davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-29

By beating Walton's record first"
did that time will show"
AS he walked slowly back from
Nance's, Alan was thinking that after
all there was no reason why he should
not cut and run-no reason except
Alix.
He reached his rooms. AS he crossed
the threshold he saw that he had
stepped on a note that had been
dropped through the letter-slip. He
picked it up. A thrill went through
him as he recognized Ahx's handwrit-
ing. There was no stamp. 1t must
have been delivered by hand He tore
1t open and read: "You said that a
moments notice was all you asked l
will take the Montreal Express with
you today"
Alan's blood turned to liquid fire.
The note conjured before him a vision
of Alix. He crushed it and held it to
his lips and laughed-not jeeringly but
In pure, uncontrolled excitement.
+
It was not a coincidence that Gerry
had sought out Alix at the very hour
that Nance was summOnlng Alan. Ger
~ and Nance were driven by the same
forewarning of catastrophe Gerry had
felt it first but he had been slow to
believe, slower to act. He had no
precedent for this sort Of thing His
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-29

ing me back to back with Alan?" he
said, with his newborn sheer. AK
appraised it with calm eyes and found
1t rather attractive "Well, let me
tell you that Alan is so small a man
that if l dropped out of the world to-
day, he'd sail for Africa tomorrow and
think for the rest of his life Of his
escape from you as a close shave"
Alix sprang to her feet She was
trembling. Gerry felt a throb Of ex-
ultation. 1t was his turn to wound.
What do you mean?" said Alix
very quietly, but it was the quiet Of
suppressed passion at white heat.
II mean that Alan is the kind of
man who finds other mems wives an
economy. He would take everything
you kave that's worth taking, but not
you"
Alix' eyes bIazed at him from her
white face. please go away" she
said. He started - speak please
go away" she repeated. Her lips were
quivering and her face twitched in a
way that was terrifying to Gerry. He
hurried out repeating to himself over
and over, You have made Alix cry.
You have made Alix cry"
Alix toyed with the silver on her
dressing table until he had gone and
then she swept across the room to
her little writing-desk and wrote the
note that Alan had found half an hour
Ia t.ap in hiC
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-29

In the squalid Hotel d'Europe Gerry
occupied a large room that overlooked
the quay Even if there had been a
better hotel in town he would not have
moved.
He was not lonely. He wandered
interested through all the Struggling
city. When he was too lazy to go to
the city he sat in the precarious bal
cony of his room and watched the city
come to him.
Almost a month had passed since he
landed on his Lethean shore, and it
had served him well. The world
seemed to have tiGe-Servers in small
regard. He began to think of his moth
er. He strolled over to the cable sta
ton. The offices were undergoing re-
pairs. The ground floor was unfur.
niShed save for q table and one chair.
In the chair sat Il chocOlate-cOIOred
employee with 4 long bamboo on the
floor beside him. Gerry's curiosity was
aroused. He went in and wrote his
message to mis- mOther-just a few
words telling her he was all right The
chocolate gentleman folded the mes
sage, slipped it into the spit end of
the bamboo and stuck it up through
d hole in the ceiling to the floor above.
Gerry smiled and then laughed at the
gravity with which his smile was re-
ceived. The man looked at him in
establishment These English were all
mad and discOurteOus. What was
there TO laugh at in man at work?
Gerry went out and rambled over
the city. Night came on. He was
restless He wished he had not sent
the message. It was forming itself
into a link He dined badly at a res
taurant and then wandered balk to the
quay Arriving steamers were posted
on a blackboard under street lamp
The mail from New York was due to-
morrow The cOnsuls papers would
be fall Of the latest New York society
scandaI-his scandal He went to his
room and sat on the balcony watching
the varied craft preparing to drift out
on the tide. Suddenly he got up and
went down to the quay.
A long, raking craft was taking on
its meager provisions. Gerry engaged
its captain in a pantomime parley- The
boat was bound for Penedo to take on
cotton. Gerry decided to go to PenedO.
Two of the crew went back with him
to get his baggage. The hotel was
closed. Gerry was the only guest and
he had his key. He had paid his
weekly bill that day. so there was no
need to wake up anyone. In half an
hour he and his belongings were
slowed on the deck of the Josephine
and she was drifting slowly down to
the bar.
Four days later they were off the
mouth of the San Francisco. = They
doubled in and tackled their way up
to Penedo. There was no life in Pen
edo. It was desolate and lonely com
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-29
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3G&A1zEAx7l[l ,,@Q5
Between the hour of writing her

