davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14
BY
ALBERTpAYSON
TERHUNE

lad. Dugan knew he could, in all
probability, drive to the main road
unnoticed. IL he should keep the house
between him and the women.
He pressed the self-starter. threw
OF the brake and put the car into mo-
ton. Then, as he struck the level
stretch of driveway. back Of the
house. he stepped hard on the &C
celerator. Here, for a few rods, was
danger of recognition, and IL be-
hooved 1im to made speed. He made IL.
Forward bounded the car and struck
forty-mile gait. And around the
houses far corner, and straight to-
ward Dugan, came flying the sow and
the two collies. The dogs, at sight of
the onrushing car, sprang aside. The
SOW did not.
In the narrow roadway there was
no room for Dugan to turn out. Nor
did he care to. Again and again he
had run over dogs without harming
his car or slackening its pace. And.
of course. 1t would be the same with
pig. He stepped harder on the
aSselerator.
y y
a LF DUGAN came to his senses in
n the hospital ward of the Paterson
Jail. He had not the faintest idea how
he CHANGED to be there. When they
told him the car had turned turtle and
that he and a broken-necked pig had
been hauled out of the wreckage, he
asked in all honesty:
What car? What pig? Quit string
ing me, can't you? Which of my legs
did you say is bust and which one is
just twisted? They both feel as bad
as each other. How'd I get here,
anyhow? What happened me?"
When the vet had worked over Lad
for an hour and had patched him up
and had declared there was no doubt
at all about his getting well. Wolf
and Bruce were brought in to see the
invalid. The mistress thought he
might be glad to see them.
He was not.
Indeed, after one scornful look in
their direction, Laddie turned away
from the visitors in cold disgust. Also,
he was less demonstrative with the
Mistress than usual. Any one could
see his abnormally sensitive feelings
were deeply hurt. And any one who
knew Lad could tell why.
He had borne the brunt of the fight.
And. at the last, these lesser dogs had
won the victory without his aid. Still
worse, his beloved Mlstress-for whom:
he had so blithely staked his aged life
the Mistress had held him back by
force from joining In the delirious las
phases of the fight. She had made
him stand tamely by. while. others
finished the grand work he had be-
gun.
1t was not fair. And Laddie let
every one in sight know it was not
fair. and that he had no intention of
being petted into a good humor.
Still, when, by and by. the Mistress
sat down on the floor beside him and
told him what darling and Won
derful and heroic dog he was and
how proud she felt of his courage,
and when her dear hand rumpled the
soft hair behind his ears-well, some
how Lad found himself laying his
head in her lap and making croony
low sounds at her and pretending to
bite her little white hand.
It was always hard to stay offended
at the Mistress.
Copyright. All Rights Reserved
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14
Getting Right With Carrie

90. that afternoon called up G
- Hanson Parks on the long dis
tance.
We'll, how you getting on:' he de-
manded.
I'm UP against brick wall" says
I. Her name is Carrie. Mrs. Ira
Allen. you know
"well. what's the matter with the
old girl?" says he.
She's stiff in the neck" says I. a
bad case. But see here; are you set on
swallowing this business whole, wip
ing out the name and everything"
"If we buy the outfit, why not::''
he asks.
But you need those secret formu
las that Ira Allen has in his head,
don't you?" says I.
Sure" says G.. Hanson. That's
what we're paying our money for"
But couldn't you make him a fig
ure president I goes on, keep the
Allen name on the letter-heads. and
put your own men in to run the con-
Germ? Maybe offer him an annual
salary of ten thousand, say-and a
few shares of stock in the new COM
pany?"
why, ! hadn't thought OF that"
says Mr. Parks. Would he take it.
thought"
I'll phone you tomorrow" says /.
I'm going up to see Mrs. Ira Allen
now"
No. it wasn't so soft. She kept me
full five minutes before she'd even
let me into the quaint old living room
with all the black walnut and ma
hogany furniture. And she got al
most rigid when ! mentioned that I'd
been sent UP by those New York peo-
pie who had been trying to buy the
tannery.
"Why don't you talk to Mr.. Allen?"
says 1. He doesn't seem to under
stand. and I'm sure you will They're
not asking him to sell out. It's mere
ly a matter of reorganization, with
Mr.. Allen as president. just as he is
now. The Allen Leather Company.
Only the plant is to be enlarged,
modern machinery installed, and two
or three hundred hands put to work.
OF course, there will be a liberal
salary for Mr.. Allen
And when / named the exact figure
I could see Eo- grab the sides of her
chair. Also l could guess what ten
thousand a year would mean. to her,
in Bradbury. / could see her turn
ing in the old car for a new one, hir-
ing q cook, having the sealskin made
over, giving big parties once more.
81 will have a talk with Mr.. Allen
tonight" says she. Il think he
will feel differently about It by to-
morrow"
oh. yes! Ira did. At 1880 he signed
on the dotted line. And right after
luncheon I caught an afternoon train
for New York.
Well, young woman" says G. Han
son. when he heard the news, "Ill
say you're some 'whizz at this sort of
thing. Why, we've been working on
that old boy for nearly six months"
YES" says /. but you didn't begin
by getting in right with Mrs. Tooter."
Copyright, 1923. By sewell Ford.l
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14

