davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28
g15a2ass 8
By Parke Whitney
y GO 5I9SSss 1SsI9

She'd risk the face. geHe was city
bred, she could tell that by the cut
of his clothes, the swing of his hand
as he took out a cigar, and the easy
courteousness of his manner as he
asked if she objected to his smoking.
Edith could have Rugged him for
that, for it showed he considered her
a lady, and it was a reminiscent re-
minder7 Of the, days when she had had
a romance of her own, gogsuefgfra
''You said you wanted to go to
Stoneledge. Nice place." she re-
marked laconically, just the way she
had seen Jerry do when he wanted
to go fishing for information to store
his mind for gossip.
81 thought so when I bought it a
few months ago."
Thought it a few months ago!"
Edith was uhdohe, for this pleasant
voiced man, with the kindly gray
eyes, was her opposite neighbor, the
father of the well-behaved boy and
girl with whom she had become so
friendly the last week or so. But
the tumult in Edith's soul was
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28
By Phil Moore

ing to the very day of his death,
was never happy. / have wealth, in
f1uence and friends, but I have paid
dearly for them, giving in exchange
the priceless gift Of baby lips, soft
and warm at my breast, and the
touch Of little roseleaf fingers, curl
ing around my own. Dear girl, think
twice before you marry Fuller Mars
toni"
There were tears in Adrianne's
great dark eyes. She said nothing,
only patted the wrinkled hands in her
strong young grasp. A fresh wind
stirred the curtains at the windows
and carried to them the fragrance of
sweet scrubs, bruised by some hand,
perhaps unconsciously, in passing. 1t
breathed beautiful memories to the
girl, but to the little old lady, almost
lost in the great tapestry chair, it
carried only the scent of dead roses
ashes of roses and dreams. AS
she sat there, she looked like some
delicate bit of Dresden china. There
seemed nothing about her alive, but
the faded blue eyes, eloquent with
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

ing topic of conversation, she said
abruptly: THAT is wonderful ruby
you wear, Aunt Agatha Looks as
if it might have a history!"
Aunt Agatha set down her fragile
tea cup and turned the ring back and
forth on her withered old hand.
Her fine white head bent to watch the
lights that burned and then were
lost in the rare jewel. ut represents
a romantic tragedy. When I was a
girl" she resumed, knowing that all
girls like love stories of the past, II
had two suitors. One was rich and
one was poor. I married for money,
thinking that 1t was the greatest
thing in the world, as you think
now. There were no children, no
softening influence to warm my heart
that slowly withered and dried up
like dead leaf in the forest, for
found out, all too soon, that my hus-
band had married me for my pretty
face and we had no foundation of
love on which to build any lasting
marital happiness.
Dear Aunt Agatha! And we have
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28
zgIgzgl

Along the middle of December
there began to come some pretty
heavy storms.
1t was a clear day when the boats
went out, but there was an ugly
gray look in the no'east, and so
along about noon when the blow hit
us we weren't much surprised, but
just the same we began to get sort Of
uneasy. Devils Bridge was a pretty
bad place to get caught in a storm,
and when you're busy pulling lines
you sometimes don't notice gray
look in the sky.
Along about o'clock we sighted
two little boats rounding the point
and could hear the steady put-put Of
the engines. Dan Look and Stan
Pease were accounted for, anyway.
Soon two other boats came fighting
their way around the point and into
the cove behind the breakwater.
Caleb MAYHEM and Ossie Norton
vera safe Than the Last cathnat> Tnna
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28
By Joella johnson

clear of the danger place where the
waves reached up.
The fellow who was doing the
rescue act was in oilskins, so we
couldn't see who twas stumbling in
with that limp body. The boys went
out to meet them. AS they got into
the lee of the seawall the fellow in
slickers slipped his load down, then
quietly slumped face down into the
wet seaweed.
It's Tom and-well, I'M" said
Dan Look, as he lifted the limp fig
ure in oilskins. 1t was Blake Morris!
We didn't say a word, just gasped
like fishes out of water.
That night we were all sitting
around the stove at the Mems Club
not talking much, but doing a heap
O. thinking. Finally Beria Davis
took a fresh chew of tobacco and
cleared his throat.
Gentlemen" he said, II think that
fellow Blake Morris should be one
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28
aSds s@Q3a2as eSaSA Z
Aunt Betsy's Legacy


