The Washington times., 1925-08-31
New and Amazing Serial Describes One
Mans Long But Losing Battle
for Freedom

he showed me up. 1t was a
cubbyhole, with disappearing
washbowl, and smelIed InuSty. My
first impulse was to decline and
look elsewhere. but 1 was per
spring and dizzy and wanted to
get off my clothes. Recklessly I
agreed to take the room, and
down at the desk registered
illegibIy and paid a weeks rent,
Then 1 went downstairs and got a
quart of bonded whiskey.
What to Do After Long Drinking
BOut3
All that day / sat at the front
window watching the crowds on
1s5th street and wondering what
I was going to do.
/ knew I was in for dissipation,
but after that-what? A ha1y
idea Of getting into the country,
IL. a tent somewhere along the
sound, and writing fiction, played
with me, and took another
drink. Why worry. anyway? The
present was here. let the future
take care OF itself.
Three days later I was close to
tho border Of insanity.
The heat had been intense day
and night. and I had beAa drink
ing steadily. Ny body had brok-
en- out with red spots that itched
terribly. The more whisky I
drank the less effect 1t seemed
to have on me. could get no
comfort, no peace, and I had
stopped eating. Next morning
I dragged myself into q Doctors
office. The body spots had
driven me nearly crazy during
the night. He pronounced them
hives and gave me some medi-
cine, or rather q prescription.
Then I told him was in pretty
bad shape from alcohol and asked
him II he could do anything for
me. He tested my heart, took
my temperature and gave me q
hypodermic.
Promises To Produce Sleep
In reply to his question /
told him where 1 was located,
and he said he would be around
that night at 0 o'clock to give
me something to make me sleep.
at the same time admonishing
me not to drink any more liquor.
ignored that advice and don't
know whether was In my room
at 3 o'clock that night or not.
I know I never saw That dSctor
again.
It must have been three or four
days later and was In des-
peration, unable to get &hy salts
faction from whisky, yet unable
to leave 1t alone, when. I thought
of my mother. / knew she was
in New, York. Why I should have
thought of her as one to help
me while I was in such q dis
graceful condition. don't know.
Ordinarily I rebelled in horror
at the thought Of her knowing
I was q victim Of alcohol. When
she first came into my mind
that day promptly dismissed
her-but she came back, again
and again.
Talks To Mother
"She'g your mother" urged an
inner voice. 'She always has
stood by you. and she'll stand
by you in this. 1t will shock
her, but she'll rise above that.
You'll see.'
Ali that afternoon fought
against calling her. It was too
much. She couldn't bear to see
her son beectted with drink, eyes
inflamed, lips and hands trern-
bling, words muddled, clothes
Impressed, altogether disreputable.
But at last called her up.
She had a private phone. tried
to explain that I was I'll, but not
too i'll TO 60 out on the street.
and asked here to meet me
in the little park at One Hundred
and Twenty-fourth street, or
in that neighbor-
OF course she agreed to do 1t
and / went down there and wait
ed on a bench.
When she first came I tried
hard to belittle the extent of
my debauched condition, especial
ly after her first expressions of
concern and fear had given way
to condolences. / didn't deceive
her. She knew / was in bad shape,
and declared that she was going
to remain with me until / got
Strengthened out.
Ito Be Continued Tomorrow