Evening star., 1911-06-04

knock you out good and plenty. Had the
habit long?"
at isn't habit with me-" says he. II
don't like the stuff, always makes me Ill =
but-but l wanted to forget"
II see," says l. Business on the blink?'
"I'm in an awful hole says he. "Debts!
You wouldn't believe everyone, every
where. Then-then I've been plunging on
cotton. They played me for sucker"
@Well, that's what they're there for" says
| /. "You know, Hicks, you amt done any
thing unique. But l understood you had
good thing in that flour business of yours.
| How'd you come to get in SO deep with the
| debts?"
"I-I don't know" says he. II suppose
we we're trying to make too much of a
| splurge. We got started, and couldn't stop.
It's like whirlpool, this society game;
| whirlpool sucks you in. | saw how it was
going to end; but l couldn't stop. l
wouldn't care so much if it wasn't for-for
Esther and-and Mother. Oh, Lord! what's
to become of them?"
up at this stage of the game,-the wife and
kids, or the poor old mother. All kinds of
crooks use it, from white whiskered bank
wreckers, to strong arm artists caught with
lead pipe up their sleeves, and gen rally it
makes me want to see EN- soaked good and
hard for playin' baby.
| But in this case knew Mother; by sight,
anyway. And she was just as nice and dear
an old lady as Sadie had described could
| frame up the look that would come into
| them gentle old eyes when she heard the full
details of how her Eddie had gone to smash;
and what the look would be like if by any
chance he should carry out this finishin'
bluff of his was somethin' didn't care to
dwell on.
II never can face them-never!" he was
groanin'
@Ah, slush!" says I. 3You've got to face
'em, and you've got to straighten things out
tool"
1No, no." says he, shudderin' and hidin his
face in his hands. aYou don't know what a
weak, silly ass I've been drink when don't
want to, smoke so many cigarettes that it
has affected my heart and lungs, eat things
that hurt me, and follow where anyone leads.
I've let things go, important things, because
| couldn't decide one way or the other l
dread little things too, like meeting strangers,
or opening letters, or hearing water run
through faucet. Oh, it's awful, McCabe!
It's been growing on me, and can't think
what is the matter"
Il can make guess" says I, lookin' him
over critical.
"Don't tell me, then," says he "|
couldn't stand it! Don't talk to me about
heart disease or tuberculosis, or any of those
dreadful things!"
"Ah, can the medical tommyrot!" says l.
"What do know about your heart or your
lungs? It's your nut I'm findin' fault with,
or the way you don't use what's inside of it.
Say, who's been runnin' you, Hicks, these
last few years, your head or your stomach"
"Why," says he, "what do you mean?'
@Just that says l. 3You've got brain,
amt you, like the rest of us? Well, is it on
the job? Say, you've seen steamer Cap
tain up on the bridge, amt you, bossin' the
whole shootin' match. from pilothouse to
stoke hole? He was the brains of the ship.
Now your brain ought to be Captain of your
craft too. That's what you've got one for.
But, as near as l can figure out, you've re-
signed command. You've eaten anything
that was handy, sopped up any liquid that
might be showed at you, and done the easiest
thing. So you have got your stomach out of
gear, and from there the mischief has spread
through your nerves. That's what's maxim
your knees tremble and your hand shake.
Maybe it's something worse; but l doubt
| it."
aBut what can do?" means Hicks.
@Do?" says l. @Why, fight your way back
to the bridge and 60 to givin' orders again!'
"Yes; but l can't, | can't!" says he,
slumpin' down in chair.