The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-23

to pawn Whittell's things-his poor,
silly, trumperk clocks, bric-a-brac, any
thing. The chinamen used to feel my
clothes before l left the house. Yet
Joe never wavered, never turned me out.
There was always my nice room, my
meals, place to stagger back to. Often
reformed L was always reforming.
Heaven only knows how many times I
piedgedJoe my word of honor never
to touch the accursed stuff again. An
absinthe hend spends half his time re-
forming, and the other half in he'll.
What's honor to man like that-what's
anythingl You have lost everything
human but your cunning-your diaboli-
cal cunning. can't imagine how l kept
out of Jail. Once Joe had to put up
money to save me 1t was a doormat
| remember, doormat with Welcome"
on it. The sight of one since always
gives me the shivers. l was a terror
and a bye-word-a loathsome, dirty
! specter with red eyes-an insult to the
earth-a tomato-can bum And still
Joe stuck to me-
One day l found $40 on his bureau-
the months wages for one of the China
men. OF course, l took it. Jumped at
the chance-skeedaddled out before il
could be missed. Forty dollarsI /, who
was used to doing little jobs for dimes
and quarters! Itswas all I could do to
shout for JOY. remember laying down
twenty on the bar. and telling every
body to walk up! Then blank. Then
waking up in bed. with Joe at the foot.
looking at me. What do you suppose
he was doing? Staring at my legs;
all covered with red and purple trelIisesl
Outlining all the veins, and weaving in
wonderful and fearful arabesquesl
My God, look at them legsr he
said.
'And I looked at them legs Perhaps
an ordinary man wouldn't have minded
very much. But not I. My nerves were
Jumping. and l was on the border line
Of madness. Instantly l screamed at
the sight of them. They were horrible,
repulsive, creepy-crawly"
I've been expecting it. said Joe.
Them legs Of yours are in bad way.
That's what you've brought yourself to,
you darned idiot, and you'd better say
your prayersr
What do you thinks the matter with
them. Joe?' l walled, taking another
shuddering look.
Its absint',' he replied 11ournfully.
It always takes them like that sooner or
later. Takes them in the legs
I was so shaky could hardly whis-
per the inevitable question.
The red is usually reckoned sen
GUS answered Joe, but them purpla
patches is enough to scare the Dutch.
We had better get the doctor in auickp
We'll, we got the doctor in quick.
After humping me, and listening to my
heart, and examining Joes artistic ef-
forts through a magnifying glass, he
was induced to promise me a slight
chance Of recovery. Said that with in
cessant care and nursing he expected,
to pull me through
But it depends largely on yourself.
Young man he went on. in Your pre-
ent state even to crave the internal
stuff will set you back. and maybe kill
YOU You must put the idea out of
Your head, absolutely and foreverr
They kept me in bed three weeks,
and with the application OF hot towels
he horrid symptoms gradually dis4p-
oeared. Then Joe tok me to Colorado.
where for couple of months we lived
Il the saddle, and slept at night under
he open sky. From time to time I
y ould examine myself apprehensivcly
Tor purple spots. but naturally never
ound any. As for absinthe l hated It,
md the smell OF it nauseated me. The.
ioctor said afterwards that | was a
cry interesting case OF autosuggestion,.
md read a paper about me before a
medical society, in which I figured as
Ir. X. So l got well. returned East,
ecured a berth with MCGEE & Hamp-
on, and began to climb the professional.
adder.
But it was to Joe I owed it my life,
ny health, my success, even meeting
on. All to Joe Whittell. Cod bless him.
What if he is coarse and common. and
yncrant and unrehned! What if he
oes wear a diamond headlight you
ould read by in the dark! 1t isn't for
lie to criticise him. l know the big
cart underneath it: the big heart that
aved me, and-and-"
You want me to know it, tooI'
Yes, Alice"
you poor, darling boyT
Inks an awful thing" said Jack re-
Purple ink especially. I
uess that was what the man had in
ind when he said the pen was mightier
ian the sword Only joe used the end
{ his finger"
The sweet old fellow" said Alice.
IN going to be so good to him thar