davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1922-12-24

Gorge road camp. Tiger Forgan
looked up at the teamster with eyes
that had narrowed into thin slits Of
hatred-eyes from behind which the
bad man he had been looked hos
tilely on a hostile world.
With upraised hands he advanced
toward his captor, passed him and
turned and looked back. As he looked
his eyes grew wide with sudden ex-
element.
For Gods sake. Bill, don't kill
him! He's tho camp teamster" For
gan cried. looking over his captors
shoulder into the gathering darkness
The teamster whirled, expecting T."
confront second convict. Forgan
sprang at his foe. knocked the gun
from his hand and struck him heav-
lily on the jaw. The man crumpled
Evening star., 1922-12-24
Birthday Once Decided
BY Robert L. Stevenson


ditions l hereby revoke the dona-
tion and transfer my rights in the
said birthday to the President OF
the United States for the time be
ing:
In witness whereof l have herei"
set my hand and seal this nine
teenth day of June in the year
OF grace eighteen hundred and
ninety-one.
(SeaD
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
(Witness) LLOYD OSBORNE.
,Witness) HAROLD WATTS
IN a subsequent letter TO Miss .\nnh
i Ide. then in the United States
Stevenson refers to the birthday
had decided her.
MY dear Lolisa: | had my money,
worth for that birthday. I am now
I must be- one of your nearest rela,
tives: exactly what We are to eacl
other l do not know. I doubt il thI
case has ever happened before-yoW
papa ought to know. and ] don't be-
lieve he does: but l think / ought Il
call YOU in the meanwhile. and until
we get the advice of counsel learne,
in the law. my name daughter.
You are quite wrong as TO TN
effect of the birthday on your age
From the moment the deed was reg
istered (as it was in the public pres
with every solemnity). November !,
became your own and only birthday
and you ceased to have been born oi
Christmas day. Ask your father.
am sure he will tell you this is soun'
law. You are thus become a moni
and twelve days younger than Soi
We're. but will go on growing oldei
for the future in the regular ant
human manner from one Novembe
l3 to the next. The effect on me h
more doubtful. might. on the Other
hand. come to pieces. like the one
horse shay, at moments notice
Doubtless the step was risky, but
do not the least regret that whiel
enables me to sign myself your -
vered and delightful namc-father
Evening star., 1922-12-24

across the supplies left on q platform
by freight trains. A months provi-
sions had been unloaded by trainmen
during the afternoon. and Capt.
Goodwin. scenting snow in the air.
ordered all hands out after supper to
carry them over the river to the
storehouse.
One of the tree stumps TO which
the supporting cables were attached
suddenly snapped its roots and let
cable and bridge drop into the river.
Fifty men were catapulted into the
icy current. Fifty boxes of groceries
fioated down stream. There were
shouts, screams and wild excitement,
for the river was swift and more
than a little dangerous.
Tiger Forgan was i'm the middle of
the bridge when il fell He struck
Evening star., 1922-12-24
A WOMAN WITHOUT FEAR

ridge, was q cabin. Above it q thin
column of smoke crept lastly up
ward. Where there was flre there
was food. Forgan memorized with
painstaking minuteness each swell.
each dip. each gully that lay between
him and the habitation that meant
food and a new lease on liberty and
life. ,.
II snow came he meant to eat
with or without bloodshed, as fate
willed.
n \
THE, storm reached him before
Sundown. An hour after dark
Tiger Forgan ate his flour paste to
the last morsel and drank from a
rusty can of scalding, muddy coffee
as he warmed himself by cracking
Evening star., 1922-12-24

