davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Arkansas State press., 1942-06-26

Could he trust her? How much
could he tell hertz Would she
act with him, blindly, believing
his word?
Come on. Let's get dressed
and go out and get something to
drink" she said.
20. X" "You amt acting like
you always act tonight"
IL got something ON my mind"
"Caa't you tell me?" | don't
know"
"DaA't you trust me?' Sure
Then why don't you tell me-"
lie did not answer. Her voice
had come in a whisper, a whisper
he had heard many times when
SIZE wanted something badly. 1t
brought to him a full sense Of her
life, what he had been thinking
and feeling when he had placed
his hand upon her shoulder, The
same deep realization he had that
morning a. home at the breakfast
table while watching Vera and
Buddy and his mother came back
to him; onl yit was Bessie he
was looking at now and seeing
how blind she was. He felt the
narrow orbit of her life; from her
room to the kitchen Of the white
floks was the farthest she ever
moved. She worked long hours,
hard, and hot hours seven days
week, with only Sunday afternoons
eff, and when she did get Dtf
she wanted fun, hard and fast
fun, some hing to make her feel
that she was making up for the
starved life she led 1t was her
hankering for sensation that he
liked about her. Most nights
she was too tired to GO out, she
only wanted to get drunk. She
wanted liquor and he wanted her.
He would give her the liquor and
she would give him herself. He
had heard her complain about
how nard the white folk worked
her; she had told him over and
over again that she lived their
lives when she was working in
their homes, not her own. That
was why, she told him, she drank
He knew why she liked him; he
gave her money for drinks. He
knew that if he had not given it
to her someone else would, she
would see to that. Bessie, too,
was very blind. What ought he
tell her? She might come in
just handy. Then he realized
that whatever he chose to tell
her ought not to be anything
that would make her feel in any
Arkansas State press., 1942-06-26
Unique Rally
Planned

1t has been announced that
there will be a Hog Killing
Rally held at the First Baptist
Church, 9th and Calhoun SITS. on
Sunday afternoon. June IS at 2:30
p. m. Rev. ]. l.. Mcbride is pastor
and Sister Rosie Modem, presi-
dent. The public is cordially ia
vited to attend.
Arkansas State press., 1942-06-26
"NatiVe Son"
BY Richard Wright

and then tried to get money from
the toy's family.
=, by sending notes to them
Bigger was not listening. The
world Of sound fell abruptly away
from him and a vast picture APP
peared before his eyes, a picture
teeming with SO much meaning
that he could not react 20 it all at
once. He lay, his eyes unblink-
ing, his heart pounding, his lips
slightly open, his breath coming
and going so softly that it SEEM
ed he was no. breathing at all
you remember them aw you amt
even listening. He said nothing,
how come you won't listen when |
talk to you. Why could he, why
could he not, not send letter to
the Daltons, asking for money?
Bigger He sat up in bed, staring
into the darkness. What's the
matter honey. He could ask for
ten thousand, or maybe twenty.
Bigger what's the matter I'm
talking to you He did not answer;
his nerves were taut with the
hard effort to remember some
thing. Now Yes, Loeb and Leo
pold had planned to have the faith
er of the murdered hoy get on a
train and throw the money out
Of the window while passing some
! spot, He leaped from bed and
4 stood in the middle of the floor
Bigger He could, yes he could
have them pack the money in a
shoe box and have them throw it
out Of car somewhere on the
South Side. He looked round in
/ the darkness, feeling Bessie's
/ fingers on his arm. He came to
himself and sighed. "What's the
matter honey?' she asked. 4.
"Hunh?"
"What's on your mind? Moth
ing, Come and tell me. You
Worried"
"Naw, nav. ;" Now, l told
you what was on my mind, but
you won't tell me what's on yours
That amt fair"
81 just forgot something,
that's ALL"
THAT amt what you was
thinking about" she said,
He sat back on the bed, feeling
his scalp Jingle with excitement.
Could he do it? This was what
had been missing and this was
what could make the thing COM
plete. But this thing was 80 big
he would have to take time and
think it over carefully,
"Honey, tell me where you get
that money!"
What money!" he answered in a
tone of feigled surprise.
cav, Bigger. | know, some
things wrong. You worried. You
got something on your mind. /
can tell it,
"Ycu want me to make up
something to tell you?"
"All right, if that's the way
you feel about it." saw Bessie"
''You didn't have to come here
| tonight" MAYBE | shouldn't
! have come"
you don't have to come no
more" Don't you love me?"
"Ahut as much as you love
me-" "How much is that?"
"You ought to know"
saw, let's stop fussing," he
said.
+ He felt the bed sag gently and
heard the bed cover rustling as
( she pulled them over her. He
| turned his head and stared at the
dim whites Of her eyes in the
/ darkness. Maybe, yes, maybe he
could, maybe he could use her. He
leaned and stretched himself on
d tie bed beside her; she did not
I move. He put his hand upon her
shoulder, pressing it just softly
enough to let her know that he
was thinking about her. His
/ mind tried to grasp and eneom-
pass as much of her life as 1t
could. tried to understand and
weigh it in relation to his own, as
| his hand rested On her shoulder,
Arkansas State press., 1942-06-26

