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Show At Arms With Morpheus ' By O. Henry Tom lookrd the least bit Interested. "What's the matter. Billy?" he muttered, mut-tered, composedly. "Don't ydur clothes fit you?'' "If I were In your place." I went on. "which, thank (iod. I am nou I think I would be afraid to close my eyes. How about that arlrl you left waitlnir for you down among; those lonesome Southern plnes the a-lrl that you've forgotten since you came Into your confounded money? Oh I know what I'm talkinc about. While you were A poor medirsl student she was Kood enough for you. But now. since you sre a millionaire, it's different. I wonder what she thinks of the per. formauces of that peculiar elass of people she has been taught to worship wor-ship the Southern gentlemen? I'm sorry, Hopkin. that I waa forced to sprak about these mattera, but you've covered it up so well and played your part so nicely that I would have sworn you were ahove such unmanly tricks." I'oor Tom. I could scarcely keep from laughing outright to see him strugglina: against the effects of the (Copyright, by the Wheeler Syn dicate, Inc.) I never could quite understand how Tom Hopklna came to make that blunder, blun-der, for he had been through a whole term at a medical college before he inherited hie aunt's fortune and had been considered strong In therapeutlca. We had been making a call together that evening, and afterward Tom ran up to my rooma for a pipe and a chat before going on to his own luxurious apartments. I hsd stepped Into the other room for a moment when I heard Tom sing out: "Oh. Billy, I'm going to take about four grains of quinine. If you don't mind I'm feeling all blue and ahlvery. Quens I'm taking cold." "All right." I called bark. "The bottle bot-tle Is on the second shelf. Take It In a spoonful of that eliilr of eucalyptus. It knocks the bitter out." After I came back we sat by the fire and got our briars going. In about -eight minutes Tom sank back Intn a r'ntte rotlnrFr I went straight to the medicine cabinet cab-inet and looked. "You ' unmitigated havered'" I growled. "Hee what money. will do for a tnan brains!" There stood the morphine bottle with the stopple out, lust as Tom had left It. I routed -out another young M. r. who roomed on the floor alove, and aent him for old Doctor Galea, two aquarea away. Tom Hopkins has too much money to be attended by rising young prsctltloners alone. , When dales came we put Tom through ss expensive a course of treatment treat-ment as the resources of the profession profes-sion permit. After the more drastic remedies we gave him citrate of caffeine caf-feine in freunent doses and strong coffee, cof-fee, and walked him up and down the floor between two of us. Old Gsles pinched him and alapped his face and worked hard for the big check he could 'see in the distance. The young M n. from the next floor gave Tom a most hearty, rousing kick, and then apologised to me. "Couldn't help It" he ssld. "I never kicked a millionaire before In mr life. I may never have another opportunity. opportu-nity. " "Now." M Id Doctor Gales, after a couple of hours, "he'll do. Put keen him awake for another hour. You can do that by talking to him and shaking him up occasionally. When his pulse snd respiration sre normsl then let him sleep. I'll leave him with you now." I was left alone with Tom. whom we had laid on a couch. He la y very still, and hla eyes were half closed. 1 began my work of keeping him awakv. "Well, old man," I said, "you've bad a narrow squeak, but we've pulled you through. When you were attending lectures, Tom, didn't any of tha professors pro-fessors ever casually remark that m-o-r-p-h-l-a never apella 'qulnia.' especially es-pecially In four-grain doses? But I won't pile It up on you until you get on your feet. Hut you ought to have been a druggist. Tom: you're splendidly splendid-ly qualified to fill prescriptions." Tom looked at me with a faint and foolish smile. "B'ly." he murmured. "I feel Jus' like s hum'n bird flyin' around a jolly lot of most 'shpensive roses. Don't boszer me. Goln' sleep now." And he went to sleep In two seconds. I shook him by the shoulder. "Now. Tom.' I said, severely, "this won't do. The big doctor ssld you must stay awake for at least an hour. Open your eyes. You're not entirely safe yet. you know. Wake up." t Tom Hopkins weighs one hundred and ninety-eiKht. He gsve me snother somnolent grin, and fell Into deeper slumber. I would have made him move about, but 1 might as well have tried to make Cleopatra's needle waits around the room with me. Tom's