capture. A whizzing rush to the high
road and down 1t to the point where
his confederate waited with the new
number plates, and he could snap his
fat fingers at pursuit.
Dugan had called at the place q
week earlier. He had taken inter-
ested hote of the little garages two
cars and its unlocked doors. He had
taken less approving note of the three
guardian coilies: Lad, still magnifi-
cent and formidable in spite of his
weight Of years; Bruce. gloriously
beautiful and stately and aloof;
young Wolf, with the fire and fierce
agility of tiger cat. All three had
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14

a ROUND the corner of the house
"A tore the two returning collies. In
single glance, they seemed to
take In the whole grisly scene. They,
too, had had their bouts with maradd-
ing swine: and they were still young
enough to enjoy such clashes and to par
take Of them without danger.
The SOW, too blind with pain and rage
to know reinforcements were coming to
the aid of the half dead hero. tore for
ward. The mistress. with both hands,
sought to drag Lad behind her The
maids screeched in chorus
Then, just as the sow was launching
herself on the futiieIy swapping Lad.
had somehow changed to three dogs.
One of these three the mistress was sttIl
holding The two others, with excellent
teamwork, were assailing the SOW from
opposite sides.
She came to a sliding stop in her
charge, blinking in bewiIdered fury.
Bruce had caught her by the torn left
ear. and was keeping easily out Of her
way, while he inflicted torture thereon.
Wolf, like a furry whiriwind, had
stopped only long enough to slash her
bleeding nose to the bone, and now was
tearing her hind leg in an industrious
and very promising effort to hamstring
her. In front, Lad was still strainins
to break the mistress loving hold, and
to get at his pestered enemy.
This was more than the huge porker
ha1 ia y, rOS. oil her
murder-rage, she had sense enough to
know she was outnumbered and beaten.
She broke into a clumsy gallop, heading
homeward.
But Bruce and Wolf would not have il
SO. Delightedly, they tore into the at
tack. Their slashing fangs and their
keenly nipping front teeth were every
where. They were all over her.
In sudden panic. blinded by terror
and pain. the sow put her 500
pounds of unwieIdy weight into the
fastest motion she could summon. At
a scrambling run, she set of, around
the house, head down, bitten tail aloft,
the two dogs at her bleeding
launches.
stacle loom up in her path. 1t was
coming noisily toward her. But she
met II, headlong, throwing her vast
weight forward in an attempt to
smash through II. AT the same time
Wolf and Bruce left off marrying her
tanks and sprang aside.
Dugan had reached the garage un-
seen. There he had backed out the
car, by hand, showing 1t into the open,
lest the motor whir give premature
announcement of his presence. Then,
as he boarded the machine and reach
ed for the self-starter, all bedlam
broke loose, from somewhere in the
general direction OF the house, fifty
yards away.
Dugan, glancing up apprehensively.
beheld the first phases of the fight
Forgetting the need OF haste and of
secrecy. he sat there. open mouthed,
watching a scrimmage which was be-
| yond all his sporting experience and
which thrilled him as no prizefght
| had ever done. Moveless, wide eyed,
! ne witnessed the battle.
i But the arrival of the two other
dogs and the flight Of the SOW reused
him to a sense OF the business which
had brought him thither. The Mis-
tress and the maids had no eyes or
ears for anything but the wounded
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14

