davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
, 1922-12-10

married was = peasant little com
edy. but TO tut o. false mourning
was 10 carry he lie into the realm
of Erisiy crime. \ supers;itious
dread assaiied her that II h put on
the inky suit Of woe she would soon
have a real a . Tor H. Some one
dear 10 her would die. ana h woul,
somehow be to blame for IL
She glanced over her shoulder tim
orously and felt a something at heel.
She felt as one might who. lost IN
the wilderness and struggling with
weakening steps to reach safety. sees
a famished wo.f following at a n'tie
distance. sees overhead an impatient
buzzard making slow circles across
his path.
But she must 20 on and cheat the
wolf and the buzzard II she could.
She had such distaste for the business
that b was not quite ready for the
natural questions OF :he saieswoman
who met her demand for a mourning
costume. Was It FIRST on second
mourning. half mourning? DID she
wish very deep mourning. and wha,
size? was It for herself or a reis-
liver For herself? Oh. that was too
badi And was It a father h had
lost7 Not n hushand7 oh. how sad
Was IT very student An accident or
an illness Mem had not yet decided
which 1: was &c be. and her guilty
confusion might well have been taken
for a confession II murder. That
was what she felt IL must be.
The saieswoman's curiosity was
quickened to torment by the evasive-
ness OF Mems mumbied and
when Mem declined TO have the
things semi to her address. and asked
to have them put in a box for her
70 carry, the sa'eswoman could not
conceal her agitation. Mem caught
her glance as she looked for a wed
ding ring on Mems bare hand.
This frightened Mem and increased
her despair OF success but she had to
hold herself in control long enough to
march out as a dared relict of blight
ed hope. II was hard to manage this
and carry a large bundle. too: but she
reached the sidewalk somehow.
The saleswoman's suspicious had
given her n hint. She stopped n. a
jeweiry store and bought herself a
plain gold bend. She wore 1t out
OF the store. explaining that she
had lost her first ring.
When she returned to her boarding
house the landlady. whose inquisi'
tiveness wns SIN simmering to a
boil. let her in. As Mem locked
chances with her d~efiantly she saw
the iandlady's eyes go to her hand
and wieon with recognition OF the
wedding ring.
, 1922-12-10

Understand why-but he fen in love
with nc. / can tell why / should
fail IN love with him. though Any
way we did so-we expected to gse
married some day. wanted o
&C meet him but he was awfuily
busy and then you had to lesv@
and then John had to so away and
said he couldn'. live without me
and I didn't want him to desc
As be haE to leave at once and he
asked me e marry him right away
II did Ho-1nd now ! am Mrs.
John woodvilie. n you please.
John has some properties TO look
over go we don't know Just yet
where we will settle down 30 o
will have to address me at General
Delivery. Yuma. Mrs John Wood
vile.
1 can never never thank you
enough-John avg 70 thank you
for him-and hoping 20 see o
soon again.
Yours most gratefully.
Remember Steddon woodville.
Mem IauEhea az she wrote I'D
sealed this Letter. and vas most
grstefui 10 the Gaibraiths for th,ir
absence.
But her iasd'sdy had to be dsal;
With lace 20 face or she could not
get her tru1k away. The iandlt'y
had expected 20 keep her guest fur
a long while and as usu wo-kei
Iotl ends OF the game. When Fhe
had rented the room to Mem she had
Explained thst ltr prices were hirh
because Of the heavy demand; when
Mem wanted to unrent the 70 IN,
the lanlady compliance that Fhe
would lose the ise of It, az the de-
mand had dad.
Mem had TO pay for the balance OF
the month and this took important
dollars from her scant funds: bu: Il
gave her the strength TO be curt when
the landlady Rasped at her instruc.
toni that any letters coming TO Miss
Remember s;eddon should be read
dressed to Mrs. John woodville.
General Delivery. Yuma. Arizona"
The landiady's natural cackling
o-sr the unearthing OF a romance
rigidiy suppressed by Mem VITA
as much calm as n she a been get.
ting married every few days.
She was not no stolid when she
set out uoon her next errand. She
had to buy her wardrobe for the
third act. her Widows weeds. She
was going to save a lot of money by
purchasing nc bridal e a at all, 70
veil. no orange blossoms. no trous'
seau. for her honeymoon was 10 be
as imaginary as her wedding. But
her mourning must be visible.
AS she moved slowly down the Tue.
son stree. to a drysoods store TO buy
a Grape dress and hat and veil. she
logged by a feeling Of dread
full foreboding. To pretend 70 get
, 1922-12-10
BY RUPERT HUGHES

