davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1917-05-18
Two Streaks OF Mud

The time is not far distant when
the old Two Streaks OF mud which
once constituted the rural highway
will be thing of the past. Instead
of having merely few main roads
Of high quality and bearing fancy
names, we will have a general
system of permanent pixies running
in all directions. a network afford
ing easy accessibility.
The coming of the city motorlst
into the open country has leoto
GOOD roads, better hotels, improved
VILLAGES. and a beneficial influence
m the thoughts and manners of the
farm jewellers.
A Saturday evening census OF
me cars "hitcheG" along the curb
of any small town, made while
their farmer owners are attending
the weekly movies or the lyCeum
bureaus entertainment. would sur
prise good many city folks.
The number Of high grade cars
that will be found "three-quartered'
toward the sidewalks proves that
the best in automobiline pleasure
is none too good for the present
dsv farmer ami his family.-Ex
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1917-05-18
City Market Handy

The middleman came into eXiS
lance originally because the farm
was so far from the city. With the
gasoline propelled vehicle the farm
er can now reach the city market
in few hours. His need for the
commission merchant is not SO
great The value of the foo dis
tributor is consequently lessenins
The automobile will some day bring
the farmer direct to the consumer
and also the consumer direct to
the farmer.
The standard of living on the
farm is, of course. revolutioniZed by
by the automobile. Not ONLY has
the automobile brought about the
possibility of city shopping for the
family but it also aids mechanically
the operations of the farmer through
the various appliances for pumping,
tbreShinS, etc
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1917-05-18

Masters Murray and Donald
Armstrong visited relatives in
Stoutsville Sunday.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1917-05-18
ITS ADVANTAGE,

did the lad you employed have a
good bringing up?'
"Well, he qualified as elevator
boy"
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1917-05-18

MIS-. Frank Proctor and daughter.
Miss Lucia spent Saturday in Paris
with friends.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1917-05-18
THE BEST.

(Which one in the language of
flowers do You consider the most elo-
quent:"
"A pair of pressed two lips"
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1917-05-18

Mrs Dave Gosney went to Quincy
Friday for few days visit with
friends.
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1917-05-18
IRRELEVANT SIMILARITY.

Cooper is a writer who is well
posted on street corners"
That's nothing; SO are mail
boxes"
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1917-05-18

Mrs. J. Owen and daughter,
Ra;a ,eot Sunday with Mrs. John
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1917-05-18

inquiries have come to TINS office
Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1917-05-18
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Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1917-05-18

Mrs ". ". Tate and baby wen
[, Macon Saturday for short visit
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25

Ing Mask, with the full intention OF
dispatchlng that sworn enemy with
his own hands, he gave a gasp of In
credulous amazement as IT dawned
upon him that his intended victim
had completely disappeared.
II flashed into his mind that the
Laughing Mask might have recovered
sufficiently TO have crawled up the
short flight of cellar steps, and, hurry
ing outside, he commenced a system
attic search of the dark corners where
man In desperate straits might en-
deavOr TO hide. He had hardly left
the cellar when the pile Of threadb6re
carpet showed signs of sudden agi-
tatiOn, and. in obedience TO certain
commands issued in painfully broken
Whispers two spectral figures emerged
from under that singular refuge and
gllded toward the stairway leading to
the upper story, where the laboratory
was located.
In that laboratory the wide-eyed
Margery Golden was searching the
Uttered work bench, hoping TO find
something to incriminate the venom
Gus Sllidmon. She did not venture to
touch the gllttering instruments, but
turned her attention TO the object
which was hidden under the thin strip
OF toweling. When. after little
hesitation, she gingerly raised that
llimsy covering, she saw thin glass
vessel bearing n printed label and half
filed with gelatlnous substance. She
stopped and read from the label the
words "ColOn Bacilli," but that did
not convey to her that in the nutrient
medium contained in that Petri dish
was n culture growth alive with mil
lions Of malignant germs. Hoping TO
find some more tangible clue, she re-
placed the towel and picked up the
open notebook lying near the micro
scope. Her face went white with
the horror Of the thing as she de-
I.ciphered the cramped entries:
May 13-Emmerich has advanced
the theory that old age is brought
about in large part by the weakened
resistance of the subject TO the raw
ages OF the bacillus coli, colonies or
which invariably infest the digestive
tract of every person even though in
normal health. The activity and num-
Der of these bacilll vastly increase with
advancing age, causing a form of auto
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25