haggle about. the fare. Oh, there's
the train whistle!" A turn Of her
hand and the car, with an easy swirl,
rolled around the curve and came to
stop beside the low wooden plat
form.
Edith craned her neck, but there
was not passenger in sight. She
groaned inwardly, but the light
danced back to her eyes. She had
sighted a man with a valise and a
golf bag.
Excuse me-" the voice was pleas
ant. Gould you tell me where l
could get conveyance?"
Right here" snapped Edith.
Take you wherever you want to
go!" She was unconsc1ously initial
ing Jerry's style.
The mans gray eyes glimmered
with some surprise blended with
some amusement as they note two
luminous brown eyes and a few ten
drills of hair escaping coquetishly
from beneath the "Tam" But
Edith's cheeks only redeemed furi-
ously as she felt the sweep of the
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

all thought that you were so happy.
You have everything, it seems, !"
cried Adrianne pushing the tea cart
aside and drawing a stool to Aunt
Agatna's feet, where she could sit
with her two hands clasping the
wrinkled one where the ruby glowed
like a drop Of blood.
Everything but love, the magic
something that keeps the lights on
life's altar afame. The poor young
fellow I loved and would not marry
because I wanted the luxuries that
money could buy died years ago. In
the meantime he had become great
industrial leader and amassed a for
tune. He left this ring to me along
with a brief, tragic note, saying that
the fire in the heart of his ruby, like
his love for me, would burn forever.
All that wealth of love I gave up just
for a ribbon to stick in my coat and
a flower to wear in my hair" she
added, fguratively pathetic. ."The
Creator of things as they are does
not bless union founded on shams.
My husband, disconnected and grasp
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

regret, and the ruby on her hand that
burned with the undying love of her
lost youth.
"All Of us love you'll" whispered
the girl, thoughtfully sad ut this pic
ture of Springtime. blighted by the
keen frost of greed.
1.-THE hinges on the door of my
heart are rusty from disuse," said
Aunt Agatha. They creak and the
door will not open all the way, even
when I try to let in a bit of the sun
shine Of love generously offered by
other women's children. But we
have talked enough of the past" The
lfttly old lady frightened percep-
tibly. What shall 1 give you for a
wedding present? If you had mar
ried young Doctor Craddock, which,
of course, is out of the question
now, I expected to build you a mod
est bungalow on thes corner of my
big lot here, but Fuller Marston has
a home as elegant as any in the city
to offer you. I daresay l will give
you pearls, a well-matched string
from Tiffanys. They will do very
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28
The New Member

Chadwick's, came along. and we all
heaved sigh, then looked at each
other with foolish-looking grins.
Might "a known they'd "a come
in safe," grunted Beria Davis.
"Listen!" said one OF the men as
he held up warning hand. Above
the roar of the wind and surf we
heard the unsteady put-put-put of
Tom Chadwick's engine.
She's getting ready to die" some
bouy said. So We watched that boat
edge up to the breakwater. Once
around that jetty, we knew she'd be
safe, but, outside, chances would be
pretty slim. And dusk was closing in.
Well, that boat was close to the
jetty, and Almost around when we
heard the motor stop. stutter, then
die.
He'll go on the jetty!" someone
shouted. We all rushed out. But
from the store to the jetty was a
good half-mile of dunes. The other
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

boys, who had just come in, were
ahead of us up the beach, but their
boots held them back. We all knew
we would be too late, because the
boat was only few yards from the
jetty then. Still we kept on, hoping
we could get there in time.
Then we heard the crash as the
boat struck, and through the flying
spray we saw the mast fall, caught
a glimpse of figure holding to one
of the wire braces that held the jetty
light, then when the wave fell back
saw another figure clutching mans
limp body in his arms.
Didn't know Tom took anyone
out with him." Beria pulled.
Slowly the two figures edged their
way in. The big fellow did most Of
the edging, though. The other one
was like a rag doll in his arms. At
each wave we expected to see them
swept off these slippery rocks. 1t
seemed year before the two got
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