one side, the SOW charging after him.
he had lost all interest in attacking
the mistress. Her flaming little brain
now held no thought except to kill
and mangle the dog that had hurt her
snout SO cruelty. And she rushed at
him. the tushes glinting from under
her upcurled and bleeding lips.
But the collie, for all his years and
unwieldiness. was still a collie. And,
by the time he stopped rolling, he was
scrambling to his feet. Shrinking
quickly to one side, as the SOW bore
down upon him, he eluded her rush
by the narrowest of margins and,
swapping furiousiy, caught her by the
ear.
Now, more than once, in other trays,
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14

Lad had subdued and scared trespass-
ing pigs by this hold But in those
days his teeth had been keen and his
Jaw strong enough to crack a beef
bone. Moreover. the pigs on which he
had used It to such effect were not
drunk with the lust Of killing.
The SOW squealed afresh with pain.
and once more braced herself and
shook her head with all her might.
Again Lad was flung aside by that
shake, this time with fragment of
torn ear between his teeth.
AS she drove at him once more,
Lad swerved and darted in, diving
for her forelegs. With the collie,
as with the ancestor, the wolf, this
dive for the leg of an enemy is a
favorite and tremendously effective
trick in battle. Lad found his hold,
just above the right pastern. And he
break the bone or to sever the tendon.
In all the Bibles myriad tragic lines
there is perhaps none other so inf
nitely sad-less for its actual signif1-
canoe than for what Ii implies to
every man or woman or animal, soon
or late-than that which describes
the shorn Samson going forth in
istines he 80 often and so easily had
conquered
HE wis not that the Lord was de-
parted from him.
To all OF us, to whom the doubtful
blessing Of old age is granted. must
come the black time when we shall
essay a task which once we could ac-
complish with ease-,onIy to find its
achievement has passed forever be-
yond our waning powers. And so, this
day, was it with Sunnybank Lad.
OF yore, such a grip as he now Sc
cured would have hamstrung or
otherwise manned its victims and left
her wallowing helpless But the dull
teeth merely barked the legs tough
skin. And a spasmodic jerk ripped it
loose from the dogs hold.
Lad barely had time to spring aside,
to dodge the wheeling SOW. He was
painting heavily. His wounds were
hurting and weakening him. His wind
was gone. His heart was doing queer
things which made him sick and
dizzy. His strength was turning to
water. His courage alone blazed
high and undimmed.
Not once did it occur to him to
seek safety in flight. lie must have
known the probable outcome. For
Lad knew much. But the great
heart did not finch at the prospect.
Feebly. yet dauntlessly, he came
back to the hopeless battle. The
mistress was in danger. And he
alone could help.
No longer able to avoid the rushes
he met some of them with patheti-
cally useless jaws; going down under
others and rising with ever greater
slowness and difficulty. The sow's
ravening teeth found a goal, more
than once. in the FURNISHED mahog-
any coat which the mistress brushed
every day with such loving care. The
pronged hoofs had twice more cut
him as he strove to roll aside from
heavy tumbles.
X x y X
THE end OF the fight seemed very
i near. Yet Lad fought on. To the
attack, after each upset or wound, he
crawled with deathless courage,
The mistress. at Lads first charge.
had stepped back. But at once she
had caught up again the stick and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14

