Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-06-23

that he might assure himself as to
the proper timing on each mouthfiil.
So he did not go upstairs until just
before the company left. Captain
Hanslxa. as I have said lived just
across the hall from him. The light
was out in the captains room, he re-
membered, and everything seemed
quiet. Nothing, he testified after
ward, happened to disturb his sleep;
however managed to throw in
scientific diet makes sound SUM
her," Within ten minutes the conn
pany" left and the young women
went to their room. There was silence
in the house.
Silence until half-past two o'clock
and then Tommy North, who occu-
pied the third floor front. came home
from a stag smoker drunk.
He stood at a parlous cross-road of
his life. this Tommy North. He was
an attractive young man-stubby,
bright-eyed red-headed, quick
tongued and 2S. His business of writ
ing and selling advertising gave him
attractive people who liked him for
his flashes of wit and his genuine
warmth of heart. They were the kind
of people, unfortunately. who con-
duct their social life before gilded
bars or about luxurious cafe tables.
So it happened that Tommy was SOW
| ing wild oats and irrigating them
with good liquor, and they had begun
to sprout in his system. This was
not the first time that he had re-
turned, uncertain of tongue and foot,
in the hours of vice. On the last oc-
casion he made so much noise that
Miss Harding refused him her coun-
tenace for a week and Mrs. Moore
gave him warning. That warning
rested at the bottom of his maudlin
psychology as he crept up to the front
door, unlocked 1t and stole within.
Must avoid disgrace" he muttered
to himself, awful brand of young
manhood Fair women avoid me.
Pestilence." At this thought he
dropped a tear Suddenly his mind
turned full revolution and the situa-
ton occurred to him as ridiculous.
Whereat he aughed-beneath his
breath as he thought The vigilant
Mrs. Moore. who woke at every night
entrance of dodgers, heard that rau-
cous laughter. She leaped out of bed,
opened her door a crack and observed
Tommy as he stood balancing him.
self under the dim point of the gas
jet. Oblivious to the open door and
the watchful eye, he made turn
about the newel-post and began put
| ting one foot cautiously before the
other, saying over and over a drunk
en- refrain which ran;
Hay foot--straw foot--one goes up
and the other goes DOWN" So he van
ished from the vision of Mrs. Moore.
BY similar devices he negotiated the
stretch of hall carpet on the second
floor and took the next flight. He
was near his haven now-his own
room. third floor front. In the dim
hall light he balanced himself and
let his tongue play again.
Energy and INSTRUMENTATION
almost Won" he said. Just talk to
your feet and let 'em do your work. "
But the muscular effort of climbing
two flights had sent his liquor surg
ing to his head, so that he dizzied and
staggered. He caught the banister for
support. Then something, real or
fapcied, caught his eye-something
which held his drunken attention. He
stopped and clutehed at il. The effort
overbalanced him and sent him
sprawling on his hands into some wet
Sticky substance.
N"Fearful careless housekeeping" he
said, as he resained his feet. forces
1 me to extreme measure wiping hands
on. shirt. No other place to wipe
hands. Renewed necessity arises
be stopped and repeated the phrase