davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Press., 1919-12-11
A month passed. Then came the night of the riot. It had germinated in

A month passed. Then came the | night of the riot. It had germinated in a nest of anarchists in the slums and it broke out of clear sky. A hard, | bad crowd gathered silently, then with sudden, crashing uproar began raid | ing the arms and ammunition places. The police reserves were out and the riot call for troops sent in. The town | was in turmoil, the streets perilOus- all in a moment. Betty had been din- | ing with Travers, a frequent custom. | They had been to foreign restau- rant, a little away from the center of ! things.
 AS they turned a corner they found themselves in the midst of frantic crowd, red-fagged, crying "Death to capitalists !" One burly fellow threw an American flag on the ground, spat upon it, kicked it.
 Betty famed into fury. "StOp that, ou-you-creature p she cried shall- ing her fist at the brute. Make him stop it !" she demanded, turning to Ira vers. With one accord the wiltl-eycd crowd rushed bowling at them. And Travers, shaking Betty's hand from his arm, turned and fled.
 The burly man, first to reach Betty, seized her arm with cruel grip. Thrusting his face close into hers. he swore vilely at her in English. "We fix such kind-you! Right nOw!" he shouted. Then. still gripping her arm. he turned. leering, to his companions l,I> tongue.
 At that instant long police night stick swung over Bctty'S shoulder and the burly man went down with q thud. A ruck of rioters rushed at whoever was behind her. For an instant Betty was in the midst of q scuf1'ling. grunl- ing, curSing mass. A strong arm swung her into the shelter of long body, and twice again the yellow stick re- sounded on thick skulls Momcutnrily the crush of ill-Smelling humanity leaned away from her. Then around the corner came a dozen policemen with riot guns. The bOlSheviStS Scnt- tered and fled. And Betty found her self smuggling tightly to the side Of Fred Bannister.
 By thunder, girl. I only got here ir timer He laughed through labored breathing.
 ooh, dear!" shivered Betty. "It wa4 mighty lucky for me you happened to come"
 Happened be blowed! I heard you mention the Little Europe as you came out. When this started I knew you were in wrong-in that company. So bummed this club and came drumming. I met Mir. Yellow Fellow beating it. Listen, Betty, I don't have to tell you what sort Travers is. He's told you all about himself now After this I'm gO- ing to take you around. You need an escort with less culture and mora sporting blood"
 "Well, after the way you've treated me, like your nerve" protested Bet ty; but she smiled gratefully up at him.
 "Glad you do," replied Bannister. "It's brand new"
The Press., 1919-12-11
All That Affected Her.

That the Empress Eugenie Is not prone to brood sentimentally over the past is evidenced by an incident that occurred some years ago. She visited Windsor castle, a palace in which in the golden days of the empire she was received as an honOred guest. Those who accompanied her on this second visit lowered near her, fearing that she would be overcome with the con- trast between the past and the present, especially when she viewed the apart ments fitted up for her use and which had not been changed. But 1t was merely her artistic sense that was of fended. The hangings of the huge bed were of imperial purple with the green of Napoleon, and the ex-empress remarked disgustedly, "Toujours ces atfreuX rideauX!" Always those frightful curtains"
The Press., 1919-12-11
PETE HAD OBEYED ORDERS
Literal Minded Soldier Came Near Get ting His Commanding Officer
 Into Bad Mess.

There Is certain young officer who. according to his own story, is thanking his stars that General PerShing had a sense of humor.
 "Some of my men were Polish, and better soldiers never lived but I guess in Poland life has been one long. sad story," said the officer. Anyway, l never ran across a bunch who took things so literally. One night the Ger mans sent out a three-inch shell that landed square in the trench. In the morning I told one of my men. Pete we called him. to take it away.
 "'Where shall l take it?' he asked.
 "'Oh. anywhere.' answered peev- ishly. put it to bed in Pcrshings tent
 "A little later brother officer came along and said: The old man wants you. and there's something doing
 "I couldn't imagine what was up un- til stood before the chief. He eyed me sternly and then pointed to his bunk. and would you believe it, there was that blamed shell. Pete sure had obeyed orders. Well. I thought was in for it. but Pershing suddenly be- gan to smile. He said: I just want to caution you not to order Pete to cap- lure Berlin until the rest of us are ready to go with him. He might go and do it, you know "-RehOboth Sunday Herald.
The Press., 1919-12-11
WHY HE QUIT 1.-THE ROAD"
Ex-prummer Voices Regret for the Disappearance of OIdtime Boni-
 face and Clerk.

