davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1926-05-11

Look here, you hot zizzers,
you want this punch poppy, don't
you?'' he asked, and emptied the
entire contents of the big flask
into Aunt Agony's Sheffield bowl.
Peggy Laughs at Him
At 10 o'clock, when the party
was at It's wild; hilarious height,
sylvia saw Fay and Eddie Carter
slim ont OF the back door OF the
house. AS sslle stood there in the
big. bright. empty kitchen, won
dering Where they had gone, the
door of 1t swung open and Ranny
came in.
His hair was rumpled, his tie
askew. and his face flushed with
the punch ahe had drank.
'sWhere'd they go?" he asked
roughly Fay and Eddie CarterY
They just drove away in his car!
Did Eddie ask her to go with him
or was it her brilliant idea to
sneak away?p
peggy laughed. (Which one Of
your questions do you want me
to answer first?n she asked, and
walked out of. the kitchen.
It was midnight and the party
was breaking up when Fay and
Eddie got back.
They came, driving like the
wind, down between the lamp
posts OF the street and slid to
a stop before Shirleyss house.
Fay jumped out and rushed
up the front steps and into the
living room. where Peter was
doing the Charleston as q slow
motion camera would show 1t.
Alta boy, Petey!' she cried,
cIapping her hands and laughing
sT1rilly..
She was plainly excited. Her
eyes shone green1y and there
were two spots OF genuine color
high on her cheek bones.
where's Ranny?" she whis-
pered to Peggy, who was playing
sI Wonder Where Ny Baby Is
Tonight" at the grand piano in
the farthest corner of the big
room.
Peggy shrugged her shoulders.
1t was not until then that she
noticed that Ranny had gone.
Only a moment before he had
been there, talking to Peter as
he smoked q cigarette or two,
door and looked out, his auto
mobile was gone from the place
where he had parked It.
She should Worry
Never mind. I should begin to
worry about RannyF' Fay said,
carelessly. II have other things
on my mind THAI are more Inn
portant! For instance, how, are
we going to get this mob on. OF
the house before mother and dad
come back from Greenport?" She
named the neighboring sown
where Mr.. and Mrs; Shirley had
driven to spend the day with
Fay's grandparents.
That's easy" Peggy answered
Just tell them to so! That's
what / have to do at my house
The Washington times., 1926-05-11

gagged to Ran Phelps" Peter re-
marked to Peggy with a sort OF
Disguised admiration as they
Joined the gay, noisy crowd in
the ShirIey's big. white-tiled
kitchen.
Everybody was helping with the
supper, and at the far side OF the
kitchen Eddie Carter was meas
Irring something from flask into
the punch that Fay had made.
He had q white apron tied around
his fat middle, and as he poured
the liquor he sang to Fay in his
loud and cheerful bass:
Can she make fine fruit punch?
Eyes. she can make fine fruit
punch!
That certain par-a-arty of miner
1t was quite plain to everyone
that Eddie was just as wild about
Fay as ever he had been-a little
more, perhaps.
He stopped his song abruptly
as Randall Phelps came into the
room an put on an icy stare that
was very funny. Then he turned
to the laughing group behind
him.
The Washington times., 1926-05-11
.
- -
9

You'll die for this, Lecay. Re-
member that. You'll go to the
electric chair.
Lecay laughed.
IF I'd been going to the cleo
trio chair I'd have gone long
ago." he made his cynical confess
sion, and through the physicians
mind flashed what he had over
heard while concealed in the
chest of helmets-that Lecay had
tortured and killed a youth whose
disappearance had never been
cleared up. Lecay was speaking
again, this time counting to him
self:
"The meddling Egyptians gone.
The meddling doctorH be gone.
The girl"
He was silent. He suddenly
seemed to grow tired or his
game and the weight OF the rock.
His arms grew taut and raised
straight up.
Cressyp' he whispered. His face,
as the light caught it, became the
terrible, concentrated mask Of the
deliberate murderer. A spasm OF
voluptuous cruelty and utter
power passed over 1t. A cold
sweat broke out on DR.. Cressy's
forehead. He felt in that second
the terror Of dissolution. All his
veins, bones and cells seemed to
shrink back. flatten toward the
earth, away from that dark,
heavy rock that would crack the
covering of his brain as il 1t
were an eggshell. But equal with
this was a depthless and bitter
The Washington times., 1926-05-11
THE BLUE BEETLE