the water and sank. He came up
gasping and gurgliRg hundred feet
down stream and began instinctively
to swim-straight down stream.
II he really were making an at
tempt now. he thought. he would be
safe from observation when he
rounded the bend just before him.
Could he make It?
He was around the bend. No one
could see him from the camp now.
He wouldn't be missed for a half
hour at least. BY that time he would
be hidden by more bends. He could
land then and strike straight out into
the hills. He'd have to trust to luck
to find a cabin where he could COM
mandeer food and civilian clothes. but
there would be a full night ahead Of
him, and as long as he kept away
from the phone lines he would have
little to fear even when morning
came. By a second morning, Of
course. the man. hunt would be fully
under way, and the reward for his
capture would bring out every man
for twenty miles around.
By this time he was a half m lie
down stream.
CCDDENLY into the mind of Tiger
- Forgan there flashed full realixa-
tion of what he was doing. He felt
the warden's hand on his shoulder
and heard his words:
Il guess that puts it up to you to
stick, doesn't it, Forgan?"
They'll say" he cried in terror,
that really tried to escape. must
get back. quick, quick"
He turned toward the bank and
swan straight for the shore. As he
clambered up to land, dripping and
shivering. man rose from behind q.
clump of bushes and confronted For
gan. At his feet lay fishing pole.
In his hand was a revolver.
stick up your hands. Forgan! the
man commanded. II know you, and
I'll kill you sure If you make a
move"
Tiger Forean dumbly obeyed. The
man who had captured him was a
civilian teamster employed at the
camp. There was a standing $50 re-
ward for the return of all escaped
convicts.
Il wasn't making getaway
honest 1 wasn't. pal" Forgan cried.
mo, i suppose you was just takin'
yer evenin' bath, eh? Get up there
ahead of me an march, an we'll see
wat the captain has to say erbout
it"
'The bridge dropped into the river"
pleaded Forgan desperately. 1T
dumped q lot of US into the water.
was swimming ashore to go back.
swear was. pal. You saw me come
ashore
Sure l seen you swim ashore.
suppose YOU couldn't find no place to
land afore this. Had to swim a hull
half-mile down stream before you
could get ashore. eh? Cut it out.
Forgan. It's stripes and bread and
water fer you. Yer goose is done
brown. ForEan, an I'm in fifty bucks.
Now march. an no tricks. or I'll put
lead through you"
The teamster spoke the truth. Even
the warden, in the face Of such evil
dence as the teamster and the cap
tain would give. wouldn't believe him.
He was branded irretrievably as q
pledge violator.- The conviction that
Warden Tyrelrs faith In him was or
would soon Se gons snappsd tho last
bond that held Torssn 70 the Royal
Evening star., 1922-12-24

and sank to the ground. Forgan
seized the revolver and deftly felt
, the unconscious body. to be sure there
was not another. Then he turned
back to the river and swan across.
A half-hour later he held up the
operator in the railway station at the
entrance to the Gorge. stripped him
Of his clothes. took what money was
in the till, ransacked the kitchen for
food, and struck into the hills with
a weeks provisions on his back.
+ + +
THE deputy warden received the
i news by phone and called War
den Tyrell from his dinner.
Tiger Forgan made d getaway
just before dark" he reported with a
marked I-told-you-so air. He stuck
up the operator at the gorge and
hiked for the hills with a gun and
ammunition. We've got a man-hunt
on our hands now"
The warden's eyes were q bit sor-
rowfu1 and plying. Then they grew
hard as chilled steel.
Offer ono thousand dollars for him
for fifty miles Turn out every guard
We can spare and arm them with
rifles. TIL get him back IL it breaks
the state. The honor system is at
stake in this business"
By morning q hundred rihemen
were out In the hills. Every road and
trail was guarded. every avenue OF
escape cut of. The man-hunt was
on.
From the shelter Of an overhanging
rock that clung precariously to a
promontory at the crest Of the ridge
Forgan lay watching tiny black hu-
man specks miles below him. tramp
ing through the shimmering snow
fields that stretched limitlessly in
every direction. A week had passed
since his escape. In tho seven days
since he left the road camp he had
reverted to the creed Of no quarter
asked or given. They were seeking
his life. and IL opportunity offered he
was ready to kill without either COM
junction or regret.
An automobile, family distinguish
able as a larger speck on the white
waste below, crawled along a far
away ridge across which twisted the
road nearest his refuge. 1t was prob
ably the warden's car. Forgan
scowled and his eyes grew black and
troubled. The thought of Warden
Tyrell always troubled him. and he
thrust it from his mind angrily, for
it recalled the touch of a friendly
hand and CHEEKY words born of a
faith in him which must now be dead.
Resolutely, Forgan turned to the
problem before him-a problem to
which q right answer might be life,
| a wrong one sure death. He was per-
fectly safe in his rocky refuge. But
| q man, no matter how we'll and safe
| ly he may be hidden, must sooner or
later seek food.
On the night Of Forgan's flight q
heavy snow had fallen. Then came
clear. freextng weather. If he dared
leave his hiding place, even at night,
the trail behind him at dawn would
be too plain for even = peni:entiary
guard to miss.
Toward the middle Of the afternoon
he rose to his feet and studied the
misty horizon with eyes alive with
hope. There was q snowstorm in the
northwest and the wind was bringing
It to him.
Five milss away. breaking the sky-
line ON the crest of the spposite
Evening star., 1922-12-24

