davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-29
LOVE

He was staring at the empty
fireplace. rubbing his hands as
il they were cold.
Il had an idea we'd get here
before they did. Thought it would
be rather nice, IL we did get here
first. and perhaps have dinner
by ourselves"
1T is NICE" she said warmly.
It'll be lots of fun, Doesn't the
place look lived in already? When
the fire burns a little brighter it
will be perfect. and I'll find a
bowl for our peoples. But we
won't have anything to eat until
they do get here-there isn't even
a can of sardines in the pantry
just pepper and salt and flour"
'Oh have some of the supplies
in the back of the car--I'il get
them"
He came back with a hamper,
all out of breath from carrying 1t
up the steep stone steps.
Joan rose from the fireplace,
where she had been coaxing the
big logs with twigs and rolled
newspapers. Her face was anxi-
Gus. 1T would be fun and all
that to go on and get something
to eat-I am starving-but
wouldn't they think it WAS queer"
"No--most natural thing In the
world. Well get dinner for them
when they get here. Five o'clock
lis that too early to eat?'
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-29

hundred miles-and it isn't your
first party
loan began to laugh then,
hrokenIy. $50 that's the idea,
she said. between gasps of uSly,
choking laughing. I'm used to
This sort of thing, because--be-
cause I loved a boy. A long time
ago. It's so FUNNY cant help
laughing. But shouldn't tnink
you'd want me--f you reel thal
way about It.. You ought 70 De
ashamed of yourself-k kissing
girl like me. You really snoulo.
What would people say! her
words ended in a shrek of high
pitched hysterical laughter that
suddenly changed into sobs, tear.
ing, devastating sohs that shook
her slight body pitifuliy.
There's nothing to cry about,
he said doggedly.
Nothing to cry about-Wnen
the man you are going to marry
acts like a cheap villain out OF
play-Oh, Curtis! Curtis|
could hear her sobbingf
breath. her piteous, gulping soos.
She was so small and white ana
broken. He couldn't stand tt
Don't" he cried, and tried to
take her into his arms, to reason
with her, to make her see
But Joan was past reason, past
comforting now. She only knew
that he was embracing her again
that she couldn't talk him out of
it. With a strength that equailed
his for the moment she fought
against him, broke from his arms,
and san, still sobbing, out of the
door, down the steep steps into
the dark.
Watt! he cried. 'rWait--Joanr'
She could hear him plunging af-
ter her. Rocks and clods of dirt
dislodged by his feet came rolling
down ON her. She stumbled on,
half running, half sliding down
the narrow trail. The wet
branches of the pine whipped her
face, the thick underground i'm
peded the way. A tree struck
her and she sobbed because he
was gaining. She could hear his
painting breath above the steady
patter of the rain, and the whim-
pering of the wind in the trees.
And suddenly she saw the
highway below. With a last des-
perate effort she tore through
the brush. and slipped. bruised
but uninjured down the muddy
bank to the road. For the frac'
ton of a minute she paused
which way to go-which way?
"Joan-damn you--stop." He
was right behind her. She could
not get away.
Faster her feet flew, faster and
faster. 1t was easy going, just
a little longer he'd have to
stop soon, his breath must be al
most gone too = just a little
longer and she'd be safe
safe ."
She might have got away. Cur
It's was really losing ground, but
the chuck hole near a big pine
was her undoing. Her foot
caught in it, she fell heavily,
with a faint. despairing cry on
her lips. Before she could get
to her feet again his arms had
closed about her. All her strength
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-29

