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Michael J. Phillips Illustrate on* by Hsnry Jqy Lme Copyright Micb**l V. Phillip* id thm PuhhahTt Awtocmjtr 8«rvio* THE LEADING CHARACTERS >!dison Foibsa, a young rctidnnt ti Scottdalc wkh an inherent craving far liquor, is hsM for the death of a aromgn who hai been killed by a boot- ktging track. Circomstatnittl cirvi- denoe points to Forbes art! rath- Sr than tall the truth of th? which would dear him another friends into bad MghX ba standa tatol wad ie-sentrn^ •ad to a long term in prison. The governor of the state, an old friend af Eddie's father, believes him inno- eant and pardons him shortly after his aarrval at the jail. Back in Scott- dale he and PA^Y JANE, his trusting wife, a^rsss that public sontimtnt again/1 has is too strong so they migrate up north to some land that has been in tha ftmily for years. While there they form the acquaintance of ISAIAH 8EALMAN, a shifty aaighbor who is anxious to buy their Eddie learns that the baik amount to over eight hundred dollars but as he has Avo months to pay he decides to refuse SeSimsn's offer of 11200 wid try and get Anal title to his property—Sealman's offer having led him tx> think it very valua ble. But things do not go well. Ed die (kinks heavily from some boot 's potions, is forgvven by Patsy, sffcrr falls in with the same gang, gets drunk, and wake* up in a freight car in Chicago—many miles Stricken with remoree he re do his cabin but Ands his wife liaa left and #n her place a ruffian, who order* him out. A fight ensues in which Eddie Anally knocks his op- eafd. . .After ejecting the intruder Jindiry* that 1* aeewis to lie In league with Beahmun, Eddie goea to Long Portage and sees Patsy, who is working for Kinnane, a lawyer. She announces that she will not join him untH he definitely qutfa drinking. Determin- to comply, he finds a job with Davenant, a rancher, and for several weeks abstains fmm the bottle that cheers. But one Sunday, Eddie walks on the lake trail, and encounters a aeries of truck smugglers. Among them he recognires “friends” who shanghaied him to Chicago—notwith- standutg, Forbes haila them in greet- “Well/ went on Eddie, easily. “I don’t rememfcer a thing after that third dr*nk, although it seems to me I had a dream about a boxcar. I must have wandered to the yards snd laid down in the car to sleep it off. They didn’t sea me and locked the door. Boy. That boose had a kick.” H« had convinced them, and lbs* CHAPTER *V. Demon Rum Again. Gulley and Jake, confused, to >k hia proffered hand with mumbled greetings. The third mak was in troduced a» Oscar. "Say,” - Eddie went on, his smile taking a tinge of humorous ruefulness, “there'was an awM kick in that last bod|e. Do you know where I was whan | came out of it with a head like a The driver and Gulley exchanged glances. “No, **•?” atkei the “Coming into Chicago in a freight r." “You don’t say,” ejaculated “Sureat thing you know. Where you leawe me 7" Again the exchai** of lotaa. “Long Portage,” returned Jake. a decided increase of cordiality in their manner. Oscar and Jake smiled systematically. “I know,’’ explained Jake, “it wasn't very good stuff. We were all sick next day. You can’t al ways be sure of the quality. But we’ve changed wholesalers since then. We’re getting the real Canadian Scotch now.” Eddie sat on a log by the roadside and the three returned to their task. They regarded him, evidently, a* one of them—-a man dependent upon liqocr who would not dream of betraying the ilhrK traffic which almost daily crawled across the State like a stain. “Ship's just in. I take it” he eaid careless!