The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1873-08-14
Is.r,,....l I.,,. Esmoyoo cra,., q. ,, h,cck

III A""SA A<o"'"y "SN'Sps Wv" w
his house, or, rather, the rude log
cabin which was a s,,rt Of hostage
that one day a real home shonld
rise on its foundations, holding
the fiat bottle close to him and
glanciI.g round with furfivc, wan-
doring eyes. msn giil boa t5rbr
II needed it," lie said TO him.
self; "ycs,I needed i, l 1didn't
know how much until | tasted,it
just one more taste.t 1t clips over
ones palate like glass, 40 smooth,
80 rich, so full Of strength. One
more taste, and then ~ ,7' y
When the clock struck nine the
whistle of the way train sounded
Faint aud far off, aud Israel Es-
-,nayne rose uncertainty to his
feet. The subtle, burning fumes
of the liquid flame had entered
into his brain; the walls seemed
to reel about q liim, the stars to
swim in the great blue tirmanent
overhead. Notling wac real all
was faint aud far off and visionary
But the chains ofl,abit are hard
to shake off: and Israel bad gone
out at nine O'Clock every night for
a year. Cropping his way, and
walking with slow, unsteady stcps,
lac went, still CLASP ing the partial
" emptied flask to his breast in
the inner pocket Of HE coat.
Tic could hear tho rush of tl,e
river below; ho,, could see the
rails of the track elistening in the
faint starlight; and mechanically
feeling nnder a cluster Of spice
bushes for the switch key, he
knelt down and stupidity fumbled
there an instant. q rul m
The way train" he muttered
to himself. ''lt's all right. And
then the freight train half past
nine-a quarter TO ten; and r
lie stopped down by the river
house and wet his burning fore
head with the cool drops he could
scoop out with the hollow Of his
hand. lie sat down on fallen
tree, and let his head fall OIL his
palms. iH i'eil
"Am I-drumk!" he muttcred,
half aloud. 40 God! lave I
come to tbs in spite Of every
thing -
And the memory Of Dorothy
Beers aud Lis sacred promise to
hcr rose up in his mind, as one
sometimes remembers promises
made to the dead. In all the wild,
wide, rceling, rocking world Of
his brain there was but one Ger
iaiuty. Ilo had lost Dorothy, his
soit-stoppins, sweet eyed, redeem
ing angel the one in all the world
who loved and trusted him most
implicitly. ,fl n
Il don't deserve her. he thought,
scarce able to shape definite
thought in his chaotic mind; 4" but
If l had fallen down dead De-
fore - before l touched that ac--
cursed stuff! She would have be-
lievod in me them" it.,
70 The fresh, cool night air on his
brow was Soldering him little;
tho touch Of the cold river water
cleared the misis If his clouded
brain in somo degree. IIo rise
up, steadying himself by the slen.
der stem Of q young white birch
tree, that grew close beside him,
and luoksd around. oHi
uarkl n clear whis,lc, half 4
mile away, cleaving the silence
like the call OF como swcct.throat.
ed bird haoo8v 3 To- .iia,7a
1t was tlIe express, whose plume
Of Iurid smoke 'spauned halt a
continent-thet long,serpent-iike
train, glittering with lights, and
carrying "a great eye ,of ,fre In
front, wl,icls tbundercd over tile
line Of rails, and shot like 4 me-
teor out ofsight into the hush and
silence Of the woods. Westw ard
bound. .jr1s.s,OSrW 10 rel yuT
The way train passed at nine,
making brief stoppagc at Hurst-
ley station beyond, q mere wood
en- shed with a platform on either
side. Half an hour afterward d
slow and heavy freight train, fol-
lowed it, running off on a side
track toward the river,shore until
the express should have safely
passed. And it was the special
business OF Israel Esmavne to set
the switch for the freight, aud sub
sequently replace 1t Tor tho hur-
rying express. .n.nr fh'd
Had lie done this =
With an awful doubt poisoning
II