davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1921-12-11

TAVlD emerged from the reek-
ing by.ways of the lower
city. He was in a deserted
street. To right and left stretched
the wall that encircled the palace
Of Herod and its garden courts.
Set into 1t was low, strait door
a postern for secret business. Not
living thing moved.
The young man went right up
to the door in the wall, led by the
indeterminate starlight. There was
no sound but the muffled. heavy
beating Of his own heart. He tried
the door, pressing It. 1t was shut
fast.
Drawing back a step or two he
drove at 1t with his shoulder, and
with a splintering sound the fasten-
ings burst. David lunged forward
through the narrow doorway into
the precinct that the wall enclosed
He brought up short, conscious
OF his bruised shoulder, but ignor-
ing II. The fact that he had broken
like a thief into the gardens Of
Hered, the Tetrarch, and ran a con-
siderable risk of being taken by
the guard and scourged did not oc-
cur to him.
He stood upon a paved way. It's
pallid glimmer led straight on, and
he went forward, moving with dis
erection. The perfume OF orange
blossom touched his nostrils.
The marble path broadened, d.
The Washington times., 1921-12-11

"She will not see another -
day. There is no antidote."
Thus the thoughts of Iris ran.
"Valerius may love her to-
night, but 1t will not matter.
Tomorrow she will be dead,
and the dead are forgotten as
quickly as a kiss given in the dark
When she is gone he will desire
me-there will be no one to distract
him. / shall have him all to my
self, and he will kiss me as he
kissed her to-day. No one will know
how she died, for there will be no
mark upon her"
Astarte extended her right hand,
on the forefinger Of which was the
gold and silver scarabaeus ring.
She had never worn a ring before.
The oblong golden facsimile of the
sacred Egyptian beetle hid her fin
ger to the first joint.
"Oh-Iris!" she said, cts beau
tiful. I'll never take it off,"
"Hush!" said Iris. 1--WE given 1t
to you because l love you already.
1t will bring you luck, dear"
The other girls had risen and
were all leaning over the aiabaster
balustrade Of the gallery upon
which the chamber opened.
Iris" called one of them over
her shoulder. 1--WE must 60 down
now. Oh, it's a sight"
Astarte's heart seemed to Jump
to her throat. She was on her feet
now and out in the open gallery
that overlooked an inner court of
the palace. A staircase led down
into the court, half lit by lamp
placed at the head Of It and by an
other at its foot.
Now she was on this staircase.
descending, and Iris was with her,
and Helen, and Semla. She gazed
straight before her with widened
eyes that did not blink, for it was
more wonderful than any dream.
The court was in darkness, but
behind six tall, fluted, vermilion
columns, whose capitals were pairs
OF gilded lions heads, was the hall
OF the feast, softly nebulous with
light.
Wells of rosy gauze fell from the
vermilion ceiling to the pavement
OF marble, and behind them stood
massive, many.branched candelabra
like silver trees, a lighted wick
ahoat In every cuplike socket. The
tables were arranged in the form Of
The Washington times., 1921-12-11
CHAPTER v.

IA
~ long marble and malachite
chamber Of the dancing girls.
Under this lamp and close to the
peacock-blue, star-spangled curtains
which had been drawn wide apart
the girls huddled. talking and gig
Cling.
The sun had set barely half an
hour before. leaving the West
smouldering like a charcoal hearth;
but the Judaean hills were cold and
neutral colored now, and the first
stars pricked the mild night.
Iris sat apart from the others on
the carpet square, almost beyond
the confines Of the weak light of
the single lamp. Her face was bent
over an open box of olive wood in
which she kept various small and
intimate possessions.
From this box she took a ring,
which she seemed to study, holding
it in the palm Of her hand. 1t was
a silver band on which was mount
ed a golden scarab Of the size of
mans thumb-nail. The fair, per
fectly featured face of the girl was
intent upon this ring.
1t had been given to her nearly a
year before by Numidian archer
Of Herod's bodyguard who, month
or two later. had been scourged to
death for poisoning his captain. He
had pleaded with her one night
with moist lips and eyes that glist-
ened like an animals, and she had
obtained the ring from him and the
secret of the ring.
It was a vehicle of death-unsus-
pected, subtle, certain. The golden
scarab was hollow. and in the cav
ity was poison--the immemorial
poison with which the half-men of
the African forest envenomed their
arrows.
Among them 1t was known by
the name Of kombe, and once 1t had
entered the blood of man or woman
death was certain after the passage
of a few hours-death without the
slightest warning or any antidote.
In the olive.wood box beside her
knee was the scrap of silk in which
the ring was always hidden.
Iris wrapped the ring in 1t again,
keeping II In her lightly closed hand,
shut the box, rose and crossed over
to where the other girls crouched
on their heels under the lamp that
was set in a niche.
With them was Astarte, her au-
burn head fllleted with silver and
crowned with a silver-white aigrette.
my Joints seem so stiff tonight"
complained Helen, "and l rubbed
myself with oil this morning till
my palms burned - positively
burned, girls"
You're getting old, dear-that's
the trouble" said Semla. II hope
Lenders there to wrestle for them
Il feel that shall dance we'll to-
night"
The Washington times., 1921-12-11

