Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-13

Woodruff asked a three months leave. |
did not hear from or of him until midsum-
meE, when he sent me n cablcgram from
London. He was in a hospital there, out
OF money and out of health. / cabled him
a thousand dollars and asked him to come
home as soon as he could. 1t was my first
personal experience with that far from un-
common American type-the periodic
drunkard. had to cable him money three
times before he started.
When he came to me at Washington in
December he looked just as before-calm
robust cool. cynical and dressed in the
Very extreme OF the extreme fashion. | re-
ceIvcd him as IL nothing had happened II
was not until the current Of mutual liking
was again flowing freely between US that |
sdld: Doc. may l impose on your friend
ship to the extent of an intrusion INTO your
private affairs"
He started and gave me a quick look his
color mounting. Yes" he said after Il mo-
ment.
When l heard from you" l went on az
made some inquiries owe you 100 apol-
osy, You had given me a shock-one OF
me seVerest of my life. But they told
me that you never Iet-that-that pc
cuiiarity OF YOURS interfere with business"
his head was hanging. Il always go
away, he said, Nobody that knows me
laid my hand on his arm. DOC. why
90 you do--that sort of thing?"
me scar came up into his face to put
agony INTO the reckless despair that look
|
on the threshold of his chamber of re
morse and vain regret-and well I knew
where / was. Why not?" he asked bit
Gerry. lhefes always a-sort of horror
INSIDE me. And 1t grows until I can't
bear it. And then~-I drown it-why
shouldn't II"
That's very stupid for a man Of your
brains said l. There's nothing-noth-
ing in the world. except death-that can
not be wiped out or set right. PLAY the
game. Doc. Play it with me for five years
ray It for all there Is in it. Then-go
back, II you want to-"
lie thought long time and | did not
trE TO hurry him AT length he said in
his old onhand manner. We'll. I'll go you
senator: III not touch a drop"
And he didn't. Whenever l thought 7
saw signs OF the savage internal battle
against the weakness / gave him some
thlng important and absorbing to do and
Kept him busy until l knew the tempta-
ton had lost its power for the time
This is the proper place to put it on
the record that he was the most scrupu-
lously honest man | have ever known He
dealt with the shadiest and least scrupu-
lous OF men-those who train their con-
sciences to be the eager servants of their
appetites; he handled hundreds of thou
sands OF dollars, millions, first and last
ali OF it money for which he could never
have been forced to account. He has had
at one time as much as half a million
dollars in checks payable to bearer. / am
not conhding by nature training but
| am confident that he kept not a penny
Tor himself beyond his salary and his
liked commission i put his salary at the
outset at ten thousand a year; afterward
at fifteen; finally. ut twenty. His COM
missions perhaps, doubled It
There are many kinds OF honesty nova
days. There is corporate honesty, not
unlike that proyerbial honor among
thieves" which secures a fair or fairly
fair division OF the spols. Then
there is personal honesty" which subdi-
vides into three kinds--Iegal. moral and in