of his words, close to her ear.
Heard them stupidity at first, then
with dawning realization OF what
he meant, what he was saying,
why he had brought her here.
But surely Curtis--Curtis, whom
she was going to marry In Few
weeks-he couldn't mean the
was light.headed. 1t was some
CHASTITY kind of joke
With a convulsive movement
she wrenched herself free from
his arms, turned so that she could
look up into his face.
And then she knew. All the
months of sweetness and consider.
alton, all the fuss and pomp OF
their formal engagement. eVe"y-
thing crumbled and gone - into
this
Her lips twitched, she couldn't
find any words to say, the floor
seemed to be sinking under her
feet, She hid her face on his arm,
to hide its twisting, naked shame.
So this was what she meant TO
Curtis this was all she could
mean to anyone who kneW--about
Bill. All the struggle to work up,
to make place for herself in the
world. All the patient nights OF
study ALI the days of work In
Francine's shop--everythlng-gone~
nothing left.
II might have known" she said
finally, in a small, strangled voice.
"I couldn't have expected - any
thing different"
she never knew how long she
stood in the dim. smoky kitchen
of the cabin, clinging to him to
keep from falling. Clinging to him
as she would to a post or chair
or tree After a long time the
roaring in her ears lessened, she
began to hear his voice again,
his murmured endearments, To be
conscious of his caresses, his slow,
impa ssioned kisses. With a little
shuddering cry of disgust she
pushed him from her. Don't
touch NEEDN'T ever touch me
again"
Even when he lunged toward
her, his face distorted with anger
and outraged pride she wasn't
afraid. Don't" she said sharply
Don't touch me, Curtis"
so that's it. Never loved me,
eh? Just out for a fat meal
ticket-that was it. Circus we'd
ding, place in the world
And when that isn't in sight it's
Don't touch me, Curtis!---- On,
what a fool I've been
We'll, that's over. I'm through
with your cute, coy ways. They
won't get you anything. Do you
understand? You're here now
you're going to stay. Put down
that coat-put it down.
They faced each other, hatred
in their eyes. Her hand frightened
on the big, plaid coat. Going to
keep me here against my will
is that it? Go on-tell me--we
may as well get it straight
~ didn't say that" He licked
his lips. THAT is / hope it won't
be necessary, You're hardly fool
enough to try to walk home from
the party when it's matter of a
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-29

tached giimpses OF his past life
dull, uninteresting bits. As a kid
he saw himself swarming in the
tenement district--the education
oE the pavement had been crude
and vulgar. He had lived In q
cheap apartment after his father
and mother were dead basement
pool rooms and sultry Sundays at
Coney Island
It was funny thing the way
he had gone around with hard
guys but had never done the
things that got fellow in wrong
with the cops. Nobody had ever
told him to lay Off the crooked
ways. 1t just had happened that
ne had slipped through the meshes
Of temptation. Dlnly, he renem-
bered something In q book about
honesty being the best policy, but
he had even forgotten what the
book was. or where he had seen It.
Funny. too. that guys like
Louie The Limp. and Make and
the Shadow had always liked him
and treated him right. They were
always accusing him Of having
brains. Even the Big Guy had
never been surly to him. The
chance to get In right with the
mob had dawned, without effort.
1T was just case OF getting
good break--and now, suddenly,
when everything was jake. some
thing in his breast had crumpled
and turned to ashes.
Tonight he was elected to- so
out on his first job and he was
ashamed to find, inexplicably, that
he was trembling all over. he
felt like b coward, yet he knew ne
was not q coward; he had as
much nerve an any of 'em. But
there was something wrong with
him. Somebody looked out
window
"The Big Guys got here
there's his car now
The Big Guy himself came up
and, the door behind him was
shut tight with locks, bolts and
guard chain. The Big Guy was
tall and broad, and his face, puffy
as lii was, had an eagle look.
Between his brows there was
perpetual scowl.
His ewes fixed themselves on
Eddie and he jerked his head
toward the bedroom door. To-
gether they went into seclusion.
you're taking orders tonight
from Mike the Big Guy said,
hr1tallv direct. You'll have four
GOOD men with you and all you've
got ia do Is to perform according
to orders. If anything goes
wronq--but ii won't--keep your
mouth shut and I'll look after
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-29

course. It was nice. Let's go and
sit by the fire.
She jumped up and he followed,
studying her averted face. her
beautiful, clean.cut profile.
"It has grown so dark" she
said. tinidly. Aren't you afraid"
"Of the dark"
"Of the roads-you said they
were dangerous after dark
"Oh-the roads. Oh, they'll be
all right. Don't worry" He
smiled and pulled her onto his
lap. You sit there like a good
child, and leave the worrying to
me
The logs blazed, the shaded
lamps glowed warmly in the big
rustic room. The smoke from his
cigar rose comfortably in the
pleasant, cedar scented air. lie
began TO relax, to rest at ease.
Joan sat tense and quiet, lis
tening I" listening
ITS so late" she cried sud
denly, breaking the long silence.
I'm afraid think we ought to
go back and look for them. They
may have missed the road"
'Nonsense-they're all right.
Don't worry about them"
But / think" She strug-
gled to free herself from his en-
circling arm.
The arm frightened about her
like, a vice.
He could feel her heart beating
frantically, fast as a frightened
birds. Don't be so panicky," he
smiled, but his lips were stiff and
dry. She made him so nervous,
with her white, pitiful face. Why
couldn't she be sensible? Shed
spoil everything yet.
IL can't help it. It's late. I'm
afraid something has happened
There was landslide back
on the road
lie was suddenly tired of pre-,
tending. "You know they aren't
on the road" he said shortly.
She had stopped struggling. lie
felt her, cold and rigid, in his
grasp. "They--aren't on the road?
Mrs. Barstow isn't coming?'
you know she isn't"
oh
~ Just said that, just a little
story TO get you to come. / had
to say something, you're such
funny little thing--aren't you?
Aren't I?' She stared at him
with wide, uncomprehending eyes.
Because l wouldn't have come
without them? Is that funny? l
don't think it is. l don't under
stand you, Curtis-why, this is an
insane thing to do! We can't stay
here, that's all. Wen have to go
right away. / don't know what
you were thinking Of"
I'VE aren't going to leave.
We're going to stay-that's flat"
But we can't--why, it's impos-
sible. I'm going back. You can
do as You like" She ran into the
kitchen and snatched her hat and
coat from the table.
He followed. slipped his arms
around her. Don't be angry
Johnnie! Drop that coat--listen to
me, Joan"' She heard the murmer
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-29

