davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

was stirring restlessly! Maybe she
was Of the subtle sorti Yes, that was
it. He'd take a chance! But what
should he say? Lonesome, little one?"
That was standard, he believed. But
crude, ah, yes, common! He must be
original! Some inspiration would sug-
gest the proper opening!
He started across the aisle. Oddly
enough his heart was humping most
uncomfortably and perspiratiou oozed
out on his brow! He was horribly
afraid! Suppose she turned him down
snubbed him haughtily before the
whole car! But no, a cute little
bobbed head scarcely suggested hau-
teur! He advanced doggedly, but if
this was adventure he wanted but lit
tie Of it! He was standing at her
eide nows slightly bshind her. He
must say somethingl Everyone was
looking! Wasn't that smoker?
"I-I-heg your bardon!" he began
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16
By Hazel Courtney
E3UERTS RK4

leaning closer. Aren't you-may l.
is this seat taken?" He finished with a
gasp.
Then the bobbed head turned, up-
lifting itself like scornful whip. For
one instant he met the cold, uncom-
promising stare that cut right through
him without seeing him at all. Then
'Bettyi" he gasped. Gosh! Thank
heavens!" and he topped into the seat
beside her and mopped his moist fore
head.
why, Bob, whatever is it?" de-
manded Betty.
I'll" but it was no use, his brain
wouldn't work. So he told her all
about it and took her jibes good
naturally. He guessed he had it COM
ing to him.
"But seriously. Bob" concluded
Betty, at last plying her victim, ibid
you ever hear OF girls hair mirror
ing her souls 4 ! we're man. I'd
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16
~ 80 81 49,
Bob's Idea of Bobbed Hair


little farther front. He'd like the
writer to see that little lady!
But the writer was not unchallenged,
he saw. There was an argument fol-
lowing. A hot little protest it was!
Men cut their hair! Why didn't they
let it grow to its natural length? If
short hair is cooler and more con-
venient for men, why shouldn't it be
for women? That was right, too,
when one came to think of it. Bob re-
membered how much trouble Betty
had with her great mop of long, heavy
tresses, and now every Summer the
dread of the afterward took away the
pleasure of her swim.
There was another point with which
he agreed, too. "Dish-mops" were bet
ter than rats nests!" Bob scanned
the car again. The two bobbed feads
wsrs accompanied by much coifured
one whose natural growth had been
preserved!
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

I planned to go yesterday, just as
you did, but my dress was not finished,
SO I had to wait until today"
"All that any wedding means to a
woman is--clothes. The bridegroom
figures very little, doesn't he?
He hoped that she would laugh and
show her childish1y small teeth that
were as pretty as pearls. Of course,
he thought that Amy was lovely, but
Helena Lowell was beautiful, with the
kind of beauty that takes mans
breath away"
''Not always" Helena was not smil-
ing. 81 have been SO mad at Amy be-
cause she Tilted Phil Broughton that I
did not decide to be in her wedding
party until last week. That is the rea-
son my dress was not finished until
today. OF course, it is fine for you
that Amy did jilt him, but Phil has
loved her for ever so long and his let
tiers to her, all the time we were in
school together, were the sweetest
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

love letters l ever read. don't under
stand how she could help loving him. I
planned to go several days before the
wedding and take care Of him. He is
compelled to feel hurt and angry and
sad, too, to see the girl he has loved
for years married to somebody else"
She was watching the man before
her critically. He was undoubtedly
good looking and he had a certain
charm. She had been conscious of
that ever since he spoke to her.
Il know Phil" he said quietly, "and
it did knock the old boy out for a
while when she coolly announced her
intention of marrying, but I think it is
good thing it happened when it did.
am something of fatalist. Of
course, being personally interested in
the affair makes it hard for me to ex-
plain just what do think about it."
II understand that, and Amy is so
desperately in love with you that she
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16
An Unexpected Meeting


