The Washington times., 1925-09-09
New and Amazing Serial Describes One
Mans Long But Losing Battle
for Freedom

{ Of great material for a book down
where ! live=-the real stuff!
Theirs Isn't any use Of you're go
ing on a. you are. sober one week
and drunk the next. Do one or
the other Don. Either quit en-.
tifely and go right, or else drink
yourself down until you can't go
any farther ana come out=-cured!
That is. either cured or killed
and what's the difference? If it's
your fate to go the booze route.
why prolong the misery? Why
not let things slide and get it
over with?
But I'll take care Of you If
you take care OF me. what do
you say?"
I had listened TO FIelen's almost
GREATNESS argument in amaze
ment. 1t was So utterly differ
emit from anything had ever
heard or that had ever occurred
TO me. The thought of dropping
all responsibility and being able
to.raove about as wished, drunk
or sober, with no one to interfere
or make me feel guilty, appealed
TO me tremendously.
Moreover, 1 was fascinated by
Helen. Some sort of hazy idea
took form in the back of my
mind that I might be able to save
her while saving myself per.
suaded myself that she must be
right-that 1t might Be possible
for me, and perhaps for both Of
us. to drink to the vanishing
point, the point of complete sat
uration, and win cure through
loathing and disgust.
was II I, was it my mind and
spirit, made me think tha1 way.
or was it an alcoholic brain? I
don't know. know I got up
and paced the floor, asking my
companion many questions and
becoming more and more at
tfacted to hen plan.
Convinced Of Destiny
The chance to go and live with
TIA wretchedly poor and learn
how they existed with my own
eves and senses appealed to me
aiko had listened to many
stories from men in prison-I1len9
who, as boys. had lived in the
Sums and whose start on the
wrong track was directly at
.fibutable to .childhood sdualur
and misery had talked to many
Of our scarlet sisters who had
slipped into disgrace for the same
reason.
Perhaps I might be an instru-
rnsnt. perhaps 1 had been chosen
Nv the over Mind to write of
these things. At that drunken
moment 1 convinced myself that
had a. destiny to fulfill. and that
the drinking of all the booze I
wanted while 1 was filling It was,
Of course, In a measure, ordained.
Another example OF how alcohol
twists ones mind.
The upshot was that agreed
To 20 with Helen, and the de-
cision seemed to make her very
happy, went downstairs and
sent 4 telegram to my aunt, tell
ihK her, was on the trail of a
'sbig story and might not be
home for a month. I also wired
TO my manager. cancelling the
few speaking engagements ahead
and giving him the same reason.
At the moment I forgot two
other engagements that I had
made independently-one at Chi.
cago.
IT was Sunday. but I found
several secondhand shops open
along Seventh avenue, and bought
some cheap, half.wern-out gar
nhents. 1 had left my suitcase
checked at the Pennsylvania sta
ton the afternoon before, and
went and got it. I donned the
rough garments. packed the others
away in the suitcase, and Helen
and took a street car across
Forty.second street to the East
Side. and then the Second avenue
elevated downtown.
Here room in the crowded tene-
Z ment was a dark and uninvitins
cubby-hole. The smesred window
opened on tagged backwards.
separated by broken.down. board
fences. Prayed clothes lines ran
In ali directions, one above an
other. and there were bedraggled
looking cats galore.