davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-02-04
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY

e"tHERE! That ends the bust
H. ness-the efficiency part You
resign. | resign. It's all off
Now were ready to take up the
other matter Here-Where are you
going? Not much. sit right where
you are-Connle. Don't forget that
your mine 'affectionately
Constance sank back and stared at
him As she did SO. the wild look
faded from his eyes. and he smiled
al her
Nov. Connie he said. seating
himself on the desk and looking down
at her. I'm sorry If | scared you,
but it had to be done. I'm not crazy;
I've just become sane. I've chopped
six years of efficiency out of my life
and I'm beginning all over again"
She was simultaneously relieved
and alarmed.
Last night" said ii. Hodge, you
turned the lights out on me. l don t
blame you. | was still an efficiency
engineer. I'm just plain Henry now
and as such I'm entitled to a hearing.
| love you
Constance watched him curiOusly
He was utterly unlike the efficiency
man. Somehow. his dark eyes had
changed. They were ardent. They
carried an appeal that even his voice
lacked.
yes. Connie. love you. OF course
| had TO Everybody has to. | sup
pose that's one OF tho things I'll have
10 put up with after we're married.
She gaspcd and turned pink.
Certainly. after we're married.
Were going to be. you know Nc:
you mustn't run. dear You must
listen a minute or two / love you.
That's three times I've said it; II
proves I've cast 9ccondtny TO The
winds Doesn't il? I'll never eeono-
mIzc again. especially on that. |
love you'll love you.
And Constance. for all her how'll
derment. could SEQ that II. Hedge
meant it.
You sec. he went on. lit explains
lots of things. 1t explains why |
ordered one young man after another
out OF the house. was afraid one of
them would really get you. | don't
suppose | was giving them sport
ing chance But how could |?
just had to have you. Connie. You
don't mind my saying Connic. do
you9.'
She made no reply being a trifie
uncertain
Now. as 10 the other part of II,
h. said ! moan The part about you
fooilng rne and making me believe
that you really liked all that eff
cjency stun lou did fool me. of
course But before you got through
you fooled Yourself Connie
Constance was Watching him
sharply
D;dn you fool YOURSELF"
Iiow1 she asked unwarlly
by pretending that I was your
enemy and that You hated me-. and
then winding up by loving me
I-why-
Her face famed again
How dare vnn say ! love you?"
because I'm sure OF it," he an
s. . haprls
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-02-04

noon II completely overcast Tneir
home life after they had returned.
Andres mother was 4 frequent Wis
itor. casting up the household bud
get and finding il excessive urging
retrenchnent and saving. warning
her son thar he would land in the
poorhouse She was shocked be.
y0nd words when she found that
Antoinette laid q fresh ,thite table
cloth for each meal
"But II Is scandaloue. she
whined 10 her son. "TAinl; Of the
Laundry bill. White linen SOILS so
Aqgickly. We have always used red
Aablecloths 1nd napkins at home.
They last long time without
washing"
She was stunned when she dis
covered that her lavish" gifr Of
antique" fafuirure had been con
signed b. Anioiuetle 10 The attic
ana that the home was tastefully
furnished with new and expensive
equipment Tire discovery led to
Il bitter quarrel between The uom-
en-. one u The first ot many Ia fol
low
Mme Lefvbsre was mel appeased
when Antoinetrp explained tiat she
could uoI have used The worth
less junk her motberl IA law had
given her without making herself
and her husband The laughing
stock OF their set She was nos
appeaseG when The young woman
explained that she was spending
largely ont Of her own pocket. that
her people We're well-to-d0. and
thar she had been brought up to
live according TO her ample means
Nine. l-efebyre emerged from
each of these quarrels With The
conviction that her son had mar
ried into a family Of spendthrifts
and MASTERS and ghat his wife
would lead him Inevitably 10 his
ruin. Yet il was brought ont at
the trial that the wealthy Young
couples total expenditures did not
reach $4,000 wear
Her Hatred Grows.
In the heart of Mime. Lefebyre
there gathered a consuming hatred
for her daagher-inlaW ana for the
whole Mule family which was
soon to come 10 a head. Ii was
hatred which. grew as she realized
that she was alone IN her desper-
ate struggle 10 save the Lefebyre
fortune. Her aged husband. seY-
enty-siX and. long retired from bust
ness, WAS IA mere, pale. carbon {
copy of herself. echeing her pro-
tests and resentments hut helpless
and relying entirely on his wife TO
fight the menace 10 their wealth.
He had been cowed TOO. long by
this dominant woman TO show ans
fight now lie was iusI a whining
cid man
Her son, Andre war hero
many times decorated. was a spine
less creature in her presence. his !
will broken from infancy 10 re !
spond 20 her Imperial Will
Then one day Andre I.efebvre !
announced 10 his mother ihat AN /
heir was expected II was The !
spark thar kindIed Mime lefeb
ere's hatred "a a consuming flame 4
This alien woman. who was bring /
ing her son to ruin. who was vast 1
ing Instead Of building a fortune, !
was about 10 bring into .the world (
another Mule another waster
From that moment Nine Lefeb
gre was almost our Of her mind |
with hatred and anxiety This
heir. she realized, was destined 10
inherit the Lefebyre fortune. This
young stranger would come into
the millions which she and her hus
band had acquired with such diff
CITY and which She had guarded |
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-02-04

