Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1937-03-27

Yes. It worked all right for a long
time. But month by month. Stokes was
getting q little older than he had been.
And you can't 90 on putting away
a whole brewery regularity once week
without some damage inside Things
began to happen to poor Stokes. And,
as usual, Spender had to take Stokes
round to q doctor and explains things.
Stokes had hoped 1t would be possible
to draw a veil over the Wednesday
evenings. But It wasn't. Spender put
all the cards on the table, pint by
pint.
The doctor called In another doctor
They looked very grave. They said that
II Stokes didn't give up the Wednesday
evenings, q number Of unpleasant
| things would happen They retailed
them with certain macabre pleasure.
Stokes went as green as sea-bleached
grass. Spender wondered whether 1t
wouldn't have saved Stokes q lot OF
discomfort If he had left him to pass
out gently that night long time ago
in the Arras front.
Anyhow it was clear the Wednesday
evenings must stop. Stokes was so
frightened that he agreed that hence
forth the week didn't contain any We'd
neSday for him. When the next We'd
neSday came round the two friends
put on the wireless and listened lu-
gubriOuSly. They had never known any
night of the week so long q time to
become next day. Spender tried to COM
fort Stokes. He retailed the agOnies
that Stokes was saving himself by not
going out for ride in the country. I
But it seemed doubtful whether any
OF them could be more unpleasant /
than Stokes frame Of mind as he
sat there listening to the wireless. with |
his car locked up in the garage and |
his feet twitching like blue devils.
When the following Wednesday came /
round, Stokes said couldn't they go
for a ride in the country. just little
ride, he tmplored. Spender was adam
ant. He said no, with a chin like a
block of iron. He said they could have
some lemonade and turn on the wire
less. He also had a beautiful game
called Peggotty that you played with
some little wooden pegs. They could
play Peggotty Stokes turned. He left
Spender's house and staggered home
across the quad. He went to bed at
once and did not have wink Of sleep.
When the third Wednesday came
round Stokes did not put in an ap-
pearance at Spender's house. After
Spender had waited for him q full
hour, he went around to the shed
where Stokes garaged his car. The
car had gone. MIR. Stokes had gone
in it. He had gone for a ride in the
There was no other car avail
able. so Spender telephoned for taxi.
It was an expensive journey all the
way out to that little public house /
In the Pentlands, but in a way 1t was I
gratifying to see the way Stokes vel I
coined him when he turned up. His /
eyes were shining like lamps. He threw !
MS arms exuberantly round his shout /
lers. MY dear old pal" he proclaimed. {
Ute nd IN UN1 harnf NUJaoffn I
7ou have. old pal?" In a way 1t was /
lot so gratifying. c
Spender knew from the beginning +
hat It wasn't going to be enough to s
teal the key of the shed or the mag t
He tried one or two tricks S
Il that sort, but they didn't prevent +
stokes from celebrating his pleasant 4
Wednesday evening. The issue finally 7
eSolved itself like this: He could do n
really vigorous in the way n
4 combining Stokes indoors on We'd f
leSdays. In that case he would cele- .
rate in his own house, and not only p
n Wednesdays, either. He calculated D
hat Stokes would lose his Job in less C
han a fortnight. What would happen 81
D Stokes and Mrs. Stokes after that D
e preferred not to contemplate. Well, b
Stokes was not kept indoors on We'd
esdays, he could let Stokes go alone
} the Pentlands, or he would go with eI
i'm. If he went alone, it seemed d
sasible that some Thursday morning 81
e would not come back He shook his Il
cad and sighed deeply. He must go di
it'll his friend and keep an eye on "
i'm, and keep the orgy within limits. hi
e must see him through from We'd re
esday to Wednesday. What would
appen later was on the knees of the al
ids.
The tragic orgies up in the Pentlands
ere resumed. They seemed tragic at
asst to Spender because he felt as If 81
! was endorsing his friends death
arrant. He got more and more dis I
.artened as the weeks went by 1t
shearteed him still further to learn tn
at rumors we're spreading around Il
e school that he had taken to drink DO
Id that If his friend. Stokes, hadn't
en- there to keep an eye on him,
would have gone to the dogs COM 81