Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-12-31

A single light was burning in the
room-the doctors green-shaded stu.
dent lamp. Evidently the oil in il was
almost gone, for it had burned low,
and rank smell of charred wick fill.
ed the apartment 1t seemed to shroud
the room in kind of visible shadow,
rather than cast illumination.
Everywhere, as before, / saw books,
books, books, and on the table
caught sight of the morphin-case
open, with the fiendish apparatus of
vice in disorder.
But it was what saw upon the bed
that turned me sick and faint as adj
yanced, staring toward it.
Across the bed, in an attitude of su.
preme abandon, lay the detestable
Vital Ergazy He was clad only in
bath-robe. One foot was sippered;
the other dangled, limp and bare, over
the side of the bed
His left arm lay under him. The
right had been thrown out. This hand
hung flaccid toward the floor II was
blue with congested blood. The veins
stood out on it repellently.
The drug fiend's face, feebly lighted
by the waning flicker of the lamp, ex-
pressed utter Nirvana, complete OBJ
livion. Vital Ergazy was not dead;
that, unfortunately, was quite obvi-
Gus. His stertorous breathing attested
the fact of life, as well as the hue OF
his countenance, flushed rather than
waxen.
In an instant I realized the truth
a terrible overdose of the drug.
With a groan that was an eXecra-
ton on this monster who had at a cru
cial moment violated every trust re-
posed in him and yielded TO his base
passion at time when the supreme
change was at hand approached.
Shuddering with repulsion, bent over
him. | loathed the contact of any
touch upon him, yet | must investi.
gate his condition and see what could
be done for him. | might, perhaps, re-
yiye him enough tc be or some sery.
ice. Now that | could no longer get
into communication with Bordeur, it
was vitality essential that | bring this
wretch to life and consciousness
again.
lifted his arm and let it fall limp
rs dead mans. turned his head,
saw the half-cosed eyes and slavered
! lips, and trembed with hate and rage
and loathing.
Again let his head fall back upon
the tumbled bed, inert and senseless.
"Drugged almost to extinction" |
slowly murmured TO myself as if |
had been speaking to another person.
"The beast has committed the crime
of crimes just at this moment-he
has, either voluntarily or by mistake,
administered terrific overdose to
himself"
stood up and gazed down at him
with violence of hate such as | nev.
er knew my soul could feel. For a
to focus and 10 concentrate into one
soaring flame of hatred for this crea-
ture now inert and useless as a clod
OF earth, oblvious of duty and the III
gent need of his service, sleeping the
blank, senseless, awful sleep of NOR
phinism.
Again | examined him | took his
Slow, pounding pulse and listened to
his still slower respiration. | raised
his right eyelid and observed the pu-
pill, contracted to 4 needle point.
Then, unwomanly as it was in me
and foreign to all my austere New
England training, uttered an ardent
condemnation of his soul--if, indeed,
soul he had-and cursed him for a
coward and traitor
Irresistible passion flared upon me.
raised my fist and struck him twice,
thrice, with the most injurious cpl
thets | knew Shudderng with loath.
ing of the man, and with revuIsion at
my own guest of wrath, so strange to
me, | turned away,
The man, | knew, would not die.
After some hours of oblivion how
many could not tell--he would slow.
ly reemerge, dull broken and confus.
ed, into the living world once more.
With pain and suffering he would re
Cuperate from his debauch. He would
once more take up the low course of
his detestable life, and go forward
with his debastng slavery to morphin.
Yes, he would live through this ,
but meantime?
Meantime | was left alone there in
that storm.swept house, alone with
Alexandra, my nerves unstrunG, my
body broken with fatigue. The pros.
pect was appalling. What would not
have given for a sight OF the smiling,
honest face OF Andre Brodeur?
My only comfort in this distress was
the firm conviction that after all no
crime had been intended. Some acct
dent had happened to Andre; that WAS
all. He had known nothing Of Nitalls
condition. There had been no coln
sion between them. Fate, aud fate
alone, was responsible for The Srurvy
trick shp had nlaVpd nm Alexandra