/. “Passed the other four trucks down the road aways.” “She got in at dawn.” replied Oscar “We worked up there ail night. Maybe you think it waen't cold, sleepin’ on the deck of that tnuk with only one blanket." The tier was bolted and the truck was ready to take up its journey. While the other two clambered to their places, Gulley went to the box under the seat and drew forth a bottle of golden brown liquor. "Needn’t be afraid of this stuff kid,” he said. “It’s the real goods. I think it's the beat we’ve hauled this essuxm. Hey, frdrer* l “Uk htdi, u agreed the drtver. “So have a real one on u«,” concluded Gulley, waving- bw hand. He knew that he could partake of this liquor. Though they had dtugged and shang haied him before, it was not because of personal enmity. They did it for some mysterious reason which he had not beer* able to solve, and at ‘the persuasion of some unknown adver sary. This was a peace offering of Iboore, at least reasonably pure. They were making amends for shabby treat ment. Which shabby treatment they would repeat, however, if induce ments were offered. He had fooled them and put him self up agairrA one of the gravest crisis of his lifei. Graving for liquor was scratching at every nerve. The kick of th® alcohol—how he yearned for it. Alcohol was in his hand. He could almost smell its fumes. And he knew that, if the actual odor came to his nostrils, he was gone. Cold per«piration came out on his forehead. His mouth went dry. His teeth were clenched a® though the tetanus germ had kicked them. Ridges of musde appeared on cheeks which Had grown haggard. The fight was on, and it was gofrig to a finish. The ;tensiioa eased. “I don’t have to settle it right this minute,” he told tymrelf speciously. “Letfe go and see about that ship.” He wore no coat, for the day was bright and warm. He thrust the bot tle inside bis flannel shirt where it gurgled against his body with every He was marvelously relieved that a reprieve had been granted, even on terms *o shabby. . / The cove was deserted. Far out on dhe lake he discerned the dumpy out lines of a good sised fishing tug, head ing for Canadian water* again. There were few marks of the unliwding. The beach had been raked over, proba bly, and there was no one in sight. But a stroll up the aljor* revealed be- hrfcvcf mashing undergrowth m log house buih psrtiqily below the lake level. A channel ran to its strongly- pad-locked door Part of the over hanging bank had been tunneled to receive the rear of the house. ‘‘They keep their skiffs in there.” he mused “I ■ oppose if mil the trucks snen’t here when they need them, the stuff is kicked up until they The poa abilities of the cove exhausted snd his own problem ed. The longing for liquor lay in wait so that when mind and body were nn occupied, it seised on them. “While I’m busy it isn’t so bad,” he thought “Well, lot’s try keeping busy.” «• 1 j 4 w. Below the cove the shoreline turned abruptly to the east taking in many square miles. He plunged into this wilderness which was to him virgin. It was pleasant walking. Th* soil was more than mere sand, snd Arm underfoot Thai* was hsrdwood He wiped' the sweat from his face with his sleeve. At a rivulet which was one of the headwater treams of Por tage creek he stopped bo drink deeply. The cold water was gratefully, ra- freshing. He plunged straight ahead bearirfg a little to the South. Somehow he did not dace sit down to reet. He was afraid of the bottle. If he could only keep going he had a chance to win. A blister formed on his right heel and his sdioe rasped painfully at wery step. His clothing was quite wet- An unnqted black berry briar had drawn itself Across hir- face, leaving a red trail that marled and stung. ' Noon came and passed. He was walking automatically now, obeersed with one idea only—to keep going on and on and on. 1110 earth became soggy. His feet stumbled on slippery, regularly recurring humps, and he stopped The underbrush had become very thick and high. He was following a green tunnel through it. The bumps under foot **** the remains of a cor duroy road, built to fadtiate the taking out of logu years ago. He followed the road. Within'a little it ended on the edge of a cedar swamp. A devil’s cradle was ahead of him Dead cedar* with white trunks and •hert. spiky branches lay, stood snd leaned in the stagnant black water In place* the tranfcu were Ave deep in i nextrastable tangles. Her* and there was long and bnlliantly-green grass, but he knew there was i*o solid footing where such turfta grew. It wm a cunning trap to snare the tniJUng. A foot upon such a turft meant instant descent into sucking black ooa*. Grow* cawed dismally on some of the trees which stilLatood CHAPTER XVI. A Victory. It impoa tbl* to determine the of the swamp. The stiff and hostile trunks melted away against a He released a hand to reach down