davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1928-12-21
The Story Thus Far:
NOIC Continue.

The Spook got up lazily and
dipped into the pocket of his trous-
ers carefully folded over a hanger.
From a yellow backed roll he slid
note and pressed it into Mrs.
Cleary's sudsy hand.
'This'll square the hopper, Ma.
And tell Willie I want to see him. :"
Tears flowed down the red face
and the Spook laughed and ducked
the woman's fat, reaching arms.
'Willie's only kid, Ma. ! can't
see him take the fall for C-note.
Besides The whiteness Mary
Smith saw twist over his counte.
nance when she mentioned his
mother touched it now and he
Iapsed into silence.
Ma Cleary had managed to ease
the last defeated days of the weary
one who had given up when uni
forms closed in on Mullins, senior,
and took him away up the river.
And young Mullins never for
moment forgot it. Some of the
fierce devotion he had given Her
self now went out to this friend.
/" 'Tis good boy you are, aveck.
I'll be on my way now to say a
few prayers for you, Danny.
He did not smile. Saying a few
prayers was exactly what Herself
would have done in the circum-
stances.
He sat down to his breakfast
with a glance of satisfaction about
II H.. ~
startling as the brocaded robe,
cluttered with odds and ends of
expensive furnishings, each piece
of a character so distinctive from
every other that the effect was
one OF gaudy confusion. When
ever Danny saw a chair or table
or rug which took his fancy he
bought it and sent it home and Ma
Cleary managed to crowd It in
with the rest.
But he saw nothing wrong with
the apartment The stuff had
cost lot and therefore ought to
be right. Certainly it was superior
to the dingy furnished room where
Corso lived.
Only one thing was somewhat
out of keeping in the conglomera-
ton; a set of booksheIves filled
with variety of subjects. Vol
umes on travel jostled the com
plete works of Dickens; the history
of the Roman Empire reared
against Wells Outlines: there even
was a book or two of poems and
an entire shelf Of detective stories.
What the Spook got out of his
books those who knew him could
not tell. Perhaps he did not guess
himself beyond the fact that read
ing seemed to stand off a Ger.
tain restlessness whlcn had way
of nagging him. Furthermore,
there had been the meek hope Of
Herself that her boy should have
an education. He. had spent small
time in school but these books,
he felt, helped make up for that
some way. AS he PIT it to him
self, a guy didn't have to be
dumb just because he was on
the take Once he had met
hox-man who talked like col
lege professor.
He was reading when Nell
opened the door after only per-
fuctory tap ard walked in. A
trim little figure she was in
black and white checked jacket
and skirt and n scarlet hat drawn
over the black wings of hair.
The Washington times., 1928-12-21

but I only fell in the water, and
there wasn't any pot of gold. Per.
haps it's got to be big rainbow
in the sky to be the kind that has
the pots OF gold.
Holding Madge's hand, Celeste
chartered necessarily during the
little distance to the waterfall.
Madge released her hand to cut
a stick with sharp knife that
she carried.
II don't know IL : shall be so
good at making whistle" she
said, but used to do it when
/ was a little girl.
Presently they stood on rock
from where Celeste pointed out
the miniature rainbow made by
the splashing water.
Now, let's sit down and you
tell me story" Celeste sug-
gested.
II don't know II ! shall tell a
very good story this afternoon"
Made sighed as she whitfield away
nervously with her sharp knife.
You always tell lovely stories"
Celeste said admiringly.
So Madge forced herself to meet
Celeste's whfm, and the next half
hour was occupied with the ad-
ventures of Ali Baba and the
Forty Thieves, to the delight OF
the little listener.
Madge had made an end, when
Celeste sprang to her feet. At
some little distance, Martha, ac-
companied by Ethel, had just en-
tered the twisting rock-strewn
path that led from the meadow to
where they were sitting.
"Goody! Goody" criew Celeste,
"I think mothers carrying some
thing! IT might be cookies"
She ran toward the approaching
figures. Her little foot struck
something. Madge heard the warn
ing rattle. and heard it too late;
for a second afterward Celeste
screamed and the rattlesnake
struck!
CHAPTER XXVI
The ensuing seconds were after.
ward very vague in Madge's men,
ory. Instantly she saw it -- the
coiled horror that was now sliding
away into the underbrush; Celeste,
white and terrified, rolled up on
the path, grasping the little calf
of her limb.
Madge sprang to action. There
was no time for anything else.
Somewhere she had read or heard
what to do, and there was the
sharp knife in her hand.
She knelt by the child. paused
only long enough to see the pune
lures made by the rattler's fangs.
and then. carefully steeling her
nerves, she cut with her knife
cut twice. as Celeste screamed.
Madge could not even utter one
word of comfort. Her lips had
other things to do. Fighting
against the nausea that the act
entailed, Madge applied her mouth
to the wound and began to suck
out the poison, carefully splitting
out what she drew in.
1t was thus the agonized mother
and the frightened Ethel found
her when they ran to the spot.
Madge did not stop. She went
on at her loathsome task. lost to
all thought save that of the child's
life.
And when at last 1t was over.
while Martha wept and Ethel
trembled. it was Madge who took
charge OF the situation. She
turned to Ethel
Run ahead q us?' she ordered.
as she twisted her belt above the
wound on the ehild's leg. ''Tele-
phone for a doctor and tell him
to hustle. And you, Martha" she
went on, as Ethel sped down the
path, "go on and get antiseptic
pa,ze ready. Pull yourself to.
gether-I believe Celeste will be
all right. 1 think 1 got her in
time"
The note of command in Madee's
voice caused the heart.broken
The Washington times., 1928-12-21

