Show 1 t I I i 1 g T gy i J. J y- y HERD Is IB n nI nothing too horrible I fl I THERE for a perfectly good woman acting In a perfectly good cause to perpetrate at Toast least nothing short of murder My wife was Is and always will be a perfectly goods good t woman I on tho contrary used to i 4 fco be 0 a good fellow Now I am reformed reformed rei re re- re- re formed and nothing Is good about v me but my morals and habits j 1 Being a good follow It goes without without without with with- out Ba saying that I used to drink and andt t this was the perfectly good cause J for tor which my wife went into action Only at rare Intervals did I offend I but each occasion was made memorable mem mem- l b by y ys its length They always s 3 lasted a a. week and sometimes a fortnight Most drunkards complain of at a ft eort sort of ot tissue thirst for alcohol In my opinion this Is a mistake The j thirst is only a habit and quickly i f passes away The cases I have f known were all aU victims of not notto to enough or too much excitement at home Mine was an example of not enough Our home was full tull of ot old mahogany furniture with dull finish Sad wallpaper confronted f me everywhere morose portraits J and insipid paintings of cows and andr r inconsequential landscapes gloomed f at me The window shades were wore kept at half haIt mast and worse than thant t J anything else my wife was a mur She never addressed me meIn meIn mein in a tone louder than a 8 church whisper About three times a a. year I would come como up out of this element of oft t gloom like a turtle out of ot a 0 mill mUl millpond pond and sun myself for tor a week or two My wife wiCe never had much to say Bay on my return from these bask- bask f Ings but I used to catch her ber watchIng watchIng watch- watch Ing lug me with that wide- wide open gaze with which a cat regards a foolish bird Just out of ot reach Men as well as women have Intuitions intuitions in In- J. J and warning Instincts and andI Ij I knew well enough that something y j t would come of ot my aberrations li sooner or later Lombroso says I women are naturally greater criminals crim crIm- r finals than men but fortunately 1 lack the necessary strength Bl es 1 confidence However there there- were t 1 i BO so man many simple ways of achieving I my reform that I worried very tery lit lit- r t. t tle e. e L ift t For Instance If It she had let B S lit frt little p tIe tle sunshine Into tho the house bouse and learned to speak out loud I would have behaved or If U she had bad made a a. serious threat of leaving mo I would I 3 have come d down to earth like a dead aeroplane But these moves were too direct and simple something some some- t a. i thing much more elaborate was wass s awaiting me and I rode on like a fool to my fall It was the day after an extra 1 e fi z quiet and gloomy Christmas Christmas an and ancl l lI I just lust six months had passed since my previous shortcoming when I went away for the last time Three weeks I had gone on this occasion H and I had hit the pace pretty hard looked it and md felt It On my return from tho the station one of my good h nothing for friends warned me that there was a party at t my house That settled it I couldn't burst In Inon Inon inon on a gathering of ot her ber friends so BO there was nothing to do but while away the tho evening I whiled it after usual manner and in my usual I whiling place About past half ten a man Introduced Intro intra 1 himself to me as an old aci ac ac- i I couldn't recollect him but ho he proved entertaining and stayed after the tho others had left lert Ho was accompanied too for he managed by telephoning to find out that my wife's company were still at the house when our saloon i closed It was good of ot hIm to invite in in- vito vite me to Ills bis ls house I remember I how bow tired I felt and how difficult 5 J e n 1 o-J o J 1 alI h df y I f i 1 t j Jy r 1 i p e i 1 L t 1 i dd I 4 ir i- i j t r I J t t tk 4 r t at Y t et o t f y s F S i f y I nt 4 t t a W tj 23 r w p. p s 's t t k e i 7 3 T r rA f nf y pl t 3 t i a 1 fi z st i J tit 4 Nty a r t r N t W w 4 tr t F f l Q t i fp i y Aa n r i t vi G sr fed y va Y Yay Y I II t. t t ay t F y-t y w l y A t a t t r Jjr fy o y r 1 I Fr t r fi J Leave this thi house of the V x living you of the undead he said Eld and R a a d tN St r rt his grip on shoulder my t tightened 5 4 t t 1 tx r 3 t R g Y Yf y i 4 d t f r S f T f i a fr r vf s' s 1 yr sr i. i t ya q t r A Z t rd rr t 1 t f 3 F r A r V i r r 1 a o X 4 f b J Y d tt Of e qa r h a J I rf Y oh 6 Ir t t t viO V ti i 1 J. tk J Jfe Jf o r fe t fY s. s f rt Y t Y vt R 1 t i r t i P t 1 dr t Lk F Jr v iY i X I V S the walk was to his home borne We bad had hada badI I a little something to drink and then his con conversation suddenly became norbid oven even insane He seemed to think that wo we both were not real men but only phantoms of other people I went to sleep Bleep In the tho midst of his ravings My Iy awakening was extremely unpleasant My friend was gone The Tho room was dimly lighted and a a. atall atall tall talI man dressed dresse like a monk