davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1940-04-07

any more. for obviously the Happy
Warrior wasn't coming again.
She had hardly closed her eyes when
bedlam broke out and she heard Alan
calling her. He stood in the hall, look
ing disheveled but triumphant. On
the hearth beside the dying fire. his
war rompd, or battlebocker. all mud
stained with creeping through fences.
stood Private John Sheridan.
Here you are. Joan. Look at this"
Alan held out a basket full of eggs. Il
caught the blighter red-handed."
Joan stood, very straight and slim
in her blue dressing gown. her hair all
tumbled. Private Sheridan said moth
ing at all. He looked at the ceiling as if
he found it a particularly interesting
ceiling, and then he looked at his feet
as if they were new ones he had only
recently grown
So that was all his solemn promise
was worth. thought Joan. He had been
coming late, avoiding her, and taking
their eggs just the same. Maybe he
had found another girl, more glamor-
ous, and he no longer wanted either
her friendship or her socks.
Alan stood there rather pompously.
saying the rudest things. Mrs. Masham
Iurked on the top landing like Iury.
enjoying as much of it as she could
hear down her ear trumpet. Occasional
chuckles from her reached them.
''Disgraceful. said Alan. Il shall
take you back to camp tomorrow
morning and have word with your
officer myself. Come with me. And
you, Joan. take these away
Joan carried the basket into the
pantry and set it on the table. 1t was
then that she had her first CLEAN of
doubt. The blue one on top was GER
tainly the free contribution of duck.
and no hen ever laid that colossal
speckled thing though goose might
have had a hand in it.
Don't be frightened" said Alan,
returning, rubbing his hands. "You
poor little thing, you look quite white
and scared"
He might have kissed her if he could
have got near enough, but Joan
executed some skillful maneuvers with
the pantry table. 1--WE locked the fel-
low in the garage for the night. He
won't get out of there very easily.
Now run to bed, or you'll catch cold.
Evening star., 1940-04-07

socks that were three parts finished,
which Alan eyed from time to time.
thinking they were for him.
Alan was furious when there were no
more free eggs to take back to town.
Costing what they now did, eggs were
a consideration.
Something is going on said Alan.
Il shall look into it"
Joan wasn't interested, even when
she heard him creeping out to the pad
dock after dark. Nothing mattered
Evening star., 1940-04-07
LOVE IS BRAVE
Continued from preceding poos

I'll settle with him in the morning.
Joan opened the garage door noise
lessly. Private John Sheridan was sit
ting in the back seat of Mrs. Masham's
old-fashioned sedan. 1t was very
perched up. and always reminded
Joan of the barque in which the three
Queens bore off the wounded King
Arthur.
Soldiers can doss down anywhere.
Private Sheridan had made himself
quite comfortable there, and was
Evening star., 1940-04-07
Wow! Moybe he Wa Dspos~snt would
be interested in NY new pvddins rscips!

smoking a cigarette. But he put it out
now. Darling" he whispered. "You
shouldn't have come"
Darling" she whispered. Il had
to-"
Her face was hidden against the
rough khaki of his battlebocker.
Il wanted you to know I've been
i'll. That's Why didn't come. was in
hospital. l couldn't even write. but l
hoped to see you tonight and explain.
l wasn't sneaking your eggs"
NO." she said. Il knew"
''How did you know?
THAT large top one was gooses :"
Turkey he corrected gently.
"And a nice row she made when took
it. I've been securing the country for
you for weeks. Every egg l could lay
hands on, and l bunged them under
your hens. l wanted you to have
everything you wanted. I'd have liked
to give you the moon and the stars.
darling. but all could do was gather
in the eggs"
She was half laughing. half crying
from sheer happiness. face against his.
After all, it's not the gift that
counts" said Private John Sheridan.
Its the spirit in which it is given"
He kissed her. "I'll get into trouble for
this, darling. I don't quite know what
will happen. In the old days. when a
soldier was thing of beauty. they cut
off his buttons, but they can hardly cut
what buttons there are off this thing.
Well. mean - can they?" And then
he said, But when it 8 all over - can
you will you? The moment l saw
you knew you were my girl"
At two AM. Joan opened the garage
door and let Private John Sheridan
free. 'He never asked your name" she
whispered. Il just thought of that.
Probably he'd never recognize you
again. Run"
He kissed her, and ran
1t is strange how there are times
when you can be up half the night and
still be fresh as daisy. There was
Joan, fresh as a daisy. And there was
Alan, cursing and swearing, because
the bird had flown.
Most amazing thing! He's obvi-
ously a dangerous fellow. l shall 60
straight down to the camp and find
Evening star., 1940-04-07

