The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1914-06-19

one finger and looking at me sternly
1T Is a blessing of Providence that
you saved me. for now l, in turn, will
save you. The effect of coffee on the
human system is as destructive, though
perhaps not as rapid, as prussic acid
He took the pot from the stove and
flung 1t after the pancakes.
We had dry toast for breakfast, and
boiled water. Boiled water has as
much taste and staying qualities as
boiled air.
But boil It Griggs would and, as
still felt little dellcacy about refusing
him anything, l submitted. l content
ed myself with the thought of the
lamb chops which had provided for
dinner. and washed down dry toast
with boiled water.
The morning pipe goes best over a
steaming cup of hot coffee, as any one
who has ever tried the morning pipe
well knows. Now, though l had not
the coffee, still had the pipe.
l walked out on the front porch and
sat down in the second-best chair.
which was the only other chair, and
not fit for man of literary pursuits
to sit in.
Griggs followed me ont, and sat
down In the real chair. l started to
fill my pipe.
Young man." he exclaimed. look
Ing at me over his glasses, young
man, tobacco is drying up your life
blood at rate that is appalling! To-
bacco Is the curse Of our American
manhood, and is slowly sapping the
strength of our race. Truly, the days
OF the smoker are numbered.
But am glad to see 1t. am
| glad to be the means of saving you
from far worse death than that from
which you saved me. 1t is my duty,
and 1t is my good fortune, so soon
to be able to repay the debt Of graft
tude which l owe you"
With that he picked the pipe from
my mouth, my tobacco pouch from
my hand and threw them into the
stream that passed my door.
For a moment the thought Of resist
ance possessed me. And then came
the more quieting realization that this
was q man whom had recently saved
from death Besides, he was much
larger than l, and showed by his atti-
tude that he was determined to save
me, even to the extent of employing
physical force. sank back into my
chair in sullen acquiescence.
At the proper time l went to the
kitchen to prepare the chops. To my
| horror, they had disappeared!
After hunting fruitlessly for half
an hour, Griggs Joined me.
"My boy" he said, what is it?'
I've lost the dinner" said shortly.
IF you mean the meat" said my
salvage severely, 81 considered 1t my
duty to dispose of it before 1t could
wreck your life. Meat is only fit for
animals, and to animals I have given
1t. Vegetables are the only proper
food for man."
l gasped. Then I ran to the back
door and looked out. There, in the
pan that is reserved for my moth
eaten watch dog, Kipling, were what
remained of the chops. Less than half
were left. gathered them eagerly in
my hands and turned to go back to
the house.
The next instant the chops we're
snatched from my hands and flung
into the stream. ! looked up angrily
into the calm, sad face Of Griggs.
Food for dogs alone!" he said.
"And I will save you. 1t is my duty"
DUTY be hanged" cried l, and
struck at him.
1t was a foolish thing to do-to
strike at him-for the old fellow was
acting for the best. And the next In
slant l realized how foolish 1t was.
Something descended on my head
like the side Of house. and passed
peacefully into a land where was
surrounded by stars that gradually
took the shape of lamb chops.
When l recovered l was lying on
my back in my straw bed in the shed,
and Griggs was sitting beside me with
a bowl In his lap. I opened my mouth
to speak, and he filled 1t with cruel.
With that my salvation began in
earnest. Griggs did the cooking, and
meat, tobacco and coffee were on the
black list. I stood it for three days.
"Griggs," l said, Il think I'm
cured, all right. And I'm the kind Of
a man that likes to live alone. I'd be
ever SO much obliged II you would
move on"
But he wouldn't hear Of it. / had
saved his life, and he would save mine.
begged, bribed, entreated, and
even threatened; but to no avail. And
/ realized that as long as we both lived
I was to be the victim of Griggs' graft
tude.
hated to do 1t, but 1t was the only
way. \
enticed him to walk with me along
the very cliff where had found him.
When we reached good place asked
him to look into the raging torrent be-
low, and then pushed him over from
behind.
AS / was the only reason why he