Danger | Page 9

Because men who have acquired
a taste for wine will have it whether we provide it for them or not, it is
no reason why we should set it before the young whose appetites are

yet unvitiated and lure them to excesses. It does not make a free
indulgence in wine and brandy any the more excusable because men
overeat themselves."
"But," broke in Mr. Birtwell, with the manner of one who gave an
unanswerable reason, "if we exclude wine that men may not hurt
themselves by over-indulgence, why not exclude the oysters and
terrapin? If we set up for reformers and philanthropists, why not cover
the whole ground?"
"Oysters and terrapin," replied Mrs. Birtwell, in a voice out of which
she could hardly keep the contempt she felt for her husband's weak
rejoinder, "don't confuse the head, dethrone the reason, brutalize,
debase and ruin men in soul and body as do wine and brandy. The
difference lies there, and all men see and feel it, make what excuses
they will for self-indulgence and deference to custom. The curse of
drink is too widely felt. There is scarcely a family in the land on which
its blight does not lie. The best, the noblest, the purest, the bravest,
have fallen. It is breaking hopes and hearts and fortunes every day. The
warning cross that marks the grave of some poor victim hurts your eyes
at every turn of life. We are left without excuse."
Mrs. Birtwell rose as she finished speaking, and returned to her
chamber.
CHAPTER IV.

"MR. VOSS," said the waiter as he opened the door of the
breakfast-room.
Mr. and Mrs. Birtwell left the table hurriedly and went to the parlor.
Their visitor was standing in the middle of the floor as they entered.
"Oh, Mr. Voss, have you heard anything of Archie?" exclaimed Mrs.
Birtwell.

"Nothing yet," he replied.
"Dreadful, dreadful! What can it mean?"
"Don't be alarmed about it," said Mr. Birtwell, trying to speak in an
assuring voice. "He must have gone home with a friend. It will be all
right, I am confident."
"I trust so," replied Mr. Voss. "But I cannot help feeling very anxious.
He has never been away all night before. Something is wrong. Do you
know precisely at what time he left here?"
"I do not," replied Mr. Birtwell. "We had a large company, and I did
not note particularly the coming or going of any one."
"Doctor Angier thinks it was soon after twelve o'clock. He saw him
come out of the dressing-room and go down stairs about that time."
"How is Frances?" asked Mrs. Birtwell. "It must be a dreadful shock to
her in her weak state."
"Yes, it is dreadful, and I feel very anxious about her. If anything has
happened to Archie, it will kill her."
Tears fell over Mrs. Birtwell's face and she wrung her hands in distress.
"She is calmer than she was," said Mr. Voss. "The first alarm and
suspense broke her right down, and she was insensible for some hours.
But she is bearing it better now--much better than I had hoped for."
"I will go to see her at once. Oh, if I knew how to comfort her!"
To this Mr. Voss made no response, but Mrs. Birtwell, who was
looking into his, face, saw an expression that she did not understand.
"She will see me, of course?"
"I do not know. Perhaps you'd better not go round yet. It might disturb
her too much, and the doctor says she must be kept as quiet as

possible."
Something in the manner of Mr. Voss sent a chill to the heart of Mrs.
Birtwell. She felt an evasion in his reply. Then a suspicion of the truth
flashed upon her mind, overwhelming her with a flood of bitterness in
which shame, self-reproach, sorrow and distress were mingled. It was
from her hand, so to speak, that the son of her friend had taken the wine
which had bewildered his senses, and from her house that he had gone
forth with unsteady step and confused brain to face a storm the heaviest
and wildest that had been known for years. If he were dead, would not
the stain of his blood be on her garments?
No marvel that Mr. Voss had said, "Not yet; it might disturb her too
much." Disturb the friend with whose heart her own had beaten in
closest sympathy and tenderest love for years--the friend who had
flown to her in the deepest sorrow she had ever known and held her to
her heart until she was comforted by the sweet influences of love. Oh,
this was hard to bear! She bowed her head and stood silent.
"I wish," said Mr. Voss, speaking to Mr. Birtwell, "to get the names