Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1892-09-15

put- a. early 1s possible after break
fast next morning. I FASTENED 20 their
house. IL looked strangely unfamiliar.
The yard was neglected: a pan Of ashes
stood Just at the end of the portico. a
small boy was digging in the dirt under
the bay window: n fr0wSy-lookin-
INA with a mouth full OF clnthe<-
pins. was hanging out a washing on
lines stretched where the crUquet
grounds had once been. She looked
up a. I approached and seemed sur
prtsed to see a stranger
tan you tell me WHERE Z vii snd
Mr.. and Mrs Corliss- I inquired
The woman looked puzzled and
twisted one fngrr in a lock OF hair
back Of her ear.
"Corlisse Coriiss2 Wy. seems Z
me they usetuh Be folks lived N this
house b. that name. but I hain't shore
Stranger. bean't ye2~
! ! saw I could get no information
from the woman 50 I returned down
street
As I passed a saloon a dilapidated.
h~ollow-eyed. unshaven. seedy nan
came out Of the door. eursing between
his teeth glanced a. him and passed
on Presently a voice called. Billy
I looked around The seedy man
was approaching me with his band ex-
tended. a weak smile Of recognition on
his face. IL was Ben Corliss. and VIC
had hardly passed n greeting. and I had
had no time TO ask a question. when he
asked. pleadingly-
AAE.k.- g. EaVa -. -.- -.
buy ne a drink and some breakfast 7
haven't had a meal for three days but
I d have adrink first
Poor devil. An hour later. fed.
bathed. shaved and new clothed. with
Just enough whisky in him To
straighten him out. Ben sat in nv
room at the Eagle botel and told me
the whole pitiful story. stopping only
now and then 10 give way to the grief
hat not even 4 stronger maa than he
had ever been could contain. And here
il Is
1t wasn't-Br-sault II WIS all
mine-all-and I am only suffering for
my own sins. while she is happy. as
she deserves It isn't a long story
only the story Of what whisky and
hard luek-mostly whiSky-wnI bring
I man to-
1T began Just after you left First
II was one thing. then another. that let
me down and I dropped nearly az the
money | had left in that scheme.
Hank Fillmore and set on foot over
in the san Juan country. All this time
| wa d-inking-uot hard. but Just
enough to keep NV nerve up Then
come nor losses-I failed and every
thing | had went in the smash. except
the house and a few thousand I had IN
the bank I see. now, II / bad only
been q man and bad kept a stiff upper
Lip. that 7 could have Sxcd myself in
good shape again. but Il was too late.
Then The baby came and for awhile
] let whisky and cards alone snd tried
% be n but pretty soon I was az
II sgain- The baby died. and NV
Florencs nearly followed her. but I
kept on going 20 the devil
-One day l found my self soher-and
a pauPer. went ho ne hadn't been
there for 4 week. but Florence greeted
me with her usual kias and asked no
questions
After that. I went 70 work. aud be-
haved myself = little while. Then the
devil got hold Of me again. and when
came IN myself ft was worse than be-
fore. We were notified to vaczfe our
house-the house l had bailt-heeause
we were behind with a rent
Two weeks after thi. I came q, the
place we had known rs ahone-I had
found the money for the rent-t0 End
posted beside the door a plarard stat
ing that Furnished Rooms and Board
were 10 be had within. I burst into
the house and asked Florence - tell
me the meaning CT the sign \ stormy
scene followed-the storm coming all
from my side-which ended in nv leav-
ing b house in search Of work, tear
ing down the placard as I left. Down
town met 4 lar who paid me a few
dollars on an old debt I took the
money and went in c SIT a few hands
in a game Of poker I wen, and kept
on winning OF course I wouldn't
leave the table. At the end of twenty
four hours was two thousand ahead.
and left the game 70 get something TO
eat and go home.
After I had eaten. l resolved 70 70
back and see IL I couldn't win some
more with an extra fifty I had went
in ~again-and lost ali | had Then of
course. I got drunk
1T was n week from the time I left
home beforc-I returned The plaeard
was Ia its former place. and a WHIT