But the Spook merely nodded
without looking UP.
She stood there a Tnlnute, watch
ing him. and tile green fires
burned under her lashes. Then,
with a cry. she 6arted forward
and snatched the book from his
hands, throwing 1t to the floor
: end stamping on it.
Think I'll take It off you.
Danny Mullins!" she began in a
low, choked voice. Give me the
gate! I spose If was her-oh,
l seen you lookIn at her!
was good enough til: she comes
around with her swell clothes
an her nose in the air. Why,
leave me tell you about that rich
dame"
He interrupted. yawning. Save
The Washington times., 1928-12-21

mother to obey. while Madge.
picking Celeste up in her arms,
went as quickly as she could
toward the house.
There followed nearly an hour
of tortured suspense before the
arrival of the doctor. The fathers
agitation was something dreadful
to witness. Again it was Madge
who took charge of cleansing and
sterilizing the wound. and she
only relinauished her duties when
the doctor ran from his car into
the house.
Almost worse was to come when
the doctor, after brief examina-
ton, cauterized the wound. How
infinitely would Madge have pre-.
ferred to bear the physical pain
herself than to witness the suf-
fering of little Celeste.
But even that was over at last,
and the doctor turned and shook
hands with Madge. He addressed
the relieved parents.
You must thank this brave
young lady for the fact that your
child will liye," he said. 1T is
owing to her promptness and to
her sucking out of the poison that
your little one will be as well as
ever as soon as the pain of the
burn leaves her. Nothing could
have been more efficient. and of
her courage / cannot say enough"
Now that it was over, part1cu-
larly considering all she had gone
through that day, Madge felt faint
She caught at a chair to steady
herself, and Martha presently
helped her upstairs.
Then as Madge lay on her bed,
Martha tried to tell her something
of the gratitude that was In her
heart.
Henry and I can never forget
never begin to thank you" she
began, but she broke down and her
tears said more than any words
could have conveyed.
And later, after Madge had
rested and felt stronger, Henry
sought her out as he expressed
what he felt towards the girl whose
pluck and promptness had saved
his darling's life.
Pm not one to talk much,
Henry finished, "but If ever you
need a friend, Mrs. Dudley, hope
you know where to look"
Madge went slowly out to ham,
mock swung between two trees
at the side of the house. How she
hated it that these honest people
should know her as Mrs. Dudley"
She must deny herself even the
warmth of their friendship. If they
knew what she had done, would
they feel the same towards her?
These simple people knew simple
code, and the betrayal of a man
such as Michael could earn from
them only stern disapproval.
Martha approached the ham,
moc,l as the evening shadows be-
gan to fall.
THE childs much better, but
she's asking for you" she said.
i've explained to her just what
you did, and she wants to kiss
you"
1.-The darling" Madge exclaimed
tenderly. "I'n go right up"
She found Celeste in bed and
knelt down beside her. Childish
arms went about her neck, and
sweet child kisses caressed her
cheek. Madge felt that she could
not control the surge of sadness
that went through her.
Tell me a story came the oft!
repeated request. "Madge, tell me
a story, cause I've been sick
little girl"
Madge sat down on a chair, and
suddenly she knew the story She
would tell.
To Be Continued Tomorrow
The Washington times., 1928-12-21