arm HlttHg aHDNe HIS mead ana n
heard the click rs the light went
out. He kissed her again, hard.
"Bessie?' "Hunh?' "Comc on,
honey
They were still a moment long
ef; then she rose. He waited.
He heard her clothes rustling in
the darkness; she was undressing.
He got up and began to undress
Gradually lie began to see in the
darkness; she was en- the other
side Of the bed, her presence like
a shadow in the denscr darkness
surrounding her. He heard tie
bed creuk as she lay down. He
went 10 her, folding her in his
arms, mumbling. "Gee kid"
He felt two soft palms holding
his face tenderly and the thought
and image Of the whole blind
world which had made him asham
ed and afraid fell away as he felt
her as a fallaW field beneath him
stretching out under a cloudy sky
waiting for rain, and he floatec
on a wild tide, rising and sink
ing with the ubb and flow of
her blood, being willingly dragged
into a warm night sea to rise re-
newed to the surface to face a
world he hated and wanted to
blot out Of existence clinging
close to a fountain whose warm
waters washed and cleaned his
sense, cooled them, made them
strong and keen again to see and
smell and touch and taste and
hear, cleared IT, EN- to end the
tiredness and to roforge in him
new sense Of time and space-af-
ter he had been tossed to dry up
On a warm sunlit rock under a
white sky he lifted his hand slow
ly ard heavily and touched Bes-
sizes lips with his fingers and
mumtlcd. Gee kid" digger"
He took his hand away and re-
Taxed. He did nc feel that he
wanted to step forth and resume
where he had left off living; not
just yet He was lying at the
bottom Of a deep dark pi5 upon
a pallet of warm wet straw and
mt the top of the pit he could see
the cold blue Of the dis ant sky.
Some hand had reached inside Of
him and had laid a quiet finger
Of peace upon the restless tossing
of his spirit and had made him
feel that he did not need to long
for a home now. Then like the
long Withdrawing sourd Of a re-
c-diug wave, the sense Of night
and sea and warmth went from
him and he lay in the darkness
gazing with vacant eyes at the
shadowy ceiling, hearing his and
her breathing.
"Bipgcr?" "Hunh" You like
your job Yeah, why 81 just
asked"
"Y,u swell, You mean that"
"Sure' Where you working? ?"
"Ovor on Drexel. Where" an
the 1900 block. Oh WHAT"
"Ncthing." "But, what. Oh, |
happen to think of something"
"Tell me, what is it, 1t amt
nothing. Bigger, honey"
What did she mean by asking
all these questions? He wonder
cd if she had detected anything
in him. Then he wondered if he
were not letting fear get the bet
ter Of him by thinking always
in terms # Mary and her having
been smothered and burnt. But
he wanted to know why she had
asked where he worked.
"Come on, honey. Tell me what
You thinking"
at amt nothing much, Bigger.
| used to work over in that sec
ton not far from where the
Loeb folks lived" "Loeb?"
"Yeah. One Of the families of
one Of the boys that killed that
Franks hoy Remember" "Naw,
what you meant"
"You remember hearing people
talk about Loeb and Leopold"
"oh"l
"The ones who killed the boy
Arkansas State press., 1942-06-26
Chapter Is