f1ower-Iover's indignatIon-at this
desecrating of one of her beloved
plants, she caught up a stick which
had been used as a rose-prop. Brand
ishing this. and crying Shoot" very
valiantly indeed, she advanced upon
the SOW.
The latter did not stir, except to
lower her bristling head an inch or
so. and let drop the bunch Of bulbs
from between her razor-teeth. The
Mistress advanced another step and
struck at the beast.
The SOW veered, to avoid the blow /;
then, with ludicrous yet deadly swift
ness, wheeled back and charged
straight for the woman.
Many a child and not a few grown
men and women have gone down I'M
der such murderous charges; to be
trampled and gouged and torn to
death, before help could come. But
the foul jaws did not so much as
touch the hem of the Mistress dress.
Between her and the sow flashed a
swirl of mahogany-and-sn Lad,
charging at full speed, crashed into
the forward lurching six-hundred-
weight Of solid flesh and inch-thick
hide.
The impact bowled him clean over,
knocking the breath out of him. Not
from choice had he made such a
laundering and uncollielike attack. In
other days he could have flashed In
and out again with the speed of light.
leaving his antagonist with a slashed
face or even a broken leg as souvenir
of his assault. But those days were
past. His uncannily wise brain and
his daunltless courage were all that
remained of his ancient prowess.
And this brain and pluck told him
his one chance Of checking the sow's
charge on the mistress was to hurl
hims self full at her.
His impetus, which had knocked
him fiat, scarce slowed down the pigs
lurching rush: scarce enabled the
frightened mistress to recoil step.
Then the sow was lunging at her
again over the PROSTATE dogs body.
But. even as he fell, Lad had gather
ed his feet under him. And the shock
which knocked him breathless did not
make the wise brain waver In Its plan
Of campaign. Before he sought to rise,
up drove his barred teeth at the sow
that was plunging across him. And
those teeth Glove deep into her pink
ish nostrils--wellnigh the only vul-
nerable spot Gas Lad knew in her
hristlfup ni1skfn armor,
Lad got his grip. And with all his
fragile old strength he hung on
grinding the outworn fangs farther
and farther into the sensitive nose
of his squealing foe.
This stopped the sow's impetuous
charge for good and all. With heavy
collie hanging to ones tortured nose
and that collie's teeth sunk deep into
II, there is no scope for thinking OF
any other opponent. She halted,
striking furiously with her sharp
cloven forehoofs at the writing dog
beneath her.
One ferociously driving hoof cut a
cash in Lads chest. Another tore the
skin from his shoulder. Unheeding,
he hung on. The SOW braced herself,
solid, on outspread legs. and shook
her head and forequarters with all
her muscular might.
Il X \ \
r AID was hurled free. his weakened
IL jaws falling to withstand such a
yank. Over and over he rolled, to
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14

beIabored the SOW with all her frail
muscular might. She might as we'll
have been beating the side of con-
crete wall. Needless of the failing,
the SOW ignored her and continued
her maddened assault on Lad.
The maids. attracted by the noise,
crowded the front doorway, clinging
together and jabbering. To them the
mistress called now for the masters
shotgun, from the study wall, and for
a handful of shells.
She kept her head, though she saw
she was powerless to save the dog
she loved. And her soul was sick
within her at his peril which her puny
efforts could not avert
Running across the lawn, toward
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14

ached at any sudden motion; and that
his wind and his heart were not what
they had been; and that his once-ter-
rible fangs were yelIowed and blunt;
and that his primal strength was for
ever fed. Peril was facing the Mis-
tress. That was all Laddie knew or
cared. With his wonted trumpet-bark
OF challenge he sped toward her.
" y
THE mistress, recovering from her
l. surprise at the apparition Of the
huge pig. noticed the bunch of
canna-bulbs dangling from the slob-
berry lips This very week all the
bulbs were to have been dug up and
taken into the greenhouse for the
winter. Angered-wtth all q true
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14

THE end OF the fight seemed very
/ near. Yet Lad fought on. To the
attack. after each upset or wound, he
crawled with deathless courage,
The mistress. at Lads first charge,
had stepped back. But at once she
had caught up again the stick and
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14

r AID was hurled free. his weakened
L. jaws failing TO Withstand such a
yank. Over and over he rolled, to
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-01-14

