The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-10-07

naturally entered into this inn
promptu contest with zest-
though I didn't forget toKeep add
ing bottles to my closet collec-
ton. The price jumped to So a
bottle just before IL o'clock; and
when that hour struck everyone
seemed to wait for something to
happen--a miraculous disappear
ance Sof the saloons; hordes of
policemen to appear. Nothing
did happen.
At half past IL the saloons were
doing a bigger business than be.
fore, and as the small hours ap-
preached thea price of bottled
goods dropped back almost to
normal.
What to Do With Cache
I didn't get to- bed until nearly
daylight, and it Was afternoon
when awoke. /, Of course, had
no trouble about getting an eye
opener''-I had enough whiskey
In the room to half fill the bath
tub. Then, after drink or two,
I was confronted with the prob
lem Of what / was going to do
with it ] couldn't transfer 1t
home. Mildred would not stand
for that. I might, however,
gradually convey it across the
bay and hide it in the woods Hea1
the house. To do that would re-
Quire dozen trips, but could
think of no ohter solution.
81 went out on the street, for
the purpose Of buying a stout
bag, perhaps two of them IL l
could find just what / wanted.
To my surprise the saloons were
still open. I lost no time pat.
ronizfng them. There was no
telling at what instant the law
might close them.
forget all about my plans for
making an expressman out OF
myself. / might have gone on
and forgotten that I had the
cache and where it was had not
met Allen. He was partly under
the influence Of liquor and be-
Tnoaned the fact that he had not
had the foresight to lay in a sup
ply.
TITS jumped to 81 a quart al
ready" he said. Some say it
viii come down again; others say
It win go higher. ! want to get
= few bottles, but hate to pay
that much. =
: Don't worry. laughed in
-. Il lat
you have All YOU want. I played
truck horse last night. I've got a
room full" To convince him I
made him go back to my room
with me.
what are you going to do with
it," he asked. you can't leave
Il herr.
Hiding Place
I explained my plan.
That's all right" he said,
ssbut you're in no shape to be
travelling on the boats and trains
right now. There's a big empty
closet down at the office; let's
take it down there and lock it
mp. Then you can get it as you
want it; or you can gradually
take It over to the woods"
His suggestion sounded good to
me, and, after many trips back
and forth, we had the entire
cache transferred to his office
and safely locked in the closet.
I went back to my room, where
I had left a couple of bottles.
With the exception Of a few dol
lars In nv pocket I was broke,
and the thought depressed me. 1
remember wishing that it had
been the end Of the world in
stead of the beginning Of prohibi-
ton, then started drinking to
forget it ALL,
Allen came in that night, stat
ing that a friend Of MS from the
country wanted to take dozen
bottles off my hands, if I would
sell them. He offered $3.50 a
quart. was not dressed. so
took the $50 and told Allen to
20 help himself.
Late the next day, miserable in
head and spirit, I determined to
get back home. knew Mildred
could not help knowing what
happened, but / felt more or less
pngnacious about it.
IF she gets too hard boiled I'll
tell her where to get off, I
mumbled to myself. I'm sick
and fired of this sneaking and
lodging business.
But as I slowly approached the
house, climbing the steep trail up
through the redwoods, my
Dutch" courage oozed, my feet
became leaden, my inclination
was to turn back and avoid fac
ing her. I stopped and debated
with myself, and was on the
verge of retracing my steps when