Chapter Is
Nobody. swear. | been work
ing, And | been thinking hard
about you, | been missing you.
Listen, | got a room all my own
where I'm working, Some nights
you can stay there with me, see!
Gee, | been missing you awful,
honey. Soon's | got time | came
light over
He stood looking at her in the
dim light of the room. She was
teasing him and he liked it. Az
least It took him away from that
terrible image of Mary's head
lying on the bloody newspaper.
lie wanted to kiss her again, but
deep down he did not really mind
Ter standing off from hin, it
made him hungel more ksenly
for her. She was looking at him
wistfully, half-leaning against a
wall, her hands on her hips. Then
suddenly he knew how to draw
her cut, te drive from her mind
all thought of her teasing him.
He reached into his pocket and
drew forth the roll Of bills. Smil-
ing, he held it in his palm and
spoke as though to himself.
"Well, | reckon somebody else
might like this if you don't" She
came a step forward. Bigger.
Geel Where you get all that
money FROM" Wouldn't you
like 70 know?' GLOW much is
It" "What you care?"
She came to his side. "How
much is It, really ?"
"What you want to know for?"
"Lct me see it. I'll give it back to
you.'
'I'll let you see it. but it'll
have to stay in my hand, see?"
He watched the expression Of
coyness on her face change to
one of amazement as she counted
the bills.
Lord, Bigger where you get
this money FROM"
"Wouldn't you like TO know"
he said, slipping his arm about
her waist.
as it yours?" "What in hell
you reckon I'm doing with it2"
"Tell me where you get it from
honey "You going to be sweet
to met"
He felt Ter body growing grad
ually less stiff; but her eyes were
searching his face.
"You aim, got into nothing, is
you?" you going to be sweet
to me?"
ooh Bigger" "kiss me, honey"
He felt her relax completely,
he kissed her and she drew him
to the bed. They sat down, Gent
ly, she took the money from mis-
hand.
"How much is it," he asked.
"Don'5 You know" "Naw.'
didn't you count it? Nav"
"Bigger, where you get this
money from?"
"Maybe III tell you some day
he said, leaning hack and resting
his head on the pillow. "You into
something" "How much is there"
"But, Bigger, where you get
this money from?" "What do
that natter"
"You going 10 buy me some
thing?" Sure" "What?" Any
thing you want
They were silent for a moment,
Finally, his arm about her waist
felt her body relax into a soft
ness he knew and wanted. She
rested her head on the pillow he
put the money in his pocket and
leaned over her.
Gee ,hney, I been wanting
you bad" "For real? Honest to
Cod.
He leaned over her, full Of desire
and lowered his head to hers and
Kissed her, When he took Isis
lips away for breath he heard
her say:
Don't stay away so long from
me, hear, honcy?" al won't"
"You love me? Sure" He
kissed hnr apain and he felt her
Arkansas State press., 1942-06-26

Here's Good News for the Thousands of Women
asked for these recipes the Cooking Schools and for the
thousands who weren't able to
all America experienced cooks alike
the inforna
Arkansas State press., 1942-06-26

SUBSCRIBE TO THE STATE
PRESS TODAY ONLY $500
PER YEAR BY MAIL.
Arkansas State press., 1942-06-26
A New World of Peace and Freedom Must
Follow the Close of the Wharf.-The
Democratic South Must Give up the Old
Oder of Things.
BY Emmett ]. Scott