Between the hour of writing her
note to Alan and the moment when
she stepped on the train Alix had had
no time to think. She was still driven
by the impulse of anger that Gerry's
words had aroused. She did not reflect
that the wound was only to her pride.
Alan held open the door Of the draw
ing room. She passed in and he closed
1t. Alix threw back her veil and
ward he caught her to him and kissed
her mouth until she gasped for breath.
With a flash she remembered his own
words, eff l ever kiss you l shall bring
your soul out between your lips" To
Alix' amaZement she did not feel an
answering fire. The kiss had brought
her soul out between her lips. Her
soul stood naked before her and ones
naked soul is an ugly thing. The kiss
disrobed her, too, and from that last
bourne Of shame Alix suddenly re-
VOlted.
Gasping, she pushed Alan from her,
Their eyes met. His We're burning,
hers were frightened. She moved slow
" backward to the door and with her
hand behind her opened the latch
Alan did not move. He knew that If
he could not hold her with his eyes he
could not hold her at all. The train
started Alix passed through the door
and rushed to the platform. The por-
ter was about to drop the trap on the
steps. Alix slipped by him With all
her force she pushed open the door
and jumped. The train was moving
very slowly but Alix reeled and would
have fallen had 1t not been for a pass
ing baggageman. He caught her and
still in his arms, Alix looked back.
Alan's white face was at the window.
He looked steadily at her.
"Ye almost whit with him. Miss"
said the baggageman, with a full
brogue and twinkling eye.
How did you know?" said Alix,
dazed.
At the strange question the baggage
mans longer upper lip drew down to
gravity. "Where dye think l was
whin We stipt off the thrain into me
arms?" he asked solemnly.
That's right" said Alix as she fol-
lowed his lead to a cab She got in
and then shook hands with her escort.
He looked at the dollar bill her grasp
left behind.
"That wasn't called for, Miss. It
was enough for me to have saved We
from fall"
You didn't save me-" said AIix with
a bewildering smile 81 saved my
self"
She left him scratching his head
over this fresh enigma.
Alix was tired and hungry when
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-29

Gerry's cablegram to his mother was
forwarded IA Red Hill on the very day
that the judge had gone to tell them
that 10 trace could be found of the
missing man. The judge was more
dOWn-hearted than ever over Gerry's
disappearance and when he found the
two women radiating happiness and
excitement his heart sank lower still.
81 haven't any good news" he said
ruefuIly before he alighted.
''Tease him." said Alix in a low
tone to Mrs. Lansing
But Mrs Lansing had found new
lines in the judges tired face and she
whispered back, Il can't" She put the
cablegram in the judges hand
What's this?" he said and read it.
Then he gave a w2r-wh00p, caught
Alix around the waist and kissed her.
The Firs were gay that night-gay
with the joy of happy people happily
planning. In a month, sag at the most,
two months, Gerry could be here
Spring would have come. The Hill
would be decked out in full regaIia of
leaf and blossom. It would be in full
commission to meet him. They looked
at AliX and AliX seemed to look 1T
herself He would come into his own
as never before.
The judge undertook the cabling.
He cabled Gerry and the message was
reported underworld Then he cabled
the American consul There followed
q long series of MESA geS; first quick
and hopeful, then tagging but not
doubtful then a wearying silence OF
weeks, ending with the inevitable
blow. Gerry had been traced to the
San Francisco river. The envoy sent
on his track by the judges orders
had reached Piranhas to find the little
town in apathetic wonder over the dis
cOvery of Gerry's canoe stranded three
miles down the river The paddle was
still in the canoe and a suit Of pyja-
mas. No further trace of Gerry had
been found. His body had not been re-
covered. The people said it was not
unusual He had undoubtedly been at
tackled by tiger fish. In that case his
bones would nave been stripped OF
flesh. 1t was impossible to drag the
great river.
The judge hid in his heart the har-
rowing details To Mrs. Lansing he
told the central fact She was struck
dumb with grief and then she thought
of Alix. Almost hastily they decided
that it was not time to tell AliX and
during long months they put her off
with false news of the search. They
carried it farther and farther into the
wilds of the subcontinent. The cOun-
try was so vast, there was no telling
when the messenger would finally
come up with Gerry.
Continued in next issue)
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-29