Il am on my way to wedding, too"
she declared.
You're going"
"To Amy Galyon's wedding in Cleve-
port" she interrupted. cit suddenly
occurred to me when you produced that
ring had seen you before and now I
remember, Amy had picture of you
on her dressing table at college last
year" She held out slender white
hand with a big, flashing square sap
phire on her little finger. Accept
my congratulations! Amy is a dear!"
The man gasped little. What
would Amy think and say if she knew.
as he did, that he had fallen in love,
nothing short Of romantic love at first
sight, on his way to the wedding?
II am Helena Lowell, her maid of
honor. She must have mentioned me
to you" She was wondering what on
earth was the matter with him. He
had been so pleasant, SO agreeable,
and she had liked him Immensely.
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

he wished he were there! Another
whole hour on the poky old train!
He glanced at the page before him,
a section he ordinarily scorned. "Ad-
vice to the Lovelorn." Piffe! A dis
cussion of the bobbed hair fad A
phrase caught his eye. He read the
article. Horrors! 1t was by a man!
Did men actually send in such tommy
rot? He wondered. Bodied hair de-
noted many things, it seemed COM
monness, cheapness, absence of
brains, lack of intellect, even vicious
ness. Animated dish-mops!" Hum!
Well, some of the cartoons did look
like that!
Bob chuckled.
"a bid for attention, desire to be
conspicuous" Well, now, maybe, but
it might not be SO in every case.
He glanced around the car. There
were couple of bobbed heads not far
distant. One did certainly look untidy,
and both girls were surely conspien-
Gus. But was it the bobbed hair or the
cheap, put-your-e ye-out rigs and the
line of talk that challenged the world
from rouged-lipped, gum-cAewllns
mouths? Now there was a quiet, t dy
little bobbed head across the aislh a
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

ute. Then she sighed, and smiled, and
broke into historical laugh. Sud-
denly she pulled off wig which she
wore over her beautiful brown hair.
and threw it upon the carpet
Glenn Plaisted!" she exclaimed.
you are just as mean as you can be!
You've destroyed all my fun. know
you think I am crazy, but I am not,
just foolish, that's all. 1 should have
known better. But I came here. dis
guised, because I wanted to write a
nove1-a real novel about an old house,
such as this, with it's past and its mem
cries, and something told me that If
I could only get in here for few days
I could-well. imbibe the atmosphere
and get the necessary inspiration. And
went up into the attic last night Just
to prowl around and see what I might
find that would give me ideas and col
or for my story Oh, this is
wonderful old housei I know could
write splendid story here if I could
just stay"
"Stay!" Glenn exclaimed, rushing i'm
pulsively to the girl and looking down
into her big brown eyes. You can
stay always-always-if you only
Wilt"
Their eyes met Glenn thought that
they revealed love which had lived
in her heart since childhood. He
wondered, he hoped.
Perhaps" said the girl, smiling, "per-
haps-I will stay here always-if you
really would like to have met"
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

Gee! Those gosh-awful puffs!"
groaned Bob "Give me bobbed hair
every time! And she's just as loud as
the other two. Suppose they've con-
taminated her. thought" and he
grinned.
Then there followed another attack.
''Bobbed-haired girls wanted to at
tract attention. Any fellow would
dare to address an unknown if she
was bobbed.'
He glanced again around the car.
The two bobbed sirens had already
lured three innocent travelling sales
men and they and their be-puffed
companion were very much occupied.
He wouldn't have wanted to talk to
them, anyway.
Now the little lady across the way
looked na0rs desirable. But she seaa-
ed to be miading heF own business
maybe she didn't want company. she
hadn't looked around once! But she
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

hood days. She had always been his
ideal of a girl, and he had once thought
of possibly making her his wife-but
that was before the Plaisteds had
suffered financial reverses.
Studying the photograph, it sudden
ly dawned upon Glenn that the mys-
terious blonde "roomer" was none
other than Gertrude Stoner! "But,"
he thought, Gertrude is brunette
and she-the roomer-is blonde!
Still, she has large brown eyes," he
meditated. at must bet isl know
that girl is Gertrude Stoner!"
Rushing into the house Glenn was
about to seek out his mother and lay
the whole matter before her, when the
girl-the mysterious roomer, stenog-
rapher, call her what you Wilde
seconded the stairs into the hall, and
Glenn, met her face to face. They
gazed steadily into each others eyes.
The girl smiled family, and he recog-
nized her. positively.
Gertrude Stoner!" Glenn exclaim-
ed. "You are Gertrude Stoneri I
know you are. Don't deny it. Tell
me-what are you doing here? Why
did you go up into the attic last
night? What's the big idea?"
The girl attempted to reach the
front door without speaking "No
you don't" the man exclaimed. "You
don't get away from me. Come in here
Into the parlor!" And he literally
pulled her into the front room, and
pushed her into a chair.
She sat there, silent, for a full min
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16
By Monte Darrell

