The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-02-04
CTODD-That you, Joseph?


arei
PEL1.AGER-Tord, what a night!
Umbrella went inside out and I'm
soaked through. Why the devil
you keep your key turned, Jud-
son, I can't see. Aren't the bolt
and deadlatch enough?
STODD-I'm too old a dog to be
taught new tricks, my friend.
taking no chances.
Enter PellGger pCiping his face,
hands and neck on handkerchief.
Stodd follops.J
PELLAGER-I've just come from
visiting that poor wretch Tim
Minis, at the jail; and it's got on
my nerves, damnably.
fStOdd produces decGnter and
glasses, and places. them on table
at right. He goes out door at
right, still iOithout speaking.
IPeHage,-. soh0 has been drying
his. boots before the fire, starts
nerrOuslU as StOdd disappears.
Quickly he dfGfCs a DiGl from his
coat pocket and half rises, 10Th
fartire OlGnces tos0Grd door at
right. a sound, h0aOeper, checks
him, and he drops bach into
chair, returning UiGl to pocket.
fStOdd re-enters from right
totth jug of toGtcf, schtct he places
on the table.
PELLAGER (rising and stepping
toa0Grd tablet never craved q
wee drop more, Judson Tipping
the decGnter), though know
ySwell it's rank poison no matter
how little. AT the sOord ..pOi-
son" he checks himself 10Th a
little fFOtOn, but finishes smiIin0.)
STODD-It's mot well to break
years habits In a day, Joseph. l
am no medical man. as you are;
but have common sense; and
when It comes to common things
common sense beats science.
PELLAGER pouring aoGter into his
glass lis 1t common sense TO-
fog horse that's running at top
speed?
STOOD pouring his Oton dr-ink)-
What's that to do with It?
p 3 L LA g e R-Eyerything. MY
heart is the horse It's doing its
best. It's running faster than it's
able to run. Alcohol is the whip
that urges 1t to greater efDort. So
Is excitement, for that matter, or
any other undue indulgence Of
the appetites or the emotions.
STOOD lpGusi'lg, glass IN hGmdI-
II you've been lashing a horse
thu best part Of its life, and then
stop lashing all OF a sudden, the
horse will stop going. That's
common sense: and It applies to
hearts as well as horses. Come!
To your good health, Joseph.
both lift glasses and drink.
PELLAGER tthOughtfMllyl-It's an
awful thing, Judson, to be under
sentence OF death, with the very
minutes of your life numbered.
STOOD (stGrtIedJ -You're not!
PELLAGER - That's, practically
what | am.
STODD-Tut, tut!
PELLAGER-Im serious, Judson.
The life insurance people yester-
d. read me my death warrant.
They refused me as a risk.
know the condition. My heart
trouble is incurable.
STOOD (t0ith CHEEKY effort at en-
cOnrG0ement) - You doctors are
always making mistakes. Ill
warrant you outlive a lot of the
youngsters.
PELLAGER (shGkin0 his head
A little over-excitement, and I'm
liable to drop dead at your feet.
STODD-Nothing of the sort. /
won't believe it. You exaggerate.
You just said the minutes of your
life were numbered. That wasn't
true. They're not.
PELLAGER fsmiling as he strikes
m1tchJ-Literally they are not.
You are right. But | wasn't
speaking of myself then. 1t was
of that poor wretch, Timmins.
We're keeping him alive to kill
tomorrow. Hts horrible. IRE.
turns to chair
STOOD (rcsunin0 chair at right of
fro plGce)-His deed was horrible.
1t was as If you killed me, JOS
eI'h, for my money.
PELIAGER ft0ith q shiUer)-But
: the money was not for himself.
1t was for his wife and baby
STODD-Didn't they prove he had
consumption and wanted to get
away to better climate?
PELLAGER-His case was hope
less. He was a patient of mine.
/ never hid the truth from him.
He didn't mind dying. 1t was
leaving his wife and child un.
provided for that maddened him.
STODD-How do you know that?
PELLAGER-He told me.
STODD-When? Before the trial?
PELLAGER-No. To-day. This
evening.
STODD-And you believe him?
PELLAGER-I must believe him.
He wept like child. Not for
me-" he mOaned. my God, not
for me! But for those love"
Il kept thinking" he ran on,
what might happen to them
she so pretty and helpless, and
yet loving the little one so dear
1yi 1t seemed to me I could see
her selling herself that our baby
might live. ! kept thinking Of
that until | could think of moth
ing else. Her eternal soul for the