The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-03-27
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF lNTEaiPERANCE.
The Man and the Bottle-How the
Former Was Aided and Allotted
by the Latter in a Double Muir
dcr-Not Insane. Emf DRINK.

Former Was Aided and Allotted
by the Latter in a Double Muir
dcr-Not Insane, But Drunk.
"I could kill him." said The Man.
Eyes! Had 7 the means, the nerve.
the requisite steadiness Of hand and
brain. he should not live. l have the
wish"
I'm here said The Bottle.
Bit for him she would have been
NINE" said The Man. All! I was
winning her when he came between
US, so smooth, SO iIsinuating, so con-
temptuous of me, with his wealth
and good looks. I hate him!"
Have another!" said The Bottle.
II can imagine her ct this moment,
her eyes, her hair, her lips, her
cheeks. her lovely form, and he.
curse him! bending above her, per-
haps caressing all that should have
been my own. All that I longed for
and dreamed Of. l cannot endure
it," -"
"a tri1e more" said The Bottle.
"I will not submit so easily to the
caprice of a c~hangeable heart, nor to
the scorn of any man. Never! Ho!
Am I a weakling! Am I not strong,
bold, resolute, ready to do, to dare.
to have my way? Does not the blood
leap through my veins, hot with the
impelling cry of an outraged soul?
To Stay the creature as one might
kill a dog would be but right"
That's the talk" said The Bottle.
"Ill no longer hesitate" said The
Man. Bah! I shall strike. My
muscles are like steel, my thoughts
clear and resolved. Not long ago I
trembled in my thinking, dreadins
the consequences. Pooh! Who cares
for what may come. I can easily es-
cape"
your glass is empty" said The
Bottle.
my revolver no the reports
will be heard. All! but I'm cautious
and cunning. This knife? Yes, it
has the point of q needle, the edge o.
a razor, and the blade is long-long,
It will plunge deep" ...
Just the thing" said The Bottle.
eff I find them together. Ha!
She discarded, me. My love has
tirned to loathing. To make it COM
plete would be grand-grand! Why
not?"
Splendid" said The Bottle.
another little swallow"
"IIl do that" said The Man. "They
will be together. 1t is his night for
calling. Always, the wretch is there
on a Sunday evening. In the arbor
enjoying the moonlight-there shall
I steal upon them, silently, slyly, re-
lentlessly. 1t is we'll away from the
house. No one will see me, mol lear
me. 1 am ready"
Just a drop more" said The Bot
tie.
"Oh! to think of it. Il am laugh
ing-as never before. Ha, ha, ha! The
fools. But I must not. be merry, lest
I row careless. Let me see. 1t is
now 9 o'clock. BY 10 I'll be back.
To arrange my windows, noisily, to
shuttle about, to make my usual
sounds of retiring, yawning and NOV
ing the furniture, then to creep out
to creep in, who would not swear
to my being in bed during the hour"
."Clever," said The Bottle. Drink
to yourself. Very clever"
What a gloriousthing is revenge
said The Man. at dominates every
sense as a king rules his petty SUBJ
jects. The king is right. / am
charged with a righteous mission.
How firm, steady, strong, grimly de-
termined I feel. I do not laugh now.
My wish is to act as though were an
actor in a magnificent tragedy-a
part to be performed we'll and thor
oughly. Yet, I smile to myself, for
the part is my invention and my
souls DESIRE"
Smile, then" said The Bottle.
"'Tis my souls desire, toe"
I'm going now" said The Man.
Cali seems in shape. Is there any,
thing more?"
"A stiff bracer," said The Bottle.
IT did it," said The Man. II did
it. Both-God help me! I can
hardly stand. II ran so. My
nerves are like water. Quick! a
drink"
I'm empty" said The Bottle. .
"N-nothing left" said The Man.
IL didn't, I couldn't have taken
all"
You did," said The Bottle.
What shall I do?" said The Man.
ooh. what, what? I am trembling,
sick, helpless to think OF act. I was
seen-a man shouted from the barn
as 1 fled. I cannot run any further.
I dare not stay here. I am a muir
derer. 1 must have been insane"
only drunk" said The Bottle.
ri hear steps. steps," said The
Man. Heavy steps outside. They
have stopped. Someone is ringing.
1t is my death knell."
Quite likely" said The Bottle. -,
"Coming-up-the-stairs,' said
The Man. "Along-the-nall. MY
door,"
Certainly" said The Bottle.
MY knife-my bloody knife. l
am lost-choking, dizzy. 1t is of no
use. One is an officer. Gentlemen
know. I give myself up. TAKE
me? 1 committed the murder" -.
Il helped you commit it, said
The Bottle.-Elliot Walker, in Home
Herald.
Alcohol the Murderer.
The Registrar-General reports for
F,,1op5 oo6 Wo1oc ecDecia1ly during