campfire He inspected the loads in
his revolver, tucked his extra cart
ridges into his shirt front, and went
him with a mantle of invisibility be-
fore he had gone three PAGES.
An hour later, or three-for no man
exposed to that blizzard could reckon
time-Forgan stumbled against a
fence, and, cropping with numbed
hands. found himself clasping a tele-
phone pole. He had reached the road
that wound past the cabin he sought.
He climbed tho fence. stumbled into
a ditch and felt his way on hands
and knees until he found the wheel
ruts in the roadway. Then he turned
up the grade toward the crest of the
hill. The cabin must be very close
now. Feeling his way step by step,
he rounded a bend in the road.
Family etched in the wall-like
darkness were two dim squares Of
light-the cabin windows. Above
them. now and then, blood-red sparks
shot into view and were whirled
away by the shrieking wind.
The cabin" cried Forgan exult-
antly. Now for fire and grub
lots Of 1t. And the man who tries to
stop me had better be quick with his
trigger finger"
The convict circled the house cau-
tiously, like a prowling Jungle crea,-
ture. Then crept to a window and
looked in.
A woman sat before an open fire.
At her feet lay q discarded book. and,
leaning forward she stared into tho
leaping flame and glowing Goals as
If she read there some story more
perfect than any ever written. Her
face was hidden from Forgan's star
ing eyes, but every line of her slim
form suggested youth. She was alone
in the room.
Forgan'S teeth cut into his cracked
lips. For seven years he had not felt
the touch of a woman's hand or seen
a woman's smile or heard a woman's
voice. The girl by the fire seemed
alone-utterly unprotected. But he
must know she was alone. not guess.
He crept around the house. wiping
the snow from each window and in
hurried care. None but the center
living room was lighted, but the light
from it shone through the open doors
within. There were two bedrooms,
both with empty beds. The kitchen
also was deserted. There was no one
in the cabin but the girl musins be-
fore the fire.
Near the girl was telephone. For
gan felt along the outer wall beneath
the caves till his hand touched the
emerging wires. With eager. trem!
bling fingers he drew out his knife
Iand whitfield them apart. Having de-
stroyed the girls one chance of sum-
moning help, he strobe to the door
and gave loud. peremptory knock.
Quick footsteps crossed the floor,
The door was unbarred at once and
thrown open.
"why. Walter." cried tho girl who
faced the tattered, snow-covered con-
vict from the threshold. Her first
glimpse OF the man who stepped from
the darkness into the light streaming
from the doorway proved her mis-
take. Tiger Forgan was not q reas-
suring sight for any woman alone in
a mountain cabin at night, but the
young girl neither screamed nor at
tempted to bar the door. He saw only
surprise In her facs.
r mistook you for, my brother :
Evening star., 1922-12-24

n EXT to being born on the 18th
nj of February there isn't any
thing quite so bad as having
ones birthday come on
Christmas Perhaps the latter date is
even worse than the former. for how
is one to distinguish between birth
day presents and Christmas presents?
And what relative is there who has
money enough to give both to the
unfortunate possessor of a Christmas
day birthday? And doesn't a birth
day celebration get rather lost in the
general jollification that goes on at
Christmas time?
Questions like these used to disturb
youthful friend Of Robert Louis
Stevenson, whose name was Annie
Ide She was the daughter of the
American land commissioner uater
chief justice for a term) in Samoa
The Ides were family friends of the
Stevensons and the fact that Annie
Ide felt that she had been defrauded
out of her natural rights to private
anniversary of her own came to the
attention Of the author. Stevenson
solved the little girls problem in a
unique way-he decided his own birth
day to her.
* X K
THE deed. as preserved among the
i writer's literary works, is as
follows:
]. Robert Louis Stevenson, Advo-
cate the Scots Bar, author of the
Master of Ballantrae and Moral
Emblems, civil engineer sole own
er and patentee of the Palace and
Plantation known as Vailimm in
the island Of Upolu, Samoa, Brit
ish subject. being in sound mind.
and pretty well. I thank you, in
body.
In consideration that Miss Annie
H. Ide. daughter of II. c. Ide. in
the town of Saint Johnsbury, in
the county of Calendonia- in the
state Of Vermont United States of
America. was born, out of all rea-
son. upon Christmas day, and is
therefore out of all justice denied
the consolati ton and profit of
proper birthday;
And considering that I. the said
Robert Louis Stevenson, have at
tanned an age. when. o. we never
mention it, and that have now 10
further use for birthday of any
descriptions:
And in consideration that have
met III. {. 1de, the father of the
said Annie II. Ide. and found him
about as white a land commits
sioner as I require:
Have transferred, and do hereby
transfer, to the said Annie II. Ide.
all and whole my rights and privi-
leges in the thirteenth day Of No
vember. formerly my birthday.
now. hereby and henceforth the
birthday of the said Annie H. Ide,
to have. hold, exercise and enjoy
the same in the customary man
ner. in the sporting of nne
raiment eating of rich meats and
receipt of gifts. compliments and
copies Of verse, according to the
manner OF our ancestors;
And direct the said Annie II.
Ide to add to the said name OF
Annie H. Ide the name of Louisa,
at least in private. and I charge
her to use my birthday with mod
Grafton and humanity. ct tamquam
bona fila familia. the said birth
day not being so young as 1t once
was, and having carried me in
very satisfactory manner since 1
can remember:
And in case the said Annie
n. Ide shall neglect or con-
! travene either Of the above con-
Evening star., 1922-12-24