could attract his attention he eau
tlOusly raised the window and van
ished into that house OF mystery.
But she quietly determined he should
not be taken unawares by his enc
mics and quickly followed
She slipped into the empty bedroom
and. warily crossing the floor, stood
In spellbouni wonder gazing through
the open doorway. Backed up against
bench stood the tense figure of n
middle-aged man with dropping eyelids
and the pasty gray complexion that
betrayed the habitual use of some
noXious drug.
He had apparently been interrupted
In the midst of his investigations, for
on the bench, Just behind him, was
some object protected from the light
by strip of thin toweling, long
platinum needle used in extracting
germ colonies from their cultures, n
compound microscope and an open
notebook for recording the result of
his labOrs. Facing the inundated
drug fiend stood the Laughing Mask.
"My patience is about exhausted,
SkidmOn," he said to the man shrink
ing back against the bench, "and un-
less you write that confession clear
ing me of those crimes committed by
Legar with your devilish assistance,
l am going to shoot you through the
head with as little conjunction as
though you were a mad dog. Your
terrible poisons have been responsible
for more than one unsolved murder
and society will be well rid of you"
This convincing threat had the de-
sired effect, for the stOop-shouldered
chemist moved sullenly toward n
small writing desk standing near the
window. AS his reluctant pen travelled
slowly over a sheet of fOOlscap, the
Laughing Mask stood looking over his
shoulder, prompting the others de-
linquent memory with an occasional
quiet word and the inslstent menace
of that ever-ready revolver. The de-
tails of those abhorrent crimes, com
mltted in cold blood by Legar for the
sole purpose of setting the police up
on his enemy, had practically been
completed when n shrill penetrating
whistle sounded from the alley.
The Laughing Mask turned quickly
to the nearby window and, throwing
back the shutters, leaned out and
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25
The Shirt of Victory.

Nothing can beat this" says a
French journal, commenting on an ar
ticle published by the Austrians In a
little paper in Montenegro called the
News of Cetinje. The little paper notes
that on Mount Lovcen will be erected
a colossal monument to recall TO future
generations the conquest by the Aus
trian armies Of this Gibraltar of the
Adriatic. The sketch of this work,
presented to the Emperor Francis Jo-
seph but a short time before his death
by the artist, was approved by the
aged ruler. 1t represents the Spirit Of
Victory. Its enormous hands are
crossed upon a gigantic sword and 1t
looks toward a horizon beyond which
now trembles the traitress Italy"
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25