"Oh for the old-fashioned hotel clerk, smiling, accommodating, always friendly, who never forgot face, obliging and always making a fellow feel like he was at hOme," said Frank Whitsell of Portland, Ore, ac- cOrding to the Fl Paso Herald. "What a difference between the old prOfes- siOnal hotel clerks of 25 years ago, even up to 15 years ago, and the au- tomatic, mechanical clerks who never try to oblige-I might call them auto- matic grOuches-of the present day behind the hotel registers. If you ask one of them question he or she, nowadays, intimates that you get your room and meals, just exactly what you pay for, and not a thing more, please understand that. I was a con- mercial traveller for quarter cen tury up to six years ago, and I know. Why, we old drummers, as they used to call us, felt at home in those old hOStelries of the western states, just on account of the clerks. Say. they were Gods nOblemen, those Old-timers. They seemed to anticipate a fellows wants and would go to all sorts of trouble to accommodate one. The milk of human kindness flowed in thei: hearts. And it made business, too. I have stopped at an inferior house, many time, because had been treat ed so well by the clerk. And I can say, too, the proprietors were much the same way in those days. Hotels were made hOmelike, not big box with compartments, where you are to be tucked away at so much per. That was one of the reasons I quit the road, the chilly, purely mechanical hotels of the present day"
The Press., 1919-12-11

ter's words Betty knew we'll enough what it was the lanky sporting editor had said. She flushed hotly but made no sign. Then and there, though, she resolved to ''show that big boor that if anything is putting the business on the blink it isn't the women"
 Betty took rather more pains than she otherwise might have to be nice to everybody else in the Argus shop, lofty indifference with which she treat ed the sporting editor. She ignored his almost insultingly perfunctory greeting the next time they met-and after that the sporting editor and the new feature writer apparently were unaware of each others existence.
 Betty had been on the Argus" al- most two weeks before she got a chance to show what she could do. h. deed, she was beginning to wonder whether Saunders's idea of utilizing a woman writer was to keep her run ming around to suffrage meetings, get ting photographs of "richest babies, ,' and such like cubs errands, when her opportunity came.
 Down at the South End there was a big acid works. An explosion in one of the buildings killed six of the foreign employees and maimed many others. The fire department had had an heroic job. It was big stOry-but mans stuff, all of it. Saunders. happening to glimpse Betty, wistful outsider to all the hustling work going on, called to her. "Go and get sob story on the wives and sweethearts of the explosion victims" he said, and turned back to his schedule.
 Betty got the story. Every one of the six had had family. Four of the families had been planning to return to the old homes in Europe the next week. The story was full of possbili- ties. Betty wrote it magnificently. in bold, splendid strokes. Saunders had limited her to half a column. sche(lul- ing it for a minor head and to follow all explosion" When he read what the girl had written he played her story up in a three-cOlumn box in black type.
 Bannister always read every word of the Argus except the sporting page. He was boring over the paper next day when Betty came into the city room. He was reading her story for the second time. The girl looked clean over his head and went straight to her desk. Bannister, peering sol emnly over the top of the paper. stud fed her intently. Presently she went out. Well, the darned little cuss I" said Bannister to himself.
 And had the gall to think I'd make a feature writerI"
 There was one man in the Argus office who was even more thoughtfully courteous to Betty than any one else. That was Travers, the dramatic and musical critic. Travers was as immac- ulate in manners as in dress, and very. very superior. He had a Harvard nc- cent and no intimates in the office. Betty considered him the most genu- inely cultured man she had ever met.
 He talked literature. particularly poetry, with her. The day after her beautifully pathetic picture of the stricken widows and orphans appeared Travers bestowed upon it an analyti- cally calm approval that she valued more than all the enthusiastic praise of the rest of the office
 Then he invited her out to dinner. Bannister saw them going, noted the deferential yet protective attitude of the critic, and swore volubly.
The Press., 1919-12-11
Temperament and Watch.

