The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-06-07
REFORMING OF TAMMAS
BY ALBERT LOUIS WOOD.

boss in the Black Diamond mine, az
far as can remember, Tammas Sar-
gent was the only total abstainer.
One afternoon a prematurely fired
shot projected ton Of coal, more or
less, in Tammas' direction, distribut.
ing 1t somewhat impartially over vari.
GUS portions Of his anatomy. As was
my custom when any OF the men was
hurt, l made it point to drop in on
him for few minutes every day.
1.-THE doctor says" he volunteered
to me on one such occasion. that ma
pure blood an guild habits be better
than his physic. That's win O. the
dummy"
THE dummy Tammas, and what
may that be?' / queried.
1--WE never told a soul. But I'll gle
1t to you in confidence. Its the story
OF ma reformation. Time was when
l drank with the best or, mayhap, the
worst O. them.
Them days David Stephens and me
was fast cronies One night l had ma
been feelin' weel the day. David comes
to me, as usual, to go to the tavern
for a few drains. Come to the tavern,
David says. Perhaps. as you're not
feelfn' over weel, bit O. brandy
would be better than ordinar' speerit,
Tammas.' So I cad for the brandy
an feelin' some better after the first
one, kept calm. Now, bein' sick
like at the start, and the brandy bein'
strong and unqualified, it soon went
to ma held. BY an by David said
summat not to my likin'. an took ex.
ceptions to it. To max a long story
short, we soon parted in anger.
II declare I never felt so strange
afore nor since as I did when got
the air that night. The sense Of direc.
ton left me an l lost ma way in .
place could ha' mapped out in my
sleep. l walked and walked till I was
fair knocked up. O. it was a peetiful
condition!
AT last my pins gied out beneath
me. sunk down in stupor. 1t must
a been two o'clock when l awoke,
awoke, doused wi dew, stiff an cauld.
My senses were still befuddled, but
not so bad as before. was lynn in
ravine near where Hallen's street
sewer empties into Williams creek.
MY first feelin's was of anger with
myself and David. With myself for
bein such beast an with David for
over persuadin' me to drink with i'm.
"As rubbed ma eyes, tryin' to get
the cobwebs out O. them, l caught
sight O. some one lynn on the groom
near by. Lookin' close, l saw twas
David. Here says |, be you followin'
me, mon?' There was no answer
'Haud up yer held an be ceevil, else
I'll basic tina snoOt, mon,' said. Still
no answer. I'll max thee talk
yelled, an just then ma han touched
a bit stone. In my anger l heaved
1t at i'm and it struck full on his held.
There was still no SCUM from Da
vid. rose up and staggered over
to IN. ] put my and on i'm. David
was cold as deith.
THAT seemed to sober me. Ma held
cleared up. The orrible truth came
to me. 'ad murdered ma best friend
IN cold blood could ma bide the
place, but turned an ran as fast as
could toward whoam. Once there, !
went to ma room and fell on the bed.
when daylight come, thought ev.
cry footstep was the constable comm
to ale to Jail. On sudden there was
a knock on the door an David en-.
tered.
II was never a believer in ghosts,
but at that moment my views changed.
All the buried superstitions o. my an.
cestors was resurrected. David
gasped, ow came you 'ere?'
David took ma and. / shuddered.
But twas with relief to find it warm
an 'uman, instead o. olammy an
ghostlike. Forgi'e me, auld mon,' he
said, I was in the wrong last night
Thank God, you're alive, David
says l. I might a. killed you in the
drink
"'No fear you'd hurt friend. drunk
or sober, he says.
"'But did ma the stone hurt you,
David? speired.
"He looked at me dumfounded an
edged away. 'Tammas, you're sick an
out o. your head I'll get DOCTOR he
says.
Ma, ma. none O. that says l.
"'Tammas,' he says again, twas an
Ill trick had played on me last night
You'll min it was Allow Fen. left
ma door unlocked an the boys got
into my room, took ma best rig, hat.
shoon an all, then got dummy from
Myers store an rugged it out in all
ma finery. Then they paraded through
toon wi Meester Stephens, as they
cad it. They left note sayin' I
would get ma buds by calm at the
back door O. the Hallen street sewer
Come, Tammas. an ha' drink or So
"'Na, ma, David, says I. I'm