was ordering me mo to get up I did get up right speedily and looked ed at him A ghastly bluish bluish- white face taco peered at me from the tho monks monk's hood Ho He said house of the Leave this living you of ot the un undead dead His grip on my shoulder tight tight- ened I went along with him There seemed nothing to bo be said He descended the stairs behind me The front door opened and I saw the tho the shadow shadow of ot another figure It L t I ik I 1 l was vas a relief when the door closed I behind me mo I was dizzy sick in inbody inbody inbody body and mint mind puzzled sleepy lonesome and unhappy Even the Ule tomblike tomb quiet of or my mr gloomy home homo seemed good to me There at least was no insanity The Tho house was near and Dl my key lcy fitted In tho the lock tho the first time but once inside tho the darkness seemed unfamiliar I noticed dumbly the absence of ot the carpet and the hat hat- rack No carpet on tho the stairs either I thought No carpet on the upper hall Hope hall HopoI I dont don't wake her up up I reached the door of my room located tho the knob and turned it The door was locked Cut But I had a n key I found it inserted it and heard beard a key ker drop on tho the other sido side These little things wen wert all wrong They made mado me uneasy and nd were ere part pati somehow of or a crazy night but at least this was m my own bedroom and if it the bod bed were only mado made I would ask no more and cared not much if all the world proved Insane in tho the morning I unlocked the door entered walked to the gas lit it and turned around The rho bed was made all right enough It was well made Tho pillow slips were Wl beautifully whito and clean but in the name of or heaven whose was was that infernally familiar face staring at mo from the tho pillow Why It was tho the most familiar face I over oyer saw in my life and yet no name naino came to my mind 8 t C 1 1920 1020 a o I International l I t a i i J 4 la f 1 J 4 r 1 t C Cm r m IJ- IJ j t fr 1 S if i r j ii J r rl pf 34 f V l 3 I could not connect him with any event in my life lICo Yet of all the old familiar things in that room of mine mino he was the tho most obtrusively fa millar We Ve stared at each other for one entire eternity I belle believe e the human race relapsed Into barbarism while we stared back to barbarism made its westward progress around the world once moro more and developed dO Into twentieth century civilization At last the rattle rattle- of a milk can in inthe inthe inthe the street broke the trance tranco and I found my lily voice It was feeble and choky choke but it said Who are you 1 Tho The faco face on the pillow grew but it answered James Vincent Bede confound I you Jou Eternity started once more for tor that was and nd is my own name just mine and as and as far as I know nobody's else Now I knew why wIn his face was wasso wasso wasso so familiar why I couldn't place him It was my faco face he bad had and my name naino and he ho was in m my own bed in m my own room and the door locked on the inside confounding ing me mo the lie me yes me yes where did I fit nt in this thing anyway anway Do you know who I am 1 I demanded demanded de de- with all the dignity I could assume AYe Ye s e-e e s he answered with apparent apparent ap parent disgust of course courso I know You are aro the same miserable thing that haunts mo me every night you night you nr are the revolting vision of ot what Ill fill come conio como to in another ten years if I Inc Great D Dri Dr t t ii 1 J t dir r 1 J. J j 1 1 iS L I i v. v t P t. t JIMi 1 Jol Ill ff ri Y f h i H t v keep on drinking He shuddered and suddenly continued shaking his finger at me But what right have bavo you ou to haunt me night to-night I am sober to-night to I haven't ha had a drop all aU da day Do you ou hear me Ive I've quit Ive I've signed the tho pledge I If I ever take another drink tb then n haunt me but leave me mo alone now vanish fade Why dont don't you fade fatIe My I head began to swim It hurt me to think I couldn't get tho the drift of or what he ho was saying But though he lie was in Dl my bed and somehow had hat Ill my own name and face I appeared to be in tho the wrong on the deren sive he seemed to demand an an an- saver See here bero said I I am J J. Vincent Vincent Vin Vin- cent Bede this is my room and I 1 9 want you JOU to set get et out o of my bed and get out of this house I ought to have you jOU arrested arrested and and b by George I will I tell ten you JOU I am sober interrupted interrupted inter Inter- the face on the pillow This inane and pointless remark staggered me and once more we stared The hard bard look In his face faco softened soft sort softened ened and in a no wheedling voice he plea pleaded ed Now will you ou vanish You see you ought not to haunt me tonight to I leave It to your own OVin sense of justice justice justice jus jus- tice It if you OU should Go right away wont won't you ou through the wall wan or the thedoor thedoor thedoor door or 01 an any way that suits y you you u. u night Good For tho love lovo of or heaven what do o you think