davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
All Plants Need Light

All plants require some light. Sun,
light supplies the energy which causes
chemical reactions to take place in
side the leaves. These reactions con-
vert the raw food elements into the
food elements available to the plant,
says Nature Magazine. Therefore,
such sun-loving plants as geraniums,
roses and abutilon, when set away In
dark corner, do not thrive so well
as when placed in sunny window.
On the other hand. plants which like
mild amount of sunlight, and this
includes palms, aspidistra, ferns and
many of the vines, do not thrive il
put in sunny location.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
CHAPTER XIII

Peter, who had presented Brena's
letter to the caretaker of the Parma
lee estate and had received a few sui
len references to the fact that the
place was great bother and was said
by many persons in the village to be
house of evil influences, had been di-
rected up the long hill under an arch
way of dripping trees and stood at
last at the very gate which Parmalee
in his alcoholic fury had shaken as he
invited his imaginary prosecutors to
attack him.
The change in the weather, brought
about by the sudden turning landward
of a heavy Atlantic storm, had trans
formed midsummer into chill, wet
March. The cold, damp wind swept
across the top of the hill, tossing the
arms of the trees within the walled
Enclosure to which the gate gave en-
trance, so that these arms appeared to
be assaulting the French roof Of the
square gloomy old house, as if that
house had committed some crime.
Weeds and rank growth had sprung
up along the wall and behind the gate
in the crevices of the fiagstOnes of
the walk; each stalk, bending with the
nights rain, shed drops of water like
a weeping mOurner. Peter, having
glanced up at the windows behind
which Brena had heard the winds of
winter whine and complain and had
watched the pale moon throw dancing
shadows on the dank lawn, felt his own
skin shrink in response to the thought
of all that young girl must have suf-
fered here. He would square the ac-
count for her!
The squeak of the caretaker's key
in the rusty lock of the gate started up
a dozen crows, cawing madly as If
driven from some carrion feast. When
Peter had used Brena's key to unlock
the front door, hideous with its black
walnut carvings and its stained and
loaded glass, the odor of dust and de-
cay filled his nose as with dry and
snffocating powder. Without volition
some sound, some retreating foot
steps, some whispered voice in that
house, but none came; the place was
as still as a dry cave. In this still
ness, in the smell of the dead air,
there was the faint tremor of fear as
if fear once having taken abode in
this gloomy old residence, was not to
be eyicted as if indeed it chung when
all other personalities had gone just
as the odor of dead smoke remains
long after the living fire has grown
cold
With gesture of impatience Peter
closed the door behind him and walked
toward the foot of the long, austere
flight of black walnut stairs. He could
see from his position the gray light
coming through barred windows into
the dining room where on the table
a beautiful Chippendale, strangely out
of place in the unpleasant, high stud
ded proportions of the room-there sat
a saucer with a spoon in it as if some
ghostly presence had just that moment
arisen from a lonely bowl of phantom
cruel. The door nearer the front Of
the house, the entrance no doubt to
the library of Parmelee, was almost
closed; Peter glanced at it and as
cended the stairs.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