$50, Frances, am and shall
be alone"
She sat there at her desk, pour
ing out her heart to Frances. She
looked in vain for an envelope
and. put the letter safely in a
drawer until she could borrow
one from Matha.
Martha tapped on her door.
'tCome down and eat a bit OF
lunch,9 Martha coaxed her. Cold
chicken and a nice salad. 1t will
do you good to forget your trou.
bles. Ethel Wentworth is here.
and I think she might interest
YOU"
Realizing that she could not
evade life and that to sit in her
room and weep was mere weak
ness, Madge bathed her eyes and
powdered her face, touching her
lips with crimson.
AS she went downstairs she told
herself that she had shed her last
tear. What was done was done,
and she must face the conse-
quences.
All the same, she felt numb as
she sat at luncheon, having been
introduced to Ethel wentworth.
Madge looked at her with some
interest. So this was the girl
who had found in a travelling
salesman the romance denied her
by a kindly and loving husband.
Ethel, 1t soon developed, had no
reticence concerning her affairs.
81 must tell you,"' she turned
to Martha, land I am sure Mrs.
Dudley won't mind, but it's all
settled between George and me.
George is my husband, Mrs. Dud-
lev. | went into town yesterday
to meet Eddie Harwood. and
then / found that he was flirt-
ing with that pretty cashier in
Sloan's drug -store"'
"And that doesn't surprise me-"
Martha said quietly.
well, / told him what I
thought, and 1 told him plenty"
Ethel boasted vindictively. I
drove straight home, and what
do you think I found George
doing? There he was on the
back porch with all my shoes
and he had cleaned every pair
of them. George / said to him,
you may not be romantic, but
that's what l call love!
"Then l felt kind OF mean, so
after supper I @told him the
whole thing and he said he'd
known 1t all 'along.N ! asked him
why he hadn't said anything. and
he argued that his love was the
understanding sort, and that he
knew the best in me would find
out what Eddie was. You know,
Martha, l don't think there are
many people as fine as George"
Madge said nothing. As Ethel
had been talking, Madge's
thoughts had been with Michael.
What difference was there be-
tween the two cases? Michael
had evidently trusted, as George
had, to the better side of his
wife's nature. only Madge
had failed him.
Celeste slipped her hand into
Madge's.
Lets go to the waterfall, and
you can tell me stories," she
begged.
"Now. don't let her worry you"
Martha put in.
But / love her" Madge pro
tested, stopping to kiss the
chlldS uptufned face.
Then Ethel and I will follow
you in a few minutes" Martha
promised.
Cant l help you with the
dishesw Madge volunteered.
Nothing to it!' Martha in.
sisted
Come on, Madge," Celeste tug.
ged at her hand. ~ want to
show you where to stand. II You
stand on d rock you can see a
rainbow. Daddy says it's made
by the. spray from the waterfall
but it's my own pet rainbow.
And went to the end of it once,
The Washington times., 1928-12-21
MA BROUGHT HIS BREAKFAST

it, Nell. Who the devil asked
you t tell anything about any
hody?" His eyes went cold and
mis- lips drew back II. a way that
was not pleasant to see. you
tend t. your own racket, you
hear? And you better pull out of
this now. On yo4r way
She faced him, blazing. But her
anger died abruptly. dropped into
a gray ash of fear and she be-
gan to sob, throwing herself
upon him. 'I didn't mean it,
Danny. Honest, it's just it drives
rae crazy seein' you fall for them
swell ones. Ah--kiss me, Danny"
She drew his head down and
he kissed her, arms Tightening
about her shoulders. Nell was a
slim, capricious thing, alluring
The Washington times., 1928-12-21

