The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-18
THE MAN WHO
 ROSE AGAIN
by JOSEPH ROCKING

II (Continued from Page Nine)
 Bed saiG Leicester, struggling with himself, bed, who dare talk tc me bout bed? mus do duty. Two | thousand faithful s'porters are wait II in for word from the leader. Hic, must sport my party also. Souse Il me. gentlemen, IT must return to | tn platform I want to warn my countrymen 'gainst the terrible evil V | drink. No, nod ev'n sorrow shall keep me from duty. Has ses poet sWhr duty calls or danger, o ner be wantin' there.'
 He tried to rise; but in vain. Again he fell back with a drunken giggle, while the editor and his re- porter laughed gleefully.
 "I hope you'll not take an unfair advantage of MT. Leicester's illness, gentlemen" said MT. Smith,
 "I assure you we'll only report faithfully what we have seen,' was the reply "But, really, I don't think there is any need for newspaper re- | ports. the people have seen for them selves"
 With all speed Leicester was taken back to the hotel, protesting all the 1 while that he wished to address his faithful followers, and warn them against the evils of drink. Presently, when he reached his room, he rang the bell.
 "Boll whisky, James," he said. "GenTmen, les drink 'elth party sobriety 'n' freedom"
 NO, MT. Leicester said the chairman of the political organiza- ton which had accepted him as their candidate, "you have drunk too much whisky already. You have not only disgraced yourself, but you've dis graced your party. You've ruined our chances of winning this election, you have made us the byword of our opponents, and of the country
 "Qui' m'stak'n, genPmen; sob'r's judge. wha', Rafford Lester drunk? I cu'nn be drunk if I tried. Whisky cu'nn do it. Les ave a drink
 A doctor entered the room, and came to his side.
 ''They say I'm drunk, doctor. Tell 'em wha' fools they are. Tell 'em I'm advocate ov temp'rance."
 Get him to bed," said the doctor. He had been a supporter of Leices- ter's, and was disgusted at what had taken place. Here, take this," he said pouring some liquid into a glass.
 'Is it whisky, doctor? No, thank tush cursed stuff"
 Drink" said the doctor sternly.
 Anything 'b1ige you, doctor" he said, as he swallowed the draught. asleep, while thes whole town was talking eagerly about what had talk en place that night Many there were, in spite of what they had seen, been unhinged by grief, and that in stead of turning their backs upon him, they must support him all the more Loyalty; but in the main it was believed that the opposition editors dictum was correct, and that he had insulted them by appearing on the platform in a state of intoxicatlOn. As the night went on, reports were
 
 maine was not i'll at all, but that it was a report which originated with Leicester himself, the real truth be- ing that Miss Cast1emaine, having at the last moment discovered him to be 6. drunkard, had ordered him from her home. Before the town had gone to sleep, Leicester was declared to be guilty of every sin in the call endar, and that they must be very thankful that they had found out his real character. MT. Smith and his staff were in despair, while the agent of the other side was jubilant. Their success was now assured, they felt.
 Hour after hour Leicester slept. The doctors potion, together with the whisky fumes, had to be slept eff, and he lay like a log, breathing heavily. More than once the pro- prietor of the hotel came and looked at him. As he looked, he wonder ed. Even in his drunken sleep there was something noble about him. The face, all discolored as it was, sug- gested a strong, masterful man. It seemed impossible that the self-re- stricted man who came to his house a few hours before, and had ordered nothing but soda-water from the waiter, could have fallen on the platform in drunken helplessness. Nevertheless, there could be no doubf about it. As he listened tn lis maud lin mutterings there could be but one opinion about his condition.
 Gro be continued)