so many of the good things of life
joyrides that had served as exhil-
arators to vary the humdrum of their
business careers. Edith smiled in
response to old Jerry's greeting as
his antiquated carryall-the only sta
ton hack-lumbered past the win
dow, and then continued the study of
her shoe tips and the thought of Aunt
Betsy's ridiculous legacy.
Suddenly her eyes snapped, and,
Notwithstanding she was IS years
old, she clapped her hands. "I'll do
it, and do it now," she muttered. 81
may be fool, but know I can
catch that 4:30 train from the city.
Jerry's rheumatic conveyance isn't
much of live wire, and TIL get a
passenger or two and make the price
of those shoes!,''sa ata
Fifteen minutes later Edith, in her
fouryear-old serge, with Marian s
"Tam" damned upon her head,
whirled out of the barn. II just wish
I could get man for a passenger .
she soliloquized as she sped swiftly
down the dusty road. "They never
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28
G22g1sxIE2g1g zYgS&zgIgzgQ
The Wrong Sister
GSSZS1agSsNsSXSYNTs

er the first shock is over, 1t will not
be so bad perhaps"
"Why, Bettina Gibson, what an
awful thing to say! You ought to
wear sackcloth and put ashes on your
head for a week to do penance for
that"
"Penance2 Won't / be doing PEN
ance all the, rest of my natural life
by being married to Tom Harris and
his million dollars? Some day when
I ride down an avenue in that gray
limousine lined with old rose that
Tom wants to give me just as soon
as I will say the word I will look out
to see Billy" there was an onlinous
pause, "and his wife. He will marry
some poor girl just for love. They
will be strolling along happy because
they are together" Bettina sat
down on the arm Of Phoebe's chair
and her great wistful eyes looked
into the dancing flames of the fire.
"And then, some day, there may be
somebody else besides. Billy will
push big white buggy with the
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

vet curtains together behind her.
Phoebe, dear, l can not stand this
any longer" Bettina heard Tom Har-
ris exclaiming excitedly. She
paused to listen.s 81 love you, do
you understand, and every time I
come around here somebody pushes
Bettina right into my arms. I tried
to like her, to love her, just because
your father seemed to expect it and
everybody took it for granted that
I was crazy about her. What is the
matter? / don't care who hears me
now. I have to go West on big deal
tomorrow, and / am not going alone.
You have to marry me and go with
me-" Bettina put out a hand to
steady herself
Was that soft, slightly rotund Tom
Harris, with his watery blue eyes
and quadruple chins talking in such
determined fashion. Then Phoebe's
voice sounded doubtfully in reply.
ooh, Tom, I do love you, and I
want to go with you anywhere, but
Bettina expects :"
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

ris was left pretty much alone. And
nobody envied him. In the Winter
time the village got pretty bleak and
barren. A fishing village is a clan
nish place, anyway, and when man
isn't one of them he's likely to be
pretty lonesome. Well, pretty soon
we began to notice that when he
came into the store he looked over
at our cosy corner of the Mems
Club with kind Of longing express
sion on his face. but he never said
anything, and we wouldn't risk being
snubbed like we had been when he
first came. Guess that's why we
didn't get acquainted very soon.
All this while some of the younger
boys had been going out on the
Devils Bridge getting cod. 1t was
pretty hard work, too, on those bitter
days, with the wind blowing no'east
ana kicking up nasty sea. The
spray froze on the lines, and they
were stiff and hard to handle. But
the boys had families that needed
the price those cod would bring. So
when the weather wasn't too bad
there'd be about five boats that would
go out. And many a woman would
pray that they would all come back
that evening.
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

screened from her passenger as she
gritted her teeth and wondered
vaguely if she had spoiled the mat
rimonial chances of one Of the wage
earners for the price of a pair of
shoes. For, alas, he was a widower.
Marian had pumped that fact from
the boy.
Then, as it happened, the passenger
remarked the picturesqueness of the
ivy mant1ed church. Of course,
Edith knew it's history. 1t was an
old landmark. And by the time they
reached Stoneledge, Edith had be-
come quite chummy with her man
passenger. 1t all came out that she
was a near neighbor, of course.
Yes, she got the price of the shoes,
and matrimonial prospects, too, for
in the Fall there was wedding in
the ivy mantled church. But the
bride wasn't Marian or Lois, but
Edith, in the loveliest of white gowns,
with a big hat, with fluffy white
feathers, and the groom was the own
er Of the pleasant voice and the kind
ly gray eyes.
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

