The chronicle=news., 1913-07-16
REFORMING OF TAmmAS
sy ALsGRr LOUIS WOOD.

AMONG the I0ufo0Oro ana 000 men
who worked under me- when ! was pit
boss In the Black Diamond mine, ~
far ~ ! can remember. Tammas sar
gent was the only total abstainer.
One afternoon . prematurely fired
shot projected ton Of coal, more or
less. In Tammas' direction. distribut.
ing II somewhat impsrtially over vsri.
Gus portions OF his anatomy. A. was
my custom when any OF the men was
hurt. ] made It . point to drop In on
him for few minutes every day. 81.
THE, doctor says" he volunteered
10 me- on one such occasion. that ma
pure blood an guild habits be better
than bis physic. That's win O. the
dummy"
The dummy Tammas. and what
may that bs?' ] Querisd.
I've never told soul. But I'll gie
II TO you In confidence. It's the story
Of ma reformation. Time was when
] drank with the best or. mayhap. the
worst O. them.
Them days David Stephens and ne
was fast cronies. One night I had M
been feslin' Wecl the day. David comes
10 me. ~ usual. to 70 to the tavern
for few drains. Come to the tavern,
David says. Perhaps. ~ you're not
feelin' over weel. = bit o. brandy
would be better than ordinar' speerlt,
Tsmmas.' SO I cad for the brandy
an feelin' some better after the nlst
one. ! kept . callin'. Now. bein' sick
like at the start. aud the brandy bein'
strong aud unqualified. II soon went
70 ma held. BY an by David said
summat not TO my likin'. an took ex.
ceptions TO II. To max = long story
short. we soon parted In anger.
Il declare ! never felt 10 strange
sfore nor since - ! did when I rot
the air that night. The sense OF diree
tion left me an lost ma way In .
place I could ha' mapped ou, In NJ,
sleep. ] walked and walked tiil ] was
fair knocked up. o. II ~ss . peetiful
condition!
A. last my pins sied out beneath
me-. ! sunk down In . stupor. Il must
q been two O'Clock when I awoks
avoks. doused wi' dew. sti6 an csuid
Ny senses wsec siill bsfuddlsd. but
not % bad - before. ] Was lyin' In .
ravins near whers Halien's street
sewer smpsiss into Williams creek.
Ny Art fscliu's vas OF anger with
myself snd David. With myself fos
bsin' such . beast. an with David fos
over psrsuadin' me To drink with I'm
"As ! rubb~d ma eyes. sryin' to get
the cobweos out o them. caught
sight o some one lynn on the groom
near By. f.ookin' close. I saw twas
David. Here says I. b. you foilowin
ne. mon. Thrr~ vas NO answer
'Haud up yer held an b. cssvil. slss
III taste ths snoos. mon.' ! said. 8sill
70 answer. III maxi thee talk !
yelled. an Just then mn han touched
. bit stone. In my anger ! h~avcd
Il q I'm and IL struck full on his held
There Was s,ill no SCUM from In,
vid. ! rose up and staggered over
to n pot my aud on Inn. David
vas cold ~ deilh.
THAT seemed 10 sober mo. Ma hcid
elsarsd up. The 'orrtbls truth csmo
to me. ! 'ad murdered ma best friend
in cold blood. ! could nA bide the
place. but turned an ssn - fast ~
could toward whoam. Once there. !
vsnt TO ma room and fell on the bed
When daylight come. ! thought ov.
cry fooistsp ~ss the constable comin'
70 ale 70 jail. On . sudden there Was
. knock on the door an David On.
tered.
Il was never . believer 10 ghosts.
bat st that moment my views changed
All The buried supsrstitions o my an
csssoss wss rvsurrectsd. 'DAvid.' ]
Gasped. ''ow came yoa 'sre.
David took ma and. shuddsred.
a. 'umaa. instead O. clammy an
shostliks. 'Forsi's me. auld mon.' hs
said. ! was in the wrong last night
THANK God. you're alive. David.'
says I. I might a killed you In the
dsink.'
"'No fear yos'd hurt . friend. drunk
o. SOBER he Gays.
"'Bui did NJ the stone hart you.
David!' I speired.
He looked at ne dumfounded ap'
edged away. 'Tsnmss. you're sick an
out O. your head. IN get ooctor.' he
Gays.
ma. ma. none O that says I.
"'Tammas.' he says again. twas a.
III trick had played on me last night.
You'll min Il was Allow Zen. 1sfs
ma door uniocksd an the boys got
ihto my room. took ma bsst rig. hat.
sboon an all. then got . dummy from
NyeD' store an rts9ed It out In all
ma nnsry. Then they paraded through
toou vi Meesssr Stephens. - they
cad IL They hem . note sayiu' !
would get ma dads By cailin' At tho
hack door O. the Hallsn street sewer.
|CD0s. Tam0as. an ha' . drink or g.
"'Na, M, David says I. I'm
kHloueh drinkin'.' An I was.'
(Cvpysfsht, ~ Daily Story Pub. C0l
S,meis Avleo Ter leo0 LIE.
when Q man OF ninsty.sevsn talks