Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-11-16

been recognized. The qualification al
MS impulses had become a sort of sec,
ond nature to him, and one day faaI.
ing tnat ne owed debt of friendlinesa
20 tne world, he was impelled to liouil
date 1t.
He did struggle half-heartedlr
against his first drink, but after he had
taken 1t and after other drinks had
gone the way of the first, he met a
number OF people whom he liked and
10 whom he was inspired to show his
liking. and, strange to say, the more
ne drank the more of such friends he
discovered. BY late afternoon he was
IN Enthusiastically iubilant mood ana.
Selling Kurtz, he bore hin across the
way to Delmonico's.
Now, Kurtz was worldly and there.
fore tolerant, He had grown to like
and to understand his young associate
very well indeed, and something about
bob's riotous disposition to gladness
aWoke a response in the little tailor.
" was that expansive and expensive
hour OF the afternoon when business
worries are dropped and before social
cares are shouldered. 1t was cocktail
uhe along the avenue. the hour when
sprees are born and engagements bro.
Ken, and as 1t heightened Wharton cele-
DRAFTED u as in days gone by. His
last regret had vanished; he was hay
ing splendid time, when page called
him to telephone BOOTH
Ad0rnR's yniao rrrnafnl 1,.,..
Speaking from his own home, and her
first words almost sobered him. Some
thing was wrong; Bob was needed
quickly: Lorefei was asking for him.
For more than an hour they had been
vainfy trying to locate him. They had
succeeded in reaching the doctor, and
he was Herewith nurse Adoree's
voice broke Lorelei was frightened
and SO was the speaker, Rob had bet.
ter waste no time.
When Bob lurchesa ont of the booth
ne was white; the noisy group he had
left rose in alarm at sight of his
stricken face. His legs led him a
crooked course out Of the cafe bring.
ing him into collision with chairs ana
tables and causing him to realize for
the first time how far he had allowed
himself to go. In n shaking voice he
called for taxicab. meanwhile allow
Ing the raw air of the street to cool
his head.
The terror of the unknown was upon
him. But regrets We're unavailing.
Something had gone wrong. and Lore
lei needed him. She was calling for
him and he was drunk. He would reel
up to her bed of pain with bleared eyes,
with poisoned lips. How could he kiss
her? How could he explain:
The cab swung into the curb, ana
he scrambled out, then stumbled blind
ly up the steps and into the building
where he lived
Adoree met him at his own door.
Wharton's impression was vague; he
saw little more than the tragic WIDEN
ing of the girls eyes as she recognized
his condition.
Am l as bad MS that?" he stam-
mered. "Do you hink she'll notice it?''
"Oh, Bob! Adoree cried, in strick-
en- voice. "How could you-at this
tfme?'
You said she wanted me. couldn't
take time
Yes! She has been calling for you,
but Pm sorry I found you
A silent footed figure in nurses
uniform emerged from the dining room,
and her first expression of relief at
sight of Bob changed swiftly to stare
OF startled wonderment Bob was not
too drunk to read the half-spoken pro-
test on her lips. Then he heard his
wife calling him. and realized that
somehow she knew of his coming. At
the sound of her voice, strangely
throaty and hoarse from pain, the
strength ran out of his body. The
doctor heard him fumbling at the bed-
room door and admitted him: then a