tor lay, like man under the
guillCtine, a series of thoughts
flashed through his mind.
why was l such a fool as not
to realize that Lecay would Turk
in the vicinity to see what hap
pened? What a conceited ass /
am to think that /, a physician,
whose whole life has been given
to the study of medicine, could
be the equal of a man whose
whole life has been given to the
study of crime? So this is the
end of Ralph Cressy-crushed flat
by great rock in the hands OF
an assassin on an automobile road
above the moonlit sea? What
will become of Kathleen now,
helpless and in the power of this
monster?"
A despair went through him
which was greater than the men,
ace of death above him. Lecay's
voice, like the sound Of a great
cat, purred on mockingly:
mo need to look out into the
darkness, my friend. Automo-
biles almost never pass along
this road at night. Besides, I
could see their lights couple Of
miles in either direction, above
or below. That'd give me ample
time to finish this little job and
roll you over the cliff. You won't
be found until your bones are
white.
His Threat
DR.. Cressy's voice, a hoarse,
thin whisper, a roughened shred
of sound that he got from some
where, came back:
The Washington times., 1926-05-11

your" she asked lightly. The
party's across the street at Fay's
housew
Ranny nodded. YEAH know
: that" he stammered. but She
she sent me over to borrow that
big punch bowl OF your aunt's.
I'll guess she thought it'd be
easier for US to meet away from
the rest CT the cr0Wd--for the first
time, you know - b
Don't be silly, Rannyp' Peggy
broke In, and was surprised at
the sharpness of her own voice,
why should we mind meeting
each other?"
AS she @urned to go back to the
dining room for the old Sheffield
punch bowl that had belonged to
Great GRANDMOTHER Starr, she
made out Peter Wilk's tall, lean
figure swinging toward them
through the dusk.
Here comes Strong Ankle" re-
marked Ranny, who never walked
any place where he could ride.
II hear he's been stepping you
lately. Is that so?"
1t was on the tip Of Peggy's
The Washington times., 1926-05-11

naturally keen. He understood
his, situation perfectly.
Lecay undid some buttons of
the helpless mans coat, vest and
undershirt. The doctor could feel
his heavy hands tremble against
his skin as he clutched the blue
scarab. He drew it out. sus-
pended from its chain, through
the opening he had made. His
hand held it, bluely blazing, in
the circle Of light.
"At last"
DIR. Greasy heard the cultural
exclamation of exultation and tri-
umph that seemed to come from
the very depths of the others
being.
IT saw it through the hole /
made in the patched window of
that hut" he said, as If he must
torment the conquered with his
superior keenness and ability. 81
stopped my car at the next curve
and watched you go down the
cliffs. / saw you carrying the
body along to the hut through a
field glass. But it wasn't until
I looked through the hole in the
cardboard that knew it wasn't
the girl or that you were the one
who had the blue scarab"
AS Lecay stuffed the prize in
his pocket, DR.. Greasy felt a sharp
pang go through him. Why had
he broken his word to Kathleen?
Why had he allowed the blue
scarab in other hands? II he had
not done so Lecay would never
have seen it-never known he
had it.
But all futile regrets were ban.
The Washington times., 1926-05-11
What Can a Girl Do When the Man She's
to Marry Jilts Her For Her Best
Friend and Mentor?

when Aunt Agory's on 2 ram
Aunt Agony was waiting up Tor
her when Peter brought fter
home.
she was sitting up. stiff ana
straight as q ramrod, ii her chair
under the parIor lamp, with her
worn old Bible on her knees.
s'Well, you certainly spent the
Lords day in a fine way. Peggs
Starr! she observed griTly when
the girl came into the room ard
sat down opposite her.
She Jerked her gray head IN.
the direction OF the Shirley HOUSE
across the street
Her Aunt HOrrilied
II heard all the routing and
cheering and yelling going On
over there the whole blessed eve
ningi' she went on. YOU'D have
thought the place was full of
wild Comanche Indians! and
wasn't that you hammering the
piano q while ago?'
Yes, Aunt Agony, and Peggy
flushed guiltily.
And after the way I've tried
to bring you up, toog' her aunt
said with q kind Of wall. When
think Of the small fortune I've
spent, giving you music lessons
so you could play Chopin and
List and BeethOvemaI1d you re-
ward me by rafting OFF a lot Of
cheap Jazz on the holy Sabbatils
Peggy hung her head. II didn't
stop to think. she breathed. II
forgot it was Sunday.
sThe whole world, nowadays
seems to forget that it's ever sun
day.! scOlded Aunt Agony, and
picked up her Bible. Get up to
bedr'
Peggy had not reached the first
landing Of the stairs when she
called her back.
was Randall Phelps over theirs
tonight?" she asked, shortly.
yes. 2
There was 4 long silence befOre
Aunt Agony spoke again.
Peg, I'm ashamed Of you, she
said. Where is your pride?
shouldn't think you'd ever wank
to see him or Fay Shirley ever
again after the way they We
treated you; and you go Wl1ere
they are just as if nothing had
ever happened. I cant under
stand you at all.
st can't understand myself
Aunt" Peggy answered, and went
up to bed.
And yet she knew perfectly
well why she had gone to Fay.n
supper psrty that night simply
because Ranny would be there
and she would see him again, and
hear his voice.
Not only that, but to find out
IL what Fay had said about him
was true that he still had a lill-
gering feeling for herself. after
ALL
no Be Continued Tomorrow
The Washington times., 1926-05-11

