davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

She's not a type of her country. Of
course. One must not be unfair enough
to think that. 1t simply is that the
authorities had the genius to see her
type and make use of her"
Exit. you positively make me go
cold down my back. I shall have hor-
rid visions tonight Of fraulefn muir
dering US all in our beds"
Brent smiled and continued placidly:
Fritz. too, is of tho criminal type,
though without brains or the religious
conviction which justifies fraulein to
herself, but you have only got to look
at his thumbs to understand the type
at once"
Ills thumbs! Kit, you make me feel
like a mere beginner who knows MOTH
"They are extraordinarily long.
Brent told her, reaching to the top
Joint Of his first finger. Troppmann.
who murdered the whole Kinck family.
had thumbs like that, and SO had sew
eral other more or less famous assas-
sins"
A little shudder ran through Miriam
strong as her nerves were. me N,
trigue. the uncertainty all about her OF
which only she and Christopher were
aware, the darkness in which of neces'
sity they were cropping, trusting very
much to luck. all this. though In Its
way stimulating, yet every now anC
then overcame her with prescience Of
disaster. And now this cold, matter OF
fact talk about criminal types added tt
her sense of discomfort. She glanced
up again at Brent and he gave an al
most imperceptible but reassuring winl
of his eyelid.
"Don't you worry any" he advised
we're going to come out on top al
right
at seems to me sometimes" said Mir
lam. hesitatingly, that you trust too
much to intuition and to luck. Wouldn'
it be better just to have the whole
household arrested now? We've go
enough evidence"
Not on your life said Brett "Yo,
forget about UZZ. He's got to be set
tied with. too, and don't mean to mis-!
him if can help it."
F'raulein was coming up through thu
garden, little rusty brown figure. thu
black silk bag, in which she kept he
knitting and other things, tucked under
one arm. the inevitable umbrella under
the other. She looked very insight
icant, very quiet, very placid. She nod.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

perhaps, It doesn't look so bad when
I'm sitting down. The coats much too
short. Must have been made for a
much smaller chap than me. Still. it's
better than nothing. feel more bust
nesslike."
ut pokes horribly in the back" said
Molly, tusging at It as she spoke and
then giving little pats to try to make
It set right over his chest and shcul-
ders, q proceeding Of which she hoped
notice was taken through a certain
eyeglass on the other side Of the YER
anda.
walk away from me. Percy" COM
manded Molly in the best dressmaker's
manner. land let me see the effect"
He obeyed. turning round at the end
of the veranda. where a curtain OF
Virginia creeper, turned to flame. hung
from the edge Of the roof to the YER
anda rail. Molly went after him and
gave his coat a few more little settling
tugs. Mr.. Pollock watched them, well
pleased. out of the corner Of his eye.
Brent, apparently unperturbed. glanced
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

Of secret disappointment even while he
recognized the value of the discovery.
But his satisfaction IN the latter. II
Almost ~sr (. 'n os
served change IN her. Tho sparkle
which had shone in the eye whose depths
he had mover been able to penetrate had
dissipated itself in something IKE tear
and she spoke up in that vigorous tone
no one but himself had ever heard. as she
said:
mo. The sum is a good ono and
could use it. but I will not waste my
The man shot himself He was specu
lator. and probably had good reason for
his act Even his wife acknowledges
that he has lately had more losses than
gains"
"See her She has something to tell
you which never got into the papers"
you say that? You know that?
"On my honor. Miss Strange
Violet pondered; then suddenly sue
,umbed.
LET her come, then Prompt to the
hour. will receive her at 3. Later
have a tea and two party calls to
make
Her visitor rose to leave. He had been
able to subdue all evidence Of his ex-
treme qualification. and now took on a
formal air. In disrnissing guest Miss
Strange was invariably the society belle
and that only. This he had come to
recognize
The case twell known at the time)
was, in the fewest possible words, as
follows:
On a sultry night in September. a
Young couple living in one of the large
apartment houses in the extreme upper
portion of Manhattan were SO annoyed
by the incessant crying of a child in the
adjoining suite that they got up. he to
smoke. and she to sit in the window for
a possible breath of cool air. They
the wisdom they had shown In thus
giving up all thought Of sleep-for the
child's crying had not ceased--when it
may have been 2 o'clock and It may
have been a little later) there came
from somewhere near the sharp and
somewhat peculiar defamation Of a pis-
toll shot.
He thought 1t came from above: she
from the rear, and they were staring
at each other in the helpless wonder OF
the moment. when they were struck by
silence. The baby had ceased to cry
All was as still in the adjoining apart.
ment as In their own-too still-mucf
too still Their mutual stare turned te
whispered the wife. Some accident
has occurred to Mr. or Mrs. Hammond
we ought to Co.
Her words-very tremulous ones
were broken by shout from below
They were standing in their window
and had evidently been seen by q pass
ing policeman. Anything wrong W
there? they heard him cry. Mr.. Saun
ders Immediately looked out. Nothing
wrong here" he called down. (The,
were but two stories from the pave
ment0 But I'm not SO sure about thu
rear apartment. We thought we heart
a shot. Hadn't you better come up
officer TIL meet you at the stair-heas
and show you the way"
The officer nodded and stepped in. TIL,
young couple hastily donned som,
wraps. and. by the time he appeared OF
their floor they were ready to accom-
pany him.
Meanwhile. no disturbance was appar
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

