Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30

Of House excitement,
to tell stories in self-defense.
'It was in little huddle of town in
Indiana 1 was in business in the town.
and, being then unmarried, had my sleep
ing apartments just over my Office l was
an early riser and the town was not. 1t
thus happened that, turning out at $50
o'clock each morning. generally had the
streets to myself for an hour or So
was walking about one summer morning,
hoping for an appetite, when 1 was sur
prised to note a Neil-dreSsed stranger
walking up the street. He had an odd. be-
wildering air. AS he drew near he ac-
costed me.
BEG pardon he said, but could you di-
rect me to place where 1 could get break
fast?'
II told him he would have to wait a
couple of hours The hotel breakfast would
appear ut I:30 o'clock. That was the first
best chance for food. He replied that food
after ALL was not what he most desired,
but that he felt an overpowering need for
whisky; could direct him to that? There
was something in it all which set my Gu
riosity edge, and determined to know
the rest. So ! suggested that knew OF no
good whisky near at hand except a bottle
in my law Office, which l kept for snake
bite and purposes purely medical. We re-
paired to my otlice and, after the stranger
had been refreshed a queer, furtive, half
ashamed look came into his eyes, as he
said:
You will think the question strange
but ] want to ask you the name of this
town
The Stranger Explained.
Il told him, and then added that If it
We're all the same to him / would like to
hear how he came to lie in town of
which he didn't even know the name. He
seemed a trife worried, and took sec md
drink of whisky without Sbeing asked. L
began to wonder whether ! had struck
as if he had resolved IS tell his story.
=" Certainly he began, T owe something
to your Kindness and f6urtssy; Now. while
business man on tFs board of trade in
Chicago. I'm prosper9Is; even rich Here
he displayed iberaliF ron Of money; The
trouble with me is that I'm periodical
take drink Of wh his Eu nS about s I teree
times a year, seized by an impulse / can
10 more control than may the wind, I
begin to drink. I kro% wifi the first glass
GUITAR feature of my case that l have the
most profound horror. Of allowing any one
with whom ON ! have eyer a Kissing ps acqiant-
/" IT tonnes this IL pass-fcr I've had
Ct zens of these ATTACKS. THAT hen I have
taken a drink. Realizing what's coming.
head for the depot. Before I've had time
to get more than eight or ten glasses of
whisky some train is sure TO depart l in
var1ably take 1t. so anywhere, the
town is utterly strange to me. The first
town l see, in the mornihs-for these at
lacks always seize me about 10 O'clock in
the evening: and start me out of town on
some midnight train--to the people OF
which I'm unknown 1 get off ! stay
there. perhaps for two weeks, until I've
thoroughly carried out my debauch. l con-
ceal my name and my address to the last
Ultimately. what with a great deal of
whisky, what with very little food,
become i'll; Then l know my spree Is over
and send for DOCTOR As soon as can
say, week later. return to Chicago
sober, and take up the threads Of business
again. HH'"f
and those about me in business, and no
alarm is felt at my disappearance 1t is
almost six months since my last orgy.
again started last night in the Grand Pa
cific Hotel with my first drink. I land here
at de Wight on the cab6ose of a local
freight. I will now take 4 room in your
hotel and be drunk for something like
fourteen days I shall be almost every mo-
inert IN my room, and shall disturb no.
body That's all there Is to my story. en-
cept my name, which you will pardon me
If, under the circumstances I keep to my
SELF
He Felt Uneasy.
Here this strange stranger came to a
saw by his eye that he told the truth; he
was in the coils of influences could neither
fathom nor Illustrate So didn't try gave
him another drink, and said that I'd go up
to the hotel with him. 1 boarded there my
self. We went up and picked out room
on the second floor. He would only have
one fight of stairs down which to fall
thereby reducing the chances of breaking
his neck to minimum. There left him;
he promised to issue me bulletin or two
during the day as to how his festival pro-
crossed. I heard no more of him. until
about pm. Then got a note, which ran
something like this:
3" Dear Sir: write to again thank you
one respect find your acquaintance, other
wise so agreeable, to be disaster. 1t
haunts me as lift each glass to my lips.
explained to you that cannot bring my
self to permit a friend to see me in
drunken condition. I now number you
among my friends. And therefore it is no
longer possible for me to pursue my drink
Ing In your town. l have tried and have
rallied. 1t all comes to this-I> must leave
the place. This will reach you at 5 o'clock.
will have left on the 1870 train. will go
on until I find town where I am COM
pletely stranger, and will guard myself
from forming any acquaintance. My en-
terprise Will then bel success. Again
thanking you for your kindness, I sub
scribe myself as signed the hotel register.
THAT was ALL" concluded Representative
Tom. My dypsomaniac had flown. 1t was
before the dawn Of KseleXy and what be-
came of him I never knew"
Adventure ut n Ball.
"As stories which pivot in strong drink
would seem to be in order" remarked Rep
resentative Dan, perhaps some gentleman
will yield ME enough of his time to tell
one. Somebody once 9saidI there was a
special providence for fools and drunken
men, and my story might illustrate one
half of it. This was along time ago, on
winters night in a northern city: 1t had
been showing off and on with soft, feath-
cry persistency for ten days. Still 1t was
not very cold; indeed, this particular even
ing was bit warm. d.
1T might have been 0 o'clock when I
"a young man then-was proceeding up
one of the main thoroughfares. 1t CHANGED
that I met a young gentleman named Nc
Kinstry, with whom I was more or less
friendly. McKinistry had been drinking;
not heavily, l thought. but some. He was
the proud owner of two tickets to a pub
lie ball which was raging in the fourth
story of block across the street. He
bid me accompany him, to which proposal
was nothing loath. We went across,