Lay-Oh. Joan had been giving it to
the hens, not expecting much from it,
but it seemed, the following morning.
she was wrong. When she went to the
hen house there were so many eggs
she had to return to the house for
second basket. After weeks of total
abstinence, the hens were surprising
themselves.
"Thirty-six" gasped Mrs. Masham.
There, now. knew they could if they
wanted to- From twelve hens, too.
Tch, tch, tch. Ring up the Vicar,
dear, and ask him to tea. He won't
believe me unless he sees them"
From that day onwards the hens
excelled themselves. They cannot have
paused to draw breath. After a week
of it, Mrs. Masham said:
Il think, dear, you had better stop
that patent food" 1t made no diff
ference. The total went up by two.
Il can't think how they do it," said
Mrs. Masham "At this rate, two hens
would really have been enough for
U.S." She picked up an egg at random.
Funny. would have said myself this
was a ducks egg, but of course it
can't be. if hen laid it."
She regaled Alan, who was down
for the week end, with tales of her
hens proves.
"You can take some back to town
with you if you like, dear. Indeed. we
shah be rather glad to get rid of some
of them, shan't we, Joan? Joan! Did
you not hear me speak to you? Really,
that girls getting very absent-minded.
Anyone would think that she was in
love-"
Over the table Alan smiled at her
gently, happily. He knew she was in
love with him.
"The funny thing is" Mrs. Masham
continued, that other people in the
neighborhood are having frightful diff
6culties. 1t seems every hen has gone
off laying, except mine. But that,
of course, is because Joan manages
them 50 we'll, and also due to the tin
of Lay-Oh. Marvellous stuff. Some of
the eggs are so large they might be
ducks"
She coughed. loan has been mar
velos,s With them. Even goes out at
night, to be quite certain they are all
right
loans heart stood still. She was
afraid Alan might think of coming out
also, and down behind the hen house
in the moonlight two is company,
three none.
Alan, however, didn't. He said the
night air was bad for his chest.
Then, without any warning what
ever, everything went wrong. The
hens ceased laying as suddenly as they
had started, and all Mrs. Masham's
proud boasts died on her lips.
What Joan minded twice as much
was the fact that Private John
Sheridan came no more.
He didn't even warn her he wasn't
coming. One night they sat shoulder
to shoulder, laughing together: Happy
Warrior and Hen Girl. just like the
fairy tale.
The next, he had simply faded
away
Perhaps he had been caught. Or
sent away to the other side of the
country. She was foolish to mind so
much. only he might have told her he
wasn't coming any more. Now she
Evening star., 1940-04-07

