The Washington times., 1912-08-23

comfortably clear OF Dartmoor he
had begun to drink. For the first
tWenty-four hours he was too busy to
think of means OF dulling the various
| torments that had already begun twist
ing and tearing his heart but when 1t
came to a question of spending a whole
night at Swindon. with nothing but hts
own thoughts for company, he had re-
course to liquor.
He sat in a quiet corner of the smok-
ing room of the modest hotel which he
had selected after inspecting those which
the town boasted, and drank whisky
steadily until he felt sleepy; whereupon
| ne retired to his room. He slept for two
or three hours and woke sweating with
, terror-he had dreamed of Lloyd. head
less, pursuing him up and down the
sunlit hillsldes.
He slept no more that night and had
bad headache when he rose in the
morning. He tried to cure it by liberal
potations OF brandy and soda. from
breakfast time until noon, when he re-
verted to whisky. which he consumed
whenever he got the chance, chiefly at
railway refreshment rooms, until he
paused Tor the night at Birmingham
Inere was some notion in his mind
that 1t would do him good to get de-
Gently drunk; he remembered that on a
certain occasion in India when he had
got into trouble he had drunk himself
into resigned If not quite cheerful
| state of mind, and he wanted to do II
,Sain. He was not afraid of making
any disturbance, OF attracting attention
10 hlmsef, or of doing anything that
police 'ie
He was one of those men who can as
| simulate quantity of liquor In a peace
able and quietly comfortable fashion,
with bed and sleep at the end of the de-
oauch. He never wanted to shout or
sing or night or engage in animated dis
cussion on these occasions, and thus 1t
had previously happened that he had
| indulged without other folk being much
the wiser.
But Hollins row discovered that the
usual result of deep drinking did not
follow. He ate hearty meal early in
the evening after his arrival in Birmins-
nam, and afterward went round the
ep% aG%h, ;g calling IN at one bar, after another
ana having two or three glasses in each
AT lO O'Clock he returned to his hotel
ana until u sat in the smoking room
drinking whisky y-and-sodas supplied to
M nm ny waiter, who secretly marveled
grow sleepy nor feel the least signs Of
| intoxication; his brain was, IL anything,
clearer than ever: he felt as wide awake
as healthy man does after a nights
sound sleep. :
At u o'clock he felt that in all COM
mon decency he ought to go to bed, but
re knew that If he did he would not
| sleep. and the horrors of the previous
Wakeful right haunted and frightened
him. He wanted more whisky, but was
| ashamed to ask for it. '
Then fortune favored him. The waiter
went on duty; the night porter came in
| and set an array of spirit bottles. lem
ors, and sugar, and similar Temptation
on table at the end of the room, and
gence.
He caught the night porter's eve and
beckoned him to draw near, and he
spoke to him confidentially
mats good thing for a night
cap?' ne asked. II haven't been sleep
ihs well these last few nights-I should
| think a drop of something hot now
would be the straight ticket, wouldn't
The night porter said that was what
a, good Ina many gentlemen took last thing
some whisky-differsn gentlemen had
different tastes. ...,
"1'n try rum" said Hollins. perhaps
you'll mix tan make It a stiff 'un."
"A large rum-hot-with sugar and
| lemon? Very good, SIR" said the night
! porter.
The hot grog sent glow of something
like renewed life through / Hollins;
| things began to look CHEEKY again.
| After all. he said to himself, there was
| naught to fear-he was too old bird
to be easily. caught. BY the time he
had come to the end of his glass he
was developing such state Of satisfied
comfort that he beckoned to the night
! porter and asked him to repeat the
dose.
| The night porter saw nothing unusual
| In this request and obeyed the GUS
| TONER'S order. Hollins tipped OFF the
second glass and went to bed. He fell
into a drunken sleep at once, for the
hot liquor was acting on the multi
tudinous glasses of brandy and soda
and whisky and soda which he had
taken during the day, and he was con-
scious of nothing when his head touched
| the pillow but a gentle rocking sensa-
1 ton, which was by 10 means unpleas-
! ant, and seemed TO promise a sooth-
Ing night.
He lay like a log in absolute uncon-
sciousness until the gray dawn came
! stealing through his windows. and
then ne suddenly woke with a feel
! ing of black horror and despair and
| agonizing fear tearing and rending
at his hesrtstrings.
! He spranG up and tried to find a
| light: the instant that his feet touch
| ed the floor his head whirled like a
| spinning top and he fell with heavy
crash. The fall sobered him. he pick
ed himself MP and sat quaking and
shivering on the edge OF his bed, star
ing at the gathering light.
A Continuation of This Story VIII
Be Found In TOmOrrow's
Issue of The Times.