yet society was as eager to find her
out and disgrace her as the slayer.
For a night and a day she paced
h jan Of her room and beat her
brains agains. the iron bars Of her
problem She could not break through.
She couid not worm her way through,
She had no imaxfnation, no Inventive.
ness. She was just an ordinary girl
who wanted to keep from hurting
anybody and wal finding It mighty
difficult.
She was tempted TO send Doctor
Bretherick a confession OF failure and
ask him to 7evise his continuity. bu,
she vas afraid to face the telegraph
office with such Q message and .fraid
to have It received at home. Size
dared not walt a week for a letter
to come and go: and. besides her au.
thor vas at such a distance that he
could not understand the
1t is wei for authors to keep in close
touch with their plays and pictures
In the making.
She would probably have given up
II a BIT of luck IA not befaiien her.
II was her habit OF min to eredi. ii
to n reienting Providence. wher.
things went wrong. she blamed her.
self; when they took a turn for the
better she blesred Heaven. She saw
t!vine purpose In the very bungilnE
Il circumstance that kept her iran.
tic with uncertainties.
On the fourth morning of her sus-
rense Mrs. GalbrRith rode over In
haste n distress to explain that her
husband n she had TO leave Tue
son for a few days 10 attend his ia
TIERS funeral. She promised to has
ten back. ana begged Mem steddon's
forgiveness for deserving her.
Mem was not quite sure that
Heaven had slain the elder Mr.. Gal
braith just on purpose to help her
out OF her difficulty. bu she had n
lard time to keep afp. Galbralth
from realizing how glad she was 10
ba rid OF her and her husband.
And as Don as Mrs. Gaibraith had
gone. she assaiied her lrSblem with
a new ardor. It was plainly a time
for quick and decisive action.
Sho thew caution aside and for.
bore to regard .he perils OF inconsis-
tency. She wrote her father and
mother a hasty letter to which the
lit Of hope unconsciously contribute
an atmosphere of bridal bliss.
My Daring Mamma and Papa
Well. you have lost your daughter
mot by fell disease. but by fell in
love. You may a It is a good rid
dance OF bad rubbish-but Il hurt
me to lose the noble name OF Stei.
don-even for the beautiful title Of
Wood vill~-for that's what I've
gone and done-yes. I'm married
now-I meant to break II to YOU
Eentler bp. 1t popped out. So IN
leave II.
You see. Mr.. woolville-John-
was 80 attentive an6 kind ind
considerable and iespectful-almost
reverent. you might say-and he's
IN big and handsome end fine and
noble. and I vas 30 small n
, 1922-12-10