quite usual in its tone. I'm used to
guns" she exclaimed. turning 70 the
officer. My father was an army man,
anna anna as s. ps,o Tssr. 'e w.
longed sound to this shot; somSthing
like an echo of itself, following close
upon the first ping. Didn't you notice
that, Warren?"
II remember methinG OF the kind
her husband allowed.
He shot twice and quickly inter
posed the policeman. sententiously. We
shall ind a spent bullet behind that
mirror"
But when. upon the arrival of the
the mirror and the wall behind. no bull.
let was found either there or anywhere
else in the room. save in the dead
mans breast. Nor had more than one
been shot from his pistol. as I'VE full
chambers testified. The case. which
seemed so simple, had Its mysterfes.
but the assertion made by Mrs. Saun-
ders no longer carried weight. nor was
the evidence offered by the broken
mirror considered as indubitably es-
tablishing the fact that a second shot
had been fired in the room.
Yet 1t was equally evident that the
spectators breast had not been dc.
livered at the close range of the pistol
found clutched in his hand. There were
no powder marks to be discerned on
his pajama jacket. or IN the mesh be-
meath. Thus anomaly confronted anom-
ally. leaving open but one other
theory-that the bullet found In Mr..
Hammond's breast came from the win.
dow. and the one he shot went out OF
it. But this would necessitate his hav-
Ing shot his pistol from q point far re.
moved from where he was found: ana
his wound was such as made 1t dif-
ficult to believe that he would stagGer
far. II at all, after its infection.
conscientious and alert. he caused .
most rigorous search to be made OF the
ground overlooked by the above-men-
toned window: search IN which the
any result save that of rousing the at.
tention of people in the neighborhood
and leading to story being circulated
of a man seen some time the night be.
hurry. But as no further particulars
were forthcoming, and not even de-
scription of the man to be had. no en-
phasis would have been laid upon this
story had it not transpired that the
moment report Of 1t had come to Mrs.
Hammond's ears CWhy is there always
some one to carry these reports?) she
reused from the torpor into which she
had fallen. and in wild fashion az
claimed:
ct knew it! expected it! He was
shot from the window. and by that
wretch He never shot himself" Vic.
lent declarations which trailed on into
the one continuous wall. "Oh. my baby.
my poor BABY"
Such words. even though the fruit
of delirium. merited some sort OF at.
tention, or SO this good coroner thought,
and as soon as opportunity onered ana
she was sufficiently sane and quiet to
respond to his questions he asked her
whom she had meant by that wretch.
and what reason she had. or thought
she had. Of attributing her husbands
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