"Oh. it's nothing! Nothing"
Madge protested. and then belied
her words by burying her face in
her arms while sobs convulsed
her.
Don't take on so-now don't,
my dear" Martina crooned over
her. 'And don't tell me any
thing If yous don't want to-but
If / can help, you car rely on me,
Madge. You can rely on me"
You're dear" Madge told her.
But Martha - there are some
things-some things that just
won't bear talking about"
Madge got up suddenly and
rushed out of the kitchen. She
must be alone. She ran up the
stairs and shut herself in her
room. She threw herself on her
knees by her bed. leaning against
it, and wept, but her tears did
not seem to remove that weight
on her heart. Presently she stop
ped wheeping, feeling faint and
ILL.,. She decided that she must
talk to some one, but she did not
want to confide in Martha. sweet
as Martha was.
Madge sat down at the little
painted desk in her room. She
began to pour out her heart on
paper to Frances Storrs, filling
sheet after sheet. Having told
her all about what had happened
and how she had flown away with
Carroll only to discover this, the
blackest of his lies, she went on:
"As I write to you, Frances. in
this quiet room in this old farm.
house. now and again wave of
hatred goes through me. for Sar-
roll, so intense 1t almost
frightens me.
ITO think that for nan-if he
is a man--lfke Carroll, ! gave up
the greatest gentleman / shall
ever know, Michael Winchester!
To add to my pain. as though j
did not have enough, now | know
that l loved Michael all the time.
do you see the bitterness Of
that. Frances? / suppose / had
to lose him to know that added
pain. Little fool that I was, now
know that I always loved him
but resented his coldness. was
looking for thrills-and look where
they have brought me.
zone Of the sharpest stings
must bear is to know that al
though I have been physically
faithful to Michael he would never
believe that. shall never see
him to speak to him, but I think
when the divorce is over. shall
write to him. If he did believe
me, which is doubtful. 1t might
help him a little. rewarded his
chivalry and generosity with the
vilest ingratitude and I'm not try
ing to shield or excuse myself:
but it might help him to know
that much; I was tempted many
times, and would probably have
fallen the next time 7 saw Carroll,
but at least Carroll never knew
the contamination of his pretended
love,
II have a few thousand dollars
left, Frances, from fathers insur-
ance, and as soon as ! can see
at all clearly, I shall return to
New York and ask your help and
advice. think l might open a
uLLic suOp. 4icIe Cdii pS HO nap
piness for me, but / shall have
to do something.
There is no Carroll. There
never was the man I thought was
Carroll. ! see now. when it is
much too late, that he brought
me the breath of romance and 1t
was the romance loved, and not
the man. If this were not true.
then why is 1t that my emotion
for him is dead with the death
of romance? So there is no Car
roll. NY father is dead The
man I now love, whom I have
treated so badly, is lost to me
for all time,
The Washington times., 1928-12-21
"A High-P Powered Narrative
Of Underworld Romance

beasts of prey possess II IN large
measure. Though this, Of course,
the Spook did not know.
Seeing the way apparently clear,
he now made bold TO detach him
self from the wall, taking on the
dimension of width as well as
height, square his shoulders and
start down toward the Harlem
Rialto with his 1.-the, Jaunty tread.
To Be Continued Tomorrow
The Washington times., 1928-12-21
.y WINIFRED VAN DUZEF

(Author of The Constant Flame = The Good Bad
Thrill Hunters, " and other popular serials)
The Washington times., 1928-12-21

into d man, and flattened himself
against the wall outside.
From here he could look up
and down the street and Judge ex-
actly who was In II and why. Nor
did he depend upon sight alone;
there was thing he called 'hunci1"
to warn him OF danger. IT would
have interested psychologists, that
strange sixth sense Of his. They
might have explained that all
The Washington times., 1928-12-21
gHAPTER |

The manner in which Daniel Ma
lachi Mullins approached the street
was typical.
Midway OF the last in the three
flights of stairs he paused briefly,
ostensibly to light cigarette but
really to listen. He hesitated again
in the lobby, peering around the
corner of masonry, and he stood
for several minutes just within the.
door before slipping through, a
stealthy, deliberate panther turned
The Washington times., 1928-12-21
Electricity from Mud

Mud IS the latest of station
at will depend the
fhe River Ems combuste material which Will
be extracted and dried, and used fuel.
The Washington times., 1928-12-21
Automatic Cocktail Bar

British automatic cock
drinks after experimenting
several years the machine.
The Washington times., 1928-12-21

) red head in at Ma Cleary's kitchen.
You know Coky Jones, MAJ"
"And why not, me boy
Watch for him around here,
will your
II will that" she answered with
decision.
Evening star., 1928-12-30
At Community Centers