Mem let the box OF mourning fall
to :hs floor. II It had broken openi
The lnndlady gaspsd;
You amt married a'ready7" y
eYes-"
Lord O. mercy, that's the quick
est work I ever did see. Where's
your husband7-
Mind his business-his own bust
nessr'
she regretted the unwarranted tn
aolence Instantly. but II serve to
put h ianEady on the defensive
and taught Mem the value Of bluff,
Ind the military rule: when your 20
lsit.on is weak. leave it-and attack.
The iandIady fried In her own fat
trying 20 figure out what sort Of
creature Mem was. but he next
morning she was gone. a few days
later a letter came for Miss sted-
don" Before readdressing il. the
Iandiady could not resist steamlng It
open. It proved to be n message Of
love from the girls father. Among
many expressions OF uneasiness for
the poor chld was a pieasan: word
Cor aIr. woosviile: also a pious hope
thas the splendid gentleman would be
n real protection and comfort to the
little wandcrer-
Thus one dupe dupes smother and
the fooled father fooled the landisdy
by confirming the lie Mem had told
! her. with NIL doubts as 20 the girls
honesty allayed. h mistress Of the
boarding. house crossed Miss
~steddon." wro-e. Mrs. John Wood
vile. General Delivery. Yuma" and
g,uod the flap aown again.
CHAPTER XVI.
The ear.y-morainx train from Tue
soE would deposit Mem at Yuma in
tho mid-afternooE. The railroad was
never far from the Mexican border
and the desert was singing hot.
Ye. Mem suffered an inner call
and her flesh crept ciammiiy Mt what
skc had to do: for on that Journey
she was to get rid OF her Husband.
lie hsd been vaGrz before. bu' ms
size made ready to slaughter him he
became fearsomely real. She went
through the experience OF a brave
who had lightly accepted a commits
sion to assassinate a stranger. but.
on meeting him and coming TO know
Linn, found him iikabie. lovable. and
his destruction abominable. I
The scenes the train swept her
thru ugh were as damned al her deed
"A famine-iand of stunted growth
or mont
join woodviile sat beside her IN
tire train. He vanished as 500 as she
turned TO look his way. but when
She Vazed with unfocused lenses
Continued on Page seven.)
, 1922-12-10

lonely and 90 Ear way for so soag
that - oh. ] tus- couldn't resist.
He stayed IN Tucson Dy tho way.
II Is pronounced tooson. not tuck
aonl for ev-a days longer than he
planned because he satd he couldn't
tear himself aWay from me-but
finally he had to leave for Yuma
out oor little me. ] felt I couldn't
i've without him. And why should
! deny myself a protector and the
highes: glory OF -womannood7
So he begged me to marrr him
and 60 to Yuma-I had abyut de
cided that Tucson was rot the
the right place for me. anyway.
My cough IL much better but not
enough better to quite suit, 80 1
consented to marry John. DR.. Gal
brai.h was awfuIly nice to me u
he was called away by the unfor-
tunate death of his father 50 he
couldn't marry US SO we were mar
RED by the Rev. Mr.. smxjns here
she wrote a name iilegibly.)
I haven't tine to write you more.
Tor John Is waiting and our train
wont m write a longer letter
when I have the leisure.
1 20 hope you will be happy az
/ am about l.. You haven't .ost a
daughter but have gained a sen.
we leave at once for Yuma, so ad-
dress all you letters to me as Mrs.
John Woodville. General Delivery.
Yuma: Doesn't It sound grand,
thought
1 don't know how long we shall
be there as John - looking ever
some properties and doesn't know
;ast where to settle yet.
u~f.A -.
is terribly rich. but while he hopes
to be some day. he Is very poor
Just now. But he is such a noble
man and noble hearts are better
than comets as the poet saith, and
] shal try TO be a help to him and
some day we will pay back h
money 1 ave taken away from you
poor dnriings.
Well. / must close for he pres.
ent. Don't stop loving me Just
because l have a husband. But
send Us your blessings.
Your loving. loving daughter.
MEM.
She was exhausted by the SOL
and she had TO rest mind AMI
body before she could undertake tn,
task of writing the Galbraith a simi
lar letter with the necessary changes
It was only herself tina, she had L
conquer. since she did not have ts
look the recipients IN the eye.
There was a kind OF m~ischievou,
hi-srity in the tone OF her letter {.
too-kind clergyman and his over
so%licitous wife:
Dear DIR. and Mrs. GaIbraiah-
What you Will think OF me I can
well imagine. Insratitude is the
least thing you will think OF. But
L don't mean to be ungrateful.
0 see II is this way on the
tJain as I wrote Mamma and
p"~"-I met an old friend-he was
terribly nice to me and cant
, 1922-12-10
For SALE:-.A Great Novel of HoNyzyood I

