The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-26
THE MINNEAPOLIS JOURNAL

EBut you never really dOubted9o
said she. 1tYou never let them get
hold Of you?''
"No, but I was feeble. I was a
to pass thru. And I am now. I have
to be continually busting and cleaning
myself. I have been having fears"
"Specific ones?0
eyes, Of violent accession of error,
and for no reason, either Because, if
it did occur, I should know quite well
what to do. There couldn It be any
thing to, fear. I guess he's been get
ting well so quickly and smoothly that
I began to wonder whether. it could be
true, tho ] knew it was.' &c. l.!
Maud got up. e-". -..-..
,,"What would you do if he had a re-
lapse?'' she asked. ~-
81 couldn It say now But if it came
it would surely be made quite clear
to me how to demonstrate over it. One
is never left in the lurch like that. It's
only the devil who plays his disciples
false and gives them fits of remorse
when they want to amuse themselves
Walter Cochran drew his chair close
to the fire with little shudder Of
goosehesh.
storm once when I was a little chap,O
he said, "and it's left a sort of scar
on my mind. I always have to demon
strate over a gale like this; I don IT.
seem to be able to get used to them
Is! Ism It that a confession Of feebleness9
guessed if I hadn It told you.''
Maud looked at him with the divin-
ing instinct Of her love.
II dare say shouldn IT, she said.
.'But L am so sorry. It seems hard
that you, who are continually giving
your strength to others, should suffer
for your generosity.'
nOh, it s not quite that,'' he said.
Whether [ was treating Thurso or
not, I should always have to tell myself
that the gale and this uproar and air
and sky are quite powerless to hurt me.
There, listen to that!'
An appalling blast swept by the house,
and it seemed as if some door or win
dow must have been opened, for the
thick double curtain that communicated
with the hall was lifted and a buffet
OF cold air came into the room where
they sat-. making the candles flicker.
COCHRAN jumped up.
NSomething must be open,' he said.
1.-The wind has got right into the
house, The front door stood aiar.
T 1aH greatcoat was gone from the
Thurso had crept forth noiselessly
into the storm, pausing only to snatch
up his greatcoat and a cap that
CHANGED to be in the hall. It was the
sight. Of the, door that had given him
the inspirations; the possibilities that
cratic craving so nearly subdued Of
late
Once outside he shook himself as
does dog coming out of water. There
was relief in being free from all sur
veillance, Joy in GLIDING everyone
his own master-or his drugs unham-
pered slave. Bowling his head against
the rain and sleet, he made for the
village. Before he had walked a quar-
ter. mile his thin evening shoes were
soaked thru, and he was chilled to the
bone But he gave. little heed to such
trifes. Ahead Of him lay the rambling
Long Island village and midway down
it's main street he recollected seeing
the red and green lights Of phar-
macy.
It was matter of five minutes to
find the place and Of another ten min
utes to convince himself that not only
was it closed for the night, but that
no one slept on the premises.
The rumble Of train drawing into
the nearby station gave him a new
idea. It was but an hours ride to
New York. This must be the $3.50 up
train. A short run brought him pant
ing to the station as the last carriage
rolled out Swinging himself aboard
the rear platform, he collapsed in a
heap in the smoker "
To a passing guard he handed SIS
bill. not noting the amount of change
received AS he was about to restore
his pocketbook to the side pocket Of
his greatcoat, paper futtered from it
to the floor. Thurso bounced on it and
restored it carefully to the wallet. For
it was his prescription, the carefully
copied "open sesame that would at
once procure him the drug he craved.
There had been little silver in the
change given him by the guard. Barely
35 cents. This he dropped carelessly
into the greatcoat s cash pocket and
leaned back, peering idly out into the
misty blackness Of the night.
In due time the train reached it's
terminus-the Long Island station at
Flatbush avenue, Brooklyn.
From the guard Thurso learned that
he must there take an elevated or troll