will never think of poor Phil Brough-
ton again!"
Il hope not! he returned with some
fervor. Real men don't die of heart
ache, Miss Helena Lowell"
''Now that you have the girl, you can
comfort yourself easily. That is hui
man nature. 1t is all right to talk of
sympathy when ones personal feel
ings are not involved"
well, don't worry your pretty head
about Phil Broughton! 1 am not sorry
for him. AS told you before, / am a
fatalist"
Helena was staring through the
window where the lanterns of the
trains crew, as they signaled to each
other, glowed like huge fire flies in the
darkness.
II think" she said whimsically,
that I am half in love with him my
self, through his letters to another
girl. You watch me! I am going to
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

big, dark eyes that looked up CRATE
fully at him made him a little breath
less. Suppose we go on the platform
and find out about the troubled"
Heavy rains had washed away sew
eral feet of track, and there was news
almost Immediately that a relief train
would meet them within an hour.
They left the car and walked around
until the lights began to flash here
and there in the twilight. Then they
turned back to have dinner together On
the train. Suddenly the man looked
little anxious and began searching his
vest pockets, evidently in much con-
Germ over something. He uttered a lit
tie sigh of relief when he produced
plain gold wedding ring.
II am morally certain that 1 will
lose it before I have occasion to use
it. That would be just my luck"
The girl laughed. "Are you going
to wedding?"
'The wedding" he corrected her.
81 will be in an awful predicament if
this train doesn't move on as sched-
uled. You. see, I should have gone
yesterday, but I was unavoidably de-
tanned. I haven't practiced my part.
They held a rehearsal last night. 1
wonder why girls want to have big
church weddings, anyway"
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16
By Claire Wesson

and the next day found her busily at
work toward the contamination of the
old romance. 1t was absurd, of course,
to think of such a thing, but you new
er could tell and so, from some for
gotten corner, Veronica resurrected
Edgar's photograph, without her
aunt's knowledge. 1t was rather dis
appointing to 17-year-old eyes to find
that Edgar's nose had decided tilt,
and that Edgar's ears were discomfort
ingly prominent. Moreover, the wavy
chestnut brown hair combed in the
fashion of 80 years ago lost some Of
its fascination to Goth century eyes.
But Veronica made allowances.
Then the girl made another discov-
cry. Aunt Ella knew Edgar's present
address. She finally wormed it out of
her aunt, by careless questions, learn
ing as well that Aunt Ella had not
seen her old lover even once during
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16
Aunt Elias Love

not offended. A deep flush suffused
her features, but gave place moment
later to dreamy air of pre-occupa-
ton. She forgot Veronica for space,
in sudden rush Of memories.
Eyes, my dear, I met him. Indeed,
we were engaged for a while-the
most wonderful period of my life. But
we quarreled." Her face saddened at
the recollection.
"Oh!" gasped Veronica, STEPPED with
the spirit of romance. ooh. Aunt
Ella, what was he like?"
.He had brown, curling hair and
brown eyes. He was tall and hand
some, and manly. People said we
were a fine looking couple" she fin
ished, complacently. 81 had golden
hair and blue eyes, them
"But why did you quarrel?"
breathed Veronica. "He must have
been heavenly. How could your
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

the 80 years. He lived on farm not
far away and had never married. The
girl was thrilled to her fingertips at
his constancy. She could not wait
until some plot of her own invention
had brought the recalcitrant lover to
their door. And then it would be but
step to the long deferred wedding
bells.
1t may have been a newly-awakened
anxiety to see his old love, or merely
strict attendance to business, which
finally made Veronica's efforts sue
cessful. At any rate, Edgar really
came in answer to the girls carefully
worded inquiry about farm produce.
She answered the doorbell in person
with rapidly beating heart, but con-
trary to her plan she did not invite
him in. Indeed, she stood there,
speechless, rooted to the floor.
1t was undoubtedly Edgar who stood
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