aret. OF which Billions had bs>a con,
sumed By the triumphant eoldiers
was actually banned In many states
IT. Kentucky preachers and mobs OF
zeaiots demanded a law against the
Infamous doctrine of evolution. II
Illinois n religious community for
hade the teaching OF .he atheistc
idocy concerning the ~rouEdn,ss OF the
Uarth and It's revolutions about a dss
tant sun No lie was over too ride
uious or unjust. no slander too vi
cious. no invasion OF human right,
too outrageous. for those who Pre-
tended that :hey were saving souls
And while the mora.ists were 9,
mourning h moving pictures FOR
their w~ickedness. the critics we-,
despising them for their triteness
Blu Mem was neither moraiist nor
artist: she was a young woman
watching an epic unfoided-
SIZE was seeing Tom Hobby risk
life and limb in she dsfense of beauty.
She Was seeing ehivairy defying the
cruel north and Eior.fying woman.
hood with kniEhtiy reverence and
service.
Ttere was somethiuE Homeric IN
the plot II one could forget Its age,
In Homer's worF a war was waged
for a woman. and women walked
through all tho paEes-the OF eyed.
the iauzhter-ioving goddeses and
their shining daughters. Helen and
IphiEeniA, Cressida and Andromache.
Nausicaa and Penelope.
In a later day. vergiI would show
n hero who ran away from a Ian
gushing queen. but Homer's war.
riors fought for ofne Where verEii
began. 81 sing Of arms and a man."
Homer cried. Sing. Goddess" The
Creek tragedies and comedies were
about The mecsaeval TO
mances concerning chem. the plays
OF Shakespeare, Racine. Moiiere. and
all the others devoted themselves TO
tho woma problem. Even Dante
celebrated an ideal townswoman, and
TIE most Poignant scene In his "In-
ferno" was the coupled tragedy OF
ard Francesca da Rimini. Sex
had always been. as II must always
be. the main theme OF nine-tenths OF
fiction. To attempt to fetter its dis
cussion was only to emphasize it by
repression and change the symbols
without altering the meaning.
Mems soul was young. # still in.
habited the golden nse of epopee.
Simple. direct anxiety CT sex for Sex
new and wonderful to her. She
was a~stounded at the courage of Tom
Hobby. II wrunK her heart TO see him
Pcros whi'e ssharas of
snow. to see him challenge the bar.
i'om GULLY n beat him Gown AMI
stand. torn. bleeding and painting.
him. 1t melted her soul to see
this tenderness with tile Fir,. the waif
OF fortune. whose indorr.tahle purity
had withatood years Of lie in Ia gamb-
ling hell.
Reins a woman. she was no quite
convi rEd OF Robina's s~upersaintit
, 1922-12-10

-innocences. but rhe hal no doubt OF
Tom Hobby as GaiahRd. And wher
he begged the solied dove Of The
Kondike TO honor him with marriage
Mem wondered II such a p4rfait gen
Il knight might not be waiting
somewhere TO rescue her from ignom,
my TO bliss.
When the picture Was Irised out up
on Tom clenchinE Rooinz TO his bis
chest. and the lights went Up IN ths
,hestsr. revealing an Arizona aud
.nce instead OF IN Alaskan solitude
she righsd ami rose 10 face her lone.
~ boarding house.
CHAPTER XIV.
As Mem went slowly GU; with the
struggling crowd h was overwhelm'
cd with a loneliness for life. for love
for some one to fight for her and
uphold her in h deep waters: and
then for a taste OF the spiced wines
Of
She cried aloud IN the silence Of
her dream FOR Elwood Farnaby q
cone back and help her. TO come back
ll0 Chilli MS AAhAN ~ SAE EFANAL1A ~
existence. Grief sprang at her like
a puma leaping down from u tres
ana tore her with claws OF anguish.
set fangs into her heart Ind shook
It,.
In her room as she took off her
clothes with nstiess hands she re-
membered her parents. She had not
written to them for two days. and
she hac not carried Mr.. Woodvi.le
forward.
She sat down and began a letter.
Everything she could think OF to
write involved some difficulty. She
described her arrival at Tucson. her
surprise at being met by Mr.. and
Mrs. Galbraith. She squandered reck'
less praise of her father for his ever
watchful protection and the comfort
Of feeling that he and his prayers
were always on guard. She praised
the GaIbra,ths for their thoughtful
attention.
Then she flung the pen down IN dis
gust at the hypocrisy Of her words
and In revolt at tho 6eep damnation
Of her whole plan. But rebel as she
would. she must go one. She could
not turn back now. One thing was
certain she must free herself from
the Ga;braiths; she must get out OF
Tucson. She must become Mrs.
woodviiie at once.
Life would not wait for her. She
was like a serial writer at whose
shoulder a naEging editor stands In
sisting. She was like Dostoieffsky.
sick and confused, but unable TO es-
cape the necessity for filling the
pages as fast as the ink could run.
unable to recall any written page
since It was printed almost before
he next was written. And the title
of her serial was also Crime and
Punishment" Her crime was not
ruthless murder. but reckless crea.
alton. She had not driven an ole
woman out OF the world. she was
reluctantly dragging a child into II.
, 1922-12-10


