The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-12-27
(Contlnued from last week.)

hcpc anu TIE COIupduy OI Ills tuOuSntS.
He dared not be alone. Dextry would
be downtown undoubtedly, and he, too,
must get into the light and turmoil.
He licked his lips and found that they
were cracked and dry.
At rare intervals during the past
years he had staggered in from long
march where for hours he had waged a
bitter war with cold and hunger, his
limbs clumsy with fatigue, his gar
ments wet and stiff, his mind slack and
sullen. At such extreme seasons he
had felt consuming thirst, q thirst
which burned and scorched until his
very bones cried out feverishly-not
thirst for water or a thirst which
eaten snow could quench, but saw
age yearning Of his whole exhausted
system for some stimulant, for some
coursing fiery fluid that would burn
and strangle, thirst for whisky, for
brandy! Remembering these occasion
al ferocious desires, he had become
charitable to such unfortunates as were
700 weak to withstand similar tempta-
tons.
Now with a shock he caught himself
In the grip of thirst as insistent as
though the cold bore down and the
WEAKNESS of endless heavy miles wrap
ped him about. 1t was no foolish wish
to drown his thoughts or to Danish
the grief that preyed upon him, but
only thirst, thirst-a crying, trembling,
physical lust to quench the fires that
burned inside. He remembered that
1t had been more than a year since
he had tasted whisky. Now the fever
Of the past few hours had parched his
every tissue.
AS he elbowed in through the crowd
at the Northern those next him made
room at the bar, for they recognized
the hunger that peers thus from mems
faces. Their manner recalled Clients
ter to his senses, and he wrenched
himself away. This was not some soli-
tary, snow banked roadhouse. He
would not stand and soak himself
shoulder. to shoulder with stevedores
and longshoremen. This was some
thing to be done in secret. He had
no pride in it. The man on his right
raised a glass, and the young man
strangled madness to tear it from his
hands. Instead, he hurried back to
the theater and up to box, where he
drew the curtains.
"Whiskyv' he said thickly to the
waiter. Bring it to me fast. Don't
you hear? WhiskyY'
Across the theater Cherry Malotte
had seen him enter and jerk the cur
tains together. She arose and went to
him, entering without ceremony.
whats the matter, boyT' she ques-
toned.
"Ah, I'm glad you came. Talk to
me-"
''Thank you for your few well chosen
remarks. she laughed. "Why don't
you ask me to spring some good, origi-
nal jokes? You look like the finish to
a six day go-as-you-please. What's
upY
She talked to him for moment until
the waiter entered. Then, when she
saw what he bore, she snatched the
glass from the tray and poured the
whisky on the floor. Glenister was on
his feet and had her by the wrist.
"What do you mean?" he said rough
~.
'Tt's whisky, boy,' she cried, land
you don't drink
"Of course it's whisky. Bring me an
otherv he shouted at the attendant.
whats the matterT" Cherry insist
cd. 81 never saw you act so. You
know you don't drink. / won't let you.
It's booze-booze, tell you, fit for fools
and brawlers. Don't drink it, Roy
Are you in troubleY'
81 say I'm tbirsty-and will have it!
How do you know what it is to smolder
inside and feel your veins burn dry?"
'It's something about that girl" the
woman said, with quiet conviction.
"She's double crossed you
well, so she has, but what OF ity
I'm thirsty. She's going to marry Nc
Namara. I've been fool" He ground
his teeth and reached for the drink
with which the boy had returned
"McNamara is crook, but he's a
man, and he never drank a drop in his
life." The girl said it casually, evenly,
but the other stopped the glass half.
way to his lips.
well, what of it? Go on. You're
good at w. G. II. u. talk. Virtue be.
comes you"
She flushed, but continued: at simply
occurred to me that IL you aren't strong
enough to handle your own throat,
you're not strong enough to beat man
who has mastered his"
Glenister looked at the whisky mo-
ment, then set it back on the tray
Bring two lemonades," he said. and
with laugh which was half a sob
Cherry Malotte leaned forward and
kissed him.
you're too good a man to drink.
Now, tell me all about It,"
ooh, it's too long! I've just learned
that the girl is in, hand and glove,
with the Judge and McNamara-that's
all. She's an advance agent-their
lookout. She brought in their instruc-
lions to Struve and persuaded Dex and
me to let them jump our claim. She
got us to trust in the law and in her
uncle. Yes, she hypnotized my prop
frfv ont Of ma and rave 1t to her lover,