The Washington times., 1925-09-04

trafnped alone, taking our KNAPP.
sacks and blankets with us and
camping on the trail.
The last three days we spent
making" the Davis trail over the
Montahlan range, one Of the hard
est and longest and most hazard
Gus trips, and each of us carrying
forty pounds at the start.
1t was good to be alive. The
world was a grand place to be in.
The future looked glorious.
returned to Boston feeling
that, at last, was a victor.
CHAPTER LVI
NY first half dozen lectures
under the management of the
Players that fall were all in New
England cities and acquitted
myself well, zone engagement
leading to another, until I was
receiving invitations to lecture
Independent of the bureau.
1t was along in December that
went to fill an engagement in
western New York State. After
the lecture I was invited to a
late supper at the hotel where
I was stopping, and when cock.
tails were served as appetizer"
/ drank mine. There was wine
Mt the meal that followed and /
partook of that. never gave
my scure" a thought. neither did
Il anticipate that such moderate
Indulgence would lead to disaster.
But after reached my room I
suddenly felt the old craving.
I realized what it might mean
and paced the floor for half an
hour, fighting the temptation to
send down for whislxey. At last
/ put on my street clothes and
went out for q walk.
1t was after / o'clock In the
morning and the streets were
deserted. Opposite the railroad
station a barroom was still open
and went ii1-just as a man
might enter fiery furnace or a
den Of lions. I knew was
doing a rash. reckless, foolhardy
thing. but at that final moment
was no more capable of resist
ing than of flying.
- - When Rum Rules
I ordered and, drank a glass Of
whiskey. At the hotel a few
minutes later I drank again at
the bar and then bought .. bottle
TO take upstairs.
All the next day / remained in
my room. drinking. I forgot
everything. including lecture
date In Massachusetts, for that
night. / managed to wire back
that had been i'll and had for
gotten to notify them. also
wired my aunt. stating that
was rapidly getting better and
would be home in a day or so.
was determined that none
should know I had relapsed. When
/ finally arrived home i claimed
that 1 had been attacked by
ptomaine, and they believed me.
when the holidays arrived my
mother came on 70 Boston for
Christmas and my other New
England relatives assembled for
the Yuletide dinner The only
member absent was my sister,
who lived in the Middle West.
Years before. when I first got
into trouble and had been sent
TO San Quentin, my sister had
declared she never wanted to
see nor hear of me again. Save
for a word now and then from
my mother had lost all track
of her.
Unable To Lecture
I shall never forget that Christ
mas Day. Itswas the first Christ
mas in my life as far as I could
remember, that had ever spent
with my mother. My aunt had
extended herself in the prepare.
Ton of the dinner real, old
fashioned New England Christ
mas repast.
During January and February
and the spring months that fol-
lowed, filled number of
lecture engagements. some of
them at preparatory schools and
universities. Two or three times
] fell by the wayside, but never
failed, after that first time, TO
notify the Players when / would
be unable to keep an engagement.
Several times they shipped a
substitute lecturer or entertainer
60 take my place at the last mo-
ment. OF course, this irregu-
larity, this uncertainty forfeited
their confidence IN me and /
realized that it could not last