The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1936-12-31

but of the House.
stinctively as the fragrance OF the
weed titillated my nostrils, to be-
gin paving through my pockets for
a cigar or pouch. Presently how
ever would remember my determi-
nation to go through with this test,
and setting my teeth together try
to concentrate on my job.
But I found that every time I
tried to work I would feel that some
thing was missing, and be unable
to get a start. If did, by a SUI
preme effort brush away this yearn-
ing, along would come somebody
smoking pipe or cigar or a ciga-
rette, and I would have to come to
full mental stop until the scent OF
the tobacco had been blown away
by breeze or draught.
Then came the chewing period. II
there was not a butt or pipe stem
between my teeth was seized with
a sense of incompleteness. It
seemed to me that / was not all
there. I would pick up any object
that met my eye and chew on it till
my jaws ached from WEAKNESS.
Gum I was not allowed to use, so
i chewed lead pencils, bits Of sticks,
spools which ! found on my wife's
sewing table, handfuls Of grass that
I plucked from the front lawn, and
now and then the leaves that fell
from the trees.
Presently I found myself gnaw-
ing at the door jamb, and biting at
the corners Of fence posts as I
passed them on the way to the Of
fee. Work became practically out
Of the question, for I was wholly
unable to persuade my Office mates
not to smoke, and whenever they Lit
any Notwithstanding object, the
scent came to me as the scent Of
the lotus must have come to trav-
clers nearing an oasis, and all abil-
ity to think straight departed from
me.
I must have had far more resolu-
ton during these days than ] have
had before or since, for I kept this
asceticism up the full two weeks,
while ! constantly grew thinner, and
my temper gained such sharp
edge that I would throw book at
the cat if it dashed its tail while
dreaming before the fireplace.
It the reek from a pipe in the
mouth of a delivery man seeped into
the house, and I sat up and shifted
the air, my nephew would pat me
affectionately on the head, and
whisper BE strong"
Then one day on little motor trip
I took to get away from it all, and
breathe in little gasoline smell,
which anyway was something,
found sitting by the roadside an
elderly man whose car had broken
down. He had telephoned to a ga
rage for assistance, but it was slow
in coming, and he was Willing away
the time with short clay pipe.
fell into conversation with him, and
discovered that he was an old gen.
tleman of some considerable distinc-
ton, whose name, if I told it, you
would Immediately recognize. He
said he was eighty-five years old,
and still hale and strong, able to
eat anything he liked, which
judged was practically everything,
to drink whatever he chose, which
included many beverages now tenn
porariiy prescribed, and to smoke a
pound OF strong tobacco every day.
"You don't happen to have an
other pipe about you, sir?" asked
him.
eyes. I always carry four or
five of these tbs. They're the only
kind that don't soak up any of the
nicotine from tobacco, and allow
you to get all the strength of the
weed. But they break easily, so
always carry extra ones.'
He filed one and handed it to me.
l halt SHUT my eyes, drew in and
omitted blue cloud, and there and
then put into words a declaration of
independence which proclaimed to
my nephew when I reached home.
He said merely: II knew you
couldn't keep it up. But you're a
better man for the fight you made %
I thought of all I had missed for
those weeks. Then rose. and
seized cane, merely intending to
take a short walk out Of doors and
give the birds breath of tobacco
smoke. The young man looked at
me as took up the stick, gave a
low cry and darted out Of the house.
! often wonder what he thought
was going to do to him.
@Ben Syndicate-WNU Serv.ea