WASHINGTON, d. {. From far oil China comes TINS
thoughtful challenging word from Madame Chiang MAJ
Shek wife of the Chinese Generassimo upon the oceas
ion marking the twenty fifth anniversary OF her gradoa
ton from Wellesley College: ,
Wars can only be prevented If our world society
be 60 constituted that all races are gwen eua oppof
tuity to develop their native genius not hampered but
aded by stronger and more advanced races II Is
paladoxcal but true that nations like individuals can
only permanently enjoy privileges and right II they are
willing to share them with others If they attempt
to reserve them solely for themselves they will lose them
Further Madame kai Shek declared that eXplota-
cn iperiasnh and all other anachronsms OF our pres
emf world society must be swept out OF existence lNa'
after victory over Axis enemies our world system
must be enlrey altered that we must all be Tree peoples
and that nations, strong or weak, must dea larry aha
sauarels with each other.
Chinese Suffering Crucixions ed upon here America " o
Fer support IF these convic-ap0u sHe pu u 60 i
tons, and her hopes for changed "a fa horo ascrbed
Pos.".. .u,uoa sha that our dsadvanaged and un
said to stand hard and fast against aerPtiFse' Sup 4
the Japanese, and have suffered ieSh courage " " ~
.-,.,,;x;ms because of their faith ahead.
tnst the aemoei"eee ~ " With all the sweat, blood an
cpe ale bring in existence - ~ to;r,, nonred out an
world of and free . - onea out in increasn
dom, and equality in which we , b soldiers and civilian
oil may live with degree Of rara in the war efor
prosperity and happiness there but little or reaxato
-. .u.ou,,.hr 10 call Of racial determinations and pre-
Evening star., 1942-02-16
sBut vhy didn't Mother and Dad

But why didn't Mother and Dad
tell us about it?"
"That I can't say. I suppose It
was more q matter Of pride than
anything else. And you can bet your
last dollar that If I'd known about
it in time I'd never have come DASH
ing up here the first time Uncle
Jarvis condescended to invite U.s."
But why did he invite us?" asked
Mia. Especially after all those
years?"
Mia Questions Story.
TT seems to me that his motive
was . pretty selfish one" declared
Lee. According to Peyton, DR..
Sherwood had sold Jarvis on the
idea that harboring III will was fatal
to mental health-it festered In the
mind, or something like that. So he
probably decided that he'd have us
up here and make q grand gesture
of reconcilation-"
HE told me he wanted to see us
after lunch," Mia remembered.
That's what he told me, too,
when I went in to see him." Lee
avered. Look, Mia, you've got to
believe me. I just knocked on his
door and went in. He was standing
over by his desk reading a letter.
He hadn't even taken of his riding
coat. I told him I wanted to see
him-that there was a matter I
thought ought to be cleared up. He
said that he wanted to have q talk
with me, too, but that he was 60
ing to be busy all morning and
asked II I'd drop in with you after
lunch. I didn't want to antagonize
him, so I said I would, and left.
That's all there was to 1t, Mia.
You've got to believe mel"
Mia wanted to believe him. There
was nothing in the world she wanted
more. And yet, why hadn't Lee told
her about the interview with Jarvis
at once? And why was he so OBJ
v1ously Ill at ease now, as if some
thing still untold were troubling his
mind? Resolutely she brushed the
harassing questions from her mind
IN favor Of new line of thought.
"Lee," she asked tentatively, has
it occurred to you that Bruce Pey-
ton may have had an ulterior mo-
tive In telling you that story about
Dads quarrel with Uncle Jarvis?"
Hes a pretty fishy customer"
admitted Lee, but I don't quite
see"
We'll, look at it this way" Mia
said. Suppose that Bruce Peyton
hasn't been entirely honest in
handling uncle's affairs. Suppose
he's been embezzling money, or
something like that. Uncle Jarvis
might have been on the point of
finding it out. Isn't it possible that
Mr.. Peyton might have committed
the murder himself, telling you the
story in the meantime, so that he
could throw suspicion on you be-
Evening star., 1942-02-16

