The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-29

i
| that must count their dragging and exhaustng
| days before Congress should again come to-
gether.
From March until December the slow hours
/ went by. What they brought TO Guest can be
/ quickly told. Hope had almost died out. Tho
4 fine dignity with which the colonel had borne
himself seemed TO break down He continued
| to live at Mrs. YafheripgfoE's. but he occupied
| 3 meaner room under the not where
sleep came 1nfrequentiy. It noticed that
he had more companions than in the winter,
/ aud that they were meaner. like his lodging.
/ There man with whom Guest seemed
/ particularly intimate. Mrs. Yatheringfon shook
1 her wise head when she saw the growing friend
/ ship between her ledger and Boylen, for Boylen
i was the kind of man 20 whom sink ing claimants
| cling. Boylen Solomons private secretary
Although Guest was almost pirfuly glad at
/ any ones companIonship. Baylen was strangely
/ persistent in keeping near aim The landlady
said 10 Guest one day:
| MIR. Boylen's hangin' reound yere right smart,
/ Colonel pears to me-"
/ Getting no answer, she went on with q con-
/ temptuous curl of her lips and toss OF her
| head. which old admirers were in the habit of
abiding to as the chief of her irresistible charms
| in the days of her Macon bellehood.
Il haven't any use for such trash
| why not2"
There was slight tone OF anger in Guests
/ voice, and there was wildress in his eye which
/ Mre. Yatherington had seen too often of late.
bah! There's no chivary bout him; he don't
/ pay po' woman the board he owes her"
fMaiam.' answered the colonel. with the in
/ tense gravity of who is called upon TO
i vindicate the claims of Friendships, Madam,
| Mr.. Boyien's my nearest frien' and he's GENT
man, madam IL he owes anything it's
/ oversight, and II you'll kindly give me tn mount
| I'll hquidafe his obligation"
| The coloners tongue tripod sadly over the
speech, which was the longest he had made to
| the kind soul for many day
Mrs. Yatherington famed herself little
| vigorously with her damp handkerchief, and
| said: New You, Colonel Guest you-nobody
wants yo' money. But that felers po' company
| for een1'msn. and | reckon he's done you too
much harm Already"
morning Guest himself, the landiady's
warning back to him, and with il came
the memory of train of incidents which
greatly magnihed by Mrs. Yatherineton's ad-
vice, and that now seemed to his refreshened
mind and conscience to be the significant feat
ures of his intercourse with Boylen. The truth
| is that the colonel was in state of mind which
made any companionshlp more agreeable to him
than his own. In the light of his good friends
warning he that he had been gradually
drifting into dangers which had not tempted
him when he first cane TO Washington, and
when he was sustained by the hope inspired by
his confidence in their friendship and power of
Solomon.
Boylen's apparently good-natured solicitude
for his welfare had been evil influence Reck-
1essness had come of hopelessness and bad COM
panionship, and yet Guest lad not wholly given
up, for recollection frightened him when he
thought of possible consequences. Only the
evening before, when he almost maudlin
he had weakly caught at q hint of Boylen's, and
the two went together to see Senator who hap
psned to be in town for cay two. Guest
had never met the distinguished man, who as
the tempter truly said. could do more for
against the bill than any other member of Con-
gress. In the clear light of the morning the
wretched msmery Of that unfortunate
visit haunted the colonel. and q great
fear overcame him he recalled the
Senator's surprise at the visit made so late
in the evening, the cold politeness with
which he received. the significant
suggestion that he had better call at another
time, the dancing lights and the hazy. trem-
bling outlines of the objects in the house. It
seemed absolutely essential th night before.
that he should see this Senator at once. 1t WAS
unnecessary for Boylen to urg him. His drunken
mind seized upon the first int imaJion and there
was rest for the poor victim until he obeyed
his wild fancy. He would have pulled the law
maker out OF bed rather than go home without
telling the tale of his wrongs and asking for
sistance. And now how was It'll He wished
that the earth might have swallowed him be-
fore fate pushed him through the Senator'S
open door. And then he recalled how Boylen
had taken pains to introduce him to many iDf1u-
entail men, when he had been drinking
than was good for him. how every introduction
had been accompanied by the information that
Colonel Guest sought to be restored to the
army, and with the request that the abilities
and position of the public might be exerted
in behalf of Mr.. Boylen's and Senator Solomon's
friend This assiduity in his behalf had
dearsd Boylen to Guest, but now it was evident,
however good might be the intentions of Solo
mons private secretary, that introductiors to
Senators might be made at fatal moments.
Thinking all these thoughts, Guest rushed off
to End Boyen, and he discovered that worthy
IN front of tho hotel whore most whisky is
men,
Ibid make an ass of myself last nightqp
were the first words that Guest spoke.
"When3"
"When we called on the Senator"
fsYou must be shaky.o
'.Come, tell me, Boylen fer Gods sake, tell
me. I'm gone. know I'm gone.D
See here. Guest. Are You going to be 3 mol
lycoddle9 Did you have any more in than
didl Do you suppose I'd q taken you to see old
Brief if / hadn't known hirn3 What do You
take me for, enpywayW
Tell me if he knew was drunk" pleaded
the colonel
AS ne stood there. rigid with excitement the
nails of his c1enched hand dug into the palms,
his face white and anxious, he would have
cited the pity of s'old Brief but Boylen only
laughed in pleasant, curling way he
squirted his tobacco juice hare and there. lean
ing the while against a colurnn of the balcony.
There wasn't better specimen of lazy dissolute,
self contentment in Washington than Boylen
'sLook here, Guest. don't you be fool" he
said. He showed himself away from the post,
which had maintained what uprightness he
possessed of, with his shoulder and pushed open
the hotel door just wide enough to permit him
TO see the white face Of the big hall clock.
"Its 10 o'clock. and I'm goin home to-day at
noon. Let's have goodbye drink"
mo. no; d--n the rum. It's been too much
for me already"
and he linked Guests arm in his own, saying
soo:hingly as he led him into the hotel
YOU'RE talkn' foolish, Old Teller. II you're
as bad that what am IL Youfe drinkin' won't
hurt you emmy more n mine will me. Bah! Old
Brief ill out-drink both of emmy day. and I
don't think he knew cared whether you was
full or not"
It was not easy for Boylen 20 persuade Guest
to take his first glass of liquor this morning.
but, after it down, it was not at all difficult
TO induce him TO go on, and, his old enemy
gradually stole away his brains. his spirits
and he passed out Of consciousness IN the happy
belle that any misfortune thet had befalisn MIN
could be easily remedied.
Where was Boylenq He had gone out
important errand- He WAS not too sober him
self, but his purpose well defined. and he
was shrewd enough to across the path of
Senator Brief as the latter was going TO his
luncheon. 1t was short interview. and not
very pleasant at the outset, the Senator telling
the young that he did thank him for
the disturbance that he and his friend created
his house the evening before. Boylen's manner
had changed the moment he quilted the hotel.
fnNa hah had in