EXT to being born on the 29th
of February there isn't any
u thing quite so bad as having
Evening star., 1922-12-24
The Girl Believed in the
Honor System and Helped
the Bad Man Who Had
Faced Her in the Storm.

A CROSS the table Two men--a
~ warden and convict-looked
~ into each others eyes with
ont betraying flicker of an
Evening star., 1922-12-24

But gradually Tiger Forgan's as
sured smile in the face of the unani-
nous verdict faded. 1t died forever
on the night he found himself lying
awake planning how q man so
minded could hope to escape from the
Royal Gorge road camp. He knew
absolutely he would not go if he
could, and yet the next day between
pick blows he found himself memoir
izing the contour of the cliff back of
the camp. A man would need to
know that cliff we'll to climb 1t in the
dark. He resolNtely banished the un-
hidden thought that plagued his mind
only to find himself wondering. an
hour later. how heavy a sack Of food
a man could carry without hamper
ing his flight irretrievably.
There followed many days in which
! Tiger Forgan, as he fought the never
ending battle against self that was
hateful to him. found himself crafti1y
secreting food in the bosom of his
shirt at the evening meal. The first
time this happened Forgan rushed
from the table to the river and the
moment he was unobserved dumped
the packet into the swift current.
The next time he waited until after
dark to dispose Of 1t. The third time,
and many times thereafter, he kept
the food hidden in his bunk all night.
He no longer found 1t possible to keep
himself from planning escapes.
Tiger Forgan was clinging desper-
ately to his last stronghold-the
memory of the frieAdiy handclasp Of
the one man who did believe In and
trust him-on the evening the camp
bridge across the Arkansas went
down. The bridge. swung beneath
two steel cables. was stretched across
the stream from the camp to the rail-
way. and was used for bringing
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-12-21
FIRE IN MOUNT
HOLYOKE DORM.
Rockefeller Hall Destroyed and Girls
Lose Many Trunks and Be
longings

SOUTH HADLEY. Mass, Dee 21.-
Fire. which broke out in the basement
OF Rockefeller hall, a dormitory of
Mount Holyoke college, at $50 o'clock
this morning, spread despite the efforts
of FIRE fighters into the partitions of the
stories above ard the building viii prob
ably be totally destroyed.
The so girls who live in the dormitory
were in chapel when the fire was discor-
cred in pile of rubbish. They hurried
back and succeeded in saving belongings
packed ia suitcases ready for their de-
parture for the Christmas holidays,
which was 10 have taken place this noon.
but a number Of packed trunks stored
in the basement, were lost.
Low water pressure hampered the
local fire department, which was aided
by two FIRE companies sent from the
neighboring city of HOiyokc.
Edwin y. White Of IIolyolse, a trustee
OF the college. has offered to make loan,
/ to those Of the girls who lost all theiI
| belongings in the fire.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-12-21
Outing Club Raises Flag
OUgr South Pond Cottage
Equipment Taken There and
Place Made Ready
for Members

The Outing club announces that the
clubs cottage on Marlboro South pond
is now ready for occupancy. Tho club
has leased the cottage and the property
at the north end of the lake from one
Of It's charter members. L. B. Barrows.
\ party with pair Of horses drove
there yesterday to make the cottage
comfortable for the winter season. The
load consisted of two stoves, table, chair,
dishes and cooking utensils \ box stove
was installed in one room and range
in another. In spite of the cold day, the
party reports that the temperature in
the cottage was over 40 degrees. The
ice was foot thick on the lake. Be
tween trips to the lake for water. an
hour apart. the water froze over again
one-half inch in thickness.
This camp is an ideal terminus Tor
ski snowshoe or hunting trips for mem
berS wishing to drive in. 1t will be par
ticularly attractive 10 high school boys
who wish to make weekend ski hikes
With knapsack filled With eats over
their shoulder, they can be comfortable
for two days or more. 1t IS fortunate
that the cabin is ready for their Christ
mas vacation. The pond (Which, by the
way. is too large and far too beautiful
CONTINUED on Page Five.)
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-12-21
weather conditions To-day.