bows: 7:3O pm, physical education and
dancing fot children above the fourth
grade, French classes for beginners and
advanced pupils (new students will be
taken in both of these groups), Lyric
Orchestra, Writers League OF Washing
| ton.
Saturday-9:45 to IL noon, music
classes for children in piano, drums,
violin, saxophone and trombone.
East Washington Center, Seventeenth
and East Capitol streets:
Wednesdays pm, drill team of De
Molay Commandery, No. 4. Knights
! Templar.
| Thursday pm, Columbian Trou-
badours Orchestra, Pontiac Basket Ball
Club, girls basket ball team of Trinity;
| 7:30 pm. dressmaking, baSketry, the
Uniform Rank, Woodmen of the World;
8 pm, Trinity young mems basket ball
team, Washington Athletic Club, gym
nasium group; $50 pm, Bethlehem
drill team, Bethlehem Chapter, No. Z,
! o. E. s.; 9 pm, Robert LIE Bruce Chap
ter, Order of De Molay, basket ball
| team, the Florence M. Brown class of
Calvary Baptist Sunday school basket
ball team.
Saturday. pm, Nativity Young
Peoples Service League 8 pm, Metro
politan Club, community program
moving pictures: 8 pm, WoltZ Pho-
tographers basket ball team, Strayers'
Athletic Club.
Birney Center, Nichols avenue and
Howard street southeast:
Thursday-3:15 pm, music extension.
Friday-3:15 pm, Paradise OF Child
hood.
Cleveland Center, Eighth and T
streets:
Thursday-7:30 pm, adult piano
group, basketry, Dennison art, Knights
of ST. John Military Band and Orches-
ira, lamp-shade making, young peoples
forum
Dunbar Center, First and N streets:
Thursday-6 pm, Silver Leaf Social
and Athletic Club, girls swimming; 8
pm, American Woodmen drill team
Columbia Lodge and Columbia Temple
drill teams, lie Rover basket ball team,
Council Review Players, organ prac-
tice, the Dunbar Center Orchestra, La
Plain Social and Athletic Club.
FRIDAY pm, Dunbar Junior Dra-
matte Club. Checker Boys Club; pm,
Morning Star Lodge drill team, Forest
Temple drill team, Manchester Athletic
Club
Garfield Center, Alabama avenue and
Twenty-fifth street southeast:
Wednesday-3:15 pm, music group;
S pm, Symphony Orchestra: 8 PM,
community singing, women'S art group,
Thimble Club, advisory council meet
ing; 9 pm, dancing.
Military Road Center, Military road
near Brightwood
Wednesday-3:15 pm, Boys Club.
Friday-3:15 pm, music extension
piano group.
Lovejoy Center, Twelfth and D streets
northeast:
Wednesday, to 10 PM, athletic
clubs, Dennison art groups, lamp-shade
making group, Girls Athletic Club,
girls sewing circle, Northeast Junior
Male Chorus, clubroom.
Saturday-7:30 pm, athletics, girls
Club Girls Athletic Club, the Rlnky
Dinks, handicraft group, clubroom.
West Washington Center, Phillips
School, Twenty-seventh and N streets:
Friday-7:34 pm, hand work in reed,
paper, wood, clay and wax, Reglar Eel
lers' Club, Georgetown Athletic Club.
Forget-me- mot Club, Francis Social
Club, community singing, social dane
ing, modelling.
Evening star., 1928-12-30
DEFENDANTS RECORD
TO BE INVESTIGATED.
Probation Officers to Determine
Whether Use of Blackjack
Was Due to Liquor.

Puzzled as to the motive that led Will
liam E. Jones of Pittsburgh, Pa, to hit
his buddy" Frank J. Moore, also Of
Pittsburgh, over the head with black
jack in the Maine Hotel. Wednesday
night, Judge Ralph Given yesterday
referred to probation officers the task
of investigating Jones record before
passing on the assault charge against
him.
Moore and Jones arrived in Wash
ington few days ago, bound for
Florida. Wednesday Jones bought a
blackjack and early Thursday morning,
after having struck Moore several times
with 1t, ran out of the hotel in his un-
derclothing. Policeman Norton of the
first precinct gave chase. The man
climbed rainSpout on the rear of the
hotel building, and remained on the
roof half an hour before submitting to
arrest.
Assistant United States Attorney
Joseph c. Bruce attempted to show
Jones planned to slug Moore, rob him
of his money and leave the city. Jones'
however, said he drank a pint of liquor
before retiring and the last thing he
remembers was getting out of bed with
bad toothache.
Judge Given declared he could not
determine whether the liquor or intent
to rob was the cause of the assault on
the evidence presented so took the case
under advisement while the probation
Office is delving into Jones past
Evening star., 1928-12-30
WOMAN SUES ARCHITECT.
Asks $40, 1875, Charging Failure to
Garry Out Orders.

Lila J. Davis, 1923 Columbia road,
has filed suits totaling $46,195 against
Julius Wenig, an architect, 721 Tenth
street. and Walter B. Avery, builder,
632 q street, for damages alleged TO
have been sustained in connection with
the plans and construction of five one
story buildings at Fourteenth street and
Columbia road. which were erected in
1925. She asks $36 1875 from the archi-
tect and $4,000 from the builder.
Through Attorney George E. Sullivan,
the plaintiff says she employed Wenig
to make plans for the buildings with
the understanding that they were to be
only one story at first, but we're to be
built so that additional stories might
be added. She says she now finds that
the walls were only IL inches thick,
when the District regulations require at
least 16-inch walls for the additions.
The charge against Avery is that she
paid him $23,919 for the work of con-
Struction and now finds that the ma
terials used were of such inferior quail
ity that the buildings are not worth
more than $13,919. She seeks to hold
him for the balance.