That particular kinds of tempera- ment exercise baleful influence on watches seems Q be common expe- rience.
 T once carried four in three months" writes correspondent, "and all stopped. A matchmaker told me that they behaved as watches do when the spring of the balance gets mag. netized, though why they should have done so he could not say"
 The fact when mentioned to Prof Sylvanus Thompson, distinguished electrician, noticed that the clock-stop per fidgeted a good deal, and ventured to suggest that such movements prob ably generated small amount of fric. tlonal electricity at high tension which might at times magnetize the spring.
The Press., 1919-12-11
SUFFERED FOR OTHERS SIN
Pathetic Story Told as an Example of the Peril That Lies in
 Inefficiency.

A. F. Hawley. president of the Aero club. told in New York the other day an inefficiency story.
 "Beware the inefficient man." he said, "for if you have dealings with him 1t is you, not he, that will suffer from his inefficency.
 "A foreigner in outlandish garh claiming to be an Armenian came here to solicit funds last year for his com patriots. It happened that another Armenian was arrested at the time. and the first chap was asked to go to court and act as his interpreter.
 "Well. he reluctantly consented to act, though the truth was that he knew no Armenian whatever. Anyhow he stalked into the courtroom. listened in grave silence to the prisoners pas siOnate prOtestatiOns of innocence, and then turned to the judge and said with a low bow.
 "'Your honor, my compatriot has confessed all. He begs you. however to be lenient for suffering Armenia 's sake
 "The judge thanked the interpreter warmly for his services. and then sen fenced the innocent prisoner to five years hard labor"
The Press., 1919-12-11
No Woman Passenger Pilots.

In England women will not be given permission to serve as pilots on pas senger airplanes. An official of the air ministry gave the reason for this decision to a writer on the London Sketch as physical disability as well as nerves" declaring that women's nerves are much more likely to give way than mems.
 "I think there are no women in this country capable of passing the air ministry's test. If one does succeed, however. she will be permitted to fly her own private machine. but whether she will be allowed to take a friend with her is a point that remains to be decided.
 "In any case women will be barred as pilots of passenger-carrying ma chines."
The Press., 1919-12-11
A Senator's Lunch,

Being addressed by a smirking head waiter as Senator" means nothing to the gay life of Senator McCumber of North Dakota.
 Instead of dining at the senate res taurant. where senatorial dignity and fitting White-aprOn garbed walters predominate. when night sessions pre- vent him from going home. the Sena- tor repairs to a nearby cafeteria. col lects tray. napkin. knife. fork. spoon and other implements of table war fare. nestles his liver and bacon and other seasonal delicacies on the tray, walks over to table and lays out his spread
The Press., 1919-12-11
London Now Less Noisy.

Middle-aged Londoners who went to snd fro in the capital in the sixties and seventies merely smile when we ask if London could possibly be nois- fer than 1t is at the present day.
 For they say 1t was far noisier place then, when nearly all the main streets were granite paved and all the wheels of the vehicles iron bound. There was a continuous roar then to which the present day sound is a mere whisper.
 One such Londoner says he often heard in the old days the roar of Lon. dons traffic from as far away a spot as the Crystal Palace parade. The sound was like that of continual very distant thunder. He has many times in recent years listened for the sound from the same spot but has never heard it.-London Chronicle.
The Press., 1919-12-11
To Ascertain Days of Months.

Shut the fist and let the knucllle of the fOretinger represent January with it's 31 days, and the depression between that and the next knuckle will repre- sent February with it's smaller number of days. And thus every month that corresponds to a knuckle will be found to contain thirty-one days, and every month that corresponds to a depres- sion a smaller number of days. The little finger knuckle will represent July; begin again with the forefnger knuckle which stands for August, and from this on continue to count through the months of the year.
The Press., 1919-12-11
Sad Is Sad,

