The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-10

l described the process of placing the
electrodes, strapping the arms and feet.
testing the current and so forth. and as 1
looked across the table saw that Cum
mings had assumed the position of the vic
tim in the great wooden chair-his head
thrown back, his muscles stiffened the
Jaw dropped and the eyes beneath the half
lowered lids shifting from side to side. 1t
was quite horrible. At last stopped, lean
en- over and shook him.
Enough of this gruesomeness! Come,
talk of yourself" l said.
He aroused, and leaning both elbows on
the table spoke in low voice-half In
artlculate.
If you'll listeu-and afterward forget
In tell you little tale 1t may be
strange, or new, or old, it may amuse
you. Think what you choose, you know.
But one thing, don't interrupt or make
comments, promise me?"
nodded
You know after left college, Charlie
went on. II tried TO settle down" Qt
might be fair to state l had not known
this)
Then followed a silence of minute.
Charlie rested his face in his hands and
placed the tips of his little fingers over
his sunken eyes. AT last he spoke again.
l had TO lean forward to catch what he
was saying.
Il was very fond of my brother We
were much alike-save the speech-I mean
in feature, and when l heard that he had
been murdered, damnably, rottenly MUIR
dered, L could not sleep l drank for it!
My arms, from wrist to elbow were scar
err with the markings of the needle. l ran
the gamut-cocoaine, laudanum NOR
phine. One day / awol1e, so to speak, in
a hospital l was strapped down, much
as the man you were telling me about Just
now. l stayed there for some time, and
slowly regained my strength. You see,"
said Charlie, parentheticaHy, and was
afraid he had side-tracked his ideas, my
will has never left me. l could start to-
morrow and sit with a fishing rod in my
hands on the bank of the Seine a bottle
OF cold tea beside me, for the rest of my
life. Man, l could do it and never touch
thing but bread and cheese. I could live
in tub, if | made up my mind TO do it,
Well, listen. / determined when ! left the
hospital to give up everything. The doc
tors told me l must if 1 wished to live
they know little about that" he sneered
$50 went to the Adirondacks l rowed
and padded and lived in the woods /
grew strong and keen on life. / built
castles to no end. 1 imagined returning
and showing people what l could do. For
six months 1 touched nothing in the way
of stimulants. / had put morphine away
forever-I wish now to God l had not"
WELL" Charlie was speaking slower
now and breathing harder. Il returned
to town. 1t was late in the spring, or
better, early summer. 1 went to my ho-
tel-you know the one l mean" Indeed
1 remembered il, and how often we had
sat there on our college vacations and
watched those wonderful nymphs trying
to draw the sunbrowned satyr down into
the water)
ut was a beautiful day, and 1 went up
into my room to dress. l had not had q
black coat on my back for months l OBJ
served in the glass that was looking
very we'll and suddenly il crossed my mind
that my abstinence on drink-it was not
pledge, you know-was up this very
day rang for a cocktail. 1t tingled
me to the end of my fingers And so
took another and another and a fourth,
Denny! when / stepped out on the side
walk l owned the world, and would have
given half of it for one kindred spirit
who would understand my mood went
into nelmonico's, hoping to find familiar
face No one was there but some coth-
ing house Jews gabbling in the corner. I
longed for some place in Hle-fresh air
but longed still more for some one to talk
to, to raphsodize at, for / was alive from
pulse to brain. The Claremont'
thought, and I went outside The driver
of a hanson cab held up an interrogating
finger" q wondered if Charlie had bor-
rowed this from Walt Whtmau) Gle had
nice horse and nice trap. l called him
across. The Claremont. up the river.
said 1.
LAS we drove up Broadway I owned it
all. We passed under the elevated, ana
as l looked out l saw a figure standing
at corner"
Charlie had now begun to talk through
his teeth and merely with a movement
of his lips; he was breathing hard ut
was a tall women in sheeny gray silk l
leaned forward and looked about the cor
ner Of the window. Strange to saw, she
bowed, or l bowed first, l forgot which
Well you know, it was about time that [
had gotten over boys foolishness-but WHY
so? l threw open the little trap dooa. i'm
the roof of the cab with my stick 'Stop'
said 1. The driver drew up to the curb.
Strange to say, as came down the side
walk, waiting to get my cue you know.
the woman stepped to meet me- All, Mr..
Cummings she said with a slightly for
eign accent.
" Pom my word, 1 was knocked almost
off my feet. There was nothing for il
however, but to pretend that had known
her.
1t was the same old stereotyped wav:
Haven't seen you for some time! Where
have you been?" 'Will you ever forget
the last time" etc. Non commital mira
ses-word fencing and all that you know
often nonsensei
well, the upshot of it was, l asked her
point blank to have dinner with me
She laughed, accepted, and in a minute
we were up the avenue. Let me give YOU
hine of what she looked like. old chan
You may have read about i'll said
Eothing). Her face was as clear as wax.
without a bit of color Her eyebrows
were straight and narrow, and her hair
rose from her white forehead as even as
charcoal line. Her eyes were so pale
that the blacks dots of her pupils could
be seen a dozen feet away, but her Hps
were as red as blood.-Bloodn" he rereat-
ed, t'She was the strangest and most
beautiful thing alive-God Yes, she vast
well do my best, I could not find out
low she knew my name. / grew seri-
Gus, but she laughed that off; then 1
grew interested-I could have sworn that
l had never met her. you see. Suddenly
she turned to me and spoke in French
/ can claim 1t as my native language al
most-and we talked on in that She was
clever; she was bright; she was uncom-
monplace and insensibly,-s she made me
keep my distance. At last we stopped at
the frame house on the hill overlooking
the Hudson. There were "A number of