Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-12-15


IAN eighth" replies the doctor, short
1y
Your friend, taking it for granted
you know nothing-quickly fiips up
your sleeve SO as to bare your wrist;
and before you have had time to say
+Ohr' real loud, the doctor has caught
your arm, given it q little jab with
gun" so that the needle inside pierces
the skin Of your wrist-and frightens
you. But you drop into chair and
watch your friend who is experienced
and knows much better how to pro-
coed.
For your friend the doctor takes a
teaspoonful of water off little gas
stove, which supports steaming tea
kettle, and pouring the teaspoonful Of
water into a tablespoon, drops a few
grains of whitish powder in the bowl
and begins to stir carefully. When the
powder is dissolved the doctor puts
the solution into the gun" and fires
it into your friends skin.
And your friend! What has she been
doing? Why, she has been getting
ready, of course Being an old hand
at using the gun, and confirmed OPT
um taker, she knows that each jab
sufficient to carry SO much fluid into
her skin will leave mark as deep as
pockmark, and so she is getting ready
to have the jab made where it will not
show.
Pulling up her tailor made skirt,
and silk petticoat to her knees, she
draws down one side of her stocking
and exposes little round spot of skin,
Just big enough for the doctor to find
with the point Of the morphine gun.
One iab-then another-a panied,
GOV, Ow"' and the work is done. The
doctor calls it the treatment"
Then you go back to the luxurious
parlors and fall asleep. Your friend
looks over the magazine, and, mayhap,
rouSes you to go back to the office
with her for another treatment" But
your own dose has been enough for
you and you sleep the sleep Of those
who are wandering i'll very pleasant
but forbidden lands.
Meanwhile the parlorS have been
filling up. A handsome middle-aged
woman has wandered in, and another
Then there are several rather good
looking women, quite shabbily dressed,
and some almost in rags.
In answer to your unasked ques-
ton your flicnd explains: They have
had plenty Of money, but it has all
=; ne on morphine. Now their friends
won't give them any more"
But how do they get the so cents
for admission and IS cents for the
treatments?
''Oh, that is easy. They ask for
money for car fare and then walk to
save the few pennies. That woman
who looks So shabby goes without her
lunch every day and spends it for NOR
phine. Her friends give her a living
and a little income for pin money. She
earns something making fancy work.
But il all goes. See, Look at that wo-
man who is coming i'll now. She is
of IN excellent family, and is the dear
loves morphine None of her family
knows it as yet. She is the house
keeper and finds it easy to spare the
money from the groccr's bill and the
butcher's She broke off her engage
ment on account Of her passion for
morphine. And her folks all think it
was on account of her devotion to the
little orphan children whom she cares
for-hcr sisters children. Her brother
1.,H1 Il f,H ~,
with her Isn't she little fraud
But then, she can't help it. Morphine
is stronger than she is, you know"
80 it appears" you respond dryly
Now shake off your drowsiness, y
your friend commands, "and we will
so down into the parlor. These rooms
are merely for those who are begin
ners, or haven't much money or who
cannot stay long. Never mind how
your bangs look. Nobody notices you
here. See! That woman over on the
couch does not even lift her eyes"
Down into the parlor you go, and
here you find life and revelry. But
it is life as still as if it were death
And revelry as hushed rs the Barme
cide's joy at the barren feast.
There is the same luxury, only it is
intensified. The touches are broader
and there are pillows rich with EN-
broidery and smooth with oriental deft
ness. There are low diyans where yor
can steal away and lie down to sleeI
with a screen turned around you, leS1
some one disturb your Slumbers. There
are beautiful pictures and lovely pieces
Of brio 4 brac-but no books nor papers
here
| To get into this room costs you SIS
your friend tells you. But you notice
that all the women are elegantly dress
ed, and you know that this sum il
nothing to them.
! There are blondes lovely blondes
in this room, stretched out to sleep OF
the touches. There are brunettes, will
hair as black as night and long. darl
lashes shading the cheeks that lool
corpselike in the subdued light Of thu
gas-illumined room. There are PLUMP
forms and long, slender ones-all lyin:
asleep in the different corners of ths
room. And all apparently very com
Portable rs they stretch themselve:
for new position or wake and cal
drowsily More
They look so innocent, with thei
heads pillowed in their hands, and tn
soft breath coming and going so regu
larly. They are not bad women%' VOL
whisper TO your friend. anxiousiy.
'.Oh. certainly not" she replies; jus
Qpium fipndS"