ward for the bottle. It eluded him, and sank again. As he lunged for it, the other hand slipped and he went under. among the jackpines and an occas ional white pine tree which had evad ed the axe and taw. He drovei steadily eastward, hold ing the appetite at bay by physical u VT-i. r - . . iV i -t . line of blue hills on .tha horizon. Not far ahead, though, there was an oasis, ajn) itland which rose la flew feet above the black water and was crowded with vigorous trees.' It was perhaps exertion. Not for a moment did h«J an acre in extent. There was a breeze forget it. Dike a tiger it lay in wait, ready to spring. The gurgle-gurgle against his aide was its hungering cry. He had started on a faint trail, but this had long since disappeared. The silence was profound, except for the subdued twitter of birds and his own faint footsteps. A crash in the un dergrowth ahead startled him. * A magnificent buck crossed a little clear ing and zoomed like an airplane over the top of a fallen tree. Two does followed, taking the same prodigous leap ini graceful fashion. There was no breath of air stirring. over there, the frees swayed. . “This seems to be a sort of—well, a symbol,” bethought. “It’s infernal ly hard going. It’s dangerous. I don't know how far across. It , would be easier to side.tep it, to go around. Bub it’s in my path. It blocks the way I’m going. Why should I let a cedar swamp buffalo me? I.wonder if this booze question wouldn't have been easier if I’d fought it in the past instead of sidestepping? .Of course there isn’t *ny answer to that. But 1 know I couldn’t think so much of myself hereafter if I ducked this. So on slihie. Closing his eyes he ram med downward until the muck was in his nostrils. It drew him, sucked him insidious ly into its grip. Panic that made his eyes pop and^his hearty race possess ed him. But something element^ and fundamental would not permit - •—* him to withdraw. Both arms worked in a wide circle. His' lungs cried for air. His eardrums cracked., He was undergoing all the agonies of drown- here goes.” Before many yards had been cov ered he regretted his decision to cross itihe swamp. It seemed useleess and foolhardy to battle this grim and treacherous area. The labor_ was appallingly hard. He crawled on hands and knees along the slanting logs, • their spikes bruising him and tearing the skin. Sometimes he slipped on the trunks whictrhiad gathered moss that made them as smooth as ice. Then he barely escaped dropping into well3 of black water, paved far below with muck in solutioni He knew the mix ture had the dinging power of quick sand. The sun beat down variously. At last he won the oasis and flung himself down to rest in) the shade of a good sized tree. His chest heaved. He dosed his eyes and fought the vivid outline of an action which his appetite painted over and ovet on his brain. In this action he saw himeelf with drawing the bottle from hie ehirt, removing the cork a nd tilting his bead so that the Aery liquid might run down his throat. He could sniff the beguHding bequest of the raw liquor snd feel the filliped nerves tingle* to the end* of his fingers and toes. The counterfeit sensations caused him fatriy to shudder with a longing to make them authentic. He raised himself on his elbow to look out over the waste which inter vened between the Ulaad and the further shore. It was not so distent ss it had seemed, but It was greater than th* first lap. He shook his head. “No boose until that’s behind me. Too dangerous. I need everything I have to make it’ He took up th* journey again. Now It wm slower. He was tired. The tan- rfc* * owned worse, the water deeper and black*f^Once he slipped and was immsrakd hip drtp in the tepid water He hastily crawled back to the grudg ing surface of a slender stick. As be crawled one wide pool on a cedar whose f*r end was insecurely anchored, so that the trunk rocked with his weight, the bottle slipped from his shirt and plopped into the water. He straddeled the log to con sider. It was gq^igig. late. The shadows were long over this fiend<’ playground. But be could not leav® without the h K "SOB.jPBWwM wu , u was r§ renewed insistence. Appetile beat upon him, shook him, tore him. He had to have that liquor. Yet he knew that the clamor was fictitious, and that there was a deeper reason for repossessing himself of the flask. If he went on without dt, he was cravenly avoiding the possible knock out- It would be a drawn battle which he would have to fight again. The whiskey might be the bludgeon of defeat, but it might also be the symbol of victory. Hp might win by running away from it. He nrihoved his canvas leggkis, his shoeft and socks, as he perched peri lously on the uneasy trunk. He let himself down! into the pool. His toes encountered the muck. His arms were extended their frill length before his toes encountered the bottle in the sooty depths. It was a task requiting muscular strain and dexterity, to grip ithe bottle between, his feet and bring it surface ward A new difficulty presented itself. He Could not clhnb back on the log without the aid of his feet. He re lease^ a hand to reach downward for 'he bottle. It eluded hhn, and sank agafti. As he lunged for it the other hand ^dipped and he want under. Back at the surface he shuddered with distaste and clung lb the log ’Hie dead wa'er and the treacherous), mo- lases like muck filled him with nausea. Yet they had to be braved. He took a full breath and thrust himself un der. His arm encountered the muck abd waa absorbed in it, yet his fin gers flek) no bottle. His shoulders, the top of his head were in the ooze. mg. At last! A fingertip touched it. He worked _ lower, grasped the bottle firmly, and splashed frantically up ward. The mud dung to him, it was reluctant to let him go. But merged log aided him with a fc He heaved waist high above the face, now as opaque as a puddle of ink. He breathed deeply and thankfully. While he dangled xrith one hand he inserted the bottle into one of his shoes, which were tied together and swung across the log. His reserve of ftreutth was all but'drained Before he wm dn the urmaey log again, his phoes on his feet, the bottle buttoned within his start. Sunset was at hand before he won the shore to find another corduroy road opening out conveniently ’U front of him. And he was trembling with weakness. The bottle wm at hit lips ■** Patsy Jane’s face came up before him, her eyes swimming in tears aV she raised them to him in Lawyer Kinnane’s office. There was that fond, tremulous smile of her lips. Somehow the wonder of her, the price less boon of her love, came to him as it never had before. She was the moot precious tfang in the world. He jammed the cork home again, the liquor untested, and thrust the bottle back into his wet rinrt. He strode buoyantly away, laughing with joy and relief. The enemy was de feated. Though not entirely rooted. There were other waves of clamor, though thmr strength wm noticeably less. The craving died down as darkness thickened. The liquor became unim portant until he no longer thought of it It wae late when he struck a road leading in the direction of the It was nearly midnight when with the other hands. "Hie could hear their snotys through the Him boa:d partitions. He lighted his oil lamp, and stood for a time surveying the liquor. With a little shake he addressed it. “OMtimer, you did your best. But it waai’t good enough. You’re licked, and licked for keeps. And if you don’t believe it, I’m going to make you pris oner, sort of keep you around, to prove R.” (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.) ■■ ——m ^ • > The Chaperon Among many African and AsfatJe peoples girls were betrothed Id infancy and kept hidden until ready for mar riage They were tabu to the war riors, an elderly woman being selected to see that they were not approached by any man. When the girls reached a certain age they were permitted to “come out” into the snn and be mar ried. Survivale of this custom am •e^o in oar chaperon, the comlng-of- age party, and “coming out” into so ciety. Other Reductions Coming. Because of the curtailment of women’s garments, the average weight of trunks carred by the travel ing public has been reduced to eighty- flVe pounds. yet the desperate fingers closed oplyi fabric, “si.” According to a record kept by editor of the American Medical Jour nal, the average age for a doctor is 62.8 years. The word “silk” i* believed to have originated from the Chinese word for '1