WTHEN she hAe found a seat in
W n ri a. she WAS % Il.
terat in Ia staples OF fc-
ton n sha tizEied with excitement
over hackneysd situations that left
many n sophisticated child yawning
and Rvs never a pause to the sway
ing paws OF the gum-gznding crowd.
There were both novelty md con
viction for her IN the pseudo-Alaskan
snoE Genes. the b,ood-curdllng rs.
caves from death at the hands Of des-
perasoes or the fanEs OF wolves. the
bizz2ris that snaried the siedge
dcgs into tanEies OF hopeless misery
and confronted ths wayfarers with
hIdeous death
Most Of the audience knew the &C
tors and Actresses IN the picture h7
reputation. had seen them in otksr
pictures. and read mort or less nab-
rious stories OF their personal lives.
The familiar situations rehashed
and yvarme over a the charm OF
old fairy stories remodeled again and
again by fatirued parents for insatl-
able youngsters.
But Mem was experiencing an aEi-
tation such 81 h had not known
since first her mother told her about
-ittle Red Riding Hood and rowled
like wolf. showing long white teeth.
One thing impressed Mem amazing
~. She had inst seen q handful OF
sleepy people at the onceSweek
prayer meeting. Hero shs saw a
packed house. the fifth packed house
hat day. and & mad been SO every
day Of the week.
Il was inheren: IN certain natures
TO be solemnly convinced that what.
sver draws crowds should be stop
ped: whatever n great many people
want TO see or 20 must be put u
Of their reach. The principle is Sim
pic ana direct: the public IS a naughty
child that cannot be trusted a mo
ansnt: the moraiist Is nurse and must
lake away from II everything #
reaches for. and force It to take what
sver is supposed 10 be good for II.
Kissing and rcproach are the por-
ton Of tho man who resis.s .hs al
truistic cruoltv Of zeaiots who would
save his soul IN spite OF him. The
Ec.iots ave always been even more
rruel than the cespots. for h czars
hive worked only for their own ag-
grandizement. but the zealots have
the terrible fault that they labor
meekiy FOR the glory Of their God.
The late war o. the nations was fol-
lowed in America, Is elsewhere by a
recrudesenncc Of h eternal war be-
tween ~cnfcrced morality and liberty.
Having cIoe~d the saloons, h busy
agents of vicarious virtue ran about
closing picture houses on Sunday.
clipping whole scenes out of films
md subiec:ing them all to the within
steal approval of hired censors: as
sailing tobacco as a devils weed and
~torbidding school-teachers to smoke
even in their own homes. Tho Gig
Evening star., 1922-11-23