time, but it was Bernice who had
fixed it up for him to join,
It gave Eddie thrill even to
think about Bernice. She had gilt
ter. Anytime he was near her,
fierce beating waves of energy
ran through him. Everything
about her was charged with a cur
rent that gave him a kind of dir
illness at the slightest contact.
She wasn't easy. either she was
practically impossible to win.
There had been only one sweet
heart in her life and she had been
true to him. But that was all Off
now-the poor guy was doing 20
years in Sing Sing.
And Eddie was the first, the only
one she had given a tumble to.
He was all unstrung.
Over in d corner he found a va
cant chair; dropping down he lit a
cigarette and looked at Bernice
who was drifting about casually
from one group to another. She
moved with the grace of leopard;
there was a sway about her hips
and shoulders that no other girl
on earth had. Her flesh was the
smoothest, the softest. the firmest
on earth. He could feel his pulse
beating as he felt her wicked ten
derness when her lustrous eyes
were upon him. All else was daz-
,zled out of his vision.
She was his for the taking. A
rich. purple plum hanging ripe on
the bough. All he had to do was
to join up with the mob. Tonight
was the night. Up in the East
Thirties was loft building
crammed with bolts of silk. A
mere matter OF smuggling watch
man, of hastily loading two trucks
and maybe shooting 1t out. IL the
worst came, with a couple of cops.
NAll at once Eddie Regan was
overcome with violent spiritual
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-29
CHAPTER TWO
At first Eddie feared that he was

''N.no but ] think we ought to
wait until for them
"well-all right" He sank into
an arm chair near the fire and
watched her while she explored
the hamper.
Chops and bacon. and toma-
toes-salad and coffee and ham
and eggs and everything not
enough for six. Curtis. Why
there are only four chops
Only four? That's funny-Oh
we'll. theyIl have more stuff"
Yes. / know-but it's such a
funny way to fix it" Her clear
eyes searched his. Unless you
knew they wouldn't be here until
after dinner"
Well had pretty good
idea "But you told me-"
Don't cross-examine me--fOr
heavens sake. Joan. It's getting
to be a regular trick of yours.
When will they get here?' What
time did they leave?' Good
heavens-you're enough to make
anyone irritable"
And then at sight of her star.
tied. hurt face he jumped up and
put both arms around her. kissing
her closed eyes. her trembling
hands with which she tried to
cover her face. you mustn't
mind me, Tohnnie--nervous-don'
mean anything-mustn't. ="
She slipped out of his arms.
Its all right. / know you didn't
mean it. I'll start dinner then"
"'Ill help"
mo. ia rather do it alone. You
can set the table If you like"
In the kitchen she wiped her
lips where he had touched them.
Scrubbed her face with the blue
checked kitchen apron. Two bit
ter tears dropped into the siZ-
Zling bacon in the frying pan.
She didn't cry because he had
been cross. That didn't matter that
he had lied about the starting
time.
She cried because he had kissed
her, and she had wiped the kiss
away. It's come to that she
thought, despairingly. IL don't
want him to touch me any more.
It's nerves. of course. 1t must be.
We're both nervous--he's so diff
ferent 1t makes me different. I'll
get over it. I'll make myself
he mustn't know
mustn't ever guess. 80
At dinner she was sparkling, al
most boisterous. Isn't it fun TO
be all alone. Just you and $50
Mr.. and Mrs! I'll bet you don't
like the way / fried the chops
they are a little burnt in spots
its a good thing we're going to
have a cook-but the coffee is
perfect-have some more coffee
what gorgeous fire you made.
Isn't it lovely they're so late?"
And he laughed a great deal.
and drank three cups of coffee.
He couldn't eat. He felt her In
jner excitement. "She knows"
he thought. Taking it sanely,
enough" His pulses raced. He
reached across the table and took
her hands in. his Glad they
didn't come? Glad, dear2'
She wriggled free. Yes, Of
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-29