him Must be either professional
burglar or have gone in for jail-break
ing in big way. The door still locked:
The window intact. The key on its
nail in the hall where hung it."
Joan said, very loud and clear:
Il can tell you why. let him out"
She had never been brave girl
before. She had always been one of
those social towards who prefer to
smooth difficult things over for the
sake of peace. Suddenly it was all
different. She did not care Mrs. Mas
ham would be furious, but she didn't
care.
you let him out?" said Alan, in an
awful voice. "Why""
Because love him. Because I'm
going to marry him."
Alan's face was study.
do you know what you are talking
about? Surely have made it quite
clear -"
"Yes, you have But I've - I've
fallen in with different regiment. I've
been commandeered." said Joan, and
laughed.
Beside her, Mrs. Masham laughed,
too - so suddenly that Joan jumped.
Alan did not laugh. He stood glar-
ing at her. Now I've done it, thought
Joan. Now l shall have to go. She
couldn't imagine where, for she had
very little money, but even that did
not seem to matter.
When you come to your senses"
said Alan. stiffly. you had better let
me know"
Apparently he was the one who was
going. Now, at once. His belongings
we're scattered, unpacked, all over
the spare bedroom. Joan waited for
shrieks of remonstrance from Mrs.
Masham, and could only imagine she
had missed some OF all this through
not getting her ear trumpet in place in
time.
There was short silence Out of it
Mrs. Masham said, SO you found my
nephew bore. did you?"
Yes" said Joan. II did. A crashing
bore. Now we're in FOR it, she thought.
This is where we 60 over the top.
Mrs. Masham stood for one mo-
ment. looking at Joan malevolently.
Then she subsided on the hall chair
and began to laugh. slapping her knee
in very racy manner.
"A bore! And 50 he is! I've waited
for years for someone to tell him so.
l never had the courage myself. He's
pulverized me from his earliest youth.
He was the nastiest little boy. That
cold blue eye of his - that scornful
curl of the lip. Ho. no, hor'
She went on: "Oiling up to me for
what he could get out of me. l saw
through him plainly enough. He never
took me in. You go right ahead and
marry your soldier. You II PROBABLY
be very happy with him. Never mind
about money No one has much money
these days. l don't mind telling you
I've left you little something. and
this house. You've been good girl.
The way you chased Cocky over the
roof that time, and the trouble you
took with poor Bonzo . And you
didn't just desert me to do something
picturesque when war came. A good
girl you've been. And shan't live
forever.
Her eyes snapped. "Ho. no, no! A
crashing bore. It's just exactly what
he is"
Tbs Ed
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-01
NAZI SUPPLY SHIP
LEAVES MONTEVlDEO
Continued From Page One)

consider her not an auxiliary cruiser
bnt simply as a freightelr entltleo
to indefinite stay.
11non receiving the Uruguayan
o,ovsrnment's order, Captain Know
faced a choice similar to that posed
for tho master of the Graf Spec two
weeks ago.
With British warships lying off
the Uruguayan coast Captain Hans
Iangsdorff took his 10000 ton fight
ing ship just outside the harbor
here Dec, II and burned and scdt'
tied her. Three days later at Buenos
Aires he killed himself.
As the Tacoma moved out the
Graf Specs wreckage was plainly
visible off the port.
Observers believed it possible that
Britain's 9,S3O-ton, 32-knot cruiser
Shropshire was somewhere near.
What appeared to be baggage
presumably belongings of the crew
was lowered onto a tug alongside
Just before the ship weighed anchor
The number of men aboard was
not disclosed. One estimate was 80
Some had been put ashore before
sailing.
The German legation had a rep
resentative at the pier to watch the
departure.
The minister, Otto Langmann
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-01

was said to be at the legation draft
ing a note protesting to Uruguay
against the Tacoma decree.
At 5:45 D. M, (3:45 p. m. e. S. 10
the Tacoma, surrounded by three
Uruguayan tugboats, appeared TO
stop, not far from the spot occupied
by the Graf Spec, beyond the chan'
mel leading to the docks and just
inside the breakwater.
Hawsers still held the ship to the
tugs.
Unconfirmed reports were cir
culated that officials on the tugs
were under orders to arrest the
Tacoma's crew if the ship were sunk
within the Uruguayan territorial
limit. 1t was not known whether
this meant three miles out, the in
ternational limit, OF SO miles from
the coast. Uruguay and Argentina
by treaty have made the River Plate
Estuary a com territorial
stream, and it is 100 miles to its
mouth.
Official sources in Montevideo de-
clined, meantime, to comment OF
the British admiralty's denial that
H. M. s. Ajax, one of the Graf
Spree's three antagonists in the bat
tie Dec. 10 which forced the German
warship into port, had asked per
mission to enter Montevideo harbo1
to repair damages suffered in the
fight.
The admiralty said the Ajax in
! stead would pay Montevideo g
A.oo,1rtar,z uiSit, if If were flowed
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-01
J. G.. DAGAS HELD
in WADDELL CASE
Continued From Page One)

