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Speaker 1: Over an absente bottle by W. C. Morrow. Arthur Kimberlain,

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a young man of very high spirit, found himself a

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total stranger in San Francisco one rainy evening at a

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time when his heart was breaking, for his hunger was

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of that most poignant kind in which physical suffering is

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forced to the highest point without impairment of the mental functions.

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There remained in his possession, not a thing that he

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might have pawned for a morsel to eat, And even

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as it was, he had stripped his body of all

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articles of clothing, except those which a remaining sense of

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decency compelled him to retain. Hence it was that cold

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assailed him and conspired with hunger to complete his misery.

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Having been brought into the world and reared a gentleman,

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he lacked the courage to beg and the skill to steal.

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Had not an extraordinary thing happened to him, he either

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would have drowned himself in the bay within twenty four

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hours or died of pneumonia in the street. He had

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been seventy hours without food, and his mental desperation had

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driven him far in its race. With his physical needs

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to consume the strength within him, so that now pale,

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weak and tottering, he took what comfort he could find

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in the savory odors which came steaming up from the

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basement kitchens of the restaurants in Market Street, caring more

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to gain them than to avoid the rain. His teeth chattered,

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he shambled, stooped, and gasped. He was too desperate to

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curse his fate. He could only long for food. He

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could not reason, He could not understand that ten thousand

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hands might gladly have fed him. He could think only

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of the hunger which consumed him, and of food that

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could give him warmth and happiness. When he had arrived

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at Mason Street, he saw a restaurant a little way

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up that thoroughfare, and for that he headed, Crossing the street diagonally.

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He stopped before the window and ogled the stakes, thick

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and lined with fat, big oysters, lying on ice, slices

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of ham as large as his hat hull, roasted chickens,

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brown and juicy. He ground his teeth, groaned, and staggered

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on a few steps. Beyond this was a drinking saloon

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which had a private door at one side, with the

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words family Entrance painted thereon in the recess of the door,

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which was closed, stood a man. In spite of his agony,

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Kimberland saw something in the man's face that appalled and

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fascinated him. Night was on and the light in the

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vicinity was dim, but it was apparent that the stranger

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had an appearance of whose character he himself must have

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been ignorant. Perhaps it was the unspeakable anguish of it

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that struck through Kimberland's sympathies. The young man came to

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an uncertain halt and stared at the stranger. At first

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he was unseen, for the stranger looked straight out into

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the street with singular fixity, and the deathlike pallor of

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his added a weirdness to the immobility of his gaze.

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Then he took notice of the young man. Ah, he said, slowly,

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and with a peculiar distinctness, the rain has caught you too,

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without overcoat or umbrella, Stand in this doorway. There's room

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for two. The voice was not unkind, though it had

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an alarming hardness. It was the first word that had

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been addressed to the sufferer since hunger had seized him,

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and to be spoken to it all and have his

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comfort regarded in the slightest way gave him cheer. He

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entered the embrasure and stood beside the stranger, who at

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once relapsed into his fixed gaze at nothing across the street.

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But presently the stranger stirred himself again. It may reign

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a long time, said he. I am cold, and I

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observe that you tremble. Let us step inside and get

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a drink. He opened the door, and Kimberland followed hope,

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beginning to lay a warm hand upon his heart. The

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pale stranger led the way into one of the little

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private booths with which the place was furnished. Before sitting down,

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he put his hand into his pocket and drew forth

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a roll of bank bills. You are younger than I,

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he said. Won't you go to the bar and buy

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a bottle of absinthe and bring a pitcher of water

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and some glasses. I don't like for the waiters to

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come around. Here's a twenty dollar bill. Kimberland took the

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bill and started down the corridor towards the bar. He

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clutched the money tightly in his palm. It felt warm

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and comfortable and sent a delicious tingling through his arm.

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How many glorious hot meals did that bill represent? He

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clunched it tighter and hesitated. He thought he smelled a

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broiled steak with fat little mushrooms and melted butter in

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the steaming dish. He stopped and looked back towards the

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door of the booth. He saw that the stranger had

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closed it. He could pass it, slip out the door,

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and buy something to eat. He turned and started, but

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the coward in him there are other names for this,

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tripped his resolution. So he went straight to the bar

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and made the purchase. This was so unusual that the

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man who served him looked sharply at him. Ain't gonna

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drink all that, are you? He asked? I have friends

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in the box, replied Kimberlain, and we want to drink

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quietly and without interruption. We are in number seven. Oh beg, pardon,

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that's all right, said the man. Kimberlyn's step was very

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much stronger and steadier as he returned with the liquor.

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He opened the door of the booth. The stranger sat

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at the side of the little table, staring at the

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opposite wall, just as he had stared across the street.

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He wore a wide brimmed slouch hat drawn well down.

