Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1901-01-18
CHApTER ILL.
Copyright, 1900,
BY Harold NacGfsih

fec i'm two days. so the assistant said.
as he nl:" asked, rs | carried
chair to the window.
"Ill:" The young man coughed af-
fcctedly.
"Do YOU believe il possible for him
to come m this afternoon
1t is quite possible. one does not
use the word impossible in regard to
IIillars. II is possible that he may he
in St Petersburg by this time. for all |
know. You see with an explanatory
wave of the hand, hes very uncertain
in his movements. For the last six
months he has been playing all over
the table. to use the parlance of the
roulette player have had to do most
of the work and take care of him into
the bargain. If | may take you into
my confidence with some hesitancy.
Certainly" said |. Il want YOU to
tell me all about him. He was my
roommate at college. Perhaps | can
straiehten him up"
THE truth. is, the trouble began last
September. He came back from the
continent, where he had been on an
errand. changed man. Hillars al
ways drank, but never to an alarming
extent. On his return. however, he
was in bad shape. 1t was nearly
November before l got him sobered
up, and then he went under ON an
average of three times week. | asked
him bluntly what he meant by it. and
he frankly replied that if he wanted
to drink himself to death that was his
business. When he isn't half seas
over, he is gloomy and morose. From
the first | knew that something had
gone wrong on the mainland. but /
couldn't trap him for a farthing. No
man Mt his age drinks himself to death
without cause; | told him SO, but he
only laughed at me. I'd give a good
deal to know what the truth is; not
from curiosity mind you, but to find
the disease in order to apply a rem
edy. Dams father died of drink"
mo" said | coldly; she was shot"
ooh. | know that" was the reply
"hut give a conditioned man the same
wound and he will recover nine times
out of ten. The elder Hillars was sc
enervated by drink that he had nc
strength to fight the fever which came
on top of the bullet hole. Something
happened over there. and it's pounds
to pence there's woman back of the
curtain. 1t is some one worth while
Hillars is not Il man to fall in love
with n barmaid'
| began to respect the young mans
wisdom.
80 you believe it to be woman?'
Eyes; the wind blows from one poin'
at a time. There are four points t,
the vane of destiny-there is ambition
for glory. ambition for power, ambition
for wealth and ambition for love. Ii
IIillars' case. since the wind does no
blow from the first three, it must nee
essarily blow from the fourth. Yol
know him better than | do. so yol
must certainly know that Hillars is no
man to drink because glory or powe
or wealth refused to visit him"
You are very discerning youn;
man." said |, whereat he laughed
Did he get my cable?"
mo; | thought that it was some or
der from headquarters and opened
myself. | put it in his desk. | spOk
to him. but he was too drunk to pa,
any heed to what | said Well, | mus
be going. ! am getting out a sympo
stun of editorials from the morning
papers on the possibility of a Franco
Russian alliance. 1t must be at tn
cable office in half an hour. If you ar
going to wait, you'll find the Berlil
and Paris files in the next room. II
see you later" and he departed.
1t was 5 of the clock. The Stran
was choked. Here and there saw til
color of martial attire. Save for thi
and that the buildings We're low an
solid and that most of the people walk
ed slower, | might have been lookin
down upon Broadway for all tn
change of place | saw. There is nc
much difference between New Yor
and London except in the matter of Il
comotion. The American gets aroun
with more rapidity than does his Ems
lish cousin, but in the long run he az
composites no more. 1t is only whe
one steps on to the continent that tn
real difference in the human races
discerned. Strange as this may seen
it is not distinguishable in a cosmopo
itan city. Suddenly my rowing eye
rested upon a familiar face. 1t wa
Hillars, and he was pushing rapid
across the street. Any one would hav
instantly marked him for an America
by the nervous stride, the imDatienc
at being INSTRUCTED. | went into til
fireroom, intending to give him littl
surprise. | did not have long to wal
The door to the main office opened an
he came in singing snatch from
drinking song we used to sing at co
lege. The rich baritone that had ono
made the old glee club famous was
bit husky and throaty.
"Dickv' he called. Eli, Dick! Wei
Pm hangedw Evidently he had di
covered my cable
Dick isn't in" said l, crossing IL
threshold
In moment our hands were welde
together, and we We're gazing into eaC
others eyes.
You old reprobate!' l cried IN,
to have met me at the station even'
BLESS my soul, Jack, this cable w;
the first intimation that you were wit
in 5000 miles of London. But it do,
my heart good to see you" pumpi1
my hand again. Come out to dnn
with me. Now don't begin to talk Il
we've had something to eat. I'm q
most famished. | know all the que