The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-09-23
deepseated antipatby to writing let

The night l reached De Leon it was
too late to call on Ben and his wife,
but. as early as possible after break
fast next morning, I fastened to their
house. 1t looked strangely unfamiliar.
stood just at the end of the portico: a
small boy was digging in the dirt under
the bay window: a frowsy-iooking
woman, with mouth full of clothes
pins, was hanging out a washing on
| lines stretched where the croGuet
grounds had once been. She looked
up as I approached. and seemed sur
| prised to see stranger.
Can you tell me where I will find
Mr.. and Mrs Corliss?" inquired.
The woman looked puzzled. snd
| twisted one finger in lock Of hair
back of her ear.
"Corliss? Corlisso Wy. seems e
me they usetuh be folks lived in this
house b. that name, but hain't shore.
Stranger, bean't YEP"
/ saw l could get no information
from the woman, SO l returned down
street.
As / passed saloon dilapidated,
hollow-eyed, unshaven, seedy man
came out of the door, cursing between
his teeth. glanced at him and passed
on. Presently voice called: Billy"
/ looked around. The seedy man
was approaching me with his hand ex-
tended, a weak smile of recognition on
his face. 1t was Ben Oorliss, and we
had hardly passed greeting, and had
had no time to ask question, when he
asked, pleadinglv:
"Faber, for Gods sake won't you
buy noe drink and some breakfast? 1
haven't had meal for three days, but
/ must have drink first"
Poor devil! An hour later, fed,
bathe6, shaved and new clothed, with
just enough whisky in him to-
straighten him out. Ben sat in my
room at the Eagle hotel and told me
the whole pitiful story, stopping only
now and then to give way to the grief
that not even a stronger man than he
had ever been could con tain. And here
1t is:
ut wasn't-her-fault. It was all
1NlnC-dh- gill oHiy cbAVIiHS III
my own sins, while she is happy, as
she deserves. 1t isn't long story
only the story of what whisky and
hard luck-mostly whisky-will bring
a man to.
at began just after you left First
it was one thing, then another. that let
me down and / dropped nearly all the
hnl 1oFf hot sol
Hank Film ore and ] set on foot over
in the San Juan country. All this time
l was drinking-not hard, but just
enough to keep my nerve up. Then
come more losses-I failed and every
thing I had went in the smash, except
the house and a few thousand l had in
the bank. ! see, now, if | had only
been man and had kept stiff upper
lip, that / could have fixed myself in
good shape again. but it was too late.
Then the baby came and for awhile
] let whisky and cards alone and tried
TO be man. but pretty soon I was at
it again. The baby died, and my
Florence nearly followed her, but
kept on going to the devil.
lone day found myself sober-and
a pauper. / went home. hadn't been
there for week, but Florence greeted
me with her usual kiss, and asked no
questions.
After that, went to work, and be-
haved myself little while. Then the
devil got hold of me again, and when
came to myself it was worse than be-
fore. We were notified to vacate our
house-the house | had built-because
we were behind with our rent.
Two weeks after this / came to the
place we had known as 'home'-I had
found the money for the rent-to find
posted beside the door a placard stat
ing that Furnished Rooms and Board
were to be had within. / burst into