lean. sinewy figure, at the clearness
of his eyes, the curve at his temples,
the outdoor cleanliness of his skin.
There was a suggestion of possession
in this quick inspection of hers, a
suggestion that he was hers as much
as if she had created him. But as If,
now, she belonged to him, she did his
bidding.
When she had finished writing at
the little antique desk, she threw the
red feather of the quill pen onto the
table.
Peter had been thinking.
"Once MORE" he said.
! He took her into his arms, holding
her head close to his shoulder; he
turned her chin up with the palm OF
his hand and pressed again his lips
upon hers. He could hear the watch
in his own pocket ticking away the
seconds. He could hear her heart beat
ing slower rhythm.
"A long draught," he said at last. Il
could not go so thirsty-away."
You mustn't 60"
"Brena, dear one," he said. "There
| is only one thing to do now and that
must be done. Let's set our faces
like flint. think after all"
She knew as if by magic that which
he was going to say.
"That there is more love in going
than in staying-for both of u.s."
"Yes," said Peter touching her fore
head again. "Good-by.'
He closed the door quietly.
"Peter!" she called from behind it.
He continued down the carpeted
stairs and out into the first morning
sunlight that came tumbling down
over the chimney pots into the narrow
street.
"vanished?" he said aloud. "What
piffle! And yet"
He looked about him: the street was
empty except for one small child who
was sweeping the sidewalk with a
broom three times the youngsters own
height.
Good morning." said Peter.
"S'fine mornin'," the one in kits
said
Finest ever, son." returned Peter.
81 amt a boy; I'm girl, SIR
'Well, it's fine morning in any
case"
Peter walked on, thinking; he had a
lot of thinking to do.
1t added somewhat to his need of
thinking when he found at the steam
ship dock in Liverpool a plain en-
velope addressed to him in which was
a scrap of torn paper. Upon it in
typewriter letters and unsigned were
| the words:
"Be warned before it is too late"
Peter raised the scrap of paper to
his nose; it was pungent with an odor
of some strong chemical.
He stood thinking for a moment,
blinking at the reds and grays and
browns of the shipping in Liverpool
harbOr and the distant sky yelled with
smut and smoke of city and barred by
smokestacks and mastS.
"D-n them-whoever they are" he
said "This time they've got a fight
on their hands,"
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
Fanous Writer,s Relatipe.

Thomas Scott. the favorite brother
o. Sir Walter Scott. is buried In a
Quebec cemetery. Thomas Scott came
to Canada in 1914 as paymaster Of the
Seventeen regiment, which was even.
tually transferred from Kingston to
Quebec. Having for some time been
suspended by his superior officers, he
was confirmed in his position by Lord
Palmerston in 1917. He was such
good writer that he was supposed by
some to be the real author of the
Waverley novels. He died in 1853, and
left three daughters, Jessie, Ann and
Eliza. The eldest married Lieutenant
Colonel Huxley and the other two went
back to Scotland with their mother
Winnipeg Free Press.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
Riches Garnered From Great Chilean Desert

Chile has many thousands of square
miles Of land capable of cultivation.
yet its most valuable asset is desert
where the rainfall is seldom more
than half an inch per annum. 1t does
not grow single tree, or even a
blade of grass, except where patches
of imported soil have been laid. This
is the nitrate country, which employs
$4,000 people directly and indirectly
five times as many, and in which
something approaching $2OO.0OO.0O0 is
invested.
There are over one hundred and
seventy separate workings. each of
which is the center of busy popula-
ton. Yet every ounce of food. every
yard of clothing, every cog and shaft
of its huge machinery. every pint of
water even, has to be brought from
distance. For many miles around
the country produces nothing but
nitrate of soda.
1t Is an amazing fact that the most
valuable fertilizer of commerce comes
from region where nothing will
grow, but It Is a case of all fertilizer
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

a hurdy-gurdy that had invaded this
district of pretense and high rents,
like shabby minstrel of the poor
ground out its WORKOUT war tunes to
forbidding, boarded-up residences in
forlorn hope of largess. The night was
not one for clear thinking, but Peter,
having tied the waist string of his pa
jamas, sat down in an old leather chair
before the empty fireplace, and wiping
his forehead stared into the chimney
back.
During the voyage he had failed to
think to result of any kind, and the
reasons were two. He defined them
now readily enough: they were the in
fluence of the sea and the memory of
Brena. There had been the spell of the
seattle sea that Peter loved so well,
the personality of the sea that could
be a basin of iridescent oil in tropic
calm, an enigma of chill gray mist
enveloped soul, fury of glorious rae
ing rage, beam of strange quiet mes
sages from whining, grooming lands at
the other ends of the earth, voice
from far and unseen peoples, yielder
of mysteries belched forth from its
amethyst and beryl depths, thing
able to cover, with a superb superior
ity to the trivialties of life and death,
the last trace of all that it takes into
the confidence of its eternal peace.
The sea had invited Peter to more
musing upon his problem but 1t had
erased days with its sweep of sunlight
and its salt spray and with it's miracle
Of obliterating hours in the flow of
great eternity.
The memory of Brena, whose per-
sonality had seemed as everlasting as
that of the sea itself, had done its part.
She had appeared, but with Irritating
indistinctness, before his eyes and
seeking to feel by reaction the touch
of her lips to see again with all the
definition of reality, her dark eyes and
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
CHAPTER XII

