The Washington times., 1925-10-08

Don. She agreed with me tina:
; 1t would do no good to get angry
with you. Now, try to go TO
sleep again. I'll run down town
and get some chops and we,n have
nice breakfast-lunch- dinner when
you wake up. I'll leave Donnie
with Mrs. Coady.''
Picture Of Innocence
''No bring him UP. here" ]
begged. I'm take care Of him.
I want to play with him. any,
way. He loves to play hide ana
seek with the bed covers. /"
ssNo," she declared, pushing me
back to the pillow. I'm boss now.
You go to sleep"
81 For some reason I felt playful,
instead Of c6ntrite. Meekly ]
clasped my hands together over
i my breast outside the covers and
closed my eyes.
.'Good!' she laughed. "A pic
ture OF innocence:a perfect angel, !"
and she was gone.
I. tried to sleep, but couldn't.
My brain was playing leap frog
Mildred's tolerance-r1y sudden
relief from anxiety about a scene
--had set my blood coursing. Sud.
denly / thought OF the closetful-
full of whiskey in town. would
be certain to get drunk again
with such q supply on hand.
What was to do about it? =
heard Mildred 60 out. After a
few minutes I arose and went to
the telephone downstairs, where
I called up Allen. I told him to
sell the whiskey for any price
he could get-all of IL. He thought
/ was 3oshing. 1t took some time.
to convince him was in earnest
"I'll take 1t myself, at So a
quart" he finally announced. us
that go?"
.You bet it isr' I replied
quickly. I'll leave It to you to
check up the number OF bottles.
But you're not going to leave 1t
in the office, are your" -
"I should say not" he laughed.
''I'll take it home and plant It
right"
/ returned to bed much relieved;
feeling like a saint, a martyr, a
hero. I had deliberately cut off
my own supply of alcohol. Mil
titled her goodness.
Financial Trouble
/ remained at home for two
days. We were happy together.
But 1 was secretly worried over
finances. had only q. few dol
lars in my pocket. Ny bank &C.
count was MI. There was some
money coming to me from Allen
for the whiskey, but, even with
that; would not have enough to
meet~our rent and our bills at the
tradesmen's.
My pay for the Texas pubIica-
tions was overdue, but there was
no telling just when / would get
1t. shrank from having Mildred
discover what had happened to
our bank balance. must do
something to ward off that posi-
biIity.
Then remembered my friend,
Cobb, In Boston, and how unhesi-
tatingly he had loaned me money
for the Texas trip from Boston.
That loan had been repaid.
would write him and ask for an.
other loan Of 5000. It would take
ten days to get a. response; but I
could hold off until then. I typed
him a letter and sent it off. I
spent considerable of the next
week at Mill Valley, preparing
copy Tor my next issues OF the
three house organs. / had col
lected from AIIen-$72.
Then, all on the same day, I re-
ceiyed two checks from Texas,
along with a. check from Cobb.
That put me back on my finan-
cial feet. There was no reason
why I should not be able TO go
through three or four months
without worry, II we were eco.
nomical.
Booster Booklet
OF course. the Texas work
might be cut off at any time,
but had secured one San
Francisco monthly; why not go
after others? II ! could land
three or four we could continue
TO live IN California indefinitely
and I need no longer worry about
the Texas work.
Z went over to San Francisco
one morning to interview the vice
president of one of the banks.
IIe' had written asking me about
getting out q monthly for his
institution booster booklet to
go to depositors and investors.
I knew that a bank monthly was
a paying proposition If properly
edited.
But I never got to the bank to
see my prospect. / stopped in at
Aliens office on my way up town
from the ferry and let him per-
suade me to take a drink from
q bottle he had in his desk.
There was no reason why
should have succumbed to the
temptation; the saloons were still
open. ostensibly for the dispensing
of soft drinks, but in reality
Prohibition enforcement had not
yet begun. had passed a dozen
saloons on my way to Aliens,
with no thought OF drinking.
Yet. when he suggested q drink
took It.
And then, after it was too late,
it occurred to me that the odor
of whiskey might be offensive to
the banker / was to see. felt
that Unjust be at my very best
to make q sale to him. 1 called
him up and postponed the inter-
view. Crestfallen, walked to the
ferry, stopping on my way for
another drink, and went back
home.
l had postponed seeing the
banker on account Of the odor of
whiskey on my breath, but
neglected to reckon how it would
affect Mildred. and when I ar