It was in truth not respectable to get entirely drunk in Alton.
It was genteel to become "set up," exhilarated, but the real gutter form
of inebriety was frowned upon to a much greater extent than in many
places where there was less license.

"Hullo!" sang out Doctor Gordon as he entered. Immediately a grin of
comradeship overspread the pink face of the yellow-haired giant behind
the bar. "Hullo!" he responded. "Just step into the other room, and I'll
be there right away."

James followed Doctor Gordon into what was evidently the state parlor of
the hotel. There was haircloth furniture, and a mahogany table, with
various stains of conviviality upon its polished surface. There was a
fire on the hearth, and on the mantel stood some gilded vases and a
glass case of wax-flowers, also a stuffed canary under a glass shade,
pathetic on his little twig. Doctor Gordon pointed to the flowers and
the canary. "Poor old man lost his wife, when he had been married two
years," he said. "She and the baby both died. That was before I came
here. Damned if I wouldn't have pulled them through. That was her bird,
and she made those fool flowers, poor little thing. I suppose if the
hotel were to take fire Georgie K. would go for them before all the cash
in the till."

"He hasn't married again?"

"Married again! It's my belief he'd shoot the man that mentioned it."

Then Georgie K. entered, his rosy face distended with a smile of the
most intense hospitality, and before Doctor Gordon had a chance to
introduce James, he said, "What'll you take, gentlemen?"

"This is my new assistant, from Gresham, Doctor Elliot," said Gordon.
Georgie K. made a bow, and scraped his foot at the same time with a
curiously boyish gesture. "What'll you take?" he asked again. That was
evidently his formula of hospitality, which must never be delayed.

"Apple-jack," responded Doctor Gordon promptly. "You had better take
apple-jack too, young man. Georgie K. has gin that beats the record, and
peach brandy, but when it comes to his apple-jack--it's worth the whole
State of New Jersey."

"All right," answered James.

Soon he found himself seated at the stained old mahogany table with the
two men, and between two glasses, a bottle, and a pitcher of hot water.
Doctor Gordon dealt a pack of dirty cards while the hotel keeper poured
the apple-jack. James could not help staring at the elder doctor with
more and more amazement. He seemed to assimilate perfectly with