breathing became stertorous, and thjit. In connection with morphia poisoning, means danger. Then I began to think. I could not rouse his body: I must strive to excite ex-cite his mind. "Make him sngry. ' was an Idea that suggested Itself. "(Jooa! I thought: hut how? There was not a Joint in Tom's srmor. Iear old fellow! fel-low! He was good nsture Itself, and a gallant gentleman, fine and true and clean as sunlight. He came from somewhere some-where down South, where they still have ideals and a code. New York hsd chsrmed. but hsd not spoiled, him. He hsd that old-fashioned, chivalrous reverence rev-erence for women, that Kureks! there was mv idea! I worked the thing up for a minute or two In my imagination imagi-nation T chuckled to myself at the thought of springing a thing like that on old Tom Hopkins Then I took him bv the shoulder snd shook him till his ears flopped. He opened his eyes laxity. I assumed an expression of scorn snd contempt, snd pointed my finger within two Inches of his nose. "Listen to me. Hopkins." I said. In rutting and distinct tones, "you and I have been good friends, but I want you to understsnd thst In the future mv doors sre closed against anv man who acts as much like a scoundrel ss you have." - opiate. i was msiincuy angry, ano I didn't blame him. Tom had a Southern South-ern temper. Hla eyes were open now. and they showed a gleam or two of fire. But the drug still clouded his mind and bound his tongue. C-o-confound-yoUs he stammered. Til s-smaah you. He tried to rise from the couch. With all his Bixe he was very weak now. 1 thrust htm back with one arm. He lay there glaring like a lion in a trap. "That will hold you for a while, you old loony," I said to myself. I got up and lit my pipe, for 1 was needing a smoke. I walked around a bit. congratulating con-gratulating myself on my brilliant Idea. 1 heard a snore. I looked s round., Tom was aaleep again. J walked over and punched him on the jaw. He looked at me aa pleasant and ungrudging ungrudg-ing as an Idiot. 1 chewed my pipe and gave it to him hard. "I want you to recover yourself and get out of my room as soon as you can," I said. Insultingly. "I've told you what I think of you. Tf you have any honor or honesty left you wilt think twice before you attempt asain 1 to associate with gentlemen. She's a poor girl, isn't she?" I sneered. "Home-what "Home-what too plain and unfashionable for us since we got our money. Be ashamed to walk on Fifth avenue with her, wouldn't you? Hopkins, you're forty-seven t Imes worse than a cad. Who cares foryour money? I don't. I'll bet that girl don't. Perhaps If you didn't have It you'd be more of a man. As It Is you've made a cur of yourself, your-self, and" I thought that quite dramatic dra-matic "perhaps Ijroken a faithful heart." (Old Tom Hopklna breaking a faithful heart!) "Iet me be rid of you as aoon as possible." I turned my back on Tom, and winked at myself In a rirror. I heard him moving, and I turned strain quickly. quick-ly. I didn't want s hundred and ninety-eiirht ninety-eiirht pounds falling on -me from the rear. But Tom had only turned partly over, and laid one arm across his faeV He spoke a few words rather more distinctly than before. "I couldn't have talked thts way to you, Billy, even If I'd heard people lyln' 'bout you. But JuS Boon's I rsn p.stsnd uri I'll break your neck don' f'ge it." I did feel a little ashamed then. Rut It w.s to save Torn. In the morning, when I expla!n4l It. we would have a good laugh over It together. - In about twenty minutes ' Tom dropped into a sound, easy slumber. 1 frit his pulse, listened to his respiration, respira-tion, and .let him sleep. Kverything was normal, and Tom was safV. I went into the other room and tumbled into bed. I found Tcyn up and dressed when I awoke the next morning. He was en-i tirelv himself sgsin with the exception of shaky nerves and a to.ngue like a white oak chip. What an luiot I ws. ne said, thoughtfully.. "I rmmber thinking thst quinine bottle looked queer while I m-ss tali ins; the done. Have much trouble In bringing me 'round?" I told him no. His memory seVrntn bad about the nt irs affair. 1 concluded con-cluded that he hud ao recollert-ion of my efforts to keep hint swake, and decided not to enliffhten him. Home other time. I thought, when he was feeling better, we would have' some fun over itr , When Tom ws ready to ttn he stopped, wih the door open, and shook my hand. "Much obliged, old fellow,' he ssld, quietly, "for taktas so much trouble with me and for whst you said. J m Suing down now 4t telegraph to the , little girl - |