Continued From Page One)
inquest, which was held at Ganey's
store near WOODBURY..
Charlie Robbins, of Leland, testi-
fled that he was talking to Waddell
a short time before the accident oc-
Cured, and that the negro had
started across the highway to get
some wood, near his house, when
struck by the car.
Sergeant J. R. Smith, of the state
highway patrol, stated that Wad.
dell's body was found IS yards from
the point of impact.
Other witnesses included Henry E.
Coleman, Brad Sellers and >Dagas.
Dagas and his wife were headed
south from their New Jersey home.
The accident occurred about a mile
south of the intersection of high.
way IA.
Dagas posted a $500 cash bond
and was allowed his freedom to
raise a security bond of 81, 900.
Members of the coroner's jury
we're: G.. S. Ganey, Charles Skipper,
Ransom Innis, Pat Parker, Linden
Arnold and Ernest Bergman.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-01
OLD PAPAL PALACE
LEVELED BY FIRE
Continued From Page One)

torio Emanuele, in the center Of
Rome, to watch all the city's fire
fighting equipment try to save the
XIV century structure.
Their efforts were futile and the
flames even threatened the ada
cent Church of San Lorenzo, which
is an integral part of the palace.
The fire was the second in four
days in the ancient building, fire.
men previously having put out a
blaze there on Dec. 81 after a two
hour struggle. That fire was at
tributed to a short circuit in the
electrical system, but the source OF
today's was not determined.
Workmen have been restoring
sections Of the palace, especially in
the basement where marble has re-
liefs in the form of plaques taken
from the arch of Domitian were
found only a few months ago. The
| plaques were described by archeol-
ogists as the finest known examples
Of Flavian sculpture.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-01
ROBERT FECHNER,
CCC HEAD, DIES
CONTINUED From Page One)

and World war veterans have served
at various times during the last sew.
en- years.
Fechner was born in Chattanooga,
Tenn, March %, 1876. His parents
were Charles and Virginia Roberts
Fechner. Until he was Is he attend
ed public schools at Macon, Ca, and
Griffin, Ga. After leaving Grammar
school he sold periodicals, notions
and candy on railway trains.
For a few months he attended the
Georgia Institute of Technology but
at 16> he gave up schooling and en-"
tered the Augusta, Ca, shop of the
old Georgia railroad to learn the
machinist's trade. After a four-year
apprenticeship, he jointed the Ma
chinists' union. Later he became
general vice president of the Inter
national Association of Machinists
AS a young man he became q
Boomer maehinist" and Travelled in
Mexico, Central and South America,
He worked in mines, in smelters, on
coffee plantations and COR a lime
on the Panama Canal.
In 1905 he returned to Savannah
Ca, as an employe or the Geori;ia
Central railroad, and in 1914 wa:
elected a member of the general
executive board of the International
Association of Machinists which he
subsequently represented in the
United States and Canada.
Fechner was a leader in the nine
hour (Iabor) movement of 1901 and
a leader in the eight-hour moveme1
Of 1915. He was active during the
World war in settling labor disputes
in various factories manufacturing
war materials.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-01

for it, not only at the front but at
home
AS 1889 passed into history a high
command communicate reported:
"On the western front the day
day passed quietly.
THE navy during the last week
continued scouting and watching
activity as we'll as continuous con.
troll of commercial vessels in the
Baltic and North seas"
use of fighting naval units in
commercial war continued to be
successful.
Zone patrol boat was stranded
during the night of Dec. 1880 east
of Trelleborg during a heavy storm.
OF 81 in the CT ew 35 were saved"
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-01
Firms SMASH RED
DIVISION in FIGHT
ON EASTERN FRONT
Continued From Page One)

