The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-12-05
a 1.i2iNAMAN'S
GRATITUDE.
Story Of Morphine Taker.


We'll. there's one good thing about n
Chiuaman. anyhow he's grateful"
rtmlnisecntlN remarked Washington
man who put In "A couple of cruises as
an npothpcnry in the United States ma
w. You may of late. in the great
mass of rubbish that's been written
about the slant eyes. hive seen that
fact disputed. hut | just happen To
know that Il Gh!namans grateful How
ever. in order to make the point clenr,
I'll have to begin at the beginning. So
here goes.
when | VAS serving on board
cruiser on the Pacific station, ! had as
n shpmatr private marine named
all, veil. TaIa Kingsley is near enough
To IT, Some OF his people, Of good sta
tlon, are I'll living in Philadelphia,
and this l1} hurt them enough, 50 Wen
Just make It Tom Kingsley. Kingsley
went 10 tire ship with detachment of
marines quite awhile after | WAS at
tachcd To the vessel | noticed him
particularly rs soon as he came aboard
not SO much that he was tall. hrond
shouderod fine looking chap. who
completely outclassed the bunch he
joined with in appearance and bear
ing, rs because saw what his trouble
was as soon MS | clappcd my eye on
him. | understood as soon as | made
the discovery why kingsley was wear
ing the uniform Of a buck private In the
marine corps. II was because slay-
cry TO which he had become addicted In
civil life had rendered him unit and i'll
competent Ia keep up with the process
sion IN ciyil l!fc.
THAT Is 10 say. ! didn't need two
looks at IinEsloy to see TINT morphine
had him lis gray eyes focused to
pin points aud lie had all Of the other
exterior Indications Of the man chained
in the morphia bondage.
"tt the Inspection on the Sunday
folo,, SIG I.nssley's coming aboard
watched IN immediate chief the ships
surge on, E.rr0Wly 10 see II he was go
ing Ia get Oh To Kingsley when he
passed 10y lie marine In following aft
cr the commanding officer When the
surgeon passed by the row Of marines
drawn UP in their mastering clothes.
eyes straight ahead. | observed that
he gave one sharp glance ut Kingsley,
aud that was all.
below, In my stateroom, after In
spcetion the surgeon looked at me out
of the tail Of his eye.
Have you noticed that marine,
aputhccary?' he asked me.
%, gf 90 rau1ta1
"Hum! I'm glad to be corroborat-
ed, yet | was sure | couldn't have been
mistaken said the surgeon, Better
have an extra eye TO your store OF
morphla, Keep 1t under cover
However. Kingsley didn't become
incapable. He was an admirable sol
der of the sea. He was always right
on the minute. top notcher on guard
duty, spick and span man always.
The marine officer In charge Of the
guard never, of course, suspected that
there was anything wrong about Kings
ley, and he thought So much or the
mans faithfuluess that lac had him
made a corporal a couple OF months
after Kingsley Joined us. Kingsley
was always under the influence of the
drug Of course. He never ran out OF
the stuff. You know how morphine
slaves provide against that awful con
tingency. He kept on edge all the
time and never appeared to oyershoot
his limit. Kingsley surely was man
of powerful self control in that respect.
However, | knew that 1t would get
him In time and throw him. 1t always
does throw its victims II they give 1t
rope enough, you know, and morphine
Is one Of those things that just de
mands all the rope 1t wants.
kingsley knew by intuition that
knew about his habit, and he avoided
me very deliberately. One noon hour,
however, | happened to be smoking
pipe at the gangway. Kingsley was
looking out over the beautiful barbor
Of Acapulco in his dreamy, dopy way
his way, that Is to say. when he was
off duty. Well, edged over to Kings
ley. We were quite apart from the
rest of the men.
"'Bucko, said | In as kindly way
as l could felt sorry for Kingsley,
who was most obviously gentleman
you want to cut 1t out You do for
fact It'll nail you. It's game you
can't beat Nobody can beat 1t. / can
reduce you gradually eighth Of grain
a day Better let me take hold OF you.
tn be on the quiet
"That's good Of you, pal replied
Kingsley. never taking his eyes away
from the horizon to look at me. 1 won't
forget it. but I've tried reducing be-
fore am going to make the fight
alone. I'm going to hang on II 1t kills
me. Death Is only little thing. any
how. compared to this slavery. When
we hike away from here for the islands
next week. I'm going to heaye all I've