Peter had spent eight days upon the
sea and had landed on his own soil
again before he came to the full reali-
zation that mere reasoning will not
solve battling problems such as that
upon the untangling of which he now
had so much at stake.
He had come into New York without
word to his acquaintances only Colby
Pennington of Pennington, Gould &
Goodhue, who was the son of the elder
DeWolfe's attorney, knew of Peters
return from his long absence. This
lean, Unconditional lawyer looked upon
his young client, put in hand by the
death of the elder Pennington, as he
would upon an old heirloom without
much intrinsic value. The law bust
ness did not pay much in spite of the
size of the DeWolfe estate and the
younger DeWolfe was considered by
those who are conventional, regular
and of stock patterns, as rather I'M
certain mixture of quantity and
quality.
Pennington had never expected Pc
ter to explode or disgrace himself, but
the lawyer belonged to type of cor
rect and regular life which does not
fear departures from correctness and
regularity and stock patterns of hui
man beings as much because of known
hazards as because of the unknown
hazards which those who always play
safe imagine lie in ambush behind In
dependence and originality and imagi-
nation. For instance 1t would have
disturbed the chilly Colby TO have
known that Peter was returning from
record of hard action, wounds and
decoration, without a word to his
| friends, and that instead of going to
his club, he went, like a returning
| ghost, to his old apartment where the
heat of the summer had been locked
| In and where for many months the Sc
we're portrait of the elder DeWolfe had
directed an unblinking gaze at the
door waiting for the sons return. Such
a return was not cut according to APP
proved fashion and If Pennington had
known of its nature he would have felt
a vague anxiety.
Peter knowing this merely asked.
after greeting, whether any cables
had come for him; finding that there
were none he went for a lonely dinner
and night alone in his apartment
with his trunks standing around among
the linen-covered chairs like fat, solid
men whom Peter had called in for con-
ference.
| The fact was that Peter had deter
mined to hold conference with him
self. He had opened the musty apart
ment which had been his bachelor re-
treat for several years; there had en-
tered only the unstirring, hushed air
which, as If itself exhausted by the
days heat, hung In a night haze over
the city below his high windows and
dimmed the blinking, winking lights
across the park. The muffled sound Of
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
SYNOPSIS

Out of uniform, at the end of
the World war, with the rank
of major, Peter DeWolfe, young
American of wealth and family,
is urged by an English comrade
in arms, Eversby Benham, to visit
the Benham home and meet the
Englishman's mother and sister,
and, incidentally, Brena Selcoss,
young woman about whom there
is an air of mystery. Muriel Ben
ham, ENersby's sister becomes
infatuated with Peter, but he is
interested only in the mysterious
Brena Selcoss. The feeling be-
tween Peter and Brena ripens
into love. Brena confesses that
she is married and that her hus-
band has vanished" Brena's
life story is out of the ordinary.
Her father had been forced to
leave Greece because of revolu-
tionary affiliations, and his death,
following quickly upon that of
his wife, leaves Brena penniless,
at Dallas, Texas. She secures
work, and meets Jim Hennepin.
He falls in love with her. He
urges her to meet him in ST.
Louis. Brena returns to Dallas
alone. Compton Parmalee, Hem
nepin's employer, tells Brena
Hennepin's intentions toward her
were dishonorable. Parmalee
makes Brena an offer of mar
riage. After reflection. she ac-
cepts the offer. They are mar
ried. AT the railroad station,
Immediately following the cere-
mony, Parmalee is seized with
apparently uncomfortable fear.
Brena shows her husband a scrap
of paper Hennepin had given her.
On ii is a figure which Parmalee
tells her is the "Kuk-ul-can,"
symbol of the Mayas. He APP
pears perturbed. Unable to pur-
chase a painting of Brena, by a
famous artist, Parmalee shows
irritation amounting almost to
madness. She is convinced now
that he fears recognition either
of her or himself, but can learn
nothing from him. He begins to
drink heavily. After a visit to
his lawyer, Lanfrew, Parmalee
disappears, leaving no word of
explanation. That was three years
before Peter and Brena meet.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