IN most English households life re-
wolves round meal times. The day
is marked out into before lunch
q and after lunch" before tea" and
after tea" and SO on. Mrs. Sanderson
was well aware of this, and was also
aware that next to dinner, tea was the
sacred hour of the day. 1t was quite
certain that at that time all her board
ers would be congregated together to
enjoy the really solid meal with which
she kept them occupied at that hour.
This feast was the only one which Mrs.
Sanderson did not grace with her pres
ence, and fraulein had never sufficiently
fallen into English ways to accustom
herself to 1t, either. Therefore 1t was
without any of the restraint engen-
dered by a hostess or by one of diff
ferent nationality that the guests at
Wave Crest took their tea.
On this particular afternoon they were
all assembled on the veranda, for the
spite of the clouding over. Percival
Pennicuik. who. since the morning, had
attained uniform. was the guest of
honor. He sat beside Molly and Miss
Myrtle, a position which was not an
unmixed blessing. Mr.. Pollock, need
less to remark. had taken charge of the
cake tables-and had secured Mrs. Lee
for his right hand
Fritz was bustling round with sup
plies of hot toast. thin bread and butter,
shrimps and jam. Indeed, he hustled
too much about Mr.. Pollock for that
gentleman's liking. 1t seemed to him
today that he could never look up with
out finding Fritz at his elbow.
Brent was sitting on the other side OF
Mrs. Lee. opposite to Molly. which was
the latter's arrangement: She had been
trying to be broad-minded that after
noon by playing tennis with Mrs. Lee.
work. not altogether unbiased by the
fact that. Pennicuik was beside her. A
little low-toned conversation with him
might make Chris jealous. which she
could not help feeling would be good
thing Being true woman. she never
cuik at all.
well" said Mr.. Pollock breezily. as
he piled jam on his third slice of but
tered toast. II must say Mrs. Sander
son does US uncommonly we'll This
toast would taste like nectar or elysf-
UNI. or whatever they call 1t. to the
Germans. I suppose. Poor beggars! l
have 1t on the best authority-though
I'm not at liberty to disclose from
whom-that they have finished their
. last horse already. And now they have
got to live almost entirely on cats
and dogs A man who isn't a narrow
minded bigot can't help feeling sorry
for the poor fellows. For the rank
and file, that is. They have been mis-
led by their superiors. Still. they arc
awful brutes. most of them. and de-
serve what they get" and Mr.. Pollock
snread his lam with a liberal hand.
II hear" remarked Miss Myrtle. in
her thin, reedy voice and with q ma
ucious glance toward Mr.. Brent, that
Miss Kidlington was most successful
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

ent anywhere else in the house, until
the policeman rang the bell OF the Ham
mond apartment. Then voices began to
be heard. and doors to open above and
below. but not the one before which
the policeman stood.
Another ring-and this time an insist
ent one-and still no response. The
officers hand was rising for the third
time when a hand began to struggle
with the lock, and. the door slowly
opening, disclosed woman clad In
hastily donned wrapper and giving
every evidence of extreme fright.
"Oh" she exclaimed, seeing only the
compassionate faces of her neighbors
You heard 1T. too. pistol shot from
there-there-my husbands room /
have not dared to go--I-I-oh. have
mercy and see If anything Is wrong! 1t
Is SO still-so still. and only a moment
ago the baby was crying. Mrs. Saunders.
Mrs. Saunders, why is it so still?"
She had fallen into her neighbor's
arms. The hand with which she had
pointed out a certain door had sunk to
her side and she appeared to be on the
verge Of collapse.
The ofhcer eyed her sternly. while
of woman hastily risen from bed.
Where were your" he asked Not
with your husband and child, or you
would know what had happened there"
managed to gasp out. Pm not WE'LL.
oh. why do you all stand still and do
nothing? My baby's in there. Go! go!"
and. with sudden energy. she sprang
upright, her eyes wide open and burn
ing. her small. well featured face white
as the nightgown she sought to hide.
The officer demurred no longer. In an
other instant he was trying the door
at which she was again pointing.
1t was locked.
CHANGING back at the woman, now
covering almost to the floor. he pound
ed at the door and asked the man inside
to open.
With sharp turn he glanced again
at the wife.
You say that your husband is In this
room?"
She nodded. gasping family. land the
child"
He turned back. listened, then beckon-
ed to Mr.. Saunders. We shall have to
break our way in said he. Put your
shoulder well to the door, Now"
The hinges Of the door creaked; the
lock gave way (this special officer
weighed 275. as he found out next day.
and prolonged and sweeping crash
told the rest.
straining forward from where she
crouched in terror on the floor, searched
the faces of the two men for some hint
of what they saw in the dimly lighted
space beyond.
Something dreadful. something which
made Mr.. Saunders come rushing back
with a shout:
Take her away! Take her to our
apartment. Jennie. She must not
Not see! He realized the futility of
his words as his gaze fell or the young
woman who had risen up at his APP
proach and now stood gazing at him
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