gray eyes, and suddenly realized that
she must look fright with the hoy
denish cap.
The clean shaver jaws. Edith was
prepared to maintain her own in re-
gard to the fare. "But, bless you"
she afterwards confided to one of the
wage arners, che never mentioned
such a thing as fare" A few in
Quiries were made as to the distance
to Stoneledge, and when Edith was
reminded of Jerry's way of doing
business, and demanded briskly
"Any baggage to go up?"
mo, that came yesterday"
And then, as Edith heard the door
click, with loud snort of triumph
the car glided forward, swung into
the road and they were off.
II VIC 1der if he thinks he's getting
a free ride? WeII,9 L guess not"
Edith was thinking of those shoes.
She stole shy look at the owner
of the gray eyes. They were staring
at her.
He had an honest face with man
nish ugliness that appealed to her.
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

n RONEY is the greatest thing in
NV the world to me-" declared
Adrianne Mcclure emphat-
ically "That is why I am going to
marry Fuller Marston." She had
dropped in for a cup of tea with
Aunt Agatha, whose handsome old
Colonial home was the Mecca for all
the relatives in search Of good
time.
Il called in young DR.. Martin Grad
dock last week when / developed a
bad cold. He asked about you.
Promising young fellow! He is get
ting quite big general practice,
hear" Aunt Agatha looked up very
casually at the pretty girl who was
sitting on the other side of the tea
cart Dear me, you've dropped a
lump Of sugar" she cried. "Have
another!"
Adrianne could not meet the faded
blue eyes that were watching her so
intently. IT haven't seen Martin for
long time" she said quietly. II am
glad to hear that he is doing so well. .
Then, anxious to change the disturb
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28
~ aS7eaWS ~ YSy5 -

w YITH her gray slippered foot,
WV Bettina petulantly poked
the smoldering logs on the
old brass andirons until the dying
fire fiared into flame.
You will ruin those perfectly
good slippers" sighed her big sis
ter, busy at the tea cart drawn up
beside her. "Just because mother
suggested that we give up something
we really cared for during Lent is
no occasion for you to get in huff.
If there is not spirit of real self
sacrifice back of it, the deed itself is
not commendable nor worthy"
Don't talk highbrow to me, Phoe-
be dear" Bettina picked up a
sugared bun and between bites made
her cause for grievance clear to her
indulgent sister, Billy Brazelton
asked to take me to the Country
already had a date with Tom Harris.
suppose might as we'll be engaged
to Tom right away" said Bettina dis
mally, land get over with it. 1t will
be just like a cold shower bath-aft-
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

~ DITH sat looking at the tips Of
her shoes. 1t was an odd
@ habit. as her sister Lois de-
clared. Edith was generally in a
mood of momentous quandary when
she gazed at her shoe tips. In the
present instance the shoe tips COW
cred nerve and bone racked feet that
were easing up for short spell
from duties that began at a. m. and
continued until she had crumpled in
to the old rocker by the window and
gazed longingly into the outer world.
To be the homemaker for two
business women of fair and goodly
proportions, endowed with divergent
wills, desires unduly sharpened by
unattainablel ongtngs, appetites whet-
ted for goodsome edibles and an
overwhelming love Of purple and fine
linen meant work. Yes, the labors
of cook, waitress, chambermaid, mil
liner, dressmaker to the two beings
who ruled Edith's world of love and
duty.
1t had been decreed by these self
same wage earners when the last
one Of their parents was laid to rest
in the old churchyard that as Edith
was Of the marriage age she should
be relegated to the post of caretaker
for her younger and more charming
sisters. Surely, with her plain home
spun face no man would look at her
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

twice, unless by accident; and as she
was not versed in the present tech
meal methods Of earning the where
withal for living she had found her
proper place.
She sighed heavily, and then as the
imaginary flutter of bills to come
made her wonder how she was going
to pay them she had fallen a-gazing
at her unsightly shoe ends that pro-
truded from beneath her skirt. And
again she ruminated as to how she
could wedge the price of pair OF
shoes between the paid bills.
The girls could not give her their
usual allowance this month, as Ma
rian had ruled that they must have
Easter gowns. 1t was all right, of
course, but "I'd starve if that would
help or go barefooted-o only the girls
would sdueal." Edith gave an in
ward wall: ooh, if Aunt Betsy had
only left me something else besides
that ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, too, that
it was not to be sold until two years
after her death. 1t looks as if the
wise dear wanted to train my nerves
and fit me to be the burden bearer
for the family. But what a nice lit
tie nests egg it would have been for
Just such an emergency as a pair of
shoes!"
Well, the automobile has given the
two charges dependent upon her for
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