The harp music ceased. There
was a clang of cymbals.
Astarte was aware that Iris and
Helen had risen, one splendid as a
shapely goddess, the other exquis-
lite as an alabaster figurine. Their
hair was deliberately dressed; their
bodies, almond-white, seemed to re-
feet the light of the many lamp
flames behind the wells Of rosy
gauze as pale garden statues reflect
the color of roses.
With the clean-cut precision of
long practice they struck a mutual
dramatic pose-one crouching. The
other Observation-Disclosures as
though frozen into stone.
The Washington times., 1921-12-11

changed. The posturers stood q mo-
ment Hike deer at gaze; then they
ran back to the carpet, laughing,
painting.
"Your Cretan's here, Semla." said
Helen, working in a strand of her
loosened hair with her finger and
thumb.
They've got him up at the table
in a purple tunic, with gold armlets
wider than the one Valerius wears
and wreath Of myrtle. They'll spoil
that boy II they start to make pet
of him-he'l think he's somebody.
He's a conceited cub, anyhow"
There was the throbbing thud of
a small, oblong. hand-beaten drum
like the heavy throb Of DESTROYS
pulses-and the quick shake.shake
Of tambourines.
Semla rose. She wore the short.
est possible glove-fitting Jacket Of
gold tissue, ending Just below her
breasts, and from her loin-beit fell
strips Of white leather. sewn with
b little bells, and forming q species
of skirt. There were bells at her
wrists and ankles, also.
She ran out, tinkling. on to the
cleared floor. stamped, and flung
herself with wonderful zest and vi
tality into the stomach dance. For
the first time since Astarte's inter
ested eyes had lighted on her in the
chamber embellished with mala-
chite she seemed really awake.
David, leaning against the column
in whose shadow he stood, turned
his eyes to the dancer only for an
instant.
He had glimpsed the stomach
dance many times through the
open doors of dissolute houses
where dancing girls were kept.
When he paused to watch it-halted
and held by an undercurrent of the
baser sort Of curiosity-it had re-
volted him even as he watched,
though lower chord had vibrated,
responsive, in defiance Of his will.
A singing flush of anger took
him. If he could, he would have
interposed curtain Of darkness
between the authenticated girl
with the aigrette and the stamping,
tinkling dancer who stripped pas.
sion Of all disguise, shredding from
it the beauty-the ardent spirit
that is clean as fire.
She seemed to regard the dancer
as a young child might regard the
craven symbols Of a shrine-se.
renely, unspeculatively. This invio-
late innocence shamed him, inflam-
Continued an Pogo 49,
The Washington times., 1921-12-11
''syge dsi Go and SinNoMorc Duh 4:bs

The Abourines ratified louder and faster Like de-
mented, with drawn brows and darling hands, she freed
herself from the first of the cngng that
swathed her. And from shadow of garlanded
t.l million columns David watched her."
The Washington times., 1921-12-11


court this morning l want to laugh"
Laugh" said Helen. "It's the
loveliest thing that's happened for
half a year! Astarte. you little
devil! could kiss you for it. Take
care the lion doesn't make a mouth.
full of you, child-nothing rouses a
man quicker than a slap on the
Jaw"
Astarte laughed, rather breath
lessly. She was very excited.
I'm not afraid of him!" she said.
81 told him I'd stab him If he
touched me again"
"Oh, listen to her." said Semla.
an a week you'll be showing us
the rings and armlets he's given
you"
He's fine figure Of man." said
Helen. you're lucky girl He'll
be there tonight. Mind you tell us
all about it tomorrow"
Iris had joined them, slipping
quietly down upon her knees be-
tween Amytis and Astarte.
A gust of harp-music came to
them. Everyone listened.
as it time for us?" said one,
Iris drew closer to Astarte and
slid a smooth arm about her
you're nervous, aren't your" she
said. 81 know you are. Look, dear,
I'll give you something my own sis
ter shouldn't have. It's an amulet.
"My mother got it from an Egyp-
tian woman whom she hid in her
house when they were looking for
her to stone her as a witch. You'll
have nothing but good luck as long
as you wear It, but be careful not
to take ii off.
Wear it tonight, dear. I'll slip
1t on your hand"
From the scrap of silk she I'M
rolled the scarabaevs ring that the
Numidian archer had given her and
fitted it deity on to the forefinger
Of Astarte's right hand. Keeping
the hand in her own she squeezed
II. edging still closer to the other
girl.
AS Iris pressed her hand, nesting
up to her, Astarte was barely con-
scious OF the faintest, minutest
prick. She was conscious of It, but
her consciousness paid no heed to 1t.
Under the pressure of Iris's fond.
ling hand a tiny needle point, hol-
low like a serpent's tooth. had
pierced the skin, and the deadly
African arrow-poison began, very
slowly. to filter into the puncture,
mingling with the blood.
II wouldn't have given It to my
own sister," purred Iris. TITS a
wonderful amulet"
The Washington times., 1921-12-11
CHAPTER vi.