cit was over some trife," sighed
Aunt Ella. "And neither would give
in. What fools we were!"
A shade crossed Veronica's face for
a moment. Then, suddenly, her eyes
sparkled. What if he should come
back? What if?
."Aunty, what was his manner"
Edgar Freeman. How the girls en-
wed me-" Aunt Ella came to her
self. Mercy, child, how foolishly you
make me talk. Do run along"
Veronica did not hear. "His hair
would be white,%% she was saying to
herself. cit turned early because he
lost Aunt Ella. His eyes would still
be bright, though, and he and Auntie
would make up their quarrel and live
happily forever after" She sighed in
ecstacy.
To think, with Veronica, was to act,
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

before her, the man of whom she had
dreamed so long, but what a different
Edgar! Poor Veronica! Her world
was tottering. For the man before
her was old, with face which had
fallen. into hundred wrinkles and
hair which was scanty and grizzled.
steel-bound spectacles encased his
dull brown eyes. Could this be hand
some Edgar Freeman?
Veronica came to herself. What she
said she never knew, but it was effec-
tive, for the man turned away at once.
He had been tried in the balance by
the relentless spirit of youth and had
been ruthlessly rejected.
"Auntie can still dream" cried Yer
onica holly to her own mirror. "She
shall never know how horrible he has
become. All her life she can still think
of him as handsome Edgar Freeman.
But, oh-my dreams!" She burst into
tears with the hopeless despair of H.,
and, sobbing, fell asleep.
She awoke with start at hearing
a door slam downstairs and tiptoed
down, fearing intruders. On the
threshold she paused wordless.
Aunt Ella was in the parlor and
with her was Edgar. This was enough
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16
By Albert Fiske

in a flowing white robe, was gliding
slowly across the hall! She carried
a lighted candle. Approaching the at
tic door she opened it, and, noiseless-
~ closing it behind her, ascending the
narrow stairs.
The following morning Glenn was
extremely nervous. He was not himself
at all at enthusiastically jovial and
talkative, he was reticent and even
irritable.
That evening he returned home
earlier than usual. Seated in the street
car, he opened his paper and read,
when his eyes fell upon the following
headline: Erich Bankers Daughter
Mysteriously Disappears" 1t was the
story /, of the strange, unaccountable
disappearance of Gertrude Stoner,
who had left home three days before
and had not been heard from since.
Her parents were desperate and offer
ing fabulous reward for information
leading to her discovery. A picture
of the girl accompanied the story Glenn
recognized the face. Years before
when his parents were wealthy, he
had known Gertrude and she had even
been a playmate of his in his boy
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

~N Oh was hot and restless. He
had read every bit of the
~AA-1 news. He wished he'd waited
for an express! But he had been so
impatient to get home and see mother
again, and sister Betty, too, for she
would probably be there before him,
although he had not heard just when
she was expected. Gee! 1t would be
great to see them! Vacation! 1t was
glorious! Not that he didn't like col
lege; that was bully, too! So many
jolly fellows and such corking good
times! Scholarships, too, and honors
to be wont
Mother was going to be proud of his
first years record!
How lonely he had been last Sep
TENDER! That's where girls had it all
over fellows. Betty had freely con-
fessed to a wet pillow every night for
a week, CThis had been her first year
at the seminary.) And he had to
jolly her in his answering letter, feel
ing rather guilty all the while, how
ever. Well. next year it wouldn't be
so bad, he supposed.
Meanwhile Summer was here and
vacation, with all the good times those
three always Lad together. Oh, how
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16
The Mystery Girl


A succession of financial disasters had
reduced them to almost penEry, and
they now found themselves, like a
wrecked ship at sea, thrown UP high
and dry upon the rocky shores OF adj
versity. They still had their home, a
large swell front stone affair, with big
rooms, high studded, with prodigious
gas chandeliers, and furniture which
once cost a lot of money and was
richly upholstered and deliberately
carved.
The following day, if you had passed
the Plaisted residence, you would have
noticed printed sign in one of the
windows: Furnished Room For
Rent" That night, when Glenn re-
turned from the office, he observed
that the sign had been removed. "Have
you rented that front room so soon?"
he inquired as his mother greeted
him.
Yes, my son, and to younp lady"
whats her name?"
Mercy Beach"
Glenn laughed. Mercy" he repeat
ed. docs she look like the name?"
Mrs. Plaisted's face was serious.
''Why, she is very decent young
woman, I should judge She"
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

