Tombstone epitaph., 1916-11-05

the yaruS ot St- LOUIS on the 0Ot. Twenty-two cars loaded solid with the beer of a famous brand and carrying one passenger-also loaded and to a scarcely lesser degree than the cars with the same commodity.
 The night was cold and since eight o'clock a steady drizzle had soaked thing thoroughly Wet and every one compelled 10 be out In it thoroughly mIserab bic.
 Orders had gone out to "clean the town" and officer Carey had worked hard, all day. giving cheap crooks, coke fiends" hop heads" and other undesirables the high sign"
 He had started home when. thinking a glass of beer would not be bad after his labors. he entered a Market Street saloon. Upon entering he noticed a skinny figure lurking near the lunch counter and recognized Il as Tights habiIual drunkard. twenty nine years of age-residence none. occupation none" as the blotter at the station often quoted.
 When sober Tights was a sinking. slipshod. noncnity who would wash cuspidors. clean windows. accept abuse or be the butt of the vilest practical jokes. for liquor. What little he ate was the offscourings of the free lunch counters. The wreck of what had once been man and. so ran the leg end. one of the cleyerest performers on the aerial trapeze or in show par lance, the high traps" the Greatest Show on Earth" ever had.
 A fall had taken his nerve and he had drifted until he became a thing which even the nigGer porters pItied and vel sccrned.
 Carey, the officer. never saw Tights but what h.s gorge rose and. seeing the miserable object lowering near the counter to snatch bit of chesse or bite of bread when he thought himself unobseryed. a look Of disgust and anger swept across his face
 In two strides he had grasped the thin arm of the figure and dragged il to the bar.
 T lights" he said. I'm going to give you Ihe tune Of your lIie. l m going to see you swIII booze Iul il runs out a your ears an then I'm going 10 push you on or under freishl-l don't care a damn winch il is- II l ever see yun in UhIs berg again I'm goin' 10 run you down the first alley anu stomp your guts out Now you swine, drInk!"
 From one saloon to another towards the Ieyee they went In each one Carey ordered beer or whlshey for Tights and the latter drank. drank the last drink as if it were the first and h!s whole being craved the stImuiant. As Broadway was reached aud they sSu ung into a saloon of the better class, Carey muItered, This is your tinlsh h."
 Pulling the rag-like Tights to the bar be Called the bartender.
 Souse this swIne," he ordered. The bartender, with a disgusted look at Tights took long glass from beneath the bar. poured an assortment of It. Quors into il and put ioamy crown Of beer on the mixture.
 He put il before Tights, winked at Carey and sad Call the wagon. It's a sure knockout"
 ''He geis no wagon in this town again." snarled Carey. "i'll put him on the rods of the first through train out and pray to God he fails under the wheels as soon as they are outside the city limits."
 Best thing for him." agreed the oar-keep, looking at Tights as if he were an animal of some kind, He certainly aint worth man killin'."
 Hes a dirty yellow dog" roared Carey, he aint got the guts God gave geese. He's cur. Spit in his face" he admonished the bar-keep, as some one would say Poke stick al him" Of some caged animal.
 The bar-keep with perfect sangfroid did as the officer directed and Tights merely wiped his face with his sleeve, smirked and said, 'Aw, quit your foolin'."
 The proprietor Of the place who had seen and heard all now came forward. Take that thing outa here Carey, or I'll kill it" he ordered.
 With his open hand Carey slapped the cheek of Tights furtherest from the door and swung him around Bid him goodbye" he said, rYou'l never See him again if ycu change your ways and go to heaven" and with this bit of bumor he dragged the smirking Tights into the street.
 and so-as tne ueer train snTiened it's way into the night, Tights. lying on a board placed across the rods closed his eyes and slept.
 He was thrown off at several towns, begged liqucr in a dazed way and when the marshal at last caught him was always hustled aboard some out going, west bound freight and ordered to leave.
 The explanation was simple. To his back Carey had tightly pinned handkerchief on which was printed in ink:
 Cant work-A Bum Keep Him Going west.-Chief. St. Louis"
 At last Tights found himself be- meath a water tank in a strange coun- try. How he got there he did not know or care. A terrible thirst was upon him that water would not quench-
 He was a mass of quivering flesh Every nerve in his body shrieked aloud for the alcohol on which it had fed for so long,
 His clothes were rags. His flesh caked with dirt, his body was yermin infested from the top of his head to his feet. He was weak. sick, semi deiirious and like an animal that feels death drawing near. Tights looked for some hole into which he might crawl
 A small lean-to built at one time to protect cement sacks stood near the tank. the dripping from which had formed a small gulley beneath it. which now ran possibly an inch deep with water.
 Beneath this shelter the poor wretch crept and beneath 1t he lay for three