pared T.5h the Hotel d'Europe and the
lively quay; so when a funny little
stern-Theeler started up the river on
It's weekly trip to Piranhas. Gerry
went with it.
| Piranhas was town of mud plas-
tered against a barren cliff 1t made
| no pretense to being alive. Here a
| dead man could live in peace with his
| surroundings From fifteen miles up
| the river came the rumble of the
| mighty Paulo Alfonso calls, singing a
| perpetual requiem. Gerry established
himself in howell of an inn that even
in this far retreat did not dare call
itself hotel.
The only industry in Piranhas was
the washing of clothes and the women
did that. Fish We're caught in great
quantities but fishing was not an IN
dustry. Here man fshed only when
he was hungry.
Gerry chartered a ponderous canoe
At first he had a man to paddle him
up and down and sometimes across
the wide half-mfle of water But be-
fore long he learned to handle the
thing himself. The heavy work soon
trimmed his splendid muscles into
shape. He supplied the hostelry with
variety of fish.
One morning he awOke earlier than
usual. The wave of life was running
high in his veins. He sprang up aud,
still in his Pajamas, hurried out for
his morning swim. The break of day
was gloriously chilly. A cool breeze,
hurrying up from the sea, was stead
lily banking up the mist that hung over
the river. Gerry sprang into his canoe
and pushed off. He drove its heavy
length up stream, not in the teeth Of
the current, for no man could do that,
but skirting the shore, Selling on the
help of every eddy and keeping an eye
out for the green swirling mound that
meant a pinnacle of rock just short
Of the surface. He went farther up
the river than ever before His mus
9es were keyed to the struggle He
passed the last jutting bend that the
bOatmen on the river could master and
found himself in bay protected by a
spit of sand, rock-tipped and foam
tossed where it reached the rivers
channel. From this point the river
was a chaos of jagged rocks that
fought the mighty tide hurled from
the falls still miles above
Gerry ran the canoe upon the shore
and stripped. He stepped on to the
spit of sand. In that moment just to
live was enough. A sharp cry broke
on his aStonished ears.
Almost at the end of the tongue of
sand stood a girl Her hair was blow
ing around her slim shoulders Over
one of them she gazed, startled, at
Gerry. He drew back horribly con-
fused and mumbling apologies that she
could not have understood even if she
could have heard them. Then she
plunged with clean long dive into the
river. But before she plunged she
laughed. Gerry heard the laugh With
an answering cry he hurled himself
into the water and swan as he had
never swum before.
The girl had farther to go across the
little bay, but she could beat Gerry
swimming and she did. Only she failed
to use her head and, when she found
bottom, started to wade. Wading is
slow work in water waist high Gerry
stuck to his long powerful stroke. AS
the girl reached the bank the strong
fingers of his right hand closed on her
bare ankle
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-29

Outstanding. To Mrs. LaDsing's In,
herent calm, Alix' scintfllation had
been repellent and Alix before Gerry's
mother had felt much the same re-
straint as before Gerry's old butler.
There had been strength in Mrs.
Lansing's calm. She had been waiting
and now the waiting was over. Alix
had given herself fearful and almost
WordIesS into arms that were more
than ready and had then poured out
her heart in a broken tale that would
have COMPOUNDED any court of Justice
but which between women was clearer
than logic.
At the end Mrs. Lansing said moth
ing. Instead she petted AK, carried
her off TO bed and kept her there for
three days. In her waking hours AK
added spasmodic bits to her confess
sion-sage reflections after the event.
dreamy i wonders that speculated
in the past and in the measure of her
emotions
Mrs. Lansing sat and listened and
sewed. Her soft brown hair Just
touched with gray, her calm face with
its half-hidden strength. her steady
eyes, turned now on Alix, now on her
work, brought peace into the room and
geld it there in spite of the disquieting
lack of news of Gerry.
When she spoke at last it was to
say half-shyly, You are stronger than
l had thought. 1 believe every woman
at the actual moment of surrender
feels an impulse of shame and fear.
During that moment desire lets go
Of her. It's the last chance that fate
holds out. The women who fail to
take the chance-it seems to me they
fail through weakness of spirit and
not Of flesh.
More women are ruined by circum-
stance than by desire. Women decide
to burn their bridges hebind them and
then they think they've burned them.
All the circumstances were against
you. There wasn't a loophoIe in the
net. Fate gave you your moment and
you tore your way out"
On the fourth day AIix got up but
on the fifth she stayed in bed Mrs
Lansing found her pale and fright
ened. She had been crying.
"AliX," she whispered, kneeling be-
side the bed, what is it?"
AliX told her amid sObs. ooh. nv
dear said Mrs. Lansing, throwing her
arms around her. "don't cry. Don
worry. The strength will come with
the need. In the end you'll be glad.
SO will Gerry So will all of US"
at isn't that" said Alix, family.
"Oh, it isn't that. I'm just thinking
and thinking how terrible it would
have been If l had run away-really
run away. I keep imagining how
awful it would have been. 1t is night
mare"
Call it nightmare if you like, sweet
heart, but just remember that you are
awake"
Yes" said AIix softly 81 am
awake now. [ want to watch the Hill
come to life and dress up for the sum-
mer. It will amuse me- It's long
since have watched for the first buds
and the first swallows. I won't mind
the melting snow and the mud. It's
so long since I've seen clean country
mud. l want to smell it."
''You don't know how bleak the Hill
can be before the spring comes,'' OBJ
jected Mrs. Lansing.
"Will it be any bleaker with me
there than when you were alone?"
asked Alix. i
Mrs. Lansing came over to her and
kissed her. mo, dear" she said.
Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-06-29