~ Keen nearing and narrowing the
vision.
Yes, Lad was old. And he was a bit
unwieldy from weight and from age.
No longer could he lead Wolf and
Bruce in the forest rabbit chases
Wherefore, he stayed at home, for chs
most part; and seldom strayed far
from the mistress and the master whom
he worshiped.
Moreover, he deputed the bulk of
tresspass-repelling to his fiery little
son, Wolf; and to the graver and
sweeter Bruce-"Bruce. the Beauti-
full"
Which brings US by needfully prosy
degrees to morning when two I.la
RAIDERS came to the Place at the same
time. II by different routes. They
could not we'll have come at a more
propitious time for themselves, nor at
q worse time for those whose domain
they visited.
DRUCE Snd Wolf had trotted idly
ID Off 10 the forest back Of the
Place for . desultory ramble In quest
of rabbits or squirrels. This they had
done because they were bored. For
the mistress and the master had
driven over for the morning mail,
and Lad had gone with them as
usual Had II been night instead of
morning, neither Wolf nor Bruce would
have stirred q step from the grounds.
For both were trained watchdogs.
But thus early In the day neither
duty nor companionship held them at
home. And the autumn woods prom
Used @ half-hour of mild sport.
The superintendent and his help
ars were in the distant upper field"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-08-05

Elderly Ladies Who Have
Reached The Discreet Years
Of Black Silk And Lace
Favor A Black Band Round
The Neck Set Off BY A
Chaste But Expensive Dia-
mond Clasp
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-30
CHANCERY COURT
 SHOWS INCREASE
Petitions For Divorce Aver age About 80 Per Cent Of
 The Total

There was an increase in 1923 or more than POO, or about IA per cent in the nun Der of cases handled in the chancery division of the Jeffer- son county chancery court, according to figures just made public by an of- ficial in the office of Hunter Arm strong, chancery clerk.
 In 1922 only 1,603 bills of complaint of various kinds were filed with the court, these including petitions Tor divorce, appeals for injunctions to restrain individuals, corporations and public officials from doing certain things, and petitions in bankruptcy, Figures are not available on the num- Der filed snice November 15 of this year, but between January l and November 15, more than .l,Soo had Der filed since November 15 of this the year, the 1923 total will be well past the 2.000 mark.
 Petitions for divorce form the greatest number of cases filed, aver aging about so per cent of the total It is estimated that person seeking a divorce has two chances in three of getting it, as there were approXi- mately 1000 granted during the year just closed out of about l,600 Tor which requests were made. 5sE
 There was an increase of about l00 in the number of divorces granted in 1923 over those of previous years. but this does not mean that the di- vorce court is becoming popular Birmingham institution officials pointed out. It just means, they said, that the divorce seekers are keeping pace with the increase in population.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-30
DECREASE SHOWN M DAMAGE SUITS
Approximately 900 Fewer Cases Filed In 1923 Than
 During 1922

Jefferson county people are not suing one another for damages as often as they were a year ago, ac- cording to figures given out by division of circuit court.
 There were approximately goo fewer cases filed n this division in 1928 than were filed the year before. The 1922 cases totaled 453S for the entire 12 months. while those for the first II months of 1923 amounted to only 3,37S. It was estimated by of ficials that the years total probably would be slightly over 3,700.
 A distinct gain was made, however in the number of cases disposed of. Only 4,128 were disposed of last year. while it is thought that this years total will be about 4,400. This year about 650 moro casese were disposed of than were filed, many of them De- ing old cases that have been a long time in the courts and were brol Sht over from last years records. It is etimated that there are still about 5000 cases already filed that remain to be tried.
 Part of the decrease in number of cases filed this year may be attrib- uted to the activities of the court ot common claims during the three months that it functioned before be- ing declared unconstitutional. It is estimated that about 400 cases were filed with this court which in pre- vious years have come under the jurisdiction of the regular civil di- vision judges. The 500 cases sul remaining to be accounted for from last years total can only be attrib- uted to a greater willingness on the part of the general public to settle their quarrels out of court.