features and black eyes Of La
verne Lecay. Exposed at that
unexpected moment. those fea-
lures were like a horrible mask
Of disordered and demoniac hatred.
The moment DR.. Cressy touched
the ground the other man was
upon him, his knee on his chest.
Did you think you could es-
cape SO easily, my medical
friend?"
His voice, thick with fury
and sarcasm. sounded through
the darkness just above DR..
Cressy's face
The flashlight when he fell
had rolled to the edge of the
road without swapping off, and
now, oddly enough, it lay in
a position where it's circle of
light lit up the arms and hands
him in the inky darkness of the
cliff shadow.
Terrific Blow
DIR. Cressy tried to lift those
lighted arms off him--to fight
the body behind him-but his
own arms were as weak as a
baby's. All the iron strength
had oozed out of them with that
terrific blow. Lecay saw his
feeble and futile movements and
laughed.
"Why don't you fight me,
Cressy?" he Knocked. Where's
your courage? Think of the
girl! You're fine. strong young
man
The physician tried to speak,
but his tongue was strangely
thick and unmanageable. Some
part OF his mind, on the other
hand. as If in compensation for
these motor failings, was un-
The Washington times., 1926-05-11
By Stella Wynne
Whose Stories OF Mystery and
Love Are Causing Wide
spread Comment

TRESSY walked along quickly,
~ bending down to the road,
tracing his tire-marlxs in the silver
power dust. But sharp curve
changed the direction of the road
and caused the shadow of the cliffs
above to fall blacxly and heavily
upon it, DIR. Greasy turned on
his flashlight, and, with it in one
hand, his satchel in the other,
continued along. Wild to hurry
back to Kathleen, he felt a red
fury against the person who had
stolen or removed his car. He
began to realize that it was use
less for him to be running along
a mountain road like a dog on a
scent. He could never catch up
with a moving car. He must
get with all speed to the nearest
town where he could take train
or hire an automobile to take
him back to San Geronimo. Still
there was no way of reaching
such town except to keep walk
ing.
He was going through the
massy, ink -black shadow of the
next curve, his flashlight in his
hand. when as if out of the
sky there descended On his head
a terrific blow. He thought in
the daZe of the moment a rock
had loosened from the cliff and
fallen upon him. Then his knees
weakened and he fell back
ward. AS he did so the flash
light in his hand turned up
ward. 1t caught in its circle
of light the large. weli-marked
The Washington times., 1926-05-11

ished from his mind in the menace
Of a terrible personal danger.
Looking up, the light fell on Lee.
GAYS appraised arms. Clasped In
his hands was a huge rock, a gi-
gantic, crushing thing which 1t
required all Of mis- strength to
hold.
Self preservation caused DIR.
Cressy to make q supreme effort
to recall his strength. He could
feel the vibration of the effort go
through his inert body like the
heavy vibration Of snapped rub
Der band. But his body was I'M
able to respond to the call of the
will. He lay helpless.
Lecay, sure of his power was
in no hurry. There was some
thing of the cat in the man and
he took a voIuptuous pleasure
in this slow torment.
80 you tried to fight Leverne
Lecay, my little doctOr?" he
jeered. For that you'll soon feel
something all your medicine can't
heal. "A well-smashed egg-or a
well-smaShed Skulls beyond
science to put together again!"
The young physician could feel
his gloating eyes through the
darkness. There was something
primitive and horrible in having
his head crushed like an eggshell,
yet he wished desperately that
the other would bring down the
rock and have done with 1t.
This, however, Lecay was in no
hurry to do. He was an epicure
in crime and it required a little
time to extract the full flavor
from this situation. AS the doc
The Washington times., 1926-05-11

