death warrant.
For many hours after this Pels
furnace fire ragged furiously. Black
smoke belched from his chimney in
a steady stream, and at night a red
glare streamed from the chinks in
the window boarding. 1t happened
that young man of the neighborhood
confessed to curiosity as his chief
weakness, and his curiosity overcame
his fear to such an extent that he got
a ladder, and quietly placed it against
Pel's boarded window; then he
climbed up and had good view, over
the top of the boards, of the interior
of the house.
The neighbors waited at distance
marveling at the boldness of the young
man, and praying that he might return
alive. He did. He came back to
them and told them, in a sobbing
whisper, that he had seen more than
he expected to see. Pei was stocking
his furnace furiously and anon throw
ing strange fuel into it. The young
man was sure that this fuel was frag
ments of human body. Moreover
there were prints Of hands IN the
wall, and these prints looked as
though they might be in blood.
Nothing was done until morning
and then the officers went to the
house. Pel's fire had gone out, and
there was heap Of white ashes in
the furnace. But there was plenty OF
evidence that great crime had been
committed, and that Elise Boehmer
had been destroyed. Pei was taken
to Jail, where he told one lie after
another, trying to explain the WON
ans disappearance. Then there ap
peared at the police station woman
who said that she had called at Pel's
house to see Elise Boehmer, and had
found her alone and in commissions
Elise evidently was dying and the
woman hurried away, and kept wha
she had seen to herself, so great was
her fear Of the matchmaker. It was
then suspected that Pei had poisoned
Elise, and after her death, dismem
bered the body and burned it. Thi
proved to be the case, and the enorm
ity Of the crime has given the red
eyed matchmaker a conspicuous plac'
in the chronicle Of bloody deeds.
While France was simmering will
excitement over this grotesque crime
further revelations increased that eX
citement. Somebody remembered tina
various women who had been so IN
fortunate as to become associate,
with Pei had died or disappeared sud
denly and mysteTiously; and it wa
recalled that Pei often had boasted o
the discovery of poison which lef
no traces. His first wife had die
some years before, and the doctor h0
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
How Il Imnressed Him.

Willies father was trying to impress
upon him the tremendous progress
that science and invention have made
in the past fifty years.
Just think, Willie" he said. when
/ was boy there were no telephones,
no electric lights, no talking machines.
no moving pictures, no X-rays, no
wireless telegraphy, no"
Gee" interrupted Willie. What an
awful lot of hicks everybody must
have BEEN"
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12

woods. AS he passed a certain house
he gave one startled glance behind
him and quickened his pace. His
blushing glance had caught sight OF
faded lady of uncertain age waving
her hand at him and calling his name
He feigned not to hear. He saw her
throw light wrap over her shoulders
He saw her run out of the front door
"Gracious!" gasped Burton, Il do be
lieve she is going to follow me. Yes,
she is, and leap year-say she may
be the one who sent me those flow.
ers."
In desperation Burton edged off the
street. A row of bushes protected
him. How was he to know that Miss
Celia Dempster was simply seeking
from him a contribution to the town
relief fund for the poor?
Then as he glided through the open
doorway of a great barn and realized
where he was, Burton flushed to the
roots of his hair. Why! he had in
Vaded the precincts of the Morton
home, and Ruth Morton was a very
dear name to him, although he had
never told anyone so-no one, not
even Ruth herself, who would have
been pleased to learn the fact.
Twice he had been Ruth's escort tc
town entertainment. Then he had
been too bashful to call. Often he
had thought of her. Now he lodged
| back farther into the barn Ruth,
four of her little sisters and brothers
accompanying her, were making
| straight for his retreat.
why, Mr.. Burton!" exclaimed
Ruth, and she looked really pleased
though flustered, as she came upon
hints this your long -looked-fol
CALI"
'Er-why, yes" declared Burton IL
stumbling tones, feeling that he was
acting like a Ounce. That is, /
well, I'm taking a day off and you
see, sort of putting in the time"
Which you can do to decided ad
vantage to us" chirped the sprightly
Ruth. Myself and this brood have
about ten bushels of apples to pare
! and cut for evaporation. You shall
string. Will it please you?"
please me? 1t will be delightful
declared Burton.
Then come, sir, you must b.
/ aproned like the rest of u.s."
What thrill pervaded his sensi
tive being as Ruth tied a big kitchen
apron around him! What novelt.
to be seated amid the gayly chatter
ing group, doing his share of thu
work!
Then there was a grand lunch, thel
a ramble in the orchard. Mrs. Nor
ton insisted upon his staying to tea
and then there was moonlight, and
feverishly delicious critical moment a
the garden gate, his own face close
closer to the charming one of Ruth
What ever possessed him? Wha
put new courage into his timid soul
What irradiated his being as, afte
hurting out all the story of his fear
and his hopes, he found in Ruth a trul,
loyal syrnpathiZer.
Love, love, love!-it drove him, boil
as lion, to the club that evening
His fellow members stared. Their
was new Burton revealed. II
bore his head high. There was happ,
smile on his face.
Got you yet-the leap-year p
rates. questioned one of the grou]
who had driven Burton into par
disc.
ooh, yes" answered Burton, AM
there was a cheer and joy in his tones
One OF the fair ladies has. Only sh
didn't ask me. Tell it to the worl
that l am the happiest man it holds
I'm going to marry"
Miss Dempster?"
mot on your life! but charming
lovely, Incompatible Ruth Morton!
TIE ORIGIN 0E ClIPMAMEC
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
The American WAY,