AVID emerged from the reek-
ing by-ways of the lower
city. He was in a deserted
The Washington times., 1921-12-11

Continued an Page I6l
Evening star., 1921-12-04

nese jacket idea was offered to the
public.
A Nd here again there's trouble
If the wide opening at the hem
is left free to fall as it wishes one
might as well go without a wrap.
une freezes Therefore there has
come about a trick Of fastening the
two sides together or sloping them
inward until they fit the arm. The
house of Callot tried this experiment
on a frock and found 1t worth while.
Not only is white fur handed out
generously to the nursery, but it is
freely offered to the grown people
Maybe women won't accept 1t.
That's for them to say. But from
it's frequent appearance in the even-
ing there is chance of its SUCCESS.
Ermine is used for entire wraps. also
other white furs that are not as ex-
pensive.
White velvet trimmed with white
fur is quite smart, also black velvet
in the shape of a circular cape with
immense collar of white fur and big
pockets of it just below the waist
line. These pockets are excellent.
They are sufficiently deep and wide
to carry much that woman needs In
the afternoon or the evening and the
cape is worn during daylight or elec-
trio light.
One Of the best wraps Of the sea
son is of ermine and lynx. The usual
Evening star., 1921-12-04

cape-on-a-cape effect is managed by
a fun panel that drops down the back
to the hem, edged with a deep border
of the black lynx. The collar Is su.
perior to anything Catherine de Medlel
Invented in the same shape.
Gray furs continue to serve ana
coats Of moleskin are trimmed with
squirrel. Whole wraps of squirrel are
worn, usually with the addition OF
darker fur at the neck.
The dresSmakerS are often anxious
to catch the attention of women with
some queer movement OF the peltry:
This season they invented the pointed
effect in fur garments to carry out
the same idea in gowns. one wouid
think the world had had enough OF
points, for thousands of yards OF rag,
ged crepe and chiffon have adorned
the gowns of women, but the idea is
not dead, for it has appeared on sump-
tuous wraps, and sumptuous is the
only old fashioned word to describe
them.
The house of Cheruit has built a
double cape of beaver which is point
ed at all edges. The fur is admirably
handled to avoid any appearance OF
clumsiness, which Is far from easy.
+ II + x
A MOTHER novelty is worked out
a successfully in a short afternoon
coat that cannot be recommended for
warmth. 1t must be sold on its
beauty, although it serves well as
light wrap for thick frock. and as
women are wearing gowns of unusu-
Evening star., 1921-12-04