tongue to say Why should 1t mat
ter to you who's stepping me?'ss-
but she did not.
For Peggy, who had been brought
up in the Old School by Aunt
Agony, was something more than
a Perfect Lady! She was a Good
Sport as only the modern girl
knows how to be one-and 1t was
not good sportsmanship to rub it
into Ranny that he had treated
her badly.
Seeing q Lot Of Him
So she simply said, Yes, I've
been seeing quite lot of Peter
and walked to- the edge Of the
porch to wave her hand to him.
She smiled family at Ranny over
her shoulder, and in the half
darkness those f1irt's eyes Of hers
were as unfathomable as violet
lakes.
The life of the party that night
was Fay's castoff admirer, Eddie
Carter.
she certainly had brass to ask
him here, after the way she threw
him down and got herself en-.
The Washington times., 1926-05-11
READ THIS FIRST

PEGGY STARR like rt but isn't is engaged to
RANDALL PHELPS phones her rainy afternoon
the library works and asks her to meet him to talk
matter of great importance.
him the rain for almost hour
with
best friend. FAY SHIRLEY. and wants to marry her .
greatly
AGONY brought her Aunt Agony,
who htened Agnes would like nothing better than to have
PETER bachelor nine older
than Peggy Peter who not good looking Ranny; hut
through the dark days that fol-
low her break with RannV.
with him walk with
Fay speaking with Aunt Agony and is afraid
tells Peggy that the
less Ranny, else
matter.
furthermore Ranny
for Peggy still, than he herself.
The Washington times., 1926-05-11

we looked at the gayly colored
flowers and berries which were
arranged in front Of the hut for
him.
well, who did, them" de-
manded Bobby, ready for an
argument.
Just stay around here and
We'll see," suggested my little
rabbit.
That was enough. We settled
ourselves comfortably and waited.
In few moments we heard a
great fluttering of wings above
oureFleads, and then down swooped
a company of birds. They
chirped loudly, ran in and out Of
the little hut. and in few mo-
ments several of them came out,
and what do you think they did?
The Washington times., 1926-05-11

ONE day, when we were in
" Sidney, Australia, / said to
Bobby and Bunny:
IT think while we're over here,
We might - well go up to the
great island OF New Guinea"
So We took a small boat and
when we landed in New Guinea
the very first day we were re-
paid for the effort We had made
to go there. And when / tell
you what we saw, think you
will agree with me.
We We're in the part of New
Guinea called Papua, and that
very afternoon when we arrived
and were out taking a walk just
to see what the place looked like,
we came across the most ex-
traOrdinary thing.
The Washington times., 1926-05-11
HERE'S FOXY GRANDPA'S STORY

Those little birds commenced
picking out the faded flowers
and dried-up berries, while others
replaced them with fresh ones!
We sat fascinated as we watched
these busy little creatures run
ming in and out of their house
and tending to their garden as if
their little lives depended on 1t.
1t was growing dark now, and we
left them all tucked safely away
in their cozy home where we
could hear them chirping and COO
ing to each other.
"Wonderful!" murmured Bobby
as we went on our way. Reg
ular gardeners"
That's their name explained
Bunny; they're the gardener birds
Of Papua." ~.~sr.
The Washington times., 1926-05-11
By STELLA WYNNE

this time it was the noise i
his head. TOO much noise In
Cressy's headl Too much noise
in Cressy's head! Cant stand the
racket Hands were hitting each
other across his chess. Were
they trying to get the blue
scarab? Why? 1t only renneIn-
bered death and the tomb out Of
which it came Glendenning-
Suke-perhaps
A living. struggling mas
pitched across his body. shutting
out the air, and DIR. Greasy >
youth and strength gave up the
struggle. The moonlit sea ana
the mountain tops Joined one an
other and fell in upon him, bear
ing him down into the dark
depths of inconsistencies.
CHAPTER X.
DIR. Cressy became increasingly
aware Of an unpleasant sensation.
A dim struggle went on some
where in the depths of his sub
conscious mind as to whether Il
would be less trouble to let the
unpleasant sensation go on or to
make the horrible effort Of arous-
ing himself and finding out what
it was. But the unpleasant sem
sation increased. Was he again
lying in that trunk of helmets
with sharp tops? He made sll-
preme effort and pulled himself
into wakefulness.
Go Be Continued Tomorrow
The Washington times., 1926-05-11