ward appearances. The next time you
see our roomer be sure to look at her
wonderfully nice brown eyes and her
finely shaped head and chin. They
are really aristocratic, almost c1assic!"
well, perhaps you're right, mother,
the next time I'll give her regular
once over"
Glenn did not see the girl again that
evening, nor the following evening.
Mrs. Plaisted informed her son that
she was. "no trouble at ALL" was cas-
still as a mouse" and seemed to be
doing some kind of literary work.
pounding the typewriter necessarily.
It was some time during the dark
hours of the night that Glenn was
awakened by the creaking of a door
and the faint sound of footsteps in the
hall. Instantly he thought of the
strange, mysterious roomer. He had
to admit to himself that he could ex-
pect almost anything, even murder. of
a girl of her extreme, grotesque type
as he had seen her once downstairs.
He sprang out, of bed, and quietly
opened the door and peered out into
the darkness. His eyes were met by
most weird and ghostlike spectacle
the tall, 1.-THE form of woman, dressed
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16
"A stenographer?"
"She has a typeWriter."

"She has typewriter"
At that moment Glenn heard the
rapid clicking of a machine. "a novel
ist, I suppose" he commented, and
walked into the living room, sat down,
and lit his pipe. In few minutes the
clicking Of the typewriter ceased, and
he heard gentle footsteps on the stairs.
Being seated by the library table read
ing magazine, he was conveniently
located to clearly see the girl as she
passed under the hall light and before
the parted portieres.
Say, mother, I thought you had
good judgment in sizing up folks"
Generally I have prided myself on
that matter, my SON."
"Well, once for luck I think you've
made a mistake. May I ask why YOU
took into our house our lady roomer?
Bobbed yellow curls, penciled eve
brows, beauty patch, with a ten-cent
shade of red on her face. certainly is
a fine combination. But must saw
that the hat and the cut, of that tai
1ored suit wern I'LL rioh+ Queer COM
binaion of good and bad style"
Nov, my son, don't judge from out
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

~ VERONICA sat, chin in cupped
W hands, and surveyed Aunt
Ella thoughtfully. Miss Pres
ton, who was SIS years of age, with a
sweet face delicately lined, and album
dant waving hair scarcely turned gray,
had never married, and it was this
fact which her niece found hard 10
understand. Romance, born of scant
gleanings from the local public Ii,
brary, had set her 17-year-old mind
to wondering. Suddenly, impulsively,
she spoke.
"Aunt Ella, did he die, or did you
Just never meet him?" Miss Preston
looked a little startled.
"Just whom do you mean, nay
dear?"
"The man you should have mar
ried." Veronica, at once realizing
the extent of her audacity, quickly hid
her face in shame. But Aunt Ella was
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

70 startle the girl, but it was not all
FOR Edgar's arm was about her aunt.
on whose face was look of unmis-
taxable radiant happiness. Veronica's
romance had lowered. She turned
nevertheless, inconsistency and fed.
On, auntie'" she whispered later.
trying to keep the disappointment
from her voice and to sound as happy
as she knew she ought, "just think
after all these years!"
Aunt Ella beamed and her sweet
lace took on added color as she re-
piled: Eyes, my dear; am very ham
Ply. And do. you know" confdentially
what seems most wonderful of all to
me Is that he hasn't changed a mite
he is the same Edgar"
Veronica, again gazing at her mir
rored reflection, wrinkled her nose
thoughtfully at the vagaries of man
and cast aside the middle-aged ro-
nance she had been reading.
aren't old people funny?" re-
marked II ruefully.
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-16

~ "" E noticed her as soon as she
came into the train. She
wore a well tailored blue
suit with narrow collar and cuffs of
heavy white satin. AS soon as she
was comfortably settled in her section,
he could not help but observe how I'M
conscious she was of her beauty. She
did not powder her nose and fluff her
hair before a small vanity case and
then gaze around looking for some
good looking man conveniently near
to either raise or lower her window,
as most girls would have done. She
was modest, and the worldly-wise man
across the aisle from her thought
that modesty was a long lost art of
femininity. He wanted to talk to her..
but had to content himself with surrep-
titious glances over the magazine he
held but did not read.
Suddenly there sounded a shrill
blast of whistles and the grinding
noisO of brakes, hastily applied. Ev-
erybody jumped up, and in the COM
motion that followed he watched the
girl. She neither tainted nor proceed
ed to have Mysteries. She put on her
coat and hat and set her grip on the
seat beside her.
eff I can be of any service he be-
gan, bending over her section. The