vision were partly scattered in the
forest and partly fleeing, pursued
by our troops, toward Juntusranta.
Supplies Captured
"War materials SO far collected by
us comprise 81 guns of various
four anti-aircraft machine-guns, $50
motor trucks, a transport column of
from 400 to 500 vehicles, 250 sur
viving horses, - field kitchens and
an abundance of other arms and
munitions.
THE enemy's losses can be count
ed in the thousands.
"In the Salla sector the enemy
launched an attack against our posi-
tons but was hurled back by count
err attack. Two tanks were de-
stroyed.
"a battle northeast of Lake La
doga which began Dec. 29 continued
all day yesterday. All the enemy's
attacks were repulsed.
ELSEWHERE on the isthmus there
was chiefly artillery fire which in
some places rose to great intensity.
On the site of fighting at Volossula
and Kelja we have so far collected
$50 rifles, 81 machineguns, 81 quick
firing rifles, so auto Catic rifles, 16
rifles with telescope sights, nine
anti-tank guns, ammunition for
these, and wireless sets and tele-
phones.
"On other sections of the LAND
front there was patrol and artillery
activity.
Ports Attacked
"At sea Numerous air and artil-
lery attacks by the enemy on two
of our coastal ports occasioned slight
damage. Our batteries by rapid
bursts of fire inflicted losses or the
enemy advancing on the ice of Lake
Ladoga and on enemy transport
columns moving on the roads. Else.
where there was slight enemy all
activity.
"In the air: Enemy aircraft car
led out several raids on southwest
Finland on Dec. 80. Among other
places Hanko was bombarded with
a loss, according to reports received
of n civilian life. Several civilians
were wounded and a few buildings
were damaged.
In the war zone enemy airmen
machine-gunned a hospital train anG
a clearly marked Red Cross am
bulance. Our w aircraft carried
out reconnaissance flights and drove
off enemy planes. One enemy plane
was shot down."
Cities Bombed
Red warplanes bombed at least
ST. Finnish cities, including Vaasa
western coastal city on the Gulf OF
Bothnia, where more than 100 bombs
were dropped in four raids within
an hour.
Many buildings were set fire ir
the Vaasa raid, which civilians sale
was in retaliation for Russian de
feat on the battlefields.
Tampere, Ekenas, Lovisa, Turku
Borga and Hyvinka were among
the towns which suffered raids. Au
thorities said they believed hundreds
of Russian bombers had participated
in the raids.
Two persons were killed and a
hospital hit at Hyvinka.
The Finnish high command re-
ported that the first Russian at,
tempt to cross the ice on Lake La
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-01
R. BUDGET MAY
SURPRISE SOLONS
Continued From Page One)

of liberal estimates for national de-
tional defense. This compares with
estimated expenditures for this
year of $4,000, 600, 600.
Thus, those congress members
who have been calling for econ
omy may find themselves on the
horns of a dilemma-unless they
are willing to increase the Presi-
dents figures, they will be ~"econo-
MIXING" at the expense of projects
the home folks like.
1t is understood that the Presi-
dent will propose both ana" and
a "B" budget. The "A" budget will
be full of all the usual things and
will call, for roughly 49, 500, 900, 900.
The "B" budget will be an itemi-
cation to the tune of something
less than $500, 0OO, 900 of the extra
costs of maintaining neutrality
extra enlistments for the army,
navy and coast guard, extra coun-
te~r-espionage agents for the F.B.I.,
the cost of keeping navy and coast
guard ships patrolling American
waters and similar expenses.
AS an illustration of how deeply
the presidential knife is supposed
to have slashed, there are appar-
emily authentic reports that a con-
templated $115, 900, 900 expenditure
for flood control work was trim
med to $4,000, 900. Similar cuts
were said to have been made in
rivers and harbors projects.
Shortly after congress convenes.
1t will hear the Presidents annual
message on the state of the ma
ton. There are reports that the
PRESIDENT will devote a major share
OF this message, to be delivered in
person to a joint session at about
2 p. m. eastern Standard time) to
the need for strengthened national
oetenses i'll the light of turbulent
world conditions.
Ihere is speculation also that
the President may sound a call for
national unity and a soft-pedaling
OF partisan politics in the consid-
eratlon OF major domestic and for
elgn issues, so that this country
may present a united front in it-
eilorts to bring about world peace.
Ihere Is a possibility that the
PRESIDENT will send a supreme
court nomination to the senate
elther Wednesday or Thursday.
aiong with some diplomatic and
other nominations.
The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-01
SEASONS COOLEST
WEATHER EXPECTED
CONTINUED From Page One)

age is expected to be slight, but
cabbage, spinach and lettuce are
likely to be injured if the mercury
O e lower than rs degrees.
The lettuce roots are not as yet
we'll settled in the ground n II
the top soil freezes deeply the
crop will be killed entirely, accord
ing to J. P. Herring, county farm
agent at large.
In spite of the low temperatures,
the weather mar reported, the
cold has been drier than is the
usual case. The maximum percent
age of humidity in the atmosphere
yesterday was 79-an unusually
low figure. The humidity is ex-
pected to continue low throughout
today.