strove to ascertain the meaning Of
that foreboding signal. For u moment
only he relaxed his guard over the
crafty poiSOner, but that moment gave
to Sllidmon the chance he had been
seeking. Before the startled girl,
watching through the doorway, could
cry out n word of warning, he launch
ed himself upon the half-bent figure
leaning out Of the open window.
Caught at n decided disadvantage
and unable TO use his weapon. the
Laughing Mask suddenly lost his bal
ance, and, grasping wildly at the
empty air, plunged Aeadlong from the
window down into I've abysmal dark
ness.
He seemed doomed 10 sure destruc-
ton, but fate decreed the springy
branch OF an elm tree should catch
that hurting body, and tho force of
his fall was broken when, limp and
unconscious, he dropped n second
later onto the stone tagging by the
cellar doorway.
no NAAt iAApOA oN hAAe. hNAbFo AAiN 6AeiA
strewn heavens its pale light disclosed
the still form of the unconscious
Laughing Mask lying under the labor
atory window from which the infurl-
ated scientist had flung him. A one
armed man, who came sinking out
OF the shadows, saw the inert figure
and bent over It with a savage ex-
clamation of triumph. He glanced
| furtively about him. and, throwing
| back the bullihead doors leading into
the cellar, backed down the short
flight of steps. dragging the Laughing
Mask after him, like a spider drag
ging a fly into some dark recess.
Legar seemed strangely at home in
his dark and gloomy surroundings,
for after letting the Laughing Mask
drop heavily to the cement flooring
his cropping fingers quickly found a
battered lantern hanging from a
rusty hook. This feeble illumination
showed the cellar to be piled with
ALI sorts of discarded household furni-
ture, including pile of worn-out
carpeting near where the masked man
was lying. AS Legar bent over the
helpless figure faint noise came from
the stairway leading to the floor
above. He instantly Strengthened up
and made a search for the noises.
From under the pile Of carpeting
two pair of long arms suddenly
stretched out toward the silent form
Of the Laughing Mask, and, quickly
selling him by the feet and shout
ders, dragged him under the frayed
folds OF that ancient floor covering.
When the SCARED outlaw gave mp his
fiultless search and returned to the
plncs where he had left the Laugh
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25

intoxication and a subsequent harden
ing of the arteries due to increased
blood pressure, and other symptoms
of general structural decay. II would
seem probable that from a sufficiently
large colony of colon bacilli a virulent
toxic poison might be extracted,
which, administered even in minute
quantities, should almost Immediately
attack the tissues and destroy the
subject with all the indications Of
death from extreme old age. Such
poison, apparently unknown to
science, and already present in less
malignant form in every human sys-
TEN, would be extremely battling in
the event of an autopsy. shall i'm
mediately start experimenting along
these lines.
May 15-The colony Of colon bacilli
which 1 started in gelatin culture
medium is multiplying rapidly. Flour
ishes best at blood heat-destroyed
at temperature of GO degrees Cent?
grade. The change in color from gray
ish white to brown should indicate
an increase in virulence and pathogen-
ic qualities.
May 17-Inoculated guinea pig with
bacilli poison-dled instantly; body
shrunk and wlthered; much encour-
aged.
May 20-Discovery has just been
put to n gratifying practical test
managed to get needle infected with
the bacilli extract to Legar who had
been captured and confined in prison.
Lcgar has just communicated with
me. He succeeded in scratching his
TALLER with the contaminated needle,
and the man was seized Immediately
with commissions and died i'm two or
three minutes with all the symptoms
to be expected. Legar regained his
liberty, and now wishes TO destroy an
entire family named Golden. l will
prepare minute capsules which will
keep the bacilli alive and
And as with shudder Margery came
to the last unfinished and cold
blooded entry she heard Skidmon rap
idly approaching the door. Thrustlng
the discriminating journal into her
dress, she quickly stole into the back
room, whore she could watch the
laboratory without being observed her.
self. She saw the unnerved bacte-
biologist hurriedly drag a battered
trunk from n dark and cavernous
closet. AS he threw an uneasy glance
toward the door leading into the hall
his face suddenly froze into an express
sion of abject terror.
Advancing from the doorway came
figure with features cloaked by a
hooking yellow mask. This startling
: sppariuon deliberately aimed q black
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25
TWENTIETH EPISODE
The Laughing Masks Triumph.