TT does look like that" admitted
Percy.
"Oh, you don't either Of you under
stand" replied Molly. speaking low but
very fast and with a heightened color
in her cheeks. You are just men and
YOU want to Judge every one by your
selves I don't judge at all. You rea-
son about things. but know them. I
love Chris. Yes, do, so there! don't
love him for being this or that. just
love. him because he's himself. and even
II he were entirely in the wrong in
everything you say. I'd just go on low
ing him all the more" and Molly went
swiftly along the veranda and in at the
house door.
Dear. dear" calculated Mr.. Pollock,
girls are damn funny things. Percy. OF
course 1 understand Molly perfectly.
she's my own child. but, upon my word.
there are times when she almost puz-
zles me-"
I'm afraid one things clear enough"
said Pennicuik. a little drearily, land
that is that she's quite hopelessly in
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

through his eyeglass, and when Miriam
rose and strolled on to the lawn. he
went after her.
Mr. Pollock gazed at the backs of
absorbed in a low toned conversation,
with growing indignation on his ex-
pressive countenance. He now rose.
abandoning Miss Myrtle's conversation
in midair. so to speak. and strobe over
to where his daughter and Percy were
standing.
Really, that fellow Brent has no
sense Of decency or shame whatever
he announced. His brazen effrontery
about the white feather at tea is near
ly ,equaled by Mrs. Lee. Cross ues-
tioning me like that. indeed. and now
look at 'em. Might have known each
other for years! An outrageous firta-
ton, I call it,
Chris found he know her husband
in South Africa" said Molly. trying to
speak casually.
Husband! I shouldn't be surprised
-" began Mr.. Pollock. and then turn
ed off his sentence with cough.
IT must say" said Percy hesitatingly.
'it does seem odd. Brent not doing any :,
thing. Surely he could get some kind
enlist"
.Tm sure Chris has very good rea-
sons. know he has He told me- said
Molly. defiantly.
DID ne Tell you "Hdt tNcy "eIo "
only that he had 'em?" demanded Mr.
Pollock, placing his finger tips together
in judicial manner and gazing at hel
over the top of his pincenez.
He said he couldn't tell me wha'
they WERE"
Exactly" said Mr.. Pollock Il sup
pose even Brent draws the line at ad'
hitting to you that he is a coward
B ~"Father" cried Molly. sharply.
But 1t does look queer. you must see
for yourself, Molly" urged Percy. TT:
you we're thinking of. your father anc
I. It puts you in such a hateful posi-
ton and you aren't happy about 1t, you
know you aren't. Molly"
"Oh. don't argue. Percy" flashed Molly
irritably. Mr.. Brent has his own rea
sons for doing what he is doing. l dom
know what they are. but I am quite
satisfied by his assurance that they are
good enough"
"Fiddlesticks." said her father. rude.
~. III he has reasons they aren't goot
enough, or he could explain them"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

has trained Charles up. But with frau
lein It's more than that. It's her re-
ligion. her passion"
She seems SO normal" observed
Miriam.
That's because OF her iron self
control" replied Brent. But I should
not be surprised If she turned out to
be the type of religious maniac which
is quite the most dangerous and ruth
less thing in the world. Do you re-
member the case Of Euphrasie Mercier p"
mo, who's she?" asked Miriam. Il
don't delve into such curious subjects
as you. you know. Kit"
"She was n notorious French MUIR
deress." replied Brent. land. though
perfectly sane and responsible, a re-
ligious maniac. She was only devoted
to her own family, who were all more
or les congenial idiots. and she muir
dered quite ruthlessly for their benefit.
Translate relations into terms of coun-
try and think you will find the same
phenomenon in Fraulein Schroeder.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08
Copyright, 1917. by the McC
Syndicate.)