Kenneth Jackson of Seymour is in
the city guest at the r. F. Matthews
home.
The Dickinson press., 1916-09-16

Andrew Leon of Brinsmade lost
three of his best horses from poisoned
oats. Five horses were taken i'll
and two of them saved.
Ward county tax payers secure a
reduction of $1O,15O in state and
county taxes because of the 10 per
cent, reduction from valuation by the
state equalization board.
Beaten, gagged and his hands tied
behind his back, Bril- Foreman, an
ployed near Sanborn, was left on the
prairie all night, in The third of a
series of vicious assaults made on
him.
J. P. Spies, travelling salesman for
the Empire Cream Separator Co.,
with headquarters in Bismarck, was
shot in the head and seriously in
jured when he disregarded a warning
by F. ]. Durant Of Mckenzie not to
step foot on his land to recover a
prairie chicken shot from the road.
The level of Devils lake is now Is
feet below the level of the same as
vey just made by E. F. Chandler of
the state geological survey. He con-
Quoted the survey to determine, if
possible, the lakes outlet and it's
source of supply. Agriculture is held
responsible for the decrease Of water
in the lake, which once poured into
it from the prairies, being now alb
sorbed by the titled soil.
The Dickinson press., 1916-09-16
FOR OIL
WELLS ON SLOPE
VERY PROMISING
DAKOTA PETROLEUM COMPANY
is MAKING FINAL ARRANGE
MENTS TO TEST WELLS,

Marmarth, Sept. 11.-Good times
are in store for Marmarth, and that
statement is made positive from the
tact that a score Of large %tinanciers
OF the state have exprescds their con-
fidence in the Marmarth oil field to
sufficient extent to put from twenty
to thirty thousand dollars, and more
if necessary, into the Dakota Petro-
leum Company, with a view of thor
oughly developing it's holdings in the
Marmarth oil field.
The deal with these financiers,
which are headed by such men as
Governor l.. B. Hanna, Mayor Alt.
White Of Dickinson, W. L. Richards
of Dickinson, one Of the wealthiest
men in the Slope country, Al. Martin
of Sentinel Butte, another one of the
Slopes money barons, DR.. Sarchet of
New England, and S. H. Sleeper of
Mohall, was put over this week, as
a result all. of the stock which was
being offered at rs cents on the dollar,
has been taken off the market.
j. F. Divine has been made general
manager of the company and will
hereafter work upon a salary, and he
says that drilling operations will COM
mence just as 500 as the various rep
utable drillers of the present produc-
ing oil fields have an opportunity to
communicate with the local company.
No money will be sunk in expensive
machinery, but some experienced, re-
sponsible driller will be given a con
tract, and work will ommenc in the
very near future. The company. is
now capably financed, and in so much
as no more stock is to be offered for
sale for the present at least, it is
quite plain that these prominent men
of the state have taken hold of the
financial end of the company with the
absolute belief that the field will
prove rich in oil and gas.
However, all of the biologists. that
have made a thorough examination
of the field, advise the expenditure
of reasonable sums Of money in pros
pecting for oil, and give it as their
opinion that the prospects are very
great indeed for discovering one of
the largest oil fields adjacent to Mar.
marth that there is in the entire coun-
try.
Governor Hanna, in company with
a noted geologist from the east, ex-
poets to make a visit to this vast n
ticline in the near future, and many
other interested men are coming and
going continuously. When develop
ments actually start hundreds of in
terested outsiders will be making
visits to the field, and Marmarth will
respond accordingly. With an actual
discovery Of oil, it would not be I'M
expected to sec. Marmarth double her
population within the first six months,
and with a large oil field positively
proven, we may expect to see our
little city soon become n of the half
dozen leading cities Of the state.
The Dickinson press., 1916-09-16

