Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-11-09

lufe lnJefpOSeh 10 prevent the nrSt shock OF a
horrible reality from crushing the mind
To her, even her, Antoinette Livingston,
the belle Of her avenue at home, and the pet
ted queen of circle of wealth and culture il
was apparently appointed TO die Of a snakes
bite in desert place, with tramp to close
her eyes. A wave of self-pity overwhelmed
her; her eyes flooded with tears, and she be-
gan to sob. And then, growing calmer she
found herself wondering when they would
miss her at the hotel, and begin to send out
searching parties. and how long it would be
before they would find her, and whether she
would be very much disfigured! She had
read such horrible stories about the effects of
rattlesnake- bites How would her father feel
when he arrived at the hotel from the city in
the morning and found her missing? Or,
perhaps she would hav; been brought home
by then. What commotion it would make
among the guests at the hotel, and how pret-
ty Belle Stacy would look in tears-she al
ways did. Mr.. Haywood would undoubtedly
admire her and it might lead TO something
The tramp was speaking; she had nearly for
gotten him.
Sucking the poison out of the wound
sometimes cures persons. We can Mt least
try that"
She caught at the suggestion with an ca
gerness almost convulsve. and raised her
arm to her mouth. But because the wound
was on the outside of it, she could not, try as
she might, quite touch it with her lips
Her efforts, rs she twisted her mouth and
pnched her arm, would have been laughable
had the emergency been any less serious.
you had better let me do it,"
She looked at him in involuntary amaze
ment at the unparalleled audacity of the sug-
gestion.
ITS no time to be notional. It's life or
death - said the tramp rather impatiently.
The logic of the situation was indeed mex
orablc; she extended her arm. He knelt be-
fore her and took the snowy treasure in his
big, rough, brown fingers. The slender. blue
veined wrist he held as tenderly as if it had
been an egg-shell. The dimpled elbow rest
ed in the palm of the other hand Miss Liv-
ingstOn, despite her terrified preoccupation,
could not help starting as he put his mouth to
the flesh She had not thought that the lips
of so rough "a man could be so soft, or that
their touch would be so like kiss. There
was something at once laughable and pathet-
ic in the attitude Of the strangely assorted
couple during the next few minutes Miss
Livingston kept her face resolutoly nverted
and looked intently at distant mountain-top.
but her eyes were really in her arm Her oc-
casional furtive glances at the face so closely
| pressed to IT were a study in their mixture of
repugnauce, even to loathing, with intense
anxiety to have him 20 on.
And yet, if she had been in mood to take
a dispassonate inventory Of her tramp's ap-
pearance, she must have admitted that, al
though rather forInidably big and brawny, he
would not have been at all a bad looking fel-
| low if he were once well shaved and had bet
| ter clothes. He had been knceling before her
on both knees. but now changed his posture
to one knee, and almost instantly thereafter
| sprang to his feet, crying with an excitement
| that showed how strong had been his repress-
| ed feelings:
Thank God. I've got something that
will save you What a fool was not TO think
of it before!" and he pulled a flask out of
! his hip-pocket. and shook it exultantly in her
face. His heel as he changed his posture
had touched the flask and reminded him of
| its existence. Miss Livingston looked at him
| apprehensively. What was he going to do to
| her: He speedily made it clear.
| That's full of whiskey, good pint. Whis-
| key Is the only sure cure for rattlesnake poi
son. All you've got to do is to drink this till
| you are intoxicated, and then you're cured" 1"
She had been through some very novel ex-
| periences that afternoon, and done things
which she would never have thought it posi-
ble she should be brought to do; but this was
| rather too much. If she had heard this
brawny vagabond Alright, he cooly proposed
that she should drink herself into a state of
insensbility, alone with him in this remote
spot. He poured some liquor into the tin
cup which he took from the bottom of the
flask, and extended it to her She shook her
head, and merely said:
"Thank you, won't try it,"
What was the use of arguing question of
propriety with a tramp?
Il see you're afraid of me-" he said Il
can't wonder at that, but it is a case of neces-
sity. If you don't drink YOU are dead in an
. | lpnr : Ilnrp'g IA least n bara .ln fbot
I'm an honorable fellow, but there's no chance
at all if you don't take the whskey. This is
the time of year when the poison is strongest,
and that was big fellow. Your arm it swell
ling already
She glanced at the still writhing reptile with
a shudder, and then at her arm. 1t was in
deed swelling, and the fang-marks had grown
black. Pitiful Heavens must she choose
between this imminent, horrible DEATH and
an absolute surrender of herself TO this va
grants mercy? She rose and turned her back
on him, looking away to the mountain-tops.
She walked few steps to and fro, and then
turned and asked him in a strained voice:
But won't this that you've been doing
draw out the poison z"
There's not much chance, because you SET
the bite is in among big veins, and the poison
got at once into the blood. / only did it be
cause it was better than doing nothing"
She looked at the cup which he held toward
her as if almost decided to take it, and thcI
turned away again and stood a long time
What thoughts were in her mind any woman
can guess. 1t is not for me TO describe them
Finally she turned slowly around once NOR,
and looked tiXedly into his face, as if studyinl
it for her life-as indeed she was. The darl
blue eyes rested on the brown ones of tht
man with gaze in which inquiry, entreaty
fear, doubt, and piteous appeal were most af
fectingly mingled.
Il assure you that you will be safe. l an
IA gentleman am indeed, although I'm no
dressed like one"
He spoke with an air of sincerity Still
these were but words, and her eyes still ques
toned his, though rs ii hopeless of obtaining
the assurance they sought.
Il am so sorry for YOU" he said at last, anI
as he spoke his eyes suffused with moisture.
Give me the cup--I will drink it now !!
she exclaimed.
However it might be with her own sex, sh
felt that she might trust the wet eyes Of
man. He explained to her how to take a
much as possible at one gulp and swallow j
without breathing, so as to avoid the smart o
the raw liquor Still she strangled and splut
, tered so that half the first dnught was vast
, ed, and her eyes were filed with water Afte
that he gave her smaller drinks and she go
on better.
Don't you begin to feel itg' he asked af
ter she had in this .way taken nearly half
pint.
mot Mt ALL" she replied, beginning t,
, think that, after all, it was not going to b.
such dreadful thing
THAT shows the strength of the poison i
has to counteract," he said.
'Why, you talk like an educated man !!
she exclaimed, impulsively.
''Why shouldn't 7" he replied, in surprise
= and then added, as if to himself, with al
amused smile, "Oh, yes, forgot-its tn
clothes"
) She failed to see what the joke was.