BOSTON. Dec. 21.-Weather condi-
tious: There is cloudy and unsettled
weather in northern districts and scat
tered light SHOWS have occurred in the
last u hours. CloudmeSs also prevails
along the Atlantic coast and there have
been rains of light amount, except in
the CarolnaS, whore between one and
one-half and two inches occurred. In
central western and southwestern dis
tricts clear weather prevails.
The temperatures are near the sea
SOual average and above zero in all parts
of the country and Canada. The lowest
reported during last night at any station
was 26 below ut White River. Ont, but
| it had risen to > above zero this morning
| The lowestrin New England was zero AZ
/ GrecnvilIe Maine. with a rise TO 70 de
| grccs this morning.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-12-21
ALTERCATION STOPS
PEACE CONFERENCE
Fx-Premier yenizeIos and Nationalist
Delegate Indulge In Yeliirs
Bout

LAUSANNE, Dec. u tAssociated
Press A vordy alteration between
cx-PrcIuier Eenizelos of Greece and
RIA Nur Bcy. Turkish Nationalist dele
gate caused Signor Montaona, president
of the Near Fast conference commission
on sainorities, to bring this morning $
session of the commission To an abrupt
close
The dispute was over the question Of
libert~ Of emigration. NJ. Eenizelos BIT
tesly attacked the Angora government
and protested against tle alleged de
rartarion of Greeks by the thousand
I:iza Nur replied in the same vein,
charging VenizeloS with being RESPONSE
Bile for the Turco-Grcek war and its con
The voices of the two delegates rose
tn high pitch, both speaking at the
same time and refusing to heed the
p}cadiugS Of tile president that they calm
down In view 81 this Signor Montaona
declared the session adjourned amid
confusion.
The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-12-21
I'll. SMITH
DIES SUDDENLY
Hinsdale Man. Civil War Veteran and
Member of Masonic Fraternity,
5Succumbs TO Brights Disease.
Especial 10 The Reformer.)
HINSDALE. y. H., Dee. 2

HlNSDA14E. y. H., Dec. IL
George Henry Smith, IS, one of the
very few remaining Civil war veterans of
Hinsdale and lifelong resident of this
town, died very suddenly Wednesday
afternoon at the home of his oldest son
John H. Smith. Ii Brattleboro road, of
acute brights disease. He had been in
failing health the past year, but had been
quite active about his home until Mon
day evening and from that time was in
. serious condition.
lie was born III Hinsdale Dec. -. 1874,
a son of the late William and Martha
Latham Smith He was educated in the
public schools and was eInployed in the
wooden industries in this place. starting
in at an early age, and he followed this
line of work practically all his life up TO
the time he retired a few years ago.
He enlisted n the age of II and on
July .. 1862, was mustered into Company
X. 9th Vermont Infantry Regiment Vol
unteers at Brattleboro. and served in the
Union army with that company until
June 13 1866. when he was honorably
discharged.
He married Mary Calista Dickinson
daughter of Nathaniel and Lucina Hill
Dickinson of SwanZey. y. H., at Brattle-
boro. Sept 26. 1861. Rev. Joseph Chand
Ter officiating lie was member of Col
den Rule lodge. No. u, of Masons of this
| town.
He leaves two daughters. Mrs. Matte
IN. Iaffopd Of Hinsdale and Mrs. Ada
| MAY Mcdonald Of North Hinsdalc; thret
| sons. John H. Smith Of this town. Guy
| y. Smith Of White River Junction ans
| G. Milan Smith of Brattleboro. and sly
| cl-s rdchildren.
The fureral services viii be held NJ th'
home Friday afternoon at 2l5 O'Clock
Rev. E. Z Wood Of the All Souls chIlrr'
of Rrattleboro viii officiate and tn
burial will take place in Pine GroV'
/ rau,pfpY-v