her red-gold hair, to hear her voice, to
sense the warmth of her 1.-THE, flexible
body, to recall the miracle by which
for the first time in his life spiritual
love, the love of companionship and
the love of woman had been all woven
into one fabric, he had realized more
than when he had been with her, the
stability of an affection that had come
upon him with a fierce, impetuous de-
scent. Peter now realized that he had
been dreaming away the days of his
journey lost in the spirit of the sea
and in the memories of the strange
girl whose future might depend upon
his success or failure in striking off
the shackles of fear. To avert the
haunting destiny, to dissipate the shad-
owing mystery that followed in her
track, dealing its fatal dark thrusts in
the dark to the men who played part
in her life had been job he had be-
gun badly.
Once more Peter reviewed the evil
dence already in his hands with the
vague hope that from it a conclusion
would suddenly stand forth, just as
one again looks through pile Of pa
pers for the twentieth time for one
paper that the senses have proclaimed
repeatedly is not there.
AS on other occasions when he
weighed the facts he was not disposed
to give weight to the idea that any
secret band, acting perhaps under oath
of vengeance or of loyalty, was exer-
cising an influence upon the life of
Brena Selcoss. Her fathers connec-
ton with the secret society revolution
aries in Greece and the political plot
tings of her maternal grandfather, the
famous Tom Vaughn, might have APP
peared TO give some color to the idea.
but Peter knew that the arm of Sc
cret band, no matter how long 1t might
how it might deliver knife thrusts at
the ends of the earth on behalf of
cause. withers quickly when its inspi-
ration is gone. 1t was not likely that
after lapse of more than half cen
fury the power of such an arm would
survive nor that 1t would extend far
away and across the years either to
protect or blast the life of a girl, who,
whatever she had since become in her
wonderful development, was, at first,
humble and forgotten and alone.
To be sure, Peter thought the last
words of her father had made refer
ence to an unnamed assurance that IL
Brena were to be menaced, protect
ing force would aid her. These, how
ever, were the words of an impractical
dreamer who having failed to provide
against all dangers to his orphaned
Daughter might naturally enough when
racing death, have voiced a vehement
faith. hoping that it would help to
make up in part for lack of works.
Peter put this evidence behind him O..
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
MonaMotor
Oils e Creases
German, Diaries

A good market IN Germany for
American Holstein dairy sires of good
production ancestry is reported
by the United States Department Of
Agriculture. There were 18,400000
cows in Germany before the war, but
only 100000 in 1874. This reduc-
ton, coincident with an increased de-
mand for dairy products, resulted in
imports of 11S,0O0,0O0 pounds of but
ter and 100000 pounds of cheese in
1924, as compared with pre-war i'm
ports of 111,0O0,000 pounds of butter
and 100000 pounds Of cheese.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
CHAPTER XI-Continued

