The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-07-19

pidity got the better of his principle,
and he shut up the serpent in a small
case, fastened the lid securelp p down,
received payment for it, and then
bowed the girl out of his shop.
81 have now herewith to accom-
plish my revenge" muttered Maud
as she took her place in cab.
\
"Uncle has asked Cecil to dine
with us to-day" said Emily Seymour
to her cousin, as the two girls were
sitting in the latter's boudoir durin Q
the dusk hour.
"Has he?-then suppose you are
happy" replied Maud, with attemp-
ted nonchallence, though she
tweaked the beak of q tame cocka-
too, a genuine specimen from Aus
tralia, that had perched upon the
mantle, until it uttered a shril
shrek of anger.
During the evening Maud was un-
usually reticent. She was frigidly
civil TO her late lover; but it was ev-
ident that she was terribly chagrin-
ed at his having transferred his affec-
tions to her cousin.
At a late hour she left the room,
went to her own apartment, and care
fully conceiling the reptiles small
cage under shawl, which she threw
over her alabaster shoulders, descen-
ded to the hall. Cecips overcoat
and hat hung hear the door. The
servants were below, and there was
no pryiDg gaze to detect her move
ments. Extending the orifce of the
side pocket of Firmstone's coat, she
inserted the box, swiftly unfastening
the catch which kept down the lid,
shook the reptile into the recess be
meath, withdrew the case and unbut
toned the lapel Of the pocket. Then
she replaced the box in her room and
returned to her friends.
Mr.. Firmstone rose to pay hii
adieus prior to taking his departure
He looked SO handsome as he badC
"good night" to Maud that she hal
repented the step she had taken, anC
felt almost inclined to warn him o.
his peril; but at that moment she
caught her cousins eye, and all hel
jealousy returned.
"Good night? the last time he viii
ever utter those words to mel" she
thought.
Emily accompanied Cecil to the
door-a lovers privilege. With
terrible anxiety, Maud awaited some
sign that the reptile had done its
work.
"Ahr
The half expressed exclamation
reached her where she sat, and she
trembled in every limb. 1t was
CeciPs voice, and she fancied the
death-blow had been struck.
"What was the matter, Emily? 1
heard Mr.. Fimstone utter a cry Of
pain" she said, when her cousin re-
entered the room.
GA cruel pin, sticking in his coat
pocket, tore his hand, poor fellow
He assured me it was but a mere
scratch he received, but the wound
bled quite freely. Ihope it will not
prove tetanus," replied.
at will produce a sWifter death
than that" thought Maud. ''He will
die ere morning dawns."
X X
"There's Divinity that shapes our
ends, rough-hew them how we
may" When Maud retired to her
chamber, and commenced her natur-
al toilet, the pretty cockatOo in he1
boudoir, instead of sleeping like q
respectable bird, so annoyed her with
its ceaseless chattering, that, in order
to quiet him, she brought him into
her bed room, and, perching him up.
on towel horse babe hin court re-
pose at once.
! Maud's luxuriant tresses, black as
ravens wings fell in waving pro
fusion over her sloping shoulders,
and she was complacently admiring
while arranging them, though won
dering, meanwhile, whether he who
had so lately toyed with them might
not be then in the throes of death
when a shriu discordant cry from
Tipoo Sahib-who, leaving his rest
circled once in the air, and ther
dashed hawklike down on some un
seen foe startled her. The bird fut
tered and Wrestled on the floor, anC
Maud flew to it's aid, fearing he wa
in fit; but she recoiled when she
saw his strong beak was fastened Sc
curely in the neck of a long wrlthins
serpent, whose body cleaned anC
flashed scintillant in the mellow ligh
as it strove to free itself from tn
death grip of the valorious bird.
Maud rushed to the door, an,
finging it wide open, uttered q pier
cling cry for help. 1t came in tn
person of her father, who, seeing a
once how matters stood, left tn,
: cockatoo to wage battle with tn
deadly reptile, while he attended tx
his fainting daughter.
Tipoo was soon victorious. Amit
r the wilds of his Australian home h
: had aforetime often encounters
similar foes, though none so poison
Gus; and ere Maud revived he wa
giving vent to his eXuberant joy il
inharmonious screeches, while b
futtered over his own stifening an
tagonist,
How the rattlesnake had gained in
/. gress to Maud's chamber was a min
2 days wonder Mr.. Montague's house
household, but asthat young ladykep
e her secret inYiolate, totally erront
GUS hypothesis was accepted.
j Fervently thankful that her ev
design had been frustrated, now tbs