finally consented 10 the marriage,
however, when. after much bag
Cling on her part. Antoinette's
dowry of 10000 francs was ad-
vanced To 100000 francs. Even at
that considerable figure. she re
manned convinced that her son was
throwing himself away.
Shortly before the wedding.
andre announced TO his mother
that he was 10 leave on short
honeymoon after the ceremony.
Nine Lefebyre threw up her arms
in horror ioneymoons were
waste aad a needles expense. she
told him. Who had put such non
sense in his head: Probably that
awful girl. who already was filling
his head with eXtravagant notions.
The Iefebvres never threw good
money away on such silly things.
He would find it a bore. anyway.
and he'd only he uncomfortable On
the trains.
However. Andre insisted that 1t
was only decent for people in their
position to have a honeymoon and,
on the following day. he went 10 a
travel bureau and arranged for the
"trip. II was perhaps the first time
in his life that the Young man,
thoroughly under his mothers
thumb had ever asserted himself.
and Nine. l.efebyre sensed thar
This alien woman was not only
leading her son to extravaganza.
but was threatening her own au-
lhOrity. The resentment she nur-
lured increased.
She YIELDED 10 her sons wishes.
but when she learned thar lie had
procured first class tickets Tor
Ills travels. she Immediately re-
paired 10 the tourist bureau and
had them changed 10 second class.
It did nor appear at all grotesque
10 her that young couple repre-
senting two of the most suhstan-
tlal families I'm northern France
should travel second class on their
honeymoon
The newlyweds had been gone
only four or i've days when Nine.
Lefebvrc wrote Ia her son that
IL was time he WAS home and that
III was foolish 10 stay away SO long
merely To please the wishes of n
frivolous young woman His an
swer was q picture postcard. Flu
rious al 1his onense 10 her author
ity and suspecling lle influence OF
The bride she wrote again. order
ing her son home at once.
You seem 10 think you are roll
ing in gold II your wife won't
come with YOU come home alone"
And this in The second week
Of the honeymoon
Madame Grows Panicky.
BY now Mime. Lefebyre was
growing decidedly panicky. Not
oHly was she lneensed that cher
son had married "waSteful and
woman. but she be-
gan 10 entertain fears for the Sc
curity of their own possessions. the
Lefebyre fortune, monument To
her greed. franc by franc over
period OF half century
When her son had married,
"though IL was beneath him, she
saw the beginning of a new for
tune which by saving and self-de-
NAL. would swell HE I.efebvre her
itage to even more impressive
And here he was tray
cling. spending freely. rolling In
gold" and perhaps destined soon
TO make demands upon her to
maintain the swift and destructive
pace his spendthrift wife was set
ting
If the shadow of Nine Lefebvre
the young couples honey.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-02-04

NEXT CHAPTERs Planning an
Inefficient celebration.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-02-04