dierly coat of beige kasha duvetyne
or a kind of chamois weave that.
guiltless of fur and pulled In at the
waist line with a belt of the mate
rial, retains a definite air of fashion.
but it is only for the young. .na{ ut IL mas as
avoided by those over thirty-five.
Over twenty-five. one would amend.
if the person has curves ana heaVy
shoulders.
Curiously enough. there is certain
kind of street cape of beige fabric
! that holds it's own along with this
military coat, but it's rivals which be-
long to the newer generation are net
fashioned with narrow hens ana
broad elbow room.
Some one, however. put the mark
of distinction on the whole fur wrap
in the shape of a full cape or short
square coat.
In Paris they made pony skin and
gaZelle serve for wraps as well as
ornamentation, and women looked at
| They were accustomed to. the coarse
pony, but the soft gazelle was q
novelty that had elements OF uneer-
tainty.
THE house OF Cabot was. one OF
those using it. It trimmed bro
cade frocks, it was used for waist
coats and high collars on velvet. it
was fashioned into fiaring coats that
reached the knees.
Pony skin was placed on capes OF
broadcloth and beige kasha and on
coat suits in plain bands. as cuffs
and as spacious pockets. Cheruit
used it on the curious caps collar
she placed on q beige cloth cape with
vertical pleats from shoulder to hem
a cape which was one of the seasons
successes.
Poiret introduced a new white or
light brown fur which he called bo-
reale, coming from an leo animal
somewhat like a seal. It might have
been the fur of a polar bear. 1t GER
tainly looks like it and has a like
amount of warmth.
Beyond these three novelties the
seasonal furs are conventional. No
furrier scorns that which is we'll
tried and well known.
Beaver and ermine. moleskin and
kolinsky, squirrel and sable are
plentiful. A curious racrudescence of
we'll marked sable capes has occurred
and one surmises that they may have
been laid away in camphor awaiting
their day of resurrection.
1 remember once furrier Saying
that Mrs. Asto- was tine only woman
in America who possessed q eable
cape priced at $4,000. and that the
others were limitations. No one could
say that today. The American woman
Evening star., 1921-12-04

singed or clipped. Some beauty spe-
cialists say that singeing dries up
| the end of the hair. therefore causes
more split ends than 1t cures. Others
tube which runs through each hair
and which is left open when the hair
| is cut.
! Personally, I don't think that it
makes much difference. Use which,
ever method is more convenient.
! Singeing is usually much the fastest
and most convenient method.
Comb the hair into thin strans and
braid these in little tight braids. Run
the hand backwards over each braid
SO as to bring up the ends of the
hair. Then SINCE or clip these and
each little braid. No matter how
much care you take. you cannot get
off all these split ends. That is why
this treatment should be repeated SO
| frequently.
| 1t is important because these split
! be allowed on an otherwise healthy
hair. In some cases you will find by
| examining your hair closely that the
hair has split half way up its length.
Even so, the split part should be cut
off.
Miss NJ NJ M-The recovery from
a sprain is always very slow. even
taking years to fully overcome it,
unless the sprained parts have been
given absolute rest until there is
complete recovery. Massage the leg
regularly and do not overtax 1t by
J standing on it for long periods. then
some day the entire tendency toward
aching will have disappeared.
Estelle.-The scars from removing
blackheads usually bleach of them
| selves by cultivating . clear skin.
| If your scars do not, try peroxide
of hydrogen on a small piece of alb
| sorbent cotton, placing 1t over the
| scars at night, leaving 1t to dry out
| gradually, while it bleaches the skin.
A. H. 1.-The lines on either side
of the mouth show that your facial
| muscles are sagging. To remedy this
build up the general SYSTEM and tone
| the muscles of face and throat by
| gentle massage with cream, astrin-
| gents and finally an ice rub.
Y. Y. Z.-If the shade of your eyes
| is really bleaching you may need to
| be built up generally, or the eyes
may be weakened from straining
them. Consult your doctor.
Peggy-X Y. I'll will be glad to
| mail the formula for the syelash
| tonic If you send me stamped ad-
dressed envelope.
Evening star., 1921-12-04
&{&&s,s%& &ff$;;sa&ad&AAR;B i 4
The Housekeeper With Ingrowing
Thoughts.
Laura, a NrKJnon

