Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-06-23
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
JAMES ALDEN'S INITIATION


thin. His digestion was bad. Twenty.
eight medicine bottles of various sizes
and colors, not counting the pill boxes
on his dresser met his gaze as he en-.
tered the bathroom to take his daily
plunge in tepid water. Aiterward he
shivered. grinned lugubriously as he
selected the proper before.breakfast
medicine and went out to a bachelor
meal with little zest for the patented
foods lined up beside his plate.
II was work-incessant hard work
and recklessness in the treatment of a
none too robust body that had landed
him at the top of his profession-the
law-and wrecked him physically.
SO Alden came down on his back at
last. To Jack Whitwell, who shared
his quarters, he announced with mock
gravity, when the doctor left: my
physician says it's continuous fever.
probably malarial In origin. I'm to
keep quiet indefinitely. avoid solid food
and await Development. II may turn
out to be pneumonia. or meerly mala-
ria that I'll get over in a month or
two. Cheerful, eh?" Then he winked
and chuckled. 60 get me the middle.
sized blue bottle with the FUZZY dope.
Jack,-that's a good chap" He ruf.
fed his thin hair. pulled his cheeks to
whistle. "o-O.O-0Brien"-a difficult
thing-but a spasm of pain caught
him, and he rolled over on the couch
to gurgle profanely in the pillows as
his knees came up convulsively.
Il know what'd be good thing for
you, you apothecarys subject" volun-
TERED Whitwell. Alden turned his
head to bring into view one inquiring
eye.
This simple exercise" Whitwell
threw aside his coat. revealing a pair
OF solid arms, square shoulders. and
full chest to pump yigor through a
six-foot frame. This way!" He swung
back and forth powerfully, the chande.
Tiers swaying as he lunged.
"IG" Alden questioned, then groaned.
you big horse!" he went on, "if I'D
been raised on ranch, mothered by
a cyclone, and was half-brother to a
wolf, had been fed on prickly pears
and the uncooked flesh of the bison,
I'd be thrashing around like that, too.
But as 1t is-being the proud product
OF three generations of college profes.
sors, and brother to writer Of poetry
and a painter of pictures. with en-.
largement of the brain and careless.
ness Of construction as to legs-I suf-
fer. oh, Jerusalem, how | suffer!'
Alden half tried to rise with the flight
OF rhetoric, but fell back pallid and
grinning.
When the doctor came again Jack
Whitwell spoke to him after this fash
ion: you order Alden out to Colorado
Tell him It's ingrowing consumption or
some such thing. You fix up the talk
and send him out for year. They'll
hold his place downtown-be glad to
have him go-and I'll 20 out on a short
vacation and take Alden. My uncivil
lied brother has ranch out there. I'll
turn the invalid over to Joe Whitwell.
Sugar Loaf Mountain, Colorado, where
horses. pure air, beans, and bacon ii
NIX him o. r. Seer
The doctor caught the idea. Jack
Whitweli went downtown and resigned
Alden's position In the big law Office
for him. Then he strobe up Broadway
TO railroad office, bought two long
stripes OF ticket, ordered cab for Z
O'Clock next morning, and went back
to spend a long evening with Alden,
describing the glories of the West and
reading choice bits Of Wister and Gar
land-"bully chaps that know their
business" he declared.
You're to get up at six tomorrow.
instead OF eight" said Whitwell, as he
rolled Alden of the couch at 10 o'clock
and packed him off to bed.
Il ann" Alden questioned. There
was suspicious rising infection in
his voice.
You are!' Whitwell came over to