girls hand tucked under his on the
HANDLE"
"Bettina!" cried shocked Phoebe,
"do you know what you are saying"
The young girl slipped an arm
around Phoebe's neck and cuddled
her head against a soft, gray gown
that matched the slipper she had
blackened a little on the log. She
bent her own head lovingly to touch
Phoebe's. ooh, honey" she said, II
am so silly. Tom is nice and good
and eminently respectable"-sh was
quoting her father now" land capa-
BILE of supporting me in the style to
which I am accustomed. He is
fathers partner, young man Of
sterling qualities"
Hush, Bettina! You sound like a
female society editor writing up the
groom ct a wedding. Father is
merely acting for your material well
fare. A perfectly clean, nice fellow,
worth million, does not come along
every day and ask girl to marry
him. Of course, you are young and
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

~ LAKE NORRIS was queer sort
anyway. From the first the
men folks didn't seem to like
him. Perhaps it was because of his
silent ways though there were a
good many of the fishermen who
weren't over-talkative themselves.
1t was because he was an outsider
whom they didn't know anything
about, and could find out less.
In the Fall. when he put up his lit
tie shack in the lee of the dunes
near the breakwater, the women
folk we're pretty curious about him.
But he didn't notice them, not even
Corrie Luce, who handed out the
mail, and she was one of the pretty
girls. Mighty nice, too. AS Winter
came on the women got busy with
their housework and sewing, and so
with them Morris sort of faded into
the background.
He lived alone in his little house
covered with tar paper, and he used
to come over to the village every
other day to buy provisions and to
get the mail. All he'd get would be
manila envelopes. Guess it was his
stories coming back. Someone found
out he wrote for magazines.
So Tintar earna ON and still Nor
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

him. Something in her eyes drew
him steadily toward her. In them he
read infinite love, sympathetic IN
Outstanding and enduring courage,
born of one of life's few soul-stirring
moments. He caught her hands and
crushed them in his own. He took
her into his arms and held her close.
She could hear his heart pounding
under her flushed cheeks. No rust
on the hinges of that heart! They
would keep its door swinging wide
to welcome all the love they could
crowd into a single lifetime.
"I love you," she told him simply.
1--WE will work together. There is
no poverty but poverty of the heart. :"
Aunt Agatha tapped discreetly,
then came in with hopeful smile
ourving her thin lips. my dears! F"
she cried, sudden tears dimming the
faded blue eyes.
Two pairs Of arms went around
her and met in clinging embrace.
1--WE are going to have our living
room in the bungalow done in old
blue, just like this one" said Adrian
ne, bending over to kiss the CULVER
ing face of the richly poor little lady
whose eyes would never glimpse the
glory of the promised land, toward
which they had set their young faces,
although she herself had pointed the
way to Adrianpe.
The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-06-28

"The ucsky to drop downstairs to
make her a. necklace. She wants to
give nothing in return, while you,
oh, Phoebe, dear, you are so differ
emit"
Bettina giggled, thrust an old rose
handkerchief between her teeth and
stopped her ears with her slender,
pink-tipped fingers. Then when the
little cooling dove sounds had ceased
for a minute in the next room she
drew long breath, coughed direct
ly and walked to the door.
She pulled the curtains apart and,
lifting her hands high over her
head, cried: BLESS you, my chill
dren!" Then she made little rush
for a telephone book and came back
again. ut is all off for that Satur-
day night dance, Ell, brother-in -law?"
she laughed at the crimson pair be-
fore her. BIB Billy Brazelton-
what is his NUMBER"
A light came into Tom Harris wa
terry blue eyes. II forgot to tell you
the news. Billy is moving into a
swell apartment on Riverside Drive.
The old scoundrel made a big deal in
brass, sold his patent for regulating
steam to the Browne Radiator Com
pany and cleaned up a cool million
for himself What do you think
about that?"