The housekeeper. unlike the busi-
ness woman, does her work in prac-
tical solitude. The business woman
Is surrounded by other workers and
by an office atmosphere that in itself
Is conducive to concentration on the
work at hand; but the housekeeper,
in most cases. is alone while she
cooks. cleans or sews, and this lone
Illness is conducive to thoughts that
wander away from her work-and,
too often, that center upon herself.
And it's not good for US to analyze
ourselves too much. From self
analysis 1t is only short step to
magnifying conditions and making
mountains out of mole hills
Now, reader friends, 1 am writing
upon a subject for a very definite
purpose; / want to help those of you
who have this habit of thinking lin
growing thoughts" to get rid of the
to make a person miserable.
And perhaps the best way to help
you to get rid Of the habit is to tell
you how another woman got rid of it..
l have a letter from this woman on
my desk as l write. 1t reads:
Dear Miss kirkman: wonder II
you remember answering a letter of
mine some six months ago? l wrote
you then anonymously to ask you to
suggest way that I could make
money without going out of my home
and you suggested in your reply
roomer.
Now I am writing to tell you that
I followed your advice-and that
things. have looked SO much brighter
to me ever since. AS / am not sign
ing this letter. am going to write
to publish it in your column if you
want-it might help other women.
! do not even live where your paper
is published "a friend sends it to mel !.
SO none OF my neighbors see the
paper-a most important point!
''Six months ago when l wrote you
for advice on earning money. my hus-
band and I were pretty hard up
But 1t wasn't our restricted financial
state that made me wretched; 1t was
the fact that my husband didn't seem
to be sympathetic with me any more
or SO It seemed at that time. Not
caring much what I did anyway
had let things get on my nerves SOL
followed your advice and took an
elderly lady as roomer In our home.
I didn't suppose it would make any
particular difference to me from a
standpoint of my happiness.
But 1t did! The minute I began
to work harder. keeping the house
spotlessly clean, SO that my roomer
should not think me a poor house.
keeper. and planning nice dinners
(for 1 agreed to give her dinners,
allowing her to get her own break
fast and supper in her room), began
to feel happier! The little, seemingly
heartless things my husband said to
me didn't sink In as they had done
before. His hasty criticisms of me
didn't 'rankle' any more. I was too
busy to NOPE over little things that
hurt!
$50 / am writing to thank you for
making that suggestion about taking
the roomer. BY following it I have
made myself over from a. worrier to a
cheerful woman. My husband notices
the difference in me and often says,
You're not half as sensitive as you
used to be. thank goodness! You're
good little sport now"
think this letter proves my point.
that 'ingPowing thoughts" are cura-
BILE. At least one woman has cured
herself of that misery-bringing mall
adyi
Evening star., 1921-12-04
BY ANNE RITTENHoUsE.

TT WOULD appear that women are
to worry more about the price
of furs than their shaping and
resources.
Are the furriers bit weary Of the
search after novelty by grating and
mingling widely opposing furs? Are
they back to the belief that women
are not so anxious concerning the
subtle and difficult methods of cut
ting and streaking and pointing as
they are of the warmth, the wearing
qualities and the coloration of the
fur garments they choose?
There are women who search for
warmth and others who don't. At
present warmth is the fashion. One
must look like an Eskimo in the
night. The evening wrap of chiffon
belongs to our mothers day. and the
fiimsy width of silken broadcloth
without fur is relegated to the fash
ions of that generation which is held
up to girls as the age of wisdom.
Immediately after the war there
came into the limelight materials
that might have been worn in the
trenches or in those damp and
clammy houses where soldiers and
lines Whether or not the war, with
it's demand, an insistent one, for
health and protection brought into
being these thick Icelandish fabrics,
the dressmakers won't say, but the
doctors should be happy. They are
not They say that women are apt
to get i'll through the weight and
thickness of the wraps they wear.
Well, the reformers and critics are
not intended to be content. Their
occupation would be gone if they
were.
THERE is no lack in the sales OF
L the cloth wraps that carry great
collars and cuffs of dark or light
peltry, but no one can fail to see the
drift toward the fur cape for even
ing, also the desire for the short coat
Of supple fur and the long cape of
thin fur for the street.
There are enough of all these gar
ments to satisfy differing tastes and
purses and this season there is no
law for precedence. No one thing
rules If you like a certain style,
get it.
Among those who follow fashion,
the top coat of rough fabric with fur
collar is considered something that
time has tarnished. There is SOL
Evening star., 1921-12-04
Comfort Craft.

Given one sick woman in an ordi-
nary bed that is inclined to sag in
the center, it is not an easy matter
to make the said sick woman COM
Portable when she must remain in
bed without 80 much as getting her
feet out on the floor.
And if, besides caring for the sick
woman, one must keep the machinery
of an average household clicking
meals for folk who are we'll and
ravenous, and meals for one who -
sick. and not interested in food-the
task in infinitely bigger than It
sounds.
So. when Mary Taylor, mother Of
four young, lusty Americans. had
struggled along for three weeks try
ing to take care Of her. sick mother.
she became desperate one day and
sent letter to q distant kinswoman
asking her to come and spend q
month.
Melfa . Capable Nurse.
"Melia is SO handy with the sick"
she explained wearily, to her mother.
She will be able to make you COM
Portable, for all she does is look at q
sick person and she knows what g
wrong with the pillows or the sheets"
Melia was exactly that kind Of .
woman. She was middle-aged and
portly, but with surprisingly light
step. She wore black silk dresses on
Sundays. and little punches Of purple
flowers in the hat that always looked
the same, summer and winter. But
Melia was a power In slckroom.
So it came about that she arrived
at the neat little house, entered the
sickroom. took one look at the sick
woman and said:
''why haven't you q shawl around
your shoulders instead OF that heavy
dressing gown all bundled acout yeu
in wrinkles that wayf'+
Tt thought the gown would De
right comfortable. l get that chilly