When we saw 1t, Bobby ex-
claimed:
Foxy Grandpa, look at this
cute little hutw
And sure enough there was a
little hut about two feet high
built Of sticks and boughs and
all the world like a little garden
in front yard.
TN bet some Papuan children
have made this" declared the
boy.
Children didn't make that
garden or build that house." an
nounced Bunny with wise look
just as neat as anything you ever
saw.
And look at the beautiful
little garden in front of it!'
shouted the boy in admiration, as
The Washington times., 1926-05-11
Highest Point in AdirOndacEs

the highest summit In Adlron-
w 5,344 feet high ana is
45 miles south by southwest
of Plattsburg.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1926-10-12

Sept. 81: G. L. Price, contractor
and owner; garage at 7 West Null.
berry avenue; cost, $50.
Sept "a: Elmer Harr. contractor,
and Helen ID. Calf. owner; bunga-
low at Wright street and Shore
! Fast railroad; cost. $3.50.
Sept "a: S. Hawkins, contractor
and Samuel Murray. owner; addi-
| ton at 1903 New road; cost, $4,000
Sept. 25: J. Conover, contractor,
and Robert Hackett, owner; addi-
ton at Dclilah avenue and Sixth
street; cost, $3.50.
Sept. %: Charles Selona. COZ
; tractor, and John Mazzo, owner;
addition at Adams avenue and New
road; cost, $1,000.
Sept. 27: Mr. Doughty, contrac-
tor, and Mrs. Elizabeth Morgan,
owner; bungalow at Delilah road;
cost, $1,000.
Sept. 80: August Schmidlin 9nd
Harold Stoncl, contractors, and III
gust Schmidlin, owner; sun par! IL
at 81 Leeds avenue; cost, $50.
Sept. 81: Winifred VanSant, con-
tractor and owner; two-story cot,
tage and garage at Ashland ave
nue.; cost, $4,000.
Sept. 81: Gordon NJ. Chase. con.
tractor, and Charles Ingersoll, own
or; alterations at N. Main street;
cost, $3.50.
Sept. 2S: l.. D'Alonzo. contractor
and owner; cement garage at %
w. Greenway avenue; cost, $50.
Sept. 80: Howard Mooress, con
tractor, and Horace Reading, own
er; construction of sun parlor at
1874 Second street; cost, $500.
Sept. %: Garnick and Hubley.
contractors and owners; bungalow
ut fremont Terrace; cost. $1,000.
Sept. 2S: G. w. Roberts, contrac-
tor and owner; garage at Willard
avenue. cost. 5000.
Sept. 30: Miller l.. Campbell, con.
tractor and owner; enclosed porah
at 1904 S. New road; cost, $50.
Sept. %: r. +. Hartley, contrac-
tor and owner; bungalow at West
Reading avenue; cost, Sd,500.
Sept. so: Anthony Loprest. con
tractor and owner, reroOtluG at
Pleasant avenue cost, 1868.
Sept. so: Harold Irwin. cOntrac-
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1926-10-12

tor and owner; addition and enclOs
ing porch at 124 f. Bayview ave
nue.; cost, $500.
Sept. so: Mahoney Construction
Co, contractors and owners; bun
galow at Shaw avenue above the
New road; cost, $500.
Sept. 30 Maboney Construction
Co, contractors and owners; bun
galOw at Shaw avenue above The
New road; cost, $500.
f. D. Johnson, contractor AID
owner. enclosing porch at S31 n
Main street; cost. 5000.
Sept 9: Parrish and Mitchell,
contractors, and Mrs. Carr, owner !;
new roof at S. Hampton court /;
cost 1920.
Sept. 8: G.. Blom, contractor, and
Mr.. Essington, owner; reroofing at
Washington avenue; cost. 1865.
Sept. 8: George w. Roberts. con-
tractor and owner; garage on The
southwest side of Willard avenue :;
cost, $500
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1926-10-12

The authorship and date of the
Book of Job are controversial mat
TORS, great many students OF
Scripture being of the opinion that
the book dates back to the patri-
archial age. making job contempt
rary with Abraham, possibly being
Jonah the Edomite, alluded to In
Genesis, tenth chapter, twenty
ninth verse. Others ascribe the
book to Moses. and still others to
Solomon. 1t is said that the ami
mails mentioned in the book would
be better known in the Assyrian
mountains than in the plains of
Palestine, while the leyiathan or
crocodile was a native of Egypt.
The spirit of the book, however,
undoubtedly is that of the Hebrew
race. combining faith, endurance
md tenacity of purpose, which are
characteristics of the race today
Washington Star.