When Mrs. John Posey of Courtney
cracked an egg for Johns breakfast,
she was surprised to find another per-
fectly formed egg inside. John is
trying to find which hen did it..
Falling into the fly wheel of a gas
tractor engine, William Kuhlman of
Wimbledon was whirled to death.
Kuhlman suffered many fractured
ribs and internal injuries and living
only a few minutes after being re-
leased. ~ t&asS
+ A bunch of Watermelons consigned
to Langdon merchants and loaded into
a stock car in order that they might
be kept cool, reached Langdon last
week in good condition, but while the
car was standing in the yards a num-
Der of transient %laborers, who have
been holding out for higher wages,
decided to get a little cheap feed,
and proceeded to cut pieces out of
the melons through the openings in
the car. They were successful in get
ting enough good sized slices to dis
figure several dozen of the melons.
The Dickinson press., 1916-09-16
MILWAUKEE, TRAIN
WRECKED NEAR BOWMAN.

A terrible railroad wreck occurred
on the Milwaukee,, three miles west
of Bowman last week, when train
No. Is piled up in one heap of wreck
age. The train was a double-header,
and it seems that the tender Of the
first engine left the track, and with
it the second engine tore up the
roadway for a distance of three nun
bred feet. The long heavy train be-
hind crashed into this engine, doub-
ling the tender around onto the en-
CINE, and the baggage coach was
thrown out toward the edge of the
right-of-way. The next two cars, the
mail car and a day coach, were also
in bad shape, and the rest of the
train stayed safely on the track.
No one was killed in the wreck,
although the engineer Of the second
engine was SO badly scalded that
there is little hope Of his recovery.
The freman.was also slightly scalded
and the fireman of the first engine
was bruised somewhat. 1t is also re-
ported that a "bo" sustained some
injuries. -
The Olympian is an all-steel train,
and the advantage of such a train was
never demonstrated more thoroughly
than in this wreck. Had it been an
oldtime train of wooden cars, prac-
tically the whole train would have
been in the smashup, but as it was,
the passengers were not hurt.
AS a result Of the crash, the heavy
rails were twisted and bent, and the
forward coach thrown almost at right
angles to the track, while great holes
were dug below and at the sides Of
| the track.
The Dickinson press., 1916-09-16

II. F. Schroeder & Co. Retiring
From the Dry Goods Business

H. F. Schroeder Co., successors to
the well known firm of Crowl-
Schroeder Co., established by A. +.
Crowl way back in '92, is going to
close out its entire stock of dry
goods, ready to wear, mems furnish
ings, shoes, hardware, etc. Rumors
have been rife of this impending
move for a few weeks past, but nc
authority in the matter was given I'M
til the past week when Mr..
Schroeder made, in substance, the fol-
lowing statement to the Press:
eyes, it is a fact, every item ex-
cept my grocery stock will be put
under the hammer and kept there n
til entirely cleaned up. 1 have en-
gagged the best man obtainablc in the
country, who has spent a Life time at
similar work, and after looking
through the several kinds of goods
The Dickinson press., 1916-09-16

said that it surely averages as good
or even better than the best he has
ever handled, all being in exception
ally good condition and values. I did
not hesitate a moment to tell him
how we continually pushed out the
undesirable kinds soon as or even
before they became such and he adj
mitted that there's a reason
"But I'm not going out Of the game
entirely because l like Dickinson and
the dandy cool summers too we'll to
sever all connections. l know as
much about groceries as l don't
about dry goods and groceries and
have agreed to stick and give Dickin-
son a real up to snuff grocery store,
just as quickly as removal of the
other lines and arrangements with
proper and modern fixtures will per-
nit"