The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-08-24

house next door and thence down into
the street. A block ahead was the
slow moving form of Attorney Strive.
Had stranger met them both he
would not have known which of the
two had felt at his throat the clutch OF
a stranger for each was drawn and
haggard and swayed as he went
Glenister unconsciOusly turned to-
ward his cabin, but at leaving the
lighted streets the thought of its dark
ness and silence made him shudder.
Not now! He could not bear that still
ness and the company Of his thoughts.
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 a long
march where for hours be 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 a consuming thirst, a thirst
which burned and scorched until his
very bones cried out feverishly-not
a thirst for water or a thirst which
eaten snow could quench, but a saw
age yearning of his whole exhausted
system for some stimulant, for some
coursing fiery fluid that would burn
and strange, a thirst for whisky, for
brandy! Remembering these occasion
oil ferocious desires, he had become
charitable to such unfortunates as were
too weak to withstand similar tempta-
tons
Now with shock he caught himself
in the grip Of thirst as insistcnt as
though the cold bore down and the
weariness 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
it 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 soil
| tary, snow banked roadhouse. He
would not stand and soak himself
shoulder to shoulder with stevedores
|
| thing to be done in secret. He had
no pride in 1t. The man on his right
raised a glass, and the young man
strangled a madness to tear it from his
hands Instead, he hurried back to
the theater and up to box, where he
drew the curtains.
"Whiskyw he said thickly to the
waiter. Bring 1t to me fast. Don't
you hear? Whisky
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, boyF 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
up?"
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
ly
TITS whisky, boy" she cried. land
you don't drink
"Of course it's whisky Bring me an
other" he shouted at the attendant.
''What's the natter" Cherry insist
ed. II never saw you act so. You
know you don't drink I won't let you.
It's booze-booze, I tell you, At for fools
and brawlers. Don't drink 1t, Roy.
Are you in troubIe?'
at say I'm thirsty-and I will have 1t!
How do you know what 1t is to smolder
inside and feel your veins burn dry?"
II y NAill Sill. lA~
woman said, with quiet conviction.
shes double crossed you"
"WeH, so she has, but what Of it
I'm thirsty. She's going to marry Nc
Namara. I've been fool" He ground
his teeth and reached for the drinl
with which the boy had returned.
Mcnamara is a crook, but he's &
man, and he never drank drop in hi:
life" The girl said it casually. evenly
but the other stopped the glass half
way to his lips.
well, what Of it? Go on. Yours
good at W. C. T. Q. talk. Virtue be
comes YOU
She flushed. but continued: 'It simpl.
occurred to me that if you aren't stroni
enough to handle your own throat
you're not strong enough TO beat mai
who has mastered his"