mot If you don't want me TO-"
said Derek. II prefer you to the
police any day." Suddenly he aban-
doned his half-mocking tone. He
moved a little closer toward her on
the couch so that their arms
touched. His hand closed warmly
over her own.
Il never thought that I'd find you
in a place like this, little Mia" he
said. You must know that I'd do
anything in the world to help you"
Looking up into his eyes, Mia
knew that what he said was true.
She had always thought that when
love came to her it would come
amid flowers and spring winds. She
had never dreamed that she would
recognize it first with storm beat
ing outside the windows and an un-
solved murder lowering like a dark
question in the background.
Impulsively, she said, "Oh, you're
kind"
Derek laughed q little at that.
Il hope ! can do better than that, 3"
he said. He leaned over toward
her, his lips seeking hers, Sud-
denly he remembered Mr.. Wether-
fether and Strengthened abruptly.
1.-The sheriff." he said with re-
turning practically, may want one
of us for questioning at any mo-
ment. 1t might be wise for you to
warn your brother"
Eyes, I did go to Uncle Jarvis
room," Lee admitted after Mia had
confronted him with what she knew.
But don't 60 jumping to any con-
Evening star., 1942-02-16
Sis. I didn't Kin hin" /"

cludons. SIS. I didn't kin him" |"
"Then why didn't you tell the
sheriff you had been theref"
Because there was no use put
ting my neck in the noose," Lee
answered. "You see, we both have
beautiful motive for homicide. I"
"But that's impossible" cried Mia.
ut wasn't our quarrel. We didn't
even know what It was all about" /"
"Just try making that bleak-eyed
sheriff believe that. Besides"
Lee hesitated, then plunged on:
Wis and dad quarreled I knew
before 7 went to see Jarvis this
morning. And Bruce Peyton knows
that I knew"
Bruce Peyton? But how?"
The Quarrel Explained.
"He was the one who told me. !"
Lees lips curved into q wry line.
"He made 1t his business to ride
beside me this morning. He was
uncle's confidential lawyer, you
know. I don't suppose there was
anything he didn't know about his
affairs. And he made a point this
morning Of telling me the whole
story"
What was it?" Mia asked.
Lee answered her question by ask.
ing another. do you remember
the way Uncle Jarvis acted when
he saw you coming In the door last
night?"
"Why, yes. He seemed sort Of
startled, as II I were-well, . ghost
or something"
~You know you're almost the ex-
act image Of mother. Every one
has always said So"
II know. But what has that to
do"
"Just this" said Lee swiftly. AT
one time mother was engaged to
Uncle Jarvis"
But I still don't see"
"You WILL" promised Lee There
was to have been big wedding
Peyton told me that Jarvis always
liked lot Of display in those days
Every one who was anybody was
invited. There had been q lot Of
publicity in the papers. And then,
just on the eve Of the wedding,
mother and dad eloped, leaving Jar
Wis standing at the church door, so
to speak"
And Jarvis harbored the grudge
all these years?"
Worse than that. He had Dad
fired out of the firm. And every
time Dad tried to get start in any,
thing else Jarvis was lowering some
where in the background to block his
efforts. You remember what a hard
time we had to get along when we
were youngsters. Well, that was
why. And that was why we had to
move out Of the State flnally-to get
out of the range Of Jarvis Thorpe's
influence"
Evening star., 1942-02-16

upright in high-backed Jacopean'
chair near the door. He had slim,
pocket-size volume open in his hand,
but he did not seem to be reading 1t.
Mas gaze followed Derek's. Then
her eyes swept back to his face. But
Lee may have had perfectly good
reason for going into my mcle's
ROOM" she said with an effort at
calmness.
"Oi course said Derek. But if he
had, why didn't he admit it openly?
If for no other reason, it would
help them fix the time OF the muir
der a little more closely"
Murder" Mia shivered at the
words in spite of herself. Almost as
if she were thinking aloud, she said
in a frightened tone, Lee has a
dreadful temper. They used to tease
him about it at school. Oh, he's very
generous afterward. He gets
ashamed of himself, you know. But
when he gets in one Of his blind
RACES he" She checked herself.
mo, not murder. I'm sure that no
matter how provoked he was he'd
never kill any one"
Her last words were uttered al
most in a whisper through white
lips.
I'm not suggesting that he did.
Only if I saw him going into
Thorpe's room there's always
chance that some one else might
have seen him leaving. Some one
who would feel that it was his duty
to tell the sheriff"
Then you aren't going to tell
him?" asked Mia, seizing with fem
mine directness on the problem
nearest at hand.
Evening star., 1942-02-16
cause Of the motive he'd very clev.
erlv s,1nrliad Suoa, v,ifI, ~