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It was only after Kimberlyn had set the bottle, pitcher

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and glasses on the table and seated himself opposite the

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stranger and within his range of vision, that the pale

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man noticed him. Oh, you have brought it. How kind

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of you. Now, please lock the door. Kimberlin had slipped

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the change into his pocket and was in the act

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of bringing it out when the stranger said, keep the change.

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You will need it for I am going to get

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it back in a way that may interest you. Let

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us first drink, and then I will explain. The pale

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man makes two drinks of absinthe and water, and the

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two drink. Kimberlain, unsophisticated, had never tasted the liquor before,

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and he found it harsh and offensive. But no sooner

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had it reached his stomach than it began to warm

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him and sent the most delicious thrill through his frame.

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It will do as good, said the stranger. Presently we

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shall have more. Meanwhile, do you know how to throw dice?

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Kimberland weakly confessed that he did not. I thought not. Well,

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Please go to the bar and bring a dice box.

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I would ring for it, but I don't want the

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waiters to be coming in. Kimberlin fetched the box again,

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locked the door, and the game began. It was not

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one of the simple old games, but had complications in

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which judgment as well as chance played a part. After

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a game or two without stakes, the stranger said, you

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now seem to understand it very well. I will show

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you that you do not. We will now throw for

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a dollar a game, and in that way I shall

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win the money that you received in change. Otherwise I

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should be robbing you, and I imagine you cannot afford

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to lose. I mean no offense. I am a plain

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spoken man, but I believe in honesty before politeness. I

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merely want a little diversion, and you are so kind

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natured that I am sure you will not object. On

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the contrary, replied Kimberlain, I shall enjoy it very well,

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but let us have another drink before we start. I

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believe I am growing colder. They drink again, and this

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time the starving man took his liquor with relish. At

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least it was something in his stomach, and it warmed

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and delighted him. The steak was a dollar aside. Kimberlin won.

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The pale stranger smiled grimly and opened another game again.

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Kimberlind won. Then the stranger pushed back his hat and

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fixed that still gaze upon his opponent, smiling. Yet with

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this full view of the pale stranger's face, Kimberlin was

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more appalled than ever. He had begun to acquire a

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certain self possession and ease, and his marveling at the

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singular character of the adventure had begun to weaken when

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this new instant threw him back into confusion. It was

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the extraordinary expression of the stranger's face that alarmed him.

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Never upon the face of a living being had he

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seen a pallor so deathlike and chilling. The face was

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more than pale, it was white. Kimberlain's observing faculty had

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been sharpened by the absence, and after having detected the

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stranger in an absent minded effort two or three times

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to stroke a beard which had no existence, he reflected

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that some of the whiteness of the face might be

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due to the recent removal of a full beard. Besides

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the pallor, there were deep and sharp lines upon the

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face which the electric light brought out very distinctly, with

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the exception of the steady gaze of the eyes and

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an occasional hard smile that seemed out of place upon

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such a face. The expression was that of stone in

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artistically cut. The eyes were black, but of heavy expression.

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The lower lip was purple. The hands were fine, white

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and thin, and dark veins bulged out upon them. The

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stranger pulled down his hat. You are lucky, he said,

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Suppose we try another drink. There is nothing like absinthe

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to sharpen one's wits, and I see that you and

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I are going to have a delightful game. After the drink,

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the game proceeded. Kimberlind won from the very first, rarely

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losing a game. He became greatly excited. His eyes shone

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color came to his cheeks. The stranger, having exhausted the

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roll of bills which he first produced, drew forth another,

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much larger and of higher denominations. There were several thousand

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dollars in the role. At Kimberlin's right hand were his winnings,

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something like two hundred dollars. The stakes were raised and

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the game went rapidly on. Another drink was taken. Then

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fortune turned the Stranger's way and he won easily. It

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went back to Kimberland, for he was now playing with

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all the judgment and skill he could command. Once only

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did it occur to him to wonder what he should

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do with the money if he should quit winner, But

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a sense of honor decided him that it would belong

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to the stranger. By this time, the absence had so

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sharpened Kimberland's faculties that the temporary satisfaction which it had

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brought to his hunger, having passed his physical suffering, returned

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with increased aggressiveness. Could he not order a supper with

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his earnings? No, that was out of the question, and

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the stranger said nothing about eating. Kimberlain continued to play

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while the manifestations of hunger took the form of sharp

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pains which darted through him viciously, causing him to writhe

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and grind his teeth. The stranger paid no attention, for

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he was now wholly absorbed in the game. He seemed

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puzzled and disconcerted. He played with great care, studying each

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thrown minutely. No conversation passed between them. Now they drank occasionally,

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the dice continued to rattle, the money kept piling up

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at Kimberland's hand. The pale man began to behave strangely.