I am 1 What are you Why youre you're a phantom o of or course youre you're what I would be in ten years If I ha hadn't nt stopped drinking You are noth ing 1 tain Right Reserves f Ja tf T l y fg lL iI I i 15 1 L'- L' LM M tt h 5 f jr r t tt 4 r j i c l- l 4 f J t i t 1 k o I It t I u I 1 ani J. J Vincent Bode Bodei Bo e I yelled back vack at him No youre you're a n. fictitious development development develop develop- ment in terms torms of ot the imagination The doctor said you would not haunt me if I stopped tho the drink What doctor I am Bedo him him- self Dont Don't you see me Yes Ves I see you rou horrible sight that you are You are the product producE of a diseased mind Stay an and I know there Is no hope for rOl me What do you mean mean no no hope bope for tor asked for this man seemed afraid of me mc If U you stay around when I am sober like this it means means that I have lost my mind that I see things or things or orare are arc you rou a delirium tremens 1 No ort I answered sadly I Z ameal am real eal but I have havo been drinking I 13 think I see you and hear you I am J T. T Vincent Be Bede e and Ill I'll be all aU right In the morning Look at yourself In the tho glass glass 1 he be demanded I looked and saw a a. gray man with lined and wrinkled face That was not L I. I had no gra grad hairs Take Tako off oft your hat I did and discovered not only a abald abald abald bald spot but that the tho spot was dully polished Now do you still pretend 1 he l cried sitting up In bed I w was s' s crushed and I think I answered answered- no uno for tor he certainly looked more like me than I did You admit you are unreal he went on Well WeIl that proves I am am Insane I dont don't care what ht happens happens- now What do you want with m mo me- me What are aro you going to do I sank Into a chair and muttered muttered muttered- that all aU I wanted was to go to bed He Jumped up and hastily dressed I watched him In a daze Good bye said he be Good bye bye d-bye forever I am going to Jump Into t the river All right I answered and sank feebly onto the bed I heard h his s footsteps foot foot- stops steps on the stairs and the slamming slamming slam slam- ming of ot the front door and then them the sleep Bleep of or exhaustion came to my poor tired fuddled mind It seemed only a moment later when I woke In broad daylight Some one was tugging at me T T. opened one mournful pessimistic eye It was my wife Half Halt awake though I was all the happenings of the night rushed back to me me Go away my dear I moaned A MA little more sunlight mor-e. mor more mora voice a little UttIe more doing and I would not have done this deed th tham am only a phantom a miasma My body is in the river Jimmy dont don't talk that way she begged Ill get gat a doctor A doctor doctor what's what's the use of ot A A- doctor Im I'm dead I tell you and my body Is In the river I wish you would have them recover it Ju Just t phone them to look below the bridge and tell taU the Coroner when he finds the body Ill I'll come up and Identify It ft that Is lots is yes lots better belter I should than you because the crabs and eels eela may have ugh have ugh I feel teel sick You are sick stele and I win will have that doctor Listen Jimmy It was all alla a miserable joke Dont Don't you see You are Jimmy you always were Jimmy That was Tom In the bed bad your your English Cousin Tom the actor He has bas been here all the three weeks you were away It was my Idea but he thought out the de details taUs He lIe Is a fool tool and Ill I'll never forgive him But my bald head I objected feeling tho the polish of It Tom didn't tell me he was goIng goIng going go- go Ing to do that They shaved the back of ot your head and put wax on onit onit onit it and polished it while you oU were at that mans man's house asleep It was all aU fixed in advance That was the boarding house bouse where his troupe of picture moving-picture actors are aro living Those actors would do anything And Jimmy we are going up to a a. cabin in the Adirondacks while your our hair grows out again and and while white wo we are there wo we aro are going t to tobe tobe be moved into another house bouso where everything will be bright and cheerful cheerful cheer cheer- ful ful no window shades at nt all and I Iam Iam Iam am going to talk your head off oft and never give you a a. minutes minute's peace and and i t But you yon wont won't be happy In that sort of ot a house house it It Isn't your na na- na- na ture I 1 I Why Vb Jimmy all that gloom was for tor your OUr benefit Dr Balch a woman doctor friend of mine told me mo you ou were of the nervous alcoholic alcoholic alco alco- holic type and that only a quiet sombre subdued homo home would keep keep- you ou from going on tears and drink drink- drinking ing yourself to death deaUl Well Wen honestly that was the tho first time timo my wIfe and I really got acquainted acquainted ac- ac with each other and I know lots more moro just like us us us' andas and and- andas as for tor drinking I would as soon go into a saloon as ns I would into poli poU- tics Copyright Pub C Co |