The Stranger-Why are you driving
the car so fast?
The American-To get to the ferry.
Oater at ferry.)
The American-We have 20 min
utes to spare
The Stranger know it. In this
country you will race the car, burn up
gasoline, imperil lives, run the chance
of being arrested and kill chicken
to gain 20 minutes for which you have
no use when you get them.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
a Foe to Fire.

Our childhood ambitions are sell.
dom realized"
TOO true"
Life with me is just the reverse of
what / thought it would be-"
"How SOL"
81 thought l was going to set the
world on fire, and now | make my liv.
ing selling insurance. louisville
Courler-Journal.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
Too Busy.

John, don't believe you paid any
attention whatever to the sermon to-
day"
How could l, my dear? l was try
ing to figure out how l am going to
pay for the Easter hats and gowns
you and the girls are wearing"
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
Important to Mothers


That fellow Jones-Smythe is get
ting too darned popular around this
club. l wish we could put a spoke in
his wheel somehow"
I'll tell you what we'll do. Let's
elect him chairman of the house com
mittee."
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
Difficult Diet.

you Americans are becoming a
race of dyspeptics," remarked tho OBJ.
servant visitor. "You are too impa'
tent"
Maybe that isn't It," replied the
quiet citizen. Maybe it's all due to
the habit we have got into of swal
lowing our indignation"
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12

teen i suffered eacI
month so | had to b
in bed. l had head
ache, backache an,
such pains l woul,
cramp double ever.
month. / did no
know what it wa
to be easy a minute
My health was a
run down and tn
doctors did not d
me anV Uood
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
Their Way.

"My wife's bills have a queer way
of doing"
How do you mean"
The more she contracts them the
mere they expand"
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12

FITS, EPILEPSY, FALLING SICKNESS
stopped Quickly. Fifty years Of uninterrupted
Success of Or. Kiine's Epilepsy Medicine insurss
KLINE COMPANY, Red Bank, N. J.-Adv.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
Probably Not.

They say George has brain fever"
Nonsense! Can an angleworm have
water on the knee?"
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12

Don't count your poultry before they
get big enough to get away from the
cat.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12

.1s. Deans Rheumatic Pills
For Rheumatism & Neuralgia. Entire.
ly vegetable. Safe.--Adv.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
II DON'T SUFFER.
ANY MORE
" Feel Like a New Person,
says Mrs. Hamilton.