cause Of the motive he'd very clev-
erly supplied you WITH"
That" said Lee, ''is . flight Of
conjecture that probably has no
basis IN reality. And yet, now that
you mention 1t, Peyton was watch
ing my reactions pretty closely this
morning. had an idea at the time
that he was trying to get me angry,
but I tried not to let him know that
he had succeeded"
Which was all very interesting,
thought Mr.. Wetherfether, from his
point of vantage, by the door. He
was very glad indeed that he had
taken that course in lip reading
that had been suggested in the Cor
reSpondence Course In Detection
which he had taken after Sheriff
Hazard had appointed him deputy.
Because some Of these smart city
people were going to discover that
even though he had been sitting
well out of earshot, he hadn't missed
a word that had been said in the
room all afternoon.
tccpyright, 1e41, Chicago Daily News, incl
Continued tomorrow
Mrs. Castleton's jewelry brings
up another angle IN the case.
Evening star., 1942-02-16
Red Cross Benefit

To raise funds to pay for Red
Cross medical supplies sent to Pear
'Harbor since the Japanese attack
women Of the Berwyn Md0 cleo
ton district will present q stage
show in the Berwyn School Satur-
day night.
Mrs. Carl Hoffman, is in charge
assisted by Mrs. r. Murray Kleiner
Evening star., 1942-02-16
Cite aftair @SS,s Ss,e,
at lhprpe 1ooge Aiefs

The story thus far The tabuously 0ealhy Jan Thorpe
holds meeting OF his extensive c1n hoOn0
them to party his huge lodge in the country His
bride the former colunts Pauline Py IS 1ory
charged ith oebodng before
the strange and sudden death Of Jarvis Thorpe onstoy rom
poisoning contracted hie his room MtG ana Lee
Jars and latecoers to the porU
totally the dark regarding most sides OF the oDG out
romantic interest pretty Noel Mota secretary Paln
defends from the boorh attentions OF Jap aDyer Bruce
Sheriff business partner Timothy
at bitter ODDS regordtn1
pending million transaction Mia learns from Derek knooe
entering JarDis shortly be-
the old mans death discoDered.
Evening star., 1942-02-16
CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER
Mas face You're 1t my
broher?" she asked, painfully
somehow convincing But look here
dontet yourself disaught old puss Will be
descending talk this over
Wetherether, who sitting stiy
Evening star., 1942-02-16

2or jar At all stores selling toilet goods
~ (also in 1Oc and Soc jars)
Evening star., 1942-02-16

Mrs. Castleton's jewelry brings
up another angle in the case.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-26
OIL SHORTAGE IN
 MASS. IS FEARED

Boston. Dec. 26-(UP)-Massa~ chusetts faces the possibility of an- other fuel oil shortage Monday.
 The reserve supplies in the tanks of major distributors were nearly ex- hausted today and c failure of large kerosene shipments to arrive aggras vated matters. Coupled with this, the weather bureau predicted colder weather with snow or rain for today.
 State Fuel Conservator Thomas r. Sullivan said there were sufficient stocks to tide Massachusetts over the week-end
 Many range oil peddlers gave up their holiday to make day-long de- liveries. Sufficient supplies and warm temperatures prevented any suffering by Boston residents and police said they had no reports Of cold homes or ttncooked turkeys be- cause of lack of fuel oil.
 New England is consuming oil faster than its daily receipts, oil offi- cials said, and at the present rate will reach the bottom of storage tanks in January. oil coupons val- dated for the third period Monday arte 10 days in advance of the pros scribed date.