Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-11-08

anu 7dS AslU Opeutu NY ilt1n W say ht NiIUSS
home had passed the night, she was ready,
good soul, with torrent of words.
"Ahl good heavens, she would not have
slept at Prudenoe's for the whole world.
The woman dealt In witchcraft, else how
could she talk to vipers and make them
dance, around her, then kill and sell them
for twelve sous apiece %
'Ten," l corrected, " and the vipers do
not dance, mademoiselle."
~ beg monsieur's pardon. My own
great-aunt saw them dancing around Pru-
dence's grandfather, and of course they do
the same now"
[ suggested that these were degenerate
days, and that vipers might have lost their
ancient gift; but was not needed
g 1t was witchcraft. Prudence took a
drink which made the vipers come, when
she breathed upon them, But see you
that same drink made her sallow, and Pru-
denoe was never in good health. Il would
not end we'll Prudence had gone mad
abont her husband, and forced him to mar
ry her, when she might have had much
better match in my informant's own uncle.
But it would not end well, Matthew Il now
learned MS name) E'would have no peace
till he found out the secret Once he dis
covered it The vipers could set upon Pru-
dence and bite and kill her"
The topic of Prudence having been fully
exhausted by the time | had despatched
second cup Of coffee, and turned to the more
congenial theme, botany, didnot utter that
barbarous word; but inquired if dusty gen.
tlmen, who had evidently seen some hard
work, wanderedabou the country gathering
weeds, which they safely slowed away in tin
boxes?
sOh yegp' was the eager reply. 81
have seen them. Does monsieur know what
they do with those weeds?''
| shook my head in solemn mystery.
@ suppose they sell them" said my pref
ty waitress, looking pensive; they cannot
fetch much %
LESS than vipers assure you; but
what direction do those poor fellows usually
take ?"
The explanation which followed was te-
dious one, and is not worth repeating Suf-
fee it that | left the inn an hour after this,
and that | struck into path which was to
conduct me TO the other end of the forest
which had explored on the preceding day.
The day was burning hot; the forest was
oppresslvely close but my tin box over
flowed with some of the choicest plants [
exultant and happy. l forgot fatigue, hun
tions the pretty girl al the inn had given
me, and the consequence was tina. l got lost
in the forest. Now, this was not pleasant.
The day was well-nigh spent and even Pru-
denoe's bed would have been more accept
able couch than the bare earth at the foot
Of tree. Better dead vipers on hank,
than live yipers at liberty. Ihad read that
The viper is !. slandered animal, which never
attacks man; but just then my faith in
such general maxims was loose. | remem-
bered the seven avenues [ had seen on the
preceding day, and wondered if | could
not find one Of them and thence the central
pyramid. Give me that, and certain land
marks | recolleeted, would take me back TO
the town whore Prudence dwelt. Now, ac-
cordlng to all rules of romance, I ought to
have wandered up and down the forest ell
night, and never found the pyramid But
these rules were reversed in the present in
stance. The first path I took led me to one
Of the seven avenues, and far away from
me, indeed, but quite distinct, / saw the
pyramid and its gilt ball glittering in the
light OF the setting sun. [ took heart, and
walked fast and reached it. But before
started on my next expedition / sat down
at the foot of the pyramid, and rested few
moments. 1t was q divine evening. The
long low rays of the sinking sun poured
from the west down one Of the avenues !;
fire and gold are nothing to the splendor
which swept along the green earth up the
old trunks Of trees and reached their ton
most boughs in the rosiest hues It was a
magnificent spectacle; but looked at nv
watch, end arose. turned to the pyramid,
then stood still. A woman was lying on the
earth at my feet.
Asleep? / stopped; her eyes were fixed
and open; her lips mad parted in the gasp
of her agony; her face was livid I knew
it. This was the face of Prudence, the SER
pent-charmer, the viper killer She was
dead. took her swollen hand, with the
marks Of fatal sting on it still; when
dropped it, it fell back loosely, with that
inert weight which tells so much. She was
dead-the woman whom [ had seen all life
and fury in the mornings the red sur
light swept across her rigid face, and only
seemed to render its sternness more appar-
ent. How had it happened? Had she been
surprised? Had she struggled with her
enemy, as | had striven against her all
night IN my dreams? One thing / felt sure
OF; she had not been stung here. The fatal
bite had been inflicted at some remote spot,
whence she had crept to this; then the
venom had seized her heart, till sight first,
then life, had failed her. Remedies, if ap-
pied IN time, might have saved her; but
there had been no one at hand to give them
Exhaustion, the intense heat of the day,
and something too, perhaps, in her consti-
tuition, had quickened the action of the
poison, and brought on this unusually sud-
den termination
l stood and looked at her in a stupor.
She lay on the very spot where I had sat
twenty four hours before, thinking of Diana
OF Polners and numerous dead men and
women. AND she, one of those strange
INKS which connect the present and the
past, hsd gone to join them. Some ances-
ter OF hers had been viper oharmer in
those days, and had, maybe exhibited his
skill IN the royal presence, whilst another
charmer looked haughtily On, conscious of
equal power.
left her there at the foot of the pyramid.
on the colo earth, IN the gathering darkness
OF evening" ana walked as fast as l could
10 Inc cottage had left that morning. Save
that no low whistle came stealing over tho
plain, everything looked as it had looked
on the previous evening. When T nusbed
open the door of Prudence's COTTAGE ooo;,
found her husband busy at the hearth COX
ing in the iron pot.
."',Many vipers, Prudence?" he asked
without looking up.
1.It is not Prudence" | said
He turned round with start, and knew
me at once. He rose in sudden excitement
. Monsieur, monsieur he said. sevon
must tell me whore you found that herb
/ 1t IS the herb. I made the tisana - e.