you. As long as you work for
me your yet I'll the protection
on earth, but II you show yellow
or make d noise like squeal
youIl have swell funeral with
plenty OF flowers. Get me RI
Eddie got him. The laws OF
gangland were as inflexibie as
concrete. For the welchers the
suuaIer, the undependable guy
who held dangerous iTlfOFT1a ton
against the mob. there wasa q def
mite penalty death. And for the
weakling there were jeers and
epithets that scared the soul
70. X. Eddie said, crisply.
There had to be a system he
Big Guy never did any aekpdI
work himself. although - col
Iected the greater part Of the
spoils. If anyone got shot or went
to prison it wasn't the boss. He
was like q general who stayed
far from the battle front, direct
ing with q cool, scheming brain.
Eddie understood perfectly.
Reiofning the others Eddie
thought they looked at him with
suspicious eyes and he wondered
OF his hands were dry and he
was sick at his stomach. What
made him sick was the thought
that maybe he would have to
take part in smuggling some inno-
cent old night Waterman. Maybe
an old bird with d family. Maybe
he'd have to shoot c0p Eddie
knew e0p--I1an Sullivan A. good
guy and Just married, too. al fell
low couldn't think about things
like that without feeling sQuirmy.
But ii was too late now. IL he
tried to hack out IL was an even
break. He'd never leave the Big
Guys place alive. Maybe, though
they wouldn't knock him Off
maybe they'd simply cruelty him
with insults and jibas They
could take a guys self-respect
and tear 1t to tatters. They could
inflict scorn and indignities that
would burn q man up.
Bernice Veressi would be the
first to call him a rat. The air
in the apartment was filling his
lungs in q queer Sitting sensa-
ton. There was q chance in 4
hundred to get out now.
Excuse me minute, he said
to 4 pasty-faced youth who stood
near him. II want to wash my
face and hands.
He went to the bath room and
locked the door. The window WAS
eighteen or twenty inches square.
Rising up over the East River he
saw yellow moon. 1T was the
ffrss time he had noticed. the moon
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-29
By HAZEL LIVINGSTON

was gone, she could no longer
struggle. She shut her eyes.
Perhaps the sound OF the wind
and the rain drowned out the
sound OF the car bearing down
on them from the curve. Neither
Joan nor Curtis heard it till the
glare of its lights was upon them,
siIhoueting their straining bodies
sharply against the trees.
The brakes screamed. A man
leaped from the car, unnatIrally
tall In the binding white light.
His arms shot out. There was
soft. snacking sound. The sound
of flesh against flesh. Curtis
crumpled into the mud OF the
road.
The man reached out his arms
To Joan. 1--WE been so long
coming-I missed the way so
many times"
She leaned against wheel Of
the car, staring at him, pushing
the tangled hair out of her eyes.
"Bill-you've come back to me
~"
Joan--it's been so long
She went into his arms with
little whimpering cry.
THE END
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-29
Story Of q Reformed Racketeer and His
Deep Love for an AristOcratlc
Southern Beauty

ryVERYBGDY in the room it seemed, had at one time
81 or another slapped Eddie Regan on the back.
They persisted in treating him as hero although
as yet he had accomplished nothing The liquor they were
drinking did thing earth to Eddie; he
tonehed the stuff anyway What made his heart beat with
an indefnable pleasure the genial glow of conrad
shipte feeling that these his intimate friends
that thew going share lots OF and good times
Always the risk of prison DEATH but nobody
thought much such unpleasant things Danger was
ever in the air there fascinating satisfaction in
te knowledge that gang always stuck together They
had nerve & all the nerve in the world
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-29
cHAPTER THREE

