Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-09-10
A BREATuER OF ETHER.

or ether.
Of disposition prone to excuses of all
kinds, suddenly possessed of the power to
indulge them all, it took but few years
for him to make ruin of himself physical
ly, mentally and morally. Intozi cants of
every kind had so devoured his BODY that
they became necessary to his case. Under
the influence of absinthe, benumbered by
the fumes of opium, he was content; but
without them he suffered torture.
Opium and absinthe were not given up
when he took to breathing ether. They
made him numb; it made him merry.
When he first breaihed the laughing
fumes he was sitting by the window of
his favorite club. There was cottonwood
tree just bevond the pavement, and as the
gas took effect, every leaf began to move,
to roll up and up, until each was as slender
as a pine needle; and, at the same time
the tree receded, and receded. until it was
nothing but little patch Of dancing
green far, far away. The street seemed
to be eyer becoming wider, while the men
aud horses and carriages in it were lillipu-
tian and ever dancing and flittering.
"Ha! hal Clifford laughed again and
again, until the street began to grow mar
rover. the men, horses and cabs to get
larger, until the cottonwood came back to
its place beyond the pavement, and he felt
sicker and more weary than ever before.
1t was tiresome life. Never without
pain, never free from the languor and the
stagnation of an almfess existence, except
when his whole physical nature was
strained to its utmost to expell the intoxl-
CAMS he took. He was wearied hey ond
measure. There were no pleasures. He
had exhausted them all. Had he not been
a drunkard, an opium eater, breather of
ether, there would have been healthy
reaction; but activity now seemed impos
sible. He had consumed his vital-powers
too far in advance.
Clifford had apartments in a fashion
able family hotel. They were for his wife
for he passed days without going near
them. She was, so far as mind was con-
cerned, an inferior woman, whom he had
married when he had yet to toll for his
and her bread. His later course of life
had made him as impotent in mind and
soul as in body, and he no longer loved !;
but she, pure and simple, still worshiped
at his polluted shrine.
She had often besought him with fee
bic earnestness not to leave her alone, not
to ruin himself with intoxicants, but he
only loathed her, and so strongly that one
night when she put out her arms to him
he struck her to the floor.
There she lay just beneath the chan
dclier, and the light streamed down over
her face, showing a long bruise across her
temple.
The something with which Clifford had
was-dropped to the floor. 1t startled
h Tho offocf Of tho infovioaptC, ,acco6
rapidly away, and he realized what he had
done. Bending over, lie looked into her
face. She was dead. He was sure of it,
around to see If any one saw. 1t was very
still. ana he heard the ticking of the clock
1t struck the hour-two short, quick
strokes. Murder" it said in silver
tones. 1t was a mockery to speak that
word so n.errily. Clifford shuddered and
fed into the street.
1t was very late. There was no one in
sight but a cabman, who shouted "Cab,
sir?" as Clifford rushed by. On he went,
not knowing or caring where. He met an
occasional pedestrian. There was no life
in the great buildings, except in two news
paper offices, whose top stories were BEAM
ing with light. Clifford hurried on
throus h the brilliant deserted streets until
he was ready to drop from exhaustion.
Where should he go? Anywhere but
to those accursed rooms where lay his dead
wife
Without having Intentionally directed
his steps three he found himself before a
stairway leading to an artist friends
studio. He knew that when his crime was
discovered this studio would be the first
place searched for him. He did not care
for that. Besides, there was ether there,
and under its influence he could laugh and
dream, and forget his misery.
Up the stairway and along the hall he
tottered, trembling in every limb. Having
constant admittagce to the studio, he had
a key. Unlocking toe door, he went in
There was fire burning in the CRATE.
There was ether-pIenty of ton the
mantel. He placed the vessel on small
table in front of the fire. sank into big
cnair and put his feet on the fender.
Oh how much of these mirthfui fumes
he breathed, and how rapidly! He forgot
his crime. He began to laugh. There
was the fire before him with his feet be-
tween him and it. They all began to re-
cede from him and dance about in tn"
funniest way. His feet soon seemed to be
separated from bis body, and they bowed
to each other. They seemed to be little
beings who could move and speak. And
Clifford laughed or thought he laughed,
unit! the room rang.
He was asleep now. but during the short
period of Inconsistencies strange visions
were dancing in his brain.
There were the two little beings always
betn cen him and the fire. One had
comical, bloated face, with eyes that stuck
cut and nose that was very red. The
other was shadowy. Clifford could see
the Goals and the bars of The CRATE right
through him. Yet, strange it was, that
red and grinning face that made him
laugh, and that ghostly one that awed
him, looked very much alike. He could
not understand it. He could even hear
them talking.
You did It," chartered The comical little
chap, every feature so distorted with fear
and rage that Clifford he laughed immod-
eratelA but he was asleep and very, very
still.
You did it shouted the little redfaced
man again and again. You look sanity,
but you are deviish. You drove me to it.
Am | to blame? Would have done it if
you had been pure? Not ]; but you are the
leader. What am | but flesh and blood /?
What am | but clay, to be nodded as you
will? You should be the better part, but
you are devlish. | am not to blame"
But the little mans chattering ceased
when shadowy arm stretched out over
the heap between them, and a low voice
said:
''Yonr face was not always bloated and
red. You were not always weak. Once
you were white and strong. | led you In
to no evil then. You have not needed my
Nhisne1ed Wy nos Ynn have drounl.d