( he saw made hiE bring tie car
20 a quick halt. His wife, immo-
bile lay back in her seat. a thin
stream Of crimson rricling down
her cheek from Il wound in her
temple. His mother. spent, her
hands paralyzed in her lap, one of
them holding "a revolver regarded
him silently The Young man
could only aSl; his agonized qres-
-iion with his eyes
Il have killed her." the. mother
said quietly.
Without Il further word Andre
Lefebyre swung the car around and
dashed madly toward The city and
hospital y
Sons Conduct Shows Motive.
Arrived al the hospital, The
Young woman was at once hurried
to the operating room. bnt it was
too late. She was dead. Nine o.
febvre, making 40 effort 10 shield
herself, was arrested and her son.
his wife dead aud his mother a
prisoner. stopped long enough at
the hospital 10 claim his Wife's
purse. examine its contents to see
that they were Intact. and inquire
whether the ring she wore when
she left home was still on her
finger.
Questioned again later in the
day, Nine. Lefebvre declared She
had Killed her daughter-in-law be-
cause she was driving her son to
ruin" In reporting the tragedy the
following morning the French
newspapers described il as a crime
of mother love. another "crime pas
sionel."
As usual the crime was tried in
the French press long before ii
came to the courts and presently.
though still recognized Il crime of
passion, The newspapers became
aware that they were dealing with
something more than mothers
love for her son, a passion just as
Did, but in Mime. Lefebvre over
any feeling She had Tor
ler offspring.
The star reporters assigned 10
he case got their first cue 10 the
cal motive for the crime in
Andre Lefebsre's conduct Ut the
hospital. when he showed such con
'ern about his dead Wlfe's purse
md her jewels Their Inquiry look
| definite direction when il was
.stimated that the entire outfit Of
lothing worn by the millionaire nj
he time OF her arrest could not
nave exceeded in cost more Ean
10.
And when Ii was learned that
he young couple had been quite
lappy aud altogether devoted to
ach other. and thar. if anything,
hey had been living beneath their
means, Nine. Lefebyre's bitter
barge that AntoineJJe Mule was
driving her son 10 ruin" spe-
ideally revealed HE nature of The
.assion which had driven her to
ommit murder
Bit by Bit. in the press and legal
and during the trial.
here emerged the portrait Of an
mazing creature, a female Harpa-
on, such Il monster of greed as
either Moliere nor Bal2ac would
ave dared TO portray lest they
AK too heavily HE credence Of
heir pubics.
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-02-04
BEGIN HERE TO-DAY

JOHN w. BROOKE. widOwer
and hardware 8iagnate. ar
ranges with II firm of efficiency
engineers to operate his home
while he is away for two
months. His three grown chill
drcn, Constance, Billy and Al
zee, combine to fight
III. HEDGE, efficiency expert,
assigned 10 take charge. They
fight "a losing light until Con-
stance decides to turn spy and
becomes Hedges secretary. she
finds notes ON IL book which
Hedge Intends TO write. refer
ring TO the Brooke children as
examples of the idle rich. She
dcnounces Hedge and throws
his notes into the open fireplace.
Hedge acts as ii uementcd for
the next few minutes. lie
throws All the flies into the open
6repIace. Then he orders Con-
stance TO write two letters: One
tenders his resignation 10 the
Economy and Efficiency Corp.
and the other her own resigna-
zion 10 him. He insists siic sign
her letter "affec {iOnatPfyo
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-02-04
Beauty and Good

Indeed. the beautiful is insepara-
bly, united to the good and the true.
for the very nature OF the
sense OF beauty is such that
through 1t we gain clearer con-
cept OF the other TWO values. Tha
history of the race has shown that
at the height OF materlalistic sue-
cess. the desire for artistic enjoy
lnent has been a potent factor "a
bringing a people back To the high
er ideals which underlie q peaceful
Intercourse between nations Her
bert Sidney Langheld. Ia THE Aes-
thetie Attitude
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-02-04
A Love Match.

The marriage of Andre Lefebvre
and Anloinette Mule was, 10 all
appearances. a love match. bur
Nine. Lefebvre made ii plain TO
her son that she considered II a
mesalliance, because the Mule for
tune. though considerable. was not
quite equal to their OVID, She
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-02-04

Fools and children tell the
truth but the good die Young
The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1927-02-04

The fellow who can feather his
Dwn nest is a bird.
Evening star., 1927-10-24
Hats in Elevators.

The perennial argument on whether
or not a man should take his hat off
in the presence Of women in an
elevator has bobbed up again. And,
strange as 1t may seem, South
Carolina, one of the bulwarks of
chivalry and gallantry to the feminine
sex, has started 1t. A neat sign
framed behind glass in elevators Of
the Carolina Life Insurance Building
in Columbia politely requests, Gen
tlemen, for the good of the service,
keep your hats on"
Ever since the elevator was invent
ed 1t has been customary for men to
remove their hats when woman pas
sengers were in the cars, but from
the beginning there have always been
those who pointed out the incongruity
Of the habit, inasmuch as hats are not
removed in street cars. railway trains
or other public carriers. The discus
sion has waxed fast and furious. 1t
has never been carried to a conclusion,
however, because there seems to be
an overwhelming majority in every
community which insists, rules or no
rules, on removing their hats in
elevators.
1t Is the same in the experiment in
South Carolina. Ninety per cent Of
the men are reported to disregard
entirely the neat little signs and gal.
lantly remove their hats whenever a
woman steps aboard. OF course, from
practical standpoint, and from that
Of fast service, hats should not be
removed because when held in the
hand they take up space that could
we'll be used by other passengers.
But the fact that 1t is both practical
and convenient does not outweigh the
average mans conception of courtesy,
and hats will continue to be removed,
as Of yore. when femininity graces
the lift with its presence.
Evening star., 1927-10-24
A Lesson in Paint.