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At times, he would start and throw back his head

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as though he were listening. For a moment, his eyes

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would sharpen and flash, and then sink into heaviness again.

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More than once. Kimberlain, who had now begun to suspect

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that this antagonist with some kind of monster, saw frightfully

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ghastly expression sweep over his face, and his features would

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become fixed for a very short time in a peculiar agrimence.

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It was noticeable, however, that he was steadily sinking deeper

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and deeper into a condition of apathy. Occasionally he would

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raise his eyes to Kimberland's face after the young man

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had made an astonishingly looky throw, and keep them fixed

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there with a steadiness that made the young man quail.

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The stranger produced another roll of bills when the second

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was gone, and this had a value many times as

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great as the others. Together, the stakes were raised to

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a thousand dollars a game, and still Kimberland won. At last,

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the time came when the stranger braced himself for a

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final effort. With speech somewhat thick, but very deliberate and quiet,

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he said, you have won seventy four thousand dollars, which

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is exactly the amount that I have remaining. We have

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been playing for several hours. I am tired, and I

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suppose you are. Let us finish the game. Each will

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now stake all and throw a final game for it

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without hesitation. Kimberland agreed. The bills made a considerable pile

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on the table. Kimberlin threw, and the box held but

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one combination that could possibly defeat him. This combination might

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be thrown one once in ten thousand times. The starving

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man's heart beat violently as the stranger picked up the

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box with exasperating deliberation. It was a long time before

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he threw. He made his combinations and ended by defeating

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his opponent. He sat and looked at the dice a

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long time, and then he slowly leaned back in his chair,

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settling himself comfortably, raised his eyes to Kimberlain's and fixed

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that unearthly stare upon him. He said not a word.

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His face contained not a trace of emotion or intelligence.

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He simply looked one cannot keep one's eyes open very

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long without winking, but the stranger did. He sat so

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motionless that Kimberlin began to be tortured. I will go now,

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he said to the stranger, said that, when he had

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not a cent and was starving. The stranger made no reply,

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but did not relax his gaze. Under that gaze, the

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young man shrink back in his own chair, terrified. He

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became aware that two men were cautiously talking in an

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adjoining booth, as there was now a deathly silence in

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his own. He listened, and this is what he heard. Yes,

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he was seen to turn into this street about three

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hours ago, and he was shaved. He must have done so,

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and to remove a full beard would naturally make a

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great change in a man. But it may not have been.

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He true enough, but his extreme pallor attracted attention. You

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know that he had been troubled with heart disease lately,

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and it has affected him seriously. Yes, but his old

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skill remains. Why this is the most daring bank robbery

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we had ever had here A hundred and forty eight

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thousand dollars. Think of it. How long has it been

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since he was let out? The Joliet eight years. In

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that time he has grown a beard and lived by

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dice throwing with men who thought they could detect him

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if he should swindle them. But that is impossible. No

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human being can come winner out of a game with him.

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He is evidently not here. Let us look farther. Then

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the two men clinked glasses and passed out the dice players.

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The pale one and the starving one sat gazing at

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each other, with a hundred and forty eight thousand dollars

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piled up between them. The winner made no move to

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take in the money. He merely sat and stared at Kimberlain,

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wholly unmoved by the conversation in the adjoining room. His

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imperturbability was amazing, his absolute stillness terrifying. Chamberlayn began to

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shake with an agueu. The cold, steady gaze of the

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stranger sent ice into his marrow. Unable to bear longer

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this unwavering look, Chamberlayn moved to one side, and then

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he was amazed to discover that the eyes of the

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pale man, instead of following him, remained fixed upon the

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spot where he had sat, or rather upon the wall

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behind it. A great dread beset the young man. He

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feared to make the slightest sound. Voices of the men

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in the bar room were audible, and the sufferer imagined

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that he had heard others whispering and tiptoeing in the

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passage outside his booth. He poured out some absinthe, watching

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his strange companion all the while, and drank alone and unnoticed.

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He took a heavy drink, and it had a peculiar

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effect upon him. He felt his heart bounding with alarming

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force and rapidity, and breathing was difficult. Still, his hunger remained,

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and that in the absinthe gave him an idea that

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the gastric acids were destroying him by digesting his stomach.

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He leaned forward and whispered to the stranger, but was

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given no attention. One of the man's hands lay upon

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the table. Kimberlain placed his upon it, and then drew

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back in terror. The hand was as cold as a stone.

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The money must not lie there, exposed. Kimberlin arranged it

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into neat parcels, looking furtively every moment at his immovable

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companion and immortal fear that he would stir. Then he

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sat back and waited. A deadly fascination impelled him to

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move back into his former position so as to bring

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his face directly before the gaze of the stranger, And

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so the two sat and stared at each other. Kimberlain

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felt his breath coming heavier and his heart beats growing weaker.