A mother, who was rather fond of the cheaper 10, 20, 3O-cent melo- dramas. one afternoon took her young daughter who had grown to consider herself above that sort of thing.
 The daughter was bored, but the mother was greatly interested, and finally, when the heroine had got into seemingly inextricable position. broke down and sobbed heartily.
 "NIother, I wouldn't cry here," whis- percG the daughter significantly. ac- cCnting the last word.
 ''Let me alone," replied the other. historically. "If a thing is sad. it's sad: can't cry according to price, Life.
The Press., 1919-12-11

dicate.)
 The only person in the Argus office who didn't treat little Miss Mclean with the utmost respect from the mo- lnent of her joining the staff was Ban- mister. BanniSter wasn't the typical sporting editor of fiction and movies. He didn't wear checked suits.
 He didn't gabble increasingly in baseball slang. He was tall and som Der and chronically pessimistic con corning prize fighters. star pitchers and race horses. He was sporting ed itOr because of an uncanny gift of analysis that made him the bet fore caster in that field in the state.
 The "old man" had discovered this quality in Bannister and bribed him. with an increase iu pay, to quit gcner- al reporting and specialize in sports. Bannister didn't like being a sporting editor. He wanted to be the papers feature writer. And Betty Mclean had just been given that job.
 Betty had come to the Argus from an unimportant upstate paper. En- ders. the old exchange reader had dis covered her Stutt and showed it to the Loss. Phillips was always after good material. He Slruthrd Betty out and hired her.
 When Billy Saunders. the city cdi- tor. introduced Eaun;Ster to Miss Me Lean BanniSter gruntcd. He didn't give the girl a second looF-which was bad judgment because Betty was well worth looking at.
 Also she overheard part of what Bannister said to Bart Heminway. the police reporter, as he passed the lat ter's desk q moment later; something about putting the newspaper business on the blink"
 From the apprehensive glance Hem inway directed toward her at Bannis-
The Press., 1919-12-11
DIME NOVELS COMING BACK
In Eighteen Months "Nick carter'' Has Had Sales That Have Been
 Record Breaking.

lick Carter has come into his own again. The king of the "paperbacks" has made record-breaking return to popularity. About eighteen months ago his sales began to mount steadily until the entire supply of Nick Carter books was exhausted. says the Sun.
 His return to fame was unexpected. It was not the result of an advertis- ing campaign. for the publishers of the paper-bound books do not adver- tise. They depend instead for the sale of their books on the lists printed in the back pages of each volume.
 And Nick Carter was not the only member of the 'paperback" tribe to return. All the old favorites-Laura Jean Lbbey. Bertha M. Clay. Mrs. E.. D. B. N. SOuthworth and Augusta J. Evans-have "come back" surpriS- ingly.
 Five years ago everyone was will ing to predict that the movies had killed the production of cheap books, Thrills could be absorbed more quick ly from the screen than from the print ed page-and the price was the same.
 Publishers of the paper books are uncertain whether their old reading public has tired of the motion picture or whether a new class of readers has arisen. Of one thing they are certain. though. the demand for the 10 and 15- cent book has increased fOurfOd. If 1t were not for the increased cost of production these publishers would be reaping the harvest of their lives.
 Stories of American life-as seen by Bertha NJ. Clay and other writers of her claSs-and detective stories are most in demand FOrtune-telling books and letter writers also have a large steady sale. ''Dream" books were never so popular as they are to- day, their publishers say.
The Press., 1919-12-11
Conan Doyie's "FamiIiar."

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's familiar proved of very practical assistance to him the other day.
 The creator of Sherlock Holmes walked into his study, and after some indecision drifted over to the waste. paper basket. plunged his arm into the litter. and-extracted a valuable war office document relating to the history of the war! It had blown from the table into the basket.
 eve never done such thing be- fore" said Sir Arthur in narrating the circumstances and the unusual course of action which he followed with such good results he attributes wholly to the promptings of his "familiar."- London Chronicle.
The Press., 1919-12-11
Star Tuberculosis Patient.

James age seven, is patient at SunnySide and came into the city for tonslIOtomy. While in one of the hospitals overnight James could not sleep because he missed his sleeping porch. so he called the nurse and pleaded his case (fOr air).
 The weather was zero and the nurse explained as much to James and thinking she had satisfied his mind she left him. but no sooner had she gone than James became restless for his old haunts and called her. Again she refused to open the window and James, who is ''star care taker.' proved his mettle; he threw his shoe through the window pane.-Indanap OliS News.
The Press., 1919-12-11
Something to lt-After All.