49, z
Eddie Regan did not know
where he was. The freight train
had been pounding along for end
less, dreary hours. The day had
passed and the night: he was stiff
from lying on the floor Of the
empty box car and he suffered the
confinement Of IT. swaying length
after the manner Of ! Gagged
animal.
TWenty.four hours without any.
thing to eat Or drink and almost
no sleep had set every nerve ach-
ing: his face felt swollen: there
was the sensation or sand In his
eyes and savage hunger IN the pit
Of his stomach New York, he
figured was hundreds OF miles be.
hind him.
Next time this damn thing
stops" he said aloud. his throat
husky and dry from thirst, I'm
going to leave 1T
The train stopped while the
engine took on water from the
great, leaking tank beside the
track. Eddie rolled back the slid
ing door Of the car and gazed out
at what seemed 10 be an endless
forest Of tail straight trees, inter
locked at the top IN impenetrable
green masses. He opened the
door on the other side and there
was dismal field enclosed BY
rail fence.
or one thing on earth He was
absolutely certain the Big Guy.
nor none of the mob ever came
to Godforsaken spot like this.
Into this awful loneliness no one
would ever track him. IT was aA
good place as any to quit riding
the rails.
After the train had pulled out
he followed the track fora quarter
OF mile and came to & little
red-painted station, cluster OF
four or five houses including a
grocery store. IA setter dog with
intelligent bright eyes came up To
him and he stopped to pat it,
head. The animal looked at him
with q lazy. darkling affection.
We'll, old dog what's the good
word with your
The dog wagged its tail.
Know any tricks can YOU
shake hands?1
An awkward paw was lifted.
Someone. evidently, had taught
the animal how. Eddie Regain
reached down and took the paw.
Gee. this is greaty' he said in
half-amazed amusement Here
land out in tie jungle. and At the
first crack dog comes up and
shakes hands with me. A wei.
come worth million dollars. No
body would believe me III ! told
emf
The one thing Eddie wanted
was to satisfy his hunger the gro
Gerry store seemed the hlxeliest
place and the dog followed him
to the door. "A fat man without
coat was behind the counter.
Eddie surveyed the canned goods
on the shelves.
Amy chance Of getting q meal
around here?"
The store keeper looked Eddie
over with a Ieisurely eye. He had
seen tramps before but this young
man, grimed with hard travel, was
a new type. His clothes, his man
ner of speech. belonged indefinably
to the cities. Beyond all doubt
he was a Northerner.
CTO BE Continued Tomorrow
The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-10-29

one thing that flattered Eddie.
and disturbed him a lot, too, was
the subtle difference the gang
gave him. Maybe it was because
hess had a shade more education
than the rest.
s.What this mob needs is a
brainy boy like yourself, one OF
the fellows said, his arm around
Eddie's shoulders. The Big Guy
thinks you're great. kid.
The words fioated to Eddie on
an aroma of gin and Scotch;
everybody was smoking and some
Of the guys were kissing their
girls.
Eddie Regan knew he should
be happy, but there was some
thing about the whole business
that filled him with respondent
uncertainty. 1t was not because
these guys were tough eggs,
either. All of his life he had
known them. from the time he
had been kid playing in the
streets. None OF them ever did
any work and their racket looked
soft. from the outside. All of
them had good clothes, automo-
hiles. girls. 1t was pretty nice
to be in the easy money and
have everything you wanted. The
Big Guy himself had convinced
Eddie that he was a sap for
sticking on his job as ship
ping clerk at the wholesale
house.
But it was the girl, Bernice
Veressi. who had crept into Ed
dies blood and surged through
his veins with a burning inten-
sity that made his mind hot with
recklessness.
This was strange, too, because
Eddie did not fall easily for the
DANES. He was rs years old.
slim and muscular. with fresh
cleanliness about his face and a
deep steadiness in his blue eyes.
Plenty OF girls had been after
him-1but never one like Bernice
Veressi.
she detached herself from some
one else and came to him now.
Her. dress was without sleeves and
velvet arms coiled around his neck.
Her face was olive and the eyes
were smoldering pools of mysteri-
Gus desires. A red mouth, soft
and luscious. pressed against his
lips--rose petals impregnateds with
electricity!
Eddie. darling. you make me so
proud of you" The voice was
hushed and warm and throbbing.
Tonight you go out on the big
Job with the rest of the boys. You
are heavier than anybody else. l
could love you to death! will,
too, Eddie. What do / care
whether you buy me next winter
a new fur coat or not? If you be
my sweetheart, / want you to be
one big. brave man. For your
sweetheart, Bernice-eh. Eddie?
Kiss mei''
An instinct in Eddie Regain re-
VOTED against the public display OF
affection; his emotion disorganized
him and he was afraid the others
would observe his weakness.
The proper attitude for a gang
ster was to let the woman do all
the chasing. A guy that got dipDy
over dame was held in contempt.
With kind of roughness he push
ed. Bernice away. even though his
heart was humping and his whole
body yearned to crush her in his
arms.
The apartment where all Of them
had gathered belonged to the Big
Guy, This was the first time Ed.
die had ever been admitted into
the inner circle. The Big Guy had
known and liked him for a long