Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-29

and smoothly that I began to wonder
whether 1t could be true. though knew
1t was"
What would you do II he had re.
| lapse?' she asked.
Il couldn't say now. But IL II came It
| how to demonstrate over 1t. 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 a little shudder of goose
| flesh
II was awfully frightened by storm
once when I was little chap" he said,
| and it's left sort OF scar on my mind
| ! always have to demonstrate over a gale
like this; don't seem to be able to get
| used to them. Isn't that n confession of
| feeb,eness But l don't think you would
have guessed If l hadn't told you.
| Maud looked at him with the divining
| instinct of her love.
Il dare say shouldn't" she said. But
l am SO sorry, II seems hard that aato yo1h;
to others. should suffer for your gener-
| osity"
"Oh, It's not quite that" he said:
| Whether l was treating Thurso or not,
| 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 1t seemed as If some door or window
| must have been opened. for the thick
| double curtain that communicated with
| the hall was lifted and q buffet of cold
| air came into the room where they sat.
| making the candles flicker. Cochran
| jumped up.
| Something must be Open" he said The
| wind has got right into the house" The
| front door stood ajar. Thursos greatcoat
| was gone from the hall
l lxal rant nniSplnCGlV
| the storm, 'pausing only to snatch up his
greatcoat and a cap that CHANGED to be
| in the hall. 1t was the sight OF the door
! that had given him the insplratlon' the
possibilities that lay beyond II had reused
in flash the erratic craving so nearly
| subdued of late.
| a dog coming out OF water. There was
| relief in being free from all surveillance.
| a Joy in Guiding every one and IN oelns
| for the moment at least his own master
| of his drugs unhampered slave. Bowling
| his head against the rain and sleet' ne
| made for the village. Before he had
walked a quarter mile his thin evening
| shoes were soaked through. and he was
| chilled to the bone. But he gave niue
heed to such tribes. Ahead OF MIN Jay
the rambling Long Island village ana lliiu,
way down its main street he recollecleu
| seeing the red and green lights OF phar-
| macy.
| 1t was a matter of five minutes to find the
place and of another ten minutes 10 con-
| vince himself that not only was 1t closeo
| for the night, but that no one slept on inc
premises.
| The rumble of a train drawing into the
| nearby station gave him new idea. IL
| was but an hours ride to New YORK. IhlS
| must be the $50 up-traln. snort run
| brought him painting to the station as ne
| last carriage rolled out. Swinging himselt
! aboard the rear platform, he collapsed IN u
| heap in the smoker.
| To a passing guard he handed hve-
| dollar bill not noting the amount OF change
| ha restore
| pocketbook to the side pocket OF his great-
| coat paper futtered from 1t to the moor.
| Thurso pounced on 1t and restored 1t care
| fully to the wallet. For Ii was his prescrlp-
ton 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 thlrty-nve
| cents This he dropped carelessly into the
| greatcoats cash pocket and leaned BACK,
| peering idly out into the misty blackness
| of the night. :
In due time the train reached its termi-
| nus-the Long Island station at flatbusn
| avenue, Brooklyn.
From the guard Thurso learned that he
| must there take an elevated or trolley car,
| which would carry him across Brooklyn
bridge and deposit him near the city nall
| Of New York.
AS the earl left the train a very sleepy.
very drunk man who had sat across the
| aisle from him. rose to his feet, lurched
| forward and collided so violently with
| Thurso as almost to knock both OF them
| off their legs The drunkard apologized,
| mumbled profound regrets and reeled on In
| an opposite direction until the angle OF q
| wall hid him from his late victim. Then
he grew sober with marvellous rapldity;
| jumped aboard a passing trolley car and
| was whirled out of sight-Thursos pocket
book nesting lovingly in his pocket.
| Arrived at the New York terminus OF
| Brooklyn bridge. Thurso saw at once to his
| left, on the ground floor of stately gold.
| domed building, the bright windows OF an
| "all-night' pharmacy.
He entered and eagerly accosted the irss
| clerk he saw.
| II wish this prescription filed he be-
| gan. Eat once-at-at-" b
His voice trailed away into a murmur or
| amaze. His hands were busy in every
| pocket Of his greatcoat. Then the outer
| garment was impatently thrown open and
his evening clothes subjected TO the same
| rigid search.
81 have mislaid the prescription" he
muttered. but IL you will give me pen
| and a blank l.
| He paused in growing alarm. For now
| he recalled that his missing pocketbook
| held not only the prescription, but all mis-
| money with the exception of a little silver.
| This change, scattered through several
| pockets, he now drew out. There was less
| than a half dollar in all. Remembering
the price he had been wont to pay In Eng
| land for the drug, and noting the pros
| porous appearance of the shop, he knew,
| without asking. that his scanty funds were
| insufficient for his purpose.
| With a mumbled apology he left the
| place. There surely must be less high
| class chemist shops on less imposing thor
oughfares, where. perhaps. his small quota
| of silver might suffice for a phial of laud-
| anum.
With this idea he turned somewhat aim
| lessly to the right and passing the bridge
| terminal walked hurriedly up brightly
| lighted but narrow street, above whose CEN
| ter ran the elevated road tracks And, as
| he progressed his eyes shifting from right
| to left for the lights OF a chemist shop
| he noted that his dilap!dated evening attire,
| which had passed unremarked in the vicin-
| ity of City Hall Square. began to draw on
| him curious, even derisive looks from
| other pedestrians These pedestrians, too
| he observed, We're Of far different charac-
ter from those whom he had seen near the
| terminal. A drunken sailor, a bevy OF up-
| shaver lads in Jerseys and billycocks, a
| woman or two in cheap dirty finery-these
| were the prevalent types. The shops. too,
| that lined the road wore a garish. unpre-
| possessing look. One he singled out as a
| chemists and walked in. choking at the
odor of stale drugs and tobacco.
i laI