The hostess had talked about her wonderful ancestry until her guests were bored to distraction. No one made any comments. but still she was determined to win some. So she turn ed to the young woman next to her and said: "Isn't it splendid to have an ancestry of which one can be proud?"
 The young woman, who was very successful indeed. smiled and calmly rejoined: "I really don't know. You see I've been so busy all my life try ing to do something worth while so that my ancestors. should they sud denly come to life. would not feel ashamed of me, that I've had very lit tie time to hunt information about them"
The Press., 1919-12-11
Where the Grocer Was.

Doris mother was in the habit of or dering her bread at Smiths grocery. One day while entertaining callers they heard Doris ill the next room talking through her toy telephone, asking Gen. tral for Smiths grocery, when she called: "AIother, MT. Smith isn't at home." "Where do you suppose he is?' replied the mother. Doris answered : "Why, he's up in heaven getting our daily bread"
The Press., 1919-12-11
One Erenchman,s Sacrifice.

Thirteen sons dead, that represents part of the wars cost to a French farmer who lived at Reninghe, near Ypres-surely a record. He had 36 children, and 20 of his % sons fought on the various fronts. In 1917 the widow of one of the sons was killed by a German shell at Dunkirk. The farmer himself and one of his daugh. ters met tragic end. Tn October. 1914, they went to Lille to take part In celebrating the hundredth birthday of a relative. They were met on their return by a German patrol and were shot.
The Press., 1919-12-11
Chinatown Hides Joss.

The transforming of Chinatown tha has been in progress for decade ha' finally thrust its Americanizing infu ences into the Chinese temple in Mot, street with the result that the jos, and lesser idols have been relegate( to dusty closet. For years the jos. was one of the attractions of China town and every well-conducted part! was led before tie idol that occupied a prominent position in the council hal of the temple.- New York Times.
The Press., 1919-12-11
To Preserve Lettera.

The following method of preserving the legibility of pencil writing is valu- able: Steam the letter until quite limp, then brush over with a solution com posed of equal parts of milk and wa ter. Hang it up until nearly dry. Then press it between two sheeSs of blot ting paper with a hot iron.
The Press., 1919-12-11
Greeks Prize RuUs.

Rug making is as old as Greece it. self, but it was never made a com mercial item. and it was rare indeed that weaver could be persuaded to part with his rug. Greek rugs are of two kinds, the heavy ones used in win ter and the light ones used at all times. In the beginning the designs were of the simplest, but later the Greeks borrowed floral designs from the Persiaas, which loan was amply repaid with the development of Gre clan art Venetian rugs are also very rare.
The Press., 1919-12-11
Coating Iron With Lead.

Lead as a substitute for tin as 8 coating for sheet iron, iron wire and wire gauge was strongly advocated at the Buffalo meeting of the American Chemical society by Charles Basker- vile, who exhibited some specimens of a process worked out by him.
 Iron shingles, so treated, have been exposed to the weather in roof test for two years and eleven months and show no signs of rust. They may be bent without cracking the coating and exposing the iron. Chicken wire so treated Is quite as good as the galvan- fzed and cheaper to produce.
The Press., 1919-12-11
Making Mother-of-Pearl.

The secret of another German key industry has been discovered. the man. ufacture of artificial mother of pearl. J. w. H. Dew. fellow of the British Royal Society of Arts, found the proc ess after much patient experimenting.
 Doctor Dew was engaged during the whole period of the war in recon. structing, step by step, the method of manufacture.
 Artificial mother-of-pearl is used for making fancy buttons, dress trimmings and many other articles. Before the war most of 1t came from Germany.
The Press., 1919-12-11
"Bouqht His Time" From Father.

Hon. Francis E. Warren, the wealthy senator from Wyoming, in speaking of his bOyhOOd recently, said: My father was only twenty years older than myself. Ills gage was work, physical work, and if he ever bOasted of me it was about my strength. He had bought his time of his father, he had often said, and l., in turn, bought mine of him. What will you take l one day asked, to let me go and work for someone else?' That would be selling you seven years he answered. I owe,' and he mentioned the name of a neighbor, 'eighty-fve dollars for yoke of oxen
 If you will pay that debt you may have your freedom. But if you leave home you are not to return unless you are sick, and if you do return. even for day. you will have to york;"
The Press., 1919-12-11
Few Thinqs Really Count.

A man can pile up palace of mar- ble and live the life of a pauper with in it, or he may be able to build only a hovel and yet live a princely life within it's poor walls. The things that can really help or hinder human soul are, after all, comparatively few.