Bisbee daily review., 1911-04-08

lon or the term, or. rather, uu r. o'clock noon on the day we were to b., marrie1. At first ] was so hungry for a smoke tbst I kept a few cigars in s bureau drawer where l could smell them, but I found it was like a drunk ard smelling liquor l had to give ir up I kept d record Of the days Go Ds passed before the wedding day and scratched of each day as it passed And when they began to dwindle ev- cry day seemed a month-not before the wedding. but before I could smoke.
 At last the day of my emancipation came. l had received my orders tn go west. and we were to take trak, leaving at ?. m. The ceremony was to take place at .. I bought a thou sand of the best cigars could find to have them ready and to take with me where such cigars were not to be pro cured. On my wedding day I had my luncheon served in my room, and aTt- CT had eaten and drunk l opened a box The odor was delicious.
 Then the thought came to me that the time of my pledge had expired at 12 o'clock. An uncomfortable desire seized me to smoke just one of those cigars. ' took one out of the box, put it back. took it out again, smclled of it and. as i'll luck would have il. saw a box of matches within ach. I scratched the match. bit off q . CSG of the cigar. resisted temptation till the match was nearly consumed. then. touching the flame to the cigar. drew in a long breath of delicious smoke. 'I hadn't got the thing fairly going before that old villain Jones opened the door and came into the room.' The colonel grew so red in the face at the memory of this second wreck ing of his hopes by tobacco that fear ed he would have stroke of apoplexy. Finally his ire subsided. and he con l tinued.
 "The old fool had come to my quar- ters to ask me to sign a paper con nected with the settlement At the sight of his intended son-in-law putting clouds of smoke. the odor of which made him sick. he turned and left the room, banging the door behind him. For half an hour acted like a mad man. Then. having quieted down 2 i bit, I went over tO the house where the Jones family were. I found q commotiOn. As soon as l was shown | into the room where Amelia was and the door was closed behind me she | stood looking at me. furious.
 "'Fooir she exclaimed. You have l spoiled everything
 "'What's the upshot?' I asked. Father says that we can proceed with the wedding if we like. but there is to be no settlement
 "'Father is an old dragon. and I'd rather not have dragon for father in-law.' I snapped angrily.
 And I'd rather have a man for a husband who Is not an idiot she re | torted
 "'An idiotr I replied West Point doesn't graduate idiots
 "'Win you oblige me by leaving me?'
 'l said something Inore-I don't re ! member what, though l do know that it was under the influence of anger of the most painful kind-irritation with | oneself. I only succeeded in draw ing more bitter retorts from the girl was to have married, and finally Jeff her"
 The colonel was so worked upon by the reminiscence that I was glad to see him pause again for breath and composure. Finally he went on:
 There was no wedding The old l fool was obdurate, the bride to be was l disgusted with my weakness in yield l ing to temptation. and I was mad as 1 a March hare. I went to my western | post alone. but before going I swOre a great oath that I would never again yield to the temptation of tobacco would drink. gamble, dissipate in any and every form. but never again would ] I yield to the weed.
 T know what you wish to say tC me" he continued, "aDd you have my consent, but you couldn't please ID, better than by smoking yourself into your grave. As for me, a cigar Is ar excitant of a kind of madness. To bacco cost me promotion in the army and it deprived me of a fortune l d' not mean that l would exchange thu woman love. the mother of my chiI dren, for Amelia Jones, but l do meaI that l have never recovered having lost fortune hy yielding to tempta ton
 ''Now you understand why I woulS not for the world stand toward you il the position that old heather lone stood toward me Smoke. smoke smoke. sEloke 10 your hearts eontentF
 He pushed the button again and or dered another cigar for me. I protest ed that never smoked two cigars, tn one following close upon the other, bu dreaded to oppose him rest he fly int a passion
 My application for his daughter ) hand was perfunctory. Indeed. it wa , an anticlimax I was accepted on tn condition that never should stol smoking.
 My father-in-law stood in a very siu
 gular position. He loved tobacco, bu , could not use it without the past com [ ing up in such force as to risk his yer.
 life. I kept the secret that he hal } eonfded to me. and to this day m,
 wife cannot understand why an more of a smoker than before she mai l I ried me, and that. too. without any or [ position whatever from her father. ? Colonel Richards story is an Illus