Margery Golden suddenly threw
aside the magazine which she had been
listlessly thumbing. and springing to
her feet, crossed rapidly to the window
of her cool, white bedroom. AS she
stood gazing out with unseeing eyes,
little frown of veXation puckered
her forehead. From the open windows
Of the spacious living-room on the
first floor came the subdued murmur
of voices. But TO Margery's straining
ears not word Of that low-toned con-
ference was audible. Occasionally she
heard the rumble of Captain Brackets
voice, more Strident and authoritative
than the others.
The resentful officer of the law had
conceived the idea than on more than
one occasion Margery had aided and
abetted the Laughing Mask in slip
ping through his fingers, and 1t was
for that reason she was now excluded
from the deliberations where the cap
ture of the elusive masquerader was
under discussion. In anticipation or
this very state Of affairs Margery had
devised the ingenious method for
learning the plans Of the detectives.
Having ascertained that the con-
ference was In full swing, she quickly
went TO small wicker table and,
taking off the telephone receiver, held
IT pressed tightly to her ear. Her
wire was a house extension connected
with the trunk line which ran into
the living-room, where her father and
the officers were now gathered. In
that room the telephone standard,
resting on a heavy mahogany table,
had been skillfully tempered with.
Presently the booming voice Of the
police captain came to the ears Of the
listening girl.
"When I go after a man l don't
quit till I get him." she heard him
announce in self-laudatory tones. Il
landed that one-armed crook, Jules
Legar, in a cell all right, an l tell
you. Mr.. Golden If it hadn't been for
your daughter interferin' I'd had the
bracelets on the Laughing Mask lOLg
ago"
AT lluL llOlutnl MAI SNiS AlttAlu III
door shut behind a new arrival, and
again 1t was Captain Brackets voice
which reached her as he impatiently
questioned the detective who had just
entered.
"What are you dom here, Walters?
Didn't you get the orders l sent you
by jenkins to take Legar out of that
chicken-coop they call Jail out here,
an keep yourself handculfed TO him
every minute until he was safe in
the Tombs?"
ST got your orders, chief" came n
hesitating voice. presumably that of
the sleuth called Walters, ''but I've
got some bad news for you. Legar's
broke jail. He croaked Jenkins and
made q clean getaway"
Their Margery heard the hurried
tones of the detective as he launched
into an account of the strange escape
of Jules Legar.
81 don't see where Tn to blame,
chief" he began in a somewhat ag-
grieved voice. 81 seen Jenkins aroun'
noon. He was goin' into the Jail with
a tray from the restaurant. He stops
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25
Lost Onnortunitv-

81 see an old gentleman approach
ing. He wears a silk hat and seems
absorbed in a pamphlet he is reading.
Further down the street several small
boys are waiting with snOwballs in
their hands. What will happenT
Nothing. / know something those
small boys evidently don't know. The
old gentleman has to walk only about
ten feet before he will turn into his
own house, where, assure you, he will
be quite safe"
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25
FOR PIMPLY FACES
cuticura Is Best-Samples Free by
Mail to Anyone Anywhere.

An easy, speedy way to remove PIN
pies and blackheads. Smear the affect
ed surfaces with Cuticura Ointment,
Wash off in five minutes with Cuticura
Soap and hot water, bathing some min
utes. Repeat night and morning. No
better toilet preparations exist.
Free sample each by mail with Book.
Address postcard, Cuticura, Dept. L,
Boston. Sold everywhere.-Adv.
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25

the background except on one or two
pressing occasions. Miss wilkins, my
stepsister, made our masks, and we
used her garden as a meeting place.
Miss Golden has known all this since
we worsted Legar In the coal mine,
and think she will Join me In in
viting you all to come to little affair
which is going to be held In n church
In the very near future"
AS Margery turned away to hide
her tears and her bushes, her father
warmly grasped his former secretary's
hand, and after a moment the solemn
red face of Captain Bracket slowly
cracked into a sheepish grin as he ex-
tended his beefy paw to David Maniey.
alias the Laughing Mask.
(THE ENDl
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25
To study Vocational Eduoatlon

The third annual convention of the
Vocational Educational association of
the middle West viii be held at the
Auditorium. Chicago January Is to 20.
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25
vivien Frederick is one of the pref
test actresses in New York.