The school authorities are to be con-
graduated upon the appearance of the
Western High School as the result of
painting operations carried out during
the Summer.
This historic building, an instance
of the classic in school architecture,
all the more precious because it per-
haps never will be duplicated, once
more takes its place as a most dis.
tinctive secondary school edifice.
AS it stands today, the Western
plant, including the annex, is a living
picture and example of what paint
will do. Whereas last Spring this
building presented an ugly, rundown
appearance, the opening of this term
sees it shining with new glory.
Its walls have been painted a soft
cream, and its towering pillars, some
what reminiscent of Monticello, pure
white, with the result that the build
ing. in its setting of lawn and trees,
becomes an attractive adjunct to
Georgetown.
Set as 1t is in residential section
fast developing to the westward, the
school has a palmer duty in this re.
spect than some others, yet for many
months 1t stood bare and bleak, sadly
in need Of paint, and in yard but
nartlv c0vered with rreen
Sowing of seed in quantities last
Summer has resulted in a good car.
pet Of grass. exactly the background
which this particular type of building
needs to set off it's beauty.
1t is hoped that the repainted West.
ern will tend to point out the plain
truth to all who pass, that paint will
do more good on wood than on skin.
Evening star., 1927-10-24

Whatever may be the extent of the
reduction of the income tax burden as
a result of this Winters legislative ac-
ton by Congress, 1t Is fairly certain
that a material gain will be effected
in favor of simplicity and certainty in
the making of returns to the Govern
ment. Today the joint tax committee
meets for the purpose of considering
ways and means of lessening the COM
pIexity that has from the beginning of
the present income tax system afflict-
ed the public and caused confusion
and misunderstanding regarding the
purpose and effect of the law.
A new draft of the income tax law
has been prepared. to serve as the
basis of the joint committees action,
which it is believed will straighten out
some of the complexities Of report and
statement and will enable the average
man or woman to compute the
amount of the tax due the Govern.
ment without the assistance of expert
accountants and advisers. AS the case
now stands 1t is seldom that the tax.
payer ventures upon his own calcula.
ton. The form which the Govern
ment furnishes. with its cross refer.
euoes and subtle calculations. turns
the taxpayer cold with the apprehen.
Evening star., 1927-10-24

are harming both their psychic and
physical beings.
Gingerbread, famed Of our grand.
mothers. occupies a niche Of it's own
in the heart of every man who has
not forgotten his youth.
How sad, then-how utterly woeful
it is--to dive tooth first into a peanut
when one expects nothing but ginger
bread.
There can scarcely be enough con-
demnation for the misguided wretch
who evolved the brilliant idea of put
ting peanuts in gingerbread. Why
stop with peanuts?
Pieces Of apple, neatly concealed
within the body polite Of the cake.
ought to startle any patron into
sundry growls and muffied curses.
| Perhaps slices of fried tomato
deftly placed in the corner stone of
the chefs latest edifice, together
with copy of several newspapers
and the Bible. might guarantee the
most staid gingerbread muncher q
pleasant night.
~ *
Once the cook goes on a rampage
| with peanuts, there is no telling when
the thing may stop.
Peanuts carelessly thrown into the
to the favorite brew of the United
| States.
Do they float?
| We do not know.
| Our impression is that peanuts not
| only float, but that they are capable
swimmers, and some day may aspire
| to cross the Channel, for all one
knows.
Whether they move of their own
| vOltion or require the backing OF
| high-powered motors, peanuts added
to ice cream no doubt would startle
the patrons of ice cream parlors the
| country over.
Let us not stop with gingerbread.
| Peanuts have as much right in pump
kin pie as in gingerbread, The sea
son Of punkin pie Is at hand, when
these magic circles of melting good
ness come into their own again.
| Desecrate punkin pie, you
wretch, il you dare!
We can stand peanuts In our gin
| gerbread, once in while. Maybe
| there are sections of the country
where this is common practice, al
though we hate to think 1t.
| But when a man steps forward with
the bold proposition to flood the pun
kin pies OF this Nation with peanuts,
! then we come forward, like Ajax de-
! flying the lightning, and bid him halt.
| Des;st!
In the name of all the good mothers
who bake punkin pies. put not a
solitary peanut into single pie.
Chef, spare this pie!
! Put peanuts into gingerbread, If you
must, or even into doughnuts, If you
| have a complex in tnat direction. For
the sake of the young generation,
however, spare the beloved punkin
pie.
This was the pie of our childhood,
our young manhood, our slightly-gray-
| ing-at.the temples manhood. We want
it 100 per cent pumpkin, or not very
much spice or squash. anyway.
Shall peanuts invade the rights
of the punkin pie of our IA
thers? God forbid. Let this pie be ga.
! cred to American childhood. to Amer.
| lean manhood, to American woman
hood! Let our motto be, millions of
peanuts for the monkeys, but not
one in punkin pie"'
Evening star., 1927-10-24