Every man has saved lots Of lives by
not driving the way his wife told him.
VAN WICK REED,
$3.50 2Sth street northwest.
90
Mohammed vi didn't go to the noun
tain. anyway. He preferred British
dreadnaught.
TIL HEATH,
The Pasadena.
What will make dog come. horse
go, and a man stay? You can answer 1t
yourself by making a noise like kiss.
Go on, try 1t.
r. s. A..
1908 Euclid street northeast.
ITS got so these days" complained
a young man, that you can hardly get
married unless you can show the girl two
licenses" -
Two licenses?' exclaimed a friend.
'Yes-marriage and automobile"
ANDREW G. CRoNK.
kenitGorth, d. c.
Fond Mother eto little boy after his
first visit to Sunday school)-Weli, how
did you like it. dear?
Tad-Oh. all right, except they took
every darned cent had.
d. E. THOMAS,
907 x street northeast.
FAST MAIL.
Man ,;.t post office window. excitedly)
Has the mail for Indianapolis left
the office?
Clerk-Yes. but you can take your let
ter to the train.
Man at window-Whom shall I give it
to?
Fresh Clerk-The engineer; he gets
there first.
T.. c.. E.,
1l3 4th street northeast
:, husband is iii an eeg-if kept
continually in hot water he becomes
hard-boiled.
MRS. WALTER RALLECK,
1911 30th street northrest
Il run things at my house"
"Yeh? What else beside the Iawn-
mower and the washing machine?"
MISS JESSIE MCCARTHY,
1926 Maryland arenue northeast.
Evening star., 1922-11-23
TODAY'S ADJUSTMENTS.

GARRICK-Henriet Crosman. IN
''Nobody's Foor'; performances at 2:5o
and $3.50 pm.
PRESIDENT - "Smilin' Through"
(second week.. at $50,
kElTH'S-Mitty and Tiilfo, vauce-
Vile. at 2:15 and Sis pm.
BELAsCO-"Midnig Rounders,
vaudeville. at els and Sis PM
COSMOS FaIryland Froltcs.
vaudeville. at 3, $3.50 and pm.
STRAND-Scotch Revue. vaudeville
at $50. $50 and pm.
GAYETY-"Giggles, burlesQue. at
els and Sis pm.
COLUMBIA-Rodolp Valentino IN
The Young Rajah.' photoplay, az
1885 am, 1920, 200. 400. 6:oo' $50
and 9:35 pm.
METROPOLITAN" Kindred OF the
Dust" with Miriam Cooper, at 1l;so
am. 1880. $3.50, $50, 1880 and $3.50 pm.
RIALTO-Gloria Swanson, In The
Impossible Mrs. Bellew," at 1880 am.
1870. $3.50, $50. 1880 and $3.50 pm.
PALACE-"Youth to Youth. at
1895 am, 1920. .:10, 4:10, 6, 7:4o and
$40 pm.
Evening star., 1922-11-23

Neighbor-Goodne <eakes Who's
doing all that swearing over in your
house? 80
Wiliie-That's Sis She's all ready
for church and can't find her prayer
book.
WILLIAM sCHULTEIs,
719 9Th street northt0est.
The man who boasts too loudly that
he works with his head instead Of his
hands is respectfully reminded that q
woodpecker does the same. and Is some-
thing Of q bore at that.
EDMUND ORMSBY,
3413 Holme0d place t.orthtoest.
Teacher-George. what is the plural
of calf? :
Ceorge-Calves.
John with plying look>-Why. whole,
Of course.
E. C: FEELEMYER,
1916 B street southeast
One wonders whether beer and light
wines will be strong enough to sway
public opinion In 1924.
4. II. SEGALL,
Al Z street northwest.
"The best thing about u radio SER
mon" said Brother Thompson, ''is the
comfortable feeling you have when the
minister says: Let us now have the
Offering"
MRS. T. E. LiNDVOIGT,
The Chateau Thierry.
Teacher-Tommy. what does D. C.
stand for In Washington. D.. C?
Tom-Father of his country.
Teacher-How do You figure that?
To1n-Oh, well, then, daddy Of his
country.
u. L. HOSKINS,
Ills Spring rodd
Don't get hurt" has been offered as
a slogan for Safety week. Some one else
has varied it by suggesting: Hurt no
one" How about u combination Don't
hurt no one?'
WILLIAM FRANELEY.
/. 9SS + street northwest.