The Washington herald., 1914-12-20

Of t."
"You know what that means"'
"Sure," he said moodily. Il know.
I'll take my chance"
"Well, then, Pm through" an
nounced.
"No, you're not" said my man,
gripping my arm. You're not going
to quit now. You can quit afterward
If you want to. But you've got TO
see me through this-if you're man.
Think what it means to me and my
kid. You can't throw us down now
no, sir.
We fought it out there. ! showed
what a drunk like that-twenty-four
hours, week. pcrhaps-would mean
to him. Ii would end him. Well, say
it did, he answered; it had TO be done.
1t was poor business, he knew; he
was a poor hired drunk" All right!
But he wasn't 4 quittcr. And. If ]
wasn't, Id have to stay with him.
Not for his sake, ior his girl.
IT was forty-eight hours. nearly, be
lore ] heard from him again. They've
been calling you every ten minutes all
the afternoon said my attendant.
went over to the Grandcst OF Ho-
tells, into his suite, and found him in
his bedroom. The chamber of princes
was strewn with clothing and linen
tossed about in wild haste of pack
ing. The melancholy lackey cast
agonizcd looks upon the wreck, peck
ing here and there in an attempt at
order.
Lord, Doc" said Happy Days.
"I'm glad to see you! Fifteen min
utcs more and it'd been too late"
There was a special train going
West in half an hour. | had to go
with him. No, | had to. He had
sleeping clothes for mc-everything.
81 got him, Doc! got hint" he
said, with as much exultation as his
strength allowed. Hes agreed to
come our way.
Glad to hear it," | answered.
Say, fix me up. Doctor; fix me up,
Doctor" he went on. sitting down.
I'm feeling rocky. You see, I've got
to have you; got to keep off those
spells. 1t would bust everything wide
open.
81 used 10 hold him." ne said wear
lily. as / was dosing him. But can't
any longer. He's too much for me-"
He told me, when he began TO feel
better, what had happened.
Illinois Charley was coming in
again on that price agreement.
That night they were going to lndi-
ana for the necessary legal fiction OF
a directors meeting there. A special
train-one of Illinois Charley'S spe-
cial trains Then back again in the
morning. We were on the way to the
station when he told me. | had to
go. There was no resisting. He al
most forced me before him by physi-
cal strength.
The special train was there, on the
last sidetrack-a squad of portcrs,
grinning madly. running forward with
frantic fourishes in their desire to
serve these men whose pockets drip
ped yellow bills. Illinois Charley sat
back in the buffet car, staring across
a table at the end. -,
my man.
Hello, you poor old shoat." re-
sponded Illinois Charley, fixing his
little bloodshot eyes on me. Where
you been? I've been waiting for you
Il NCth- Nll uON H. dhC Il III lllh-
His voice Was hard and percmp-
tory; his little red eyes stared angrily.
Clearly he was ugly from partial So
boring.
What a night that was! Cham
pagnc and cinders. 4 huge dinner in
terrupted by wrestling matches.
There were about twenty men, princi-
pals and hangerS-on-a motley crowd,
only partly acquainted with one an
other. In the heart OF it, Illinois
Charley-drunk; short. grizzlcd, lit
tie gray. red-eyed Scotch bull-stamp-
ing up and down the aisleS, bowling
orders to the walters: Here, come
here" Nigor without end. And urg-
ing him, bawling at him, and clump-
ing him on the back, was Happy
Days. the entertainer.
where are my directors" yelled
Illinois Charley. The trouble is with
directors these days They won't di-
rect! I'm going to have a directors
drill-right now"
He lined the directors before him.
They marched up and down, to the
tune OF Drill. ye tarriers, drill" and
ended by cxtinguiShing the tall direc-
tor, who was red-headcd, with a
champagne bottle.
I'll drill you'll teach you to di-
rect" snortcd Illinois Charley.
The night wore on. CinderS and
champagne and blue cigar smoke, and
bawdy songs yelled to Methodist
hymn tunes.
1t was very late. Some one said we
had come into Ohio. Illinoi5 Charley
was still strong, ramping up and
down, tirclcss. My man seemed to
have tired. 1t was a barbarous thing,
medieval drinking bout-a duel be
tween drinking men in the good old
Germanic style
But, II my man was firing danger
ously, the other was mellowing, grad
ually growing affectionatc
He was going to ratify; he wouldn't
ratify ior anybody but his old friend
Happy Days-old Hig. His mind
turned to his enemies. There's wasn't
man in New York-in that dogs
island-could scare him. Bunch of
slant-eyed crooks. He'd show 'em.
He snapped out blasphemics against
the head deity OF Wall Street. Told
what he'd do to him. He'd tear off
that mustache and make him eat it,
some day.
But his old friend Hig-good fel-
low; he'd do anything for old Hig.
Come on, Hig. have a drink. Amen.
Aa-a-men.
We were getting toward Indiana,
they said Gradually Illinois Charley
was getting drowsy. He dozcd off
L L 1