Copyright, 1877, by tne sacShu1o Se"es~v0
nn0 0oU must see her"
eoW - :ss: no.. . most u.a.p,,
4 woman. Husband and child
both taken from her IN 4 moment: and
now all means Of living as WELL unless
some happy thought Of yours-some in
spiration Of your genius-shows US q
way of re-establishing her claims to the
policy voided by this cry Of suicide"
But the small. wise head of Violet
Strange continued its slow shake Of de-
cided refusal.
I'm sorry" she protested, but it's
quite out of my province. I'm too young
10 NEEDLE with SO serious matter"
Not when you can save a bereaved
woman the only possible compensation
left her by untoward fate?"
Let the police try their hand at
that"
They have had no success with the
case"
or your
Nor ] either
And you expect
Yes. Miss Strange. / expect you to
find the missing bullet which will set
tie the fact that purder and not suicide
ended George Hammond's life. II you
cannot, then long litigation awaits
this poor widow. ending. as such litiga-
ton usually does. in favor of the
stronger party. There's the alterna-
tive. II you once saw her.
But that's what I'm not willing to
do. II l once saw her I should yield to
her opportunities and attempt the
seemingly impossible. My instincts bid
me say no. GIVE me something easier"
Easier things are not so remunera-
tive. There's money in this affair. if
the insurance company is forced to pay
up. 1 can offer you"
"What?'
There was eagerness IN the tone, de.
spite her effort Of nonchalance. The
other smiled imperceptibly and briefly
named the sum.
II was larger than she had expected
This her visitor saw by the way her
eyelids fell and the peculiar stiffness
which, Tor an instant. held her yiyacity
in check.
He could hardly conceal his amazement
her desire was SO evident and the cause
OF it so difficult to understand. He knew
she wanted money-that was her avowed
reason for entering into this uncongenia
work. But to want it so much, He
glanced at her person; II was simply clad
but very expensively-how expensivel,
1t was his business to know. Then hi
took in the room in which they sat
Simplicity again. but the simplicity Of
high art-the drawing room of one ricf
enough to indulge in the final luxury o
highly cultivated taste.
What did this favored child Of forum,
lack that she could be reached by suci
plea, when her whole being revoitet
from the nature Of the task he Offered
her? 1t was a question not new to him
but one he had never heard answered an,
was not likely to hear answered now
But the fact remained that the consen
he had thought dependent upon sympa
mope readily by the promise Of larg
emelument-&nd he owned to q feeling
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08
THE SECOND BULLET.

without speech. without movement, but
with a glare Of terror in her eyes,
which gave him his first realization of
human misery.
His own glance fell before 1t. If he
had followed his instinct he would have
fed the house rather than answer the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

gotten in the wild rush she made. The
wife and mother had flung herself upon
the scene, and. side by side with the
not unmoved policeman. stood looking
down upon the desolation made in one
fatal instant in her home and heart
They lay there together, both past
help. both quite dead. The child had
simply been strangled by the weight
of his fathers arm which lay directly
across the upturned little throat But
the father was victim of the shot
they had heard. There was blood on his
breast and a pistol in his hand.
Suicide. The horrible truth. was pat
emit No wonder they wanted to hold
the young widow back. Her neighbor,
Mrs. Saunders. crept in on tiptoe and
put her arms about the swaying, faint
ing woman, but there was nothing to
say-absolutely nothing!
At least, they thought not But when
they saw her throw herself down, not
by her husband. but by the child, and
drag it out from under that straneling
arm and hug and kiss it and call out
wildly for a doctor. tn officer endeay-
ored to interfere, and yet Gould not
find the heart to do SO, though he
knew the child was dead and should
not, according to all the rules of the
coroner's office, be moved before that
official arrived. Yet because no mother
could be convinced of fact like this,
he let her sit with 1t on the floor and
try all her little arts to revive it, while
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

terror, perhaps in mercy to herself, she
was the one who at last found the word
which voiced their mutual anguish.
"Dead?"
No answer. None was needed.
"And my baby?"
Oh, that cry! It curdled the hearts OF
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

all who heard 1t. 1t shook the souls OF
men and women both inside and out
side the apartment; then all was for
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-08

CONTINUED on Fifth PaEe.)
Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1917-04-12

The adaptability Of the new
machine is another feature of its
usefulness. 1t can be adjusted to
an infinite number OF comb
nations. 1t may be used as an or
dinary adding machine, or as a
straight subtracting machine. 1t
may be used for posting to the
ledger or making out depositors'
statements. And figures, wheth-
er simple or complicated, are
gobbled up and digested with e.
quail facility by the Unsuitable
appetite of its mechanical works
There IS n, human being wi 0
&C figures ut the same time with
speed and with absolute accur-
acy, but the Burroughs does it. T"