Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-23
CHAPTER XXX.
The House of Peace.

Wingfeld. Walsh and Paddock sat in
melancholy council in Walsh's glass box
OF an office. The Blotter had been at it
again Wingfeld had suggested bringing
paddock into the matter. though Walsh
had demurred that it was hardly decent
to use preacher as a policeman, 1t was
Walsh's idea that Wayne-who had used
his motor car as a battering ram against
the austere walls of the county jail
should be dispatched to a sanatorium for
treatment. Paddock shook his head
'Piease-not yet!'' begged the minister.
But you've got to come to 1t sooner or
later. It's a disease in that boy and We
may as we'll handle 1t on that basis"
Wingfeld. who had consulted several
medical friends as to the treatment of
dipsomania. confirmed and supported
Walsh. Paddock smiled sadly.
Il happen to know that he had been
tried good deal of late. He has had a
staggering blow or two He had been
straight for several months-made a new
record. And he ran against a very seri-
him.
What's that" demanded Walsh,
bluntly.
He told me last fall that he had de-
cided to 30 to HELM just those words
he's disappointed; he's found out that it 5
not SO easy as he thought
"Um, srunted Walsh, feeling in his
pocket for cigar to chew.
II mean said Paddock, that's he's
too much of man for the devil to han
die. There's real manhood in Wayne
Craighill; he would be lonesome in hell.
And, besides, the road downward isn't SO
easy as it looks. Please understand me.
gentlemen. I'm not talking religion; I'm
merely stating the plain truth from my
own observation and experience. I had
the same idea once myself I'm not proud
OF 1t and mention it only to illuminate my
point. / used to get most beastly and
hideously drunk, SO l don't take a purely
academic view of such cases. but where
there's any manhood left in a fellow he
can't be as wicked as he wants to be
I've had my eye on Wayne all winter
Good Influences have touched him. But
with the good came unhappiness. and he
saw no way out but the red door that
pushes In on creased hinges. He's like a
child. When he can't get what he wants
he vents his rage by getting drunk and
trying to tear the town to pieces. He will
profit by a. brief rustication in q safe
place. where no one will bother him and
where he won't feel the shame of being
hustled into a drunkards cure some
where. We can always fall back on the
doctors. Let's send him to a place ]
know over here in Virginia, where they're
practicing a new idea in just such
cases"
"Hypnotism. Revolutionary - what Is
it?" asked Wingfield.
BLESS you, no. It's the idea I've al.
ready suggested. which was developed
by friend of mine in the ministry. that
no man can be as base as he wants to
| bean attack on sin on the score of it,
futility. Wayne had begun to catch
| glimpses of that little while ago. He
| thought he saw a straight road right
down to the bottom. but he was surprised
to find that it wasn't such clear sailing
after all. Something happened very IN.
expectedly to make him pause; then hi
couldn't get what he wanted, so he de.
cided it was all off again and he's beer
drunk and disorderly. Now. II you'll lie,
| me have him for a couple Of weeks. II
see If We can't give him a new idea OF
two. and when you've interrupted the
downward course several times-a score
if necessary-he1l begin to understand
that we don't really fashion our own lives
at ALL AS / said before. We can't be as
wicked as we'd like to be-assuming. OF
| course. that We are not utterly depraved
and abandoned. and that there's still
something left to nail to. All this isn't
my idea-Paul Stoddard suggested it,
(To be continued tomorrow