reflect criticism Of American life and
manners Is carried through, 1t will be
necessary to eliminate, by the bonfire
method. some of the classics OF mod
ern British prose and verse. Certain
of the works of Charles Dickens would
have to be elided from the collection.
Some Of Rudyard Kiplings most
vigorous and characteristic writings
would go.
In view Of the generous gift Of
Britishers to the Chicago Library in
the hour Of desolation, the firing of
these volumes would be churlish act
Of ingratitude and a ridiculous perver-
sion of judgment. The whole affair, in
truth, is silly. Mayor Thompson be-
comes the laughing stock of the coun-
try in his role of self-appointed guard
ian of the historical perspective and
literary critic. 1t is to be hoped that
common sense will go to his rescue
from a preposterous position. even if
the law does not suffice to prevent a
spectacle that will shame the Ameri-
can people.
Evening star., 1927-10-24
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Who, except restaurant cook,
would think of putting peanuts in
gingerbread?
Seated the other day at a table, we
fondly crunched into an appetizing-
looking slab OF this old-time favorite
delicacy, to find an utterly unsus-
pected and unnecessarily large num-
ber of peanuts reposing beneath the
crust,
At the same time our roaming eyes
happened to see an advertisement OF
a magazine article, why / Don't
Want to Live to Grow Old" or some
thing along that line.
Physically and mentally, our cup
overfiowed with indignation.
Why on earth would any one want
to put peanuts--of all nuts-ip ginger
bread? And why should any one want
to die before they got old?
AS for us, we want to live to be as
old as possible, the older the better, be-
cause we hope that by the time we
are $50 years of age we will know
better than to eat at places that put
peanuts in gingerbread. or read mag
aznes with such silly articles in
them.
By the time we are IT'S years old
we hope to be able to forget utterly
about the crude young men who re-
fuse to be interested in us when we
enter a store with the price of some
article in our hand. and n large and
evident craving in our mind to pur-
chase the aforementioned article,
whether it be necktie, radio or what
not.
BY the time we reach the good old
age of 200 years We may have come
to the point when many things that
now offend us in persons and things
will appear as nothing, or next to
nothing. which may or may not be the
same thing.
At our present infant age-in com
parison to that 200 years-our mind
literally seethes with indignation upon
our body discovering peanuts in the
gingerbread.
DDS bodikins. or words to that ef.
feet. isn't gingerbread good enough
without doping it with COOLERS?
To go crashing into a fat peanut
gives one a gustatory start. as 1t
were-a shock to the delicate merchan-
ism by which we sustain our being.
First OF all, let it be known that
IldHy Oh us COnSlQef eating a. null
sance, at best. Willingly we would
abolish the custom. Think OF the
time and money which would he
saved.
OF course. eating has certain good
points. The taste, as 1t goes down,
is something, and the solid nourish-
ment cannot be discredited.
Since Nature seems to find so much
foodstuff necessary to the mainte.
nance Of life. one would not BADLY
call her fool and attempt to set her
right in the matter.
Perhaps, in another world
But in this one let us eat and he as
| merry as we may because there is no
| escaping the plain call Of the system
for grub.
Also, there Is certain amount OF
social contact which one secures In
eating that Is not to be sneeZed at
This is the reason why a man should
eat slowly and take his time about it.
Talk ought to occupy line on the
bill Of fare. as we'll as being in actual
evidence at a meal. Solitary feeders