81 want this scrap Of paper" he
said. 81 want the keys, If you've got
'em, of that house up the Hudson. l
want letter to Lanfrew, the lawyer.
1 want your permission to do anything
/ want-burn the house down, per-
haps. ] may cable you for more facts
If l want them. I'm going out now to
cable some persons on my own list,
Brena"
at is useless" she said YEARLY.
"You forget I've had nearly four years
of it-leading nowhere, explaining
nothing, dear. 1t will only cause me
new humiliation-perhaps drag my
name"
mo it won't" he said. I'm going
to do the job myself"
please" she began.
Peter smiled grimly as he held up
his hand.
"Well, I'm no detective, Brena, I'll
admit. am glad to be able to tell you
that am not master mind, or great
analyst or any other kind of red or
yellow-bound sleuth. l didn't even look
for wireless apparatus in Central park
before / joined the army. Spies and
mysteries bore me to DEATH"
He chuckled, however, as if glad
that he was alive.
I'm more or less an idler whose
time is almost all taken up in one way
or another. I'm New York bachelor
on the loose who has written little
verse and killed a few Germans, for
which / have suffered a definite nausea
afterward, as 1 would not confess to
anyone else. I'm no unraveler of tan
gied skeins. But"
She took his hand and pressed its
back against her cheek.
But" Peter repeated. But
I'm going to let some sunshine in upon
this thing if break my neck-there's
only one thing that's hard"
She asked him to tell her.
ITO leave you,' he said. Its going
to tear the roots like pulling W
grass"
Brena, arising, threw the wrap aside
and paced back and forth, as he had
paced, with her hands examining each
other as if they were strangers met
for the first time. When she stopped
her great eyes were wet and filed with
the old look of fear.
you shall not throw yourself away,
Peter" she said with breaking voice.
Nonsense"
"But you don't know, Peter!'
"AIl that you know"
'If it happened to you"
"YesT asked Peter with his lips
closing tightly over the question.
1T would no longer be fear alone,
Peter; it would be grief too great to
bearI"
He was silent: perhaps shaken for
the moment.
She ran to him, Selling his coat. his
wrists, his neck, one after the other,
as IL no strength was hers to hold him
back.
DON'T said he.
She was still.
81 shall do as / said, Brena. No
harm will come to me. None ever does.
/ shall do it alone If need be. Or we
can do it together. How's your cour-
ageg'
She looked long and searchingly into
his steady blue eyes.
What do you want me to do, Pc
teri"
81 want you to write those letters
for me- That's all / need now.
want you to go back to Beconshire and
wait till you hear"
Hear from your" she said in shak-
ing voice.
'Yes-you'1l hear from me-" he said.
"Why. my Lord, Brena, there's no dan
ger TO me- That's grotesque absurdity.
j rather wish there were danger. It's
q tcnicl Anyhow I'll give you my own
lawyers address"
She glanced once more into his
smile - then. with something of the
,.'.r proud mother, she looked
ieIc ''aed to foot of him, at his
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
Who's Educated2

Ramsay Macdonald. former British
premier, says that the most educated
man he knows is one who can't sign
his own name. He defines nm educated
man as one with certain subtle spirit
ual qualities which make him calm In
adversely. happy when alone. just In
his dealings and rational in oil the
affairs of his life"
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
Good Anstper

Bishop William Walter Webb of
Wisconsin was asked by Milwaukee
golfer the other day what he thought
Of Sunday golf.
81 think" Bishop Webb answered.
"that if the players don't need rest,
the links do"
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
Fighting Forest Fires

A new apparatus for fighting forest
fires consists of kerosene blowtorch
useful for setting back fires. says Pop
ular Science Monthly. By its use all
the firing, it is claimed. can be done
by one experienced man, thus reducing
the attendant danger to minimum.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

and no soil and no rain. In earlier
days water was so valuable that It
was saying that 1t was cheaper to
drink champagne, but now water Is
carried by pipes from far-off sources,
some OF which are 200 miles distant.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
AIady Of Distinction

Is recognized by the delicate, fascinat-
Ing influence of the perfume she uses.
A bath with Cuticura Soap and hot
water to thoroughly cleanse the pores
followed by a busting with Cuticura
Talcum powder usually means a clear,
sweet, healthy skin.-Advertiseme
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
Poe Really IN Luck

poe sold his Raven poem for So"
Lucky. l only got 81 for an ode to
an elephant"
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
Advertising WenbIey

Advertising of Wembley exposition
at London last year cost 100000 and
more than 100000 press clippings re-
garding the event were collected.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

Recent experiments indicate that
selenium compounds may prove useful
in the eradication of dandelions and
plantain from fields and lawns.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

Even perfect companion has his
dull moments.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

Much jewelry must be stolen for the
fun Of 1t. Such large quantity Is
worthless.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

A wise word to the foolish is some
times sufficient.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

An. empty purse is responsible for
some matrimonial failures.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

Women are strongest when incased
In the armor of their weakness.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

Nothing spreads so fast by example
as laziness.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
Irritating

"As great musician, what was your
handicap?" Listening to gossip while
playing sonatas"
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

We won't accept anything as art"
merely because we can't understand
it-pOetry or painting.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

The invalid realizes that he Is on the
high road to recovery when he sees the
Doctors bill.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

When the eugenists get through may
be it will be safe to give everybody
liberty.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31
His Measure of Time

"What did the minister preach
about?" about ten or twelve hours
1t seemed to me-"
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

When each player gets four of kint
it's certainly great deal.
The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-07-31

A fable is a stem-winding lie with a
moral attachment.