Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-12-14

the drug without being sick enough t,
have a doctors prescription for it
we should have trouble getting it.
We might visit a dozen drug stores
talk persuasively with a dozen dru:
clerks, see a dozen proprietors, ant
yet come away without a drop or ;
grain of morphine.
Morphine would be the hardest thin:
in the world to get. But if we wer,
posted" as the saying is, getting i
would be an easy task, and within
five minutes we could have as mucl
or as little as our curiosity prompted
us to take
But where? And how?
'Well, if the morphine curiosity eve
SEXES you, look carefully among YOU
acquaintance and find one who look:
queer" about the eyes. Notice if thu
pupils of your friends eyes are con
tracted. Notice if he or she avoids thu
light. Watch to see if there are fit:
of dependency, which change in hal
a second by some mysterious process
to great joy-even hilarity. Look fol
drowSineSS at unexpected times an(
symptoms Of fiightiness, without a yer!
strong regard for the truth in CONVEX
sation. In short, search your acquaint
anceS for some one who is queer,
and then, if the eye test holds good
make up your mind that you hav,
found a morphine fiend and proceed
with confidence.
Some day when you meet your frien(
you may casually remark, II am feel
ing very blue today. I wish I knew
where [ could get a little gun of NOR
phine."
And your rr1end-unless you hav.
made a wOeful mistake-win reply
why, that is easy enough. Come will
me, and l will take you to the pretties
parlorS you ever saw, where you cal
rest and go to sleep, or have a smoke
Of opium. or lie and read, or do any
thing you please"
'Oh, how nice" you reply "Bu1
what does it cost?'
"a mere nottingham is, for so mucl
luxury. For so cents you get the ust
VI 1lC IoOlI1 anu Will
rs cents extra for each treatment. L
you are not accustomed to the treat
ment, you will find one quite enough
So you get off cheap
Then you and your friend went youl
way along Broadway until you reach
street leading out of the part OF
Broadway between the Fifth Avenue
hotel and Herald square, and, turning
into the fashionable thoroughfare, vol
walk along until you come to a fine
brown-stone house, with handsome lace
curtains and broad windows filled will
flowers.
At the top of the steps your com
paDion presses button, and the door
is opened by a keen-eyed servant, who
seeing your friend and recognizing an
old and safe customer, admits you
and you quickly pass on and upstairs
into a room, where you take off yOul
wraps and prepare to be comfortable
AS you are taking out your hat-pins-
supposing you are a wOman-an at
tendant enters and gives you a little
card. in return for which you give
her 80 cents. All is very completely
managed, and everything is done as
quietly as if it were a secret service
mission or a Russian nihilist head
quarters.
1--WE will only take the gun at first. -
says your friend to the attendant MY
companion is a beginner"
'srhen into this room, please,
madam" says the attendant, smiling a
smile which looks like one of pity upon
the newcomer, and leading the way
into the front room. THE doctor will
be here in a few moments"
The room into which she has ushered
yoa is an immense one. Its windows
are broad and high, and it's length is
the full depth of the house, for both
and back-of the original
house have been thrown into one. The
windows are darkened by thick lace
curtains, and over the curtains and in
side of them trail picturesque vines,
while pots of foliage are placed upon
brackets made invisible by the vines
and flowers.
AS you step over to admire these
things, you notice that your footsteps
are unheard; and then you look at the
carpet and you see that it is the heavi-
est moquette, with great velvet rugs
thrown over it to deaden all sound
The squea'-iest pair of Sunday shoes
could not make themselves heard upon
this floor.
The side walls of the room are hung
with Turkish tapestries of interesting
design, so that it strikes you you could
fall asleep nicely studying them. And
over the deep chairs and broad touches
are other rugs, just as thick, and just
as soft, and just as silken. It is the
height of luxury. And the chances are
that you have never before been quite
rs comfortable in all your life.
Neither you nor your friend speak,
and, without intending to do so, you
fall half asleep before you know it.
''The doctor will see you now" says
the attendant, who has glided into the
room, and your friend takes you by
the arm and leads you into a little
front hall bedroom-whose existence
you had not before noticed-to where
the doctor sits at his desk.
He is a white-faced man with a
hunted look, which gives him the ap-
oearance of mental unhappiness, al
though, as you can see, he is prosper
)uS and has fine home and evidently
plenty of money. When you know a
little more you will learn that he is
l morphine fiend himself, and finds no
moro hanniDpSS II, itS ,1So thon do