He came back from the Continent, where he had been on an errand, a changed man.

Hillars always drank, but never to an alarming extent.

On his return, however, he was in a bad shape.

It was nearly November before I got him sobered up; and then he went under on an average of three times a week.

I asked him bluntly what he meant by it, and he frankly replied that if he wanted to drink himself to death, that was his business.