is early teens, and in the face of the most heartrending solicitude,
to drink himself to death. The miserable part of it was that everybody
loved him when he was sober, and out of consideration to his family
still asked him to the best that the town could do in the way of parties
and entertainments. He was a good-looking young man with a big frame and
a pale face. His real name was William Addison Larch, but he was better
known as "Beau Larch." He had a nervous, engaging smile, of which he
made frequent use.

"My word, Aladdin," he said, "you look sick as a dog. Come with me and
take a snifter for it."

Aladdin hesitated a moment. And as soon as he had thoroughly made up his
mind that it was wrong to say so, he said:

"I believe I will." The Celt in him was feeling suicidal. They went into
the ground-floor room of a house where liquor was sold.

"For me, whisky," said Beau Larch.

"The same for me," said Aladdin, with something suspiciously like a
gulp. The first drink which a man takes against his better judgment is
a grisly epoch in his life. Aladdin realized this, and was at once
miserable and willing that it should be so.

"To those that love us!" said Beau Larch.

Aladdin put down his liquor without grimace or gasp.

Beau Larch paid.

In Aladdin's pocket were three dollars, the first mile-post on the steep
road to his ideal. He felt, to be sure that they were there.

"Now you 'll have one with me," he said.

When the sudden rain-storm had rained and thundered and lightened itself
out, they went to another saloon, and from there to the Boat Club, of
which Beau Larch was a member and whither he asked Aladdin to supper.
Fishes and lobsters and clams were the staple articles of Boat Club
suppers, and over savory messes of these, helped down with much whisky
and water, Aladdin and Beau Larch made the evening spin. Aladdin,
talking eagerly and with the naivete of a child, wondered why he had
never liked this man so much before. And Larch told the somewhat
abject story of his life three times with an introduction of much racy
anecdote.

Aladdin's head held surprisingly well. Every now and then he would hand
himself an inward congratulation on the alertness and clearness of
his mind, and think what a fine constitution he must have. They got to
singing after a while, and reciting poems, of which each knew a quantity
by heart. And, oddly enough, Aladdin, though he had been brought up to
speak sound American, d