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But these conditions gave him comfort by reducing his anxiety

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and softening the pangs of hunger. He was growing more

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and more comfortable, and yawned. If he had dared, he

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might have gone to sleep. Suddenly, a fierce light flooded

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his vision and sent him with a bound to his feet.

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Had he been struck upon the head or stabbed to

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the heart, No, he was sound and alive. The pale

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strangers still sat there, staring at nothing and immovable, But

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Kimberlin was no longer afraid of him. On the contrary,

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an extraordinary buoyancy of spirit and elasticity of body made

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him feel reckless and daring. His former timidity and scruples vanished,

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and he felt equal to any adventure without hesitation. He

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gathered up the money and bestowed it in his several pockets.

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I am a fool to starve, he said to himself,

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with all this money ready to my hand, as cautiously

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as a thief, he unlocked the door, stepped out, reclosed it,

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and boldly, with his head erect stalked out upon the street.

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Much to his astonishment, he found the city in the

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bustle of the early evening. Yet the sky was clear.

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It was evident to him that he had not been

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in the saloon as long as he had supposed. He

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walked along the street with the utmost, unconcerned the dangers

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that beset him, and laughed softly, but gleefully. Would he

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not eat now? Ah? Would he not? Why he could

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buy a dozen restaurants. Not only that, but he could

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hunt the city up and down for hungry men, and

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feed them with the fattest steaks, the juices, roasts, and

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the biggest oysters that the town could supply. As for himself,

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he must eat first. After that he would set up

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a great establishment for feeding other hungry mortals without charge. Yes,

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he would eat first if he pleased. He would eat

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till he should burst. In What single place could he

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find sufficient to satisfy his hunger? Could he live sufficiently

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long to have an ox killed and roasted whole for

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his supper, Besides an ox, he would order two dozen

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broiled chickens, fifty dozen oysters, a dozen crabs, ten dozen eggs,

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ten hams, eight young pigs, twenty wild ducks, fifteen fish

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of four different kinds, eight salads, four dozen bottles of

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each clearant, burgundy and chimpagne. For pastry, eight plum puddings,

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and for dessert bushels of nuts, ices and confection. It

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would require time to prepare such a meal, and if

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he could only live until it could be made ready,

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it would be infinitely better than to spoil his appetite

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with a dozen or two meals of ordinary size. He

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thought he could live that long, for he felt amazingly

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strong and bright. Never in his life before had he

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walked with so great ease and lightness. His feet hardly

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touched the ground, he ran and leaped. It did him

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good to tantalize his hunger, for that would make his

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relish of the feast all the keener. Oh but how

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they would stare when he would give his order, and

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how comically they would hang back, And how amazed he

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would be when he would throw a few thousands of

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dollars on the counter and tell them to take their

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money out of it and keep the change. Really, it

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was worthwhile to be so hungry as that, for then

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eating became an unspeakable luxury. And one must not be

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too great a hurry to eat when one is so hungry,

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that is beastly. How much of theo of living to

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rich people miss from eating before they are hungry, before

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they have gone three days and nights without food, And

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how manly it is, and how great self control it

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shows to dally with starvation when one has a dazzling

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fortune in one's pocket and every restaurant has an open door.

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To be hungry without money, that is despair. To be

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starving with a bursting pocket, that is the alme Surely,

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the only true heaven is that in which one famishes

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in the presence of abundant food, which he might have

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for the taking, and then a gorge stomach and a

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long sleep. The starving wretch speculating thus still kept from food.

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He felt himself growing in stature, and the people whom

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he met became pygmies. The streets widened, and the stars

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became suns and dim the electric lights and the most

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intoxicating odors in the sweetest music filled the air. Shouting, laughing,

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and singing. Kimberlain joined in a great chorus that swept

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over the city. And then the two detectives who had

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traced the famous bank robber to the saloon in Mason

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Street where Kimberlain had encountered the stranger of the Pallor

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of Face left the saloon, but unable to pursue the

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trail farther, had finally returned they found the door booth

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number seven locked. After wrapping and calling and receiving no answer,

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they burst open the door, and there they saw two men,

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one of middle age and the other very young, sitting

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perfectly still and in the strangest manner imaginable, staring at

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each other. Across the table. Between them was a great

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pile of money, arranged neatly in parcels. Near at hand,

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where an empty absinthe bottle, a water pitcher, glasses, and

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a dice box, with the dice lying before the elder

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man as he had thrown them last. One of the

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detectives covered the elder man with a revolver and commanded,

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rube your hands, but the dice thrower paid no attention.

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The detectives exchanged startled glances. They looked closer into the

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faces of the two men, and then they discovered that

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both were dead end of over an absente bottle by W. C.

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Morrow