A postal card to Garfield Tea Co., Brook
lyn, N Y, asking for a sample will re-
paw you.-Adv.
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25

Women are extremists; they are
either better or worse than men.
The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-01-25

He Knew His Doom Was Sealed.
and gives me your orders and says
might as well wait outside until Legar
had his feed. That seemed reason
able, an / hung aroun' for bout half
an hour. Then when jenkins didn't
come out, ! commenced to get kind
o. uneasy like an / steps inside to see
what was goin' on.
Lynn face down In the corridor 1
found Jenkins, just outside of Legar's
eek. The cell was empty, with the
door standin' open and Jenkins key
In the lock. We combed every inch
Of that Jail, but Legar had disappeared
without leavin' a trace behind him.
Z could tell BY the looks OF Jenkins
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-22
German Horde Swept Clear OF
District by French.
Myriad DefenSeS and Big Guns
of TeutOns Destroyed.
SAD DAY FOR CROWN PRINCE
Months of Titanic Effort Dew
astated in Few Hours.
Cunningly Devised Tunnels
Clicked With German Dead.
BY HENRY WOOD.

With the French Army at Verdun,
Aug. 22.-Fired with a zeal that made
their charges utterly Irresistible,
French soldiers, victors in Frances
greatest blowout of Verdun, petitioned
their commanders today for permits
sion not to be limited to specified
detectives in their advances.
The poilus want to keep on going.
They freted yesterday at stern orders
limiting them to certain trenches over
which they swarmed in unbeatable
waves, when there were more German
lines just ahead that they felt could
just as well have been captured. In
some places the troops could not re-
strain themselves from exceeding the
limits of the advance which had been
estimated by the French headquarters.
Reports from the various component
armies participating in the offensive
around Verdun, established today the
fact that the French artillery has de-
stroyed scores of great German guns
brought up year ago by infinite la
Dor and fixed in elaborate implace-
ments for what was to be Germany 5
victorious assault on Verdun.
Dead Mans Hill, blackened by the
blood of thousands on both sides, its
slopes a gaunt specter of naked
ground, was entirely in French hands
today. The myriad defenses on which
! the crown prince spent months were
| leveled into mere crumbled earth. The
| hill itself remained gigantic
monument to lost hopes. 1t took the
Germans months to capture it, more
months to fortify it. and still more
months to hold it. The French took
it in the first mornings advance.
Cunningly devised tunnels which the
Germans had dug in the hill with the
idea of permitting instantaneous rein
forcement of various lines by troops
whose advance to front lines would be
protected from barrage fire, were
found literally choked with dead.
The fighting was bitterly intense
| last night and was still continuing il
| unceasing violence this morning
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-22
AIRMEN KILL II
Ten German Planes in Raid on
Coast of England.
Two Are Felled and Others Re-
treat Across Channel.

London. Aug 22.-Ten German
airplanes approached the English
coast on the county of Kent today,
the British war office announced. Two
of the raiding machines were brought
down,
Late this afternoon Lord French
summarized the casualties from the
aeroplane raid as follows:
Margate-None killed or injured
DoVer-Eleven killed, thirteen in
jured.
Ramsgate-None killed or injured.
The hospital and a number of houses
were damaged.
An air raid warning was issued in
London this morning. About an hour
later the announcement all clear"
was made, indicating that the raiders
had been driven off.
Goal Probably Was London.
Margate and Dover are in Kent,
near the mouth of the Thames. Pos
sibly the German raiders were bent on
following the Thames up to London.
The Humber river and Yorkshire,
where Lord French reported German
airships, is at least 165 miles north of
the Thames. Hull, one of the great
shipbuilding centers in England, is To-
Gated a short distance up the Hum
Der.
Germany has not attempted a Yep
pelin raid over England for months,
owing to the disastrous failure of her
in surviving the British aeroplane pa
planes in her most damaging raids of
late