New Castle, Ind" From the tim
was eleven years old until was seven
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
A FizzIe.

fIZZIe.
She (as she orders a phosphate)-|
I'm drinking nothing but charged
drinks now.
He (dismally)- here!-Sun|
Dial
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
FREE! FREE! FREE
The Troubles
of Mr.. NOaf

Funny little booklet tell
how Black Flag rid MI
Noah Of his troubles an
made him happy. AIS
Japhet and the Canary 4
we'll as Ham and til
Dromedary,
A copy is yours for II
asking. Send name ar
address on post card todd
and get it by return ma
Address
Gilpin, Langdon &Compa
Established 1845. BALTIMORE,
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12
Something Lost

Something Lost. -,
DO you find that prohibition ha%
proved the town."
In many ways. But it isn't as in
teresting and intellectual as it wa
when the temperance lecturers hell
regular meetings. Washington Star
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12

W. N. w., BOSTON, NO. 2o-1s1s.
Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-05-12

-'OV UTT EUUT IIT0' UUL CTdI UIIIIl
lovely, Incompatible Ruth Morton
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-02-02
REVOLT BREWING
IN GREECE, CLAIM
Constantine's Physician Says
Monarch Is Worried Sick
Over Trend of Events
VenizeIos at Head.

London. Jan. 3l.-'The idea of revo-
%lutionary movement of the gravest
character is not absent from the minds
of responsible politicians in Athens"
said Prot. Baron ~Eiiselberg. the noted
Niennese surgeon in an interview On
his return home after a professional
visit to King Constantine, of Greece.
according to the Morning Posts Buda-
pest correspondent.
Professor Eiselberg, the reports adds,
found the wound caused by the removal
of one of the kings ribs during an OPP
Grafton seven months ago. had not yet
healed properly. owing to the kings
worry over Greek politics.
King Constantine" the correspon-
dent say although most popular with
h army. seems totally powerless
against the political influence of NJ.
Venizelos. the former premier, and al
though he did not like to own it, you
could clearly discern his feelings on the
subject.
Despite the German influence, which
is working energeti ally to counteract
the influence of Venizelos. the people
follow him almost blindly and are
slowly, but certainly dragging the
country to it's doom. NJ. Venizelos is
in close relations with representatives
of the entente powers"
Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-02-02
PLEDGES BRITAIN
TO FINISH FIGHT
War Just Beginning For John
Bull, Says Lloyd George
-Foresees Victory
In End.

Paris. Jan. 31.-The Paris newspa-
pers publish excerpts from the inter-
view yesterday of David Lloyd
George. minister of munitions, with
Secolo. in which the minister was
quoted as saying the allies are only
just beginning and that they are gain
ing now while Germany is weaken
ing. The excerpts follow:
I'VE have at present 10000 men
under arms said Mr.. Lloyd George.
according to the interviewer. land by
spring we shall have 100000 soldiers.
solid. fit and we'll equipped.
This is a democratic war. If it
was not / should have nothing to do
with it. l was opposed to the last war
that England engaged in, but in he
present war the future of democracy
Of the whole world is involved. 1t is
a final struggle between military au-
tocracy and political liberty, a hid
eous conflict. but one wherein we shall
be victorious, of that ! am certain.
The central empires have lost their
chance of victory and they know it.
to such a point that, if there were a
general election, not Il sing. anti
war member would be elected
II foresee no difficulty" continued
the minister, lin connection with COM
pulsion. No fewer than 5000, 900 men
III 0dIu w tlIlSl. SOAle We're
unfit for service. Others were required
for the munitions factories. for the
railroads and for the mines. About
$4,000 men are affected by the COM
pulsory service measure. but this num-
Der is diminishing through daily at
testations.
do not be under any nisapprehen-
sion" Mr.. Lloyd-George is further
quoted as saying. Great Britain is
determined to push the war to the
end. We may make mistakes. but we
never give in. 1t was British stub
bornness which overthrow Napoleon
after 20 years of a Our allies then
fell away one by one and England
alone held ON. This time our allies
are as staunch and resolute as we
are.
II think that for US the wa is only
beginning. England and her allies are
now taking counsel together and will
be stronger because they are united.
BY next spring we shall have for the
first time. more munitions than the en-
envy. n our superiority in men is
unquestioned. Besides this. Germany's
financial position is growing worse
daily"