"When hie entered his pew at church and sat down there was a sharp crack, and the odour of mean whisk began to work its way around the church. The colonel saw several people elevate their noses and look inquiringly around, and he turned as red as a beet. He heard a female voice in the pew behind him whisper loudly "Old Colonel J—is drunk again. They say he is hardly ever sober now, and some people say he beat: his wife nearly every day."
The colonel recognized the voice of one of the most notorious female gossipers in Houston. He turned around and glared at her. She then whispered a little louder:
"Look at him. He really looks dangerous. And to come to church that way, too!
The colonel knew that. the bottle had cracked and he was afraid to move, but a piece of it fell out on the floor. He usually knelt during prayer, but to-day he sat bolt upright on. the seat. His wife noticed his unusual behaviour and whispered:
james, you don't know how you pain me. You don't pray any more. I knew what the result would be when I let you go to hear Ingersoll lecture. You are an infidel. And— what is that I smell? Oh, James have been drinking, and on Sunday. too."
The colonel's wife put her handkerchief to her eyes, and he ground his teeth in rage.
After the services were over, and they had reached home, his wife took ner seat on the back poi and began to cap some strawberries for dinner This prevented his going out in the back yard and throwing the bottle over ihe fence, as he had intended.
His two little boys hung close round him, as they always did on. Sun-ay, and he found it impossible to et rid of it. He took them out for a stroll in the front yard.
Finally, he sent them both in the house on ome pretext, and drawing out the bottle hurled it into the street. The rack in it had been only a slight haven't been drinking, but what is the matter with you? Come in and lie down. Let me pull off your coat."
She tried to pull off the colonel's Prince Albert, as but he got furiously he generally did.
gry and danced ur hands off me. woman!" he cried. "Tve got a headache, and I'm going for a TU throw the blamed thing away if I have to go to the North Pole to do if.
The colonel's wife shook her head went out the gate.
Maybe a walk will do him good."
"He's working too hard." she said rhe colonel went down several blocks, watching